One of the axioms of the art market is that buyers tend to fluctuate, over multiyear cycles, from an obsessive focus on mostly young up-and-comers toward a fascination with historical artists from different eras. That’s certainly the case this year, where there’s a lot more historical art on view in the city. But we’re also witnessing another, more portentous shift this season toward more private dealing. There’s a simple reason for this, of course: When the art market is contracting, negotiating prices down is best done in private; bidding them up is more easily done in public.
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