You may have heard about it from a friend, read it in the papers, or seen it on a website. Perhaps you’ve never even heard about it. But Artist’s Resale Right (droit de suite) has been one of this year’s hotly debated issues amongst UK’s artists and art trade. It’s also been the subject of a select committee inquiry and government consultation.
With an arrival date set for 1 January 2006, time is running out to learn about the concept invented by the French back in the 1920s. Following the death of the great French painter, Jean François Millet, the value of his paintings rose dramatically with a painting changing hands for 1 million francs which he had previously sold during his lifetime for 1,200 francs, whilst his family was left destitute.
