What Really Happens to an Artist’s Market After They Die

As Wirsum's family discovered, keeping an artist's legacy alive can be a full-time job.

A black-and-white photo shows a young man in a plaid shirt standing in front of a highly detailed painting featuring a patterned, mask-like face with geometric elements.

Artists might starve during their lifetimes, but when they shake off this mortal coil, their work becomes more valuable, right? Wrong. Observer digs into why auction prices don’t always rise when an artist dies.

What Really Happens to an Artist’s Market After They Die