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Valuing Collaboration in Art: Insights from Zhang Daqian's Network

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  • Yuqing Song

Abstract

Collaboration is a common artistic practice. The art market, however, often focuses on individual artists. How does collaboration affect the market value of artworks? The present study explores the market for collaborative paintings and calligraphy with a focus on one of the most important artists of the 20th century, Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), the “Picasso of the East.” We reveal a collaboration network of 247 nodes and 782 edges, spreading across three stages of the artist’s career. We provide evidence that, on average, collaborative artworks fetch lower prices than single-authored ones. Interestingly, not all collaborators lower prices equally. Network analysis suggests an inversely U-shaped relationship between a collaborator’s centrality and art prices. The paper sheds light on the mechanisms driving value in the market for collaborative artworks.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuqing Song, 2024. "Valuing Collaboration in Art: Insights from Zhang Daqian's Network," Working Papers CEB 24-012, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:2013/375963
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    Keywords

    Collaboration; Collaborative paintings; Celebrity branding; Zhang Daqian; Chinese art market;
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