What is the Gabrius art index?

Gabrius art index is a sophisticated art records databank, with information collated from sales taken from a selection of the major global auction houses. It is an indispensable tool, with accurate and user-friendly operation facilities, aimed at art professionals and art lovers who wish to monitor the auction market in order to research the best investment in this sector.
The original version of the database is available on CD Rom and has been an outstanding success for Gabrius S.p.A., with world sales of over 70,000 CD Roms in only three years.
With 300,000 images, each of high quality and resolution, along with technical auction data which is daily updated, Gabrius art index records the most important works of art on the auction market provided by an informed and professional selection of auction results. The art sales data in the Gabrius art index goes back to 1985, with information provided in English.

 How is the Gabrius art index organised?

By collecting auction results of works hammered in the last 10 years from the principal auction houses around the globe, Gabrius art index offers a complete panorama of sales. The databank is subdivided into three periods: Old Master Paintings, 19th century and 20th century. In each section, the works are divided into 35 search parameters, thus offering individual choices in reference to the particular work in question; title, artist, medium, dimensions, attribution, expertise, provenance and so on - thus enabling effective searches which are as unique as the art work itself. The authority of the database content is guaranteed by professional expertise on the part of Gabrius staff.
Following from this, the Old Master and 19th century sections are exclusively paintings and drawings from the 14th century onwards. However the 20th century section includes paintings, drawings, ceramics, photography, and sculpture. The inclusion of works selected for the database are dependent on the works superseding the hammer price threshold of $ 5,000.
Every Gabrius art index technical data page is organised in tabular format with location of auction, provenance as well as essential bibliographical information and details of principal exhibitions. Here is a summary of the main features:

a) Images: there is an image for every artwork
b) Detail of cataloguing: there are thirty-four entries for each work including:

 What particular technical features are there?

Probably the most innovative aspect of the Gabrius art index is the creation of a scientific mechanism based on financial indices (statistical information displayed through mathematical formulas and then shown in graphs).
When entering the Basic Index section, it is possible at the click of the mouse, to visualise a calculation (or market trend) of the current selling rates of a chosen artist, by each year. This also takes into account the volatility of currency changes. The formula for these indices are computed by a scientific committee, from the University of Bologna enabling the creation of graphs which follows the rise (and fall) with reference to quotations (auction estimates) of works sold - thereby tracing the artist's trend on the market over the last ten years. Another graph known as Transactions shows the comparison of lots offered with lots sold. From this objective collation of market values, it is thus easy to visualize the data with reference to such concerns as risk analysis.
The advantage implicit in this service for art investment is clear. By selecting the service "current value" it is also possible to calculate the relative value of the work with reference to its past buying price and its contemporary value. Access into Gabrius art index is made available through either subscription or through buying small units (known as credits). Here is a summary of the main features:

a) Artist's Basic Index
b) Work's Present Value
c) Search Engine (basic and advanced searches)
d) Transactions.

 What are the benefits of the Gabrius art index?

a) Check the value of your artwork. For this purpose, you can select a work from the Gabrius art index that is similar to yours and check its present value.
b) Check on how an artist is doing, by selecting the artist and then Basic Index, in order to understand the market trend.
c) Check to see if you are purchasing or selling an artwork for the right price. For this purpose, you can check the hammer price or the present value of the artwork you are interested in.

 What are the available search options?

The Gabrius art index engine allows for two kinds of searches:

1. Basic Search
This is through searching via the following terms: by artist, auction, or subject.
1.1 Basic Search: by artist
a) enter on desired category (Old Master Painting, 19th Century Paintings or 20th Century)
b) click on "Artist", "Auction", or "Subject"
c) click on "Artist" you will get a list of artists and their aliases. You will then be able to:
- scroll down the list to pick one name
- type the artist's full name or alias and click on "Find" or
- type only the first letter of the artist's name or alias.
1.2 Basic Search: by auction
By clicking on "Auction" you will have an option of searching via sale date and/or auction house.
1. 3 Basic Search: by subject
By clicking on "Subject" you can select via a list of chosen genre/topic subjects.

2. Advanced Search
a) enter one of our three areas (Old Master Painting, 19th Century Paintings, 20th Century)
b) click on "Advanced Search".

 What is the Present Value?

This indicates the estimated value of the work at present, as re-evaluated according to the artist's index.
The sum is obtained by multiplying the sale price of the work with the ratio between the most recent Basic Index result and the one of the year when the work went under the hammer.
The present value is given in two formats:
a) Monetary and
b) Real Terms (see above).

The present value is available in the three basic currencies - Euro, UK sterling, and US dollar.

TEST CASE SCENARIO
a) a work by Picasso was sold in 1995 for 50,000 Euro
b) the index for Picasso had been 1.5 in 1995 and 3 in 1999
c) the present value would be calculated at 50,000 Euro x (3 / 1.5)
d) Present value is thus 100,000 Euro.

 How can I compare the financial data of various artworks by means of a graph?

It is possible to compare minimum and maximum estimates against hammer prices by:
a) select the artist
b) select art works whose data you want to compare (click left hand box) of the title of each work selected
c) click on "Create a Graph".

The estimates and hammer prices are converted into a currency of your choice (Euro, Sterling or Dollar).

 Charges and subscription rates

To use the reserved area of the Gabrius art index - in which estimates, prices and financial information are provided - you need to purchase credits.

To consult:
the estimates and prices pertinent to one artwork = 1 credit
the art works' present value = 3 credits
the Basic Index for one artist = 10 credits.

 How should I search for an artist whose name includes von, van, de, etc..?

Enter surname and click "Search". For example to find "Van Gogh", type "Gogh".

 How do I find an artist when I know only his pseudonym (or alias)?

a) Click on "Artist", write the pseudonym and press enter.
b) Click on "Advanced Search", write the pseudonym in the field "Alias" and click "Search".

 Who is Gabrius?

Gabrius S.p.A. is an art and finance multimedia company with headquarters in Milan and New York, at Gabrius USA Corporation, which provides art products and services to art lovers, collectors, investors and financial institutions.
Founded by Alberico Cetti Serbelloni in 1997, Gabrius has developed a unique business model combining art investment advice with information technologies, particularly those connected to the Internet.
The core business of Gabrius is represented by the Gabrius Art Index, a highly authoritative data bank of auction results. The original CD-Rom version of the Gabrius Art Index has already enjoyed an extraordinary success with the sale of over than 70,000 copies worldwide in only three years, with proceeds totalling 350 billion Lire. With 300,000 high-resolution quality images and technical data updated daily, Gabrius Art Index records the most important works of art sold internationally by the major auction houses. The database also tracks the art market trends with an index of sales results for each and every artist, providing an important source of information for investors.
Gabrius also offers Daily Gabrius, a bilingual (English and Italian) internet magazine which utilises information provided by the Gabrius Art Index database, daily indicating the best investment opportunities through market analysis, reviews of international art events / auctions and interviews with experts in this field. Gabrius also provides several further offshoots: a contemporary art magazine tema celeste, published in Italian and in English (on-line and paper version); art publishing by Alberico Cetti Serbelloni Editore, which specialises in monographs dedicated (or written by) contemporary artists; and an art gallery in Milan called Gabrius Editions, which sells contemporary prints, multiples, monographs (published in-house) and graphic works, some of which are exclusively made for Gabrius; and finally the on-line site, Gabrius Galleries which collates information on leading art galleries.
In essence Gabrius is a highly versatile business unit. Not only is it a provider of products and multimedia services, but a reference point for discovering, evaluating and making the best of art investment opportunities.

For any further questions please contact info@gabriusartindex.com.