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Welcome to FineArtandAntiques.ca



William Winter painting

Our gallery and services are presented by a small team of knowledgeable and dedicated professionals with over three decades of hands-on experience in the buying, selling and appraisal of fine paintings and hand-pulled artist's prints.

We're specialists in fine original works of art by noted Canadian and foreign artists and print-makers from the 20th century 'Modern Art Movements'.

In our gallery you'll find well chosen oil and acrylic paintings, along with hand-pulled etchings, aquatints, woodcuts and serigraphs. You'll also discover an intriguing selection of unique vintage artifacts, objets d'art and fascinating one-of-a-kind cherished rarities from the last century and earlier. With an eye on quality, rarity and the true merit of the items that we sell in our gallery, excellence is always within our focus.

We perform insightful fine art appraisals for people who need to be 'in-the-know' about the financial worth of the artworks in their collections. We have over 70 years of combined fine art expertise in the researching, buying and selling of original 20th century Canadian, American and Continental works of art. This results in us being able to bring you informative, knowledge based, appraisals that are accurate, up-to-date and accepted by insurers and estate lawyers. Our reputation is important to us, so we conscientiously stand behind and apply the basic 'Principles of Appraisals Practice and Code of Ethics' of the American Society of Appraisers.

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Tom Mathews painting

We also take delight in the fine paintings and prints that we buy and sell and we encourage our clients to ask as many questions as needed before purchasing from our gallery collection. It's quite essential to know as much as you can about the paintings and hand-pulled prints that you seek to add to your collection. Such as, the biographical information about the artist, what type of medium the artwork was created with, its condition and the origin of the artwork and if a there is a history or provenance available. You also have our firm guarantee that all of the works in our online gallery have been thoroughly vetted for authenticity, originality and condition. We are experienced professionals and dedicated passionate fine art connoisseurs who always have an eye out for quality works... and, we stake our solid reputation on that.

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Collectors are keenly aware that noteworthy works of art from the 20th century have a distinctive proven track record for value endurance and rarely ever drop in price. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many of the newly produced works found in numerous contemporary retail art galleries today.

As investment quality 'Fine Art' has no correlation to the ups and downs of the stock market, this means that vintage artworks can go up in value even as the market worth for newly produced contemporary works go down. As we saw after the financial crisis of 2008, when unbeknownst to many, the vintage art market was one of the first to rebound quite robustly after the downturn.

There is a growing recognition among investors that integrating fine art into their portfolios can serve as a beneficial diversification strategy. Moreover, this approach offers the additional satisfaction of being able to visibly enjoy your art acquitions. As many of us have a tendency to look to the past when it comes to the acquisition of fine paintings, prints or sculptures, we also keep discovering more tantalizing facts about noteworthy artists of the 20th century, and that list keeps growing all the time. As more recent information is brought to light about these 'historical artists' and their works, be it through books, films, documentaries or art auctions, the resulting effect, over a short period of time, often brings about an increase in value and/or a higher demand for that particular artist's works.

Robert Lee Chadwick painting

Acquiring quality 20th century fine art doesn't have to be a costly affair. With over 35 years of experience in the gallery business we are always conscientiously committed to offering you well-vetted investment quality fine art. And, we wholeheartedly believe that acquiring investment quality fine art can and should be an enjoyable and financially rewarding venture. But, one should also understand that investing in art is not always an easy thing to do.

It's always wise to begin your journey towards a sound 'art purchase' by first doing your own research and attempt to absorb as much relevant information as you can. Delve into the history of the artist and ask as many questions as needed to satisfy your artistic expectations of a particular painting or hand-pulled print. Then give yourself a bit of time to digest this information. Soon, you'll be able to trust your instincts and your educated eye when it's time to make a final decision on a fine art acquisition. Remember, the art market can be fickle, especially with contemporary works and there are no guarantees of profitability. But with a certain amount of research, focus and insight, you can then begin your art collection on the right footing by investing in vintage artworks that may very well prove to be worthy 'fine art assets' into the future.

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reasons to invest in 20th century art


  1. Historical artworks tend to have a proven track record when it comes to valuation through the reviewing of past art auction results. An enlightened buyer of fine art often sees good value in acquiring works from the 20th century. Whereas contemporary 'gallery art' is often purchased on a whim without consideration for its inherent value or introspection into that particular artist's background.

  2. There is a distinct pride and personal status that is associated with owning an original vintage fine art painting or hand-pulled print. You begin to hone your eye to appreciate art that has, that certain 'wow' factor appeal. Acquiring a work of fine art is often a very focused endeavour, so consider, that you may find browsing for art with friends or acquaintances can develop into a frustrating situation. Your art purchase is a very individual affair, because it's all about what that painting or print does for you, and not what it means to your partner or your friend. But of course beware the pitfalls, as it is always wise to get your partner's personal insight before taking the leap.

  3. You begin to develop a strong sense of awareness that you are helping to advance the arts culture within Canada. Owning original historical art has a positive effect on the collector, and it also inspires us to look at the world in a meaningfully different way, which can invariably enhance the quality of your life.

  4. Many historical fine art paintings, hand-pulled prints and bronzes have also consistently increased in value over time, and that's always a good thing. Whereas newer contemporary paintings and artworks can linger in value after purchasing and more often than not, drop in monetary worth. When you look to the past for good value in fine art, you're able to wisely choose artworks from those artist's who have since gained notoriety and importance and whose values today continue to climb.

  5. Canadian fine art is a tax deductible expense for your company or business, thus it can harbour you from paying higher taxes and at the same time broaden your net worth while also diversifying your asset base. To qualify, it must be art created by a Canadian artist and have a retail value of at least $200.

  6. With overall economic value in mind, the last economic recession in 2008 had us all down. Not many markets did well over the following year or two, but the market for vintage fine art paintings and prints was surprisingly robust and bounced back with full buoyancy much faster than expected compared to other traditional markets.

  7. Your vintage art collection becomes part of your life, and one should remember that it's not just another retail purchase. It's something that will be on display in your home or living space or office and eventually become intertwined into your own life's story. Vintage fine art, whether we like to admit it or not, has an inextricable link to the lasting memories that we create within our own lifetime and, eventually, these artworks are often handed down for the next generation to enjoy and appreciate.

  8. 20th century fine art tends to retain its investment value, and continues to increase in worth all the time. What some art dealers don't want you to realize is that, most new contemporary paintings and common variety mass produced prints are afflicted by what art experts commonly refer to as the "New Car Syndrome".

    Meaning, as soon as you purchase any of a broad range of contemporary artworks, unfortunately, it's akin to you driving that new automobile you just purchased off the car lot, where its relative value can easily drop 20% to 30% and more in one fell swoop. People usually discover this fact when they attempt to re-market their recently acquired, early 21st century artworks.

    It's an open secret that contemporary paintings and prints, when sent to art auctions, often severely underperform for consignors, presenting them with potentially disheartening results. Whereas, a broad range of vintage 20th century artworks are found to be far more stable in relative value, be it in an art auction venue or in a retail art gallery setting.

    So, why not consider "thinking 20th century vintage" for your next fine art acquisition?

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Link to Globe and Mail article

Fine 20th Century Paintings, Prints and Insightful Appraisals

Updated November 6, 2024


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