The Old Masters Market: Q1 2026 Review
Prices held firm at major auction houses, with standout results in Dutch and Flemish painting.
The first quarter of 2026 offered a broadly constructive picture for Old Masters. Christie's and Sotheby's combined evening sale totals exceeded expectations, driven by strong bidding on seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish works. Italian Baroque continued its steady appreciation, while the Northern European works offered at mid-level estimates largely found buyers within range.