What's in Anonymity? The Economics of Indeterminate Works of Art

Anne-Sophie V.E. Radermecker, Ph.D., presents a talk titled "What's in Anonymity? The Economics of Indeterminate Works of Art." Works of art and cultural objects of uncertain or unknown authorship constitute a significant part of cultural heritage, and are regularly traded in the art market. However, as compared to works for which the artist's name is clearly identifiable, they tend to be rarely considered for themselves, or chiefly for attribution purposes. Based on a selection of representative categories of indeterminate works of art, my postdoctoral research project aims at examining, from both a transversal and cross-disciplinary perspectives, how these goods are produced, labeled, displayed, marketed, and consumed. In this presentation, I will introduce the economics of indeterminate works of art, by focusing on the market reception of anonymous old master paintings. The study of the critical and market reception of these goods offers the opportunity to better understand how anonymity is perceived and valued in the art world, past and present, and to detect specific patterns in art consumption that are likely to differ from one cultural context to another.

Lunch served. Event free and open to the public.