Why Dead Artist Are Worth More Than

Live Ones

Most artists are not fully appreciated until much later

after they've passed on, because in dying the artist seals off

any future artworks from being created. This generates an

insular market for their artworks due to the number of

pieces in circulation. If the artist was incredibly prolific and

there are several thousand accepted pieces out there, it's of

no matter because; the inability of the artist to ever

create another piece increases the perceived value of

the pieces already on the market immediately.

The real question then becomes what happens after

an artists' passing?

· Does a spouse or publisher continue to promote the

work and push it forward even though the artist is no

longer living?

· Will the heirs of the copyrights sell off the artwork for

whatever possible or are they going to create events

enhancing the artists' reputation?

· Are museum exhibitions scheduled?

· Has this artist been granted posthumous honors by a

recognizable institution or country of birth or

residency?

· Are prices continuing to appreciate?

· Is there an established tracking of values for pieces

sold and bought on the secondary market?