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The Hugo Nathan Manifesto

The London art advisor has called for a return to “decoration”—meaning collectors buying what they want, reflective of their tastes and personality, rather than treating art as just another asset class. Will the art world listen?

Hugo Nathan
Hugo Nathan is always prospecting for new clients, and he suggested that decorating is a great way to get new buyers into art collecting. It usually starts with a major real estate purchase followed by a desire to make the new home a reflection of the owner’s aspirations. Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images for the British Museum
Marion Maneker
March 3, 2026

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One question above all others has been nagging the art market as it trudges through its three-year slump: What will it take to attract more potential buyers? A possible answer was proposed earlier this year by Beaumont Nathan co-founder Hugo Nathan, who declared in a newsletter at the start of the year that “speculation is out, decoration is in.” He went on to say that while “decoration” was “a term long reviled by many in our industry,” it was the very thing that would prompt a return to “an earlier era of collecting, when individuality, personality, [and] pleasure” were the guiding principles.