Luis Castelo Lopes states that the concept of art
investment begins in 1973 or 74 in which the pension fund of the English Railway
had money that was an absurd thing and found that there was likely to be
monetized some of that money. And then grabbed 0.4 % of the fund, which at that
time were 40 million pounds, and delivered to a committee chaired by a guy from
Sotheby’s. And started selling 10 years later, on 83 and 89 until sold. Of the
initial 40 million, they made 280 million. And there were many curators who advised.
The fact that several collections made without
criteria since the mid 80s here in Portugal, were bought by counseling
sometimes not very good. These collections were made generally in a short time,
between five and ten. Another reality, he says, is the collection made over
several decades, twenty, thirty, thoughtful, and generally more successful in
terms of investment. By his experience also linked to the antiques market, the
collections of family, generations, which include, in addition to painting, the
furniture, the silver, porcelains, are a tradition of a certain type of art
collectors who disappeared in Portugal.
Regarding collecting art Fernando Santos points out
the shortage of collectors: there are not many collectors. “There are few
collections that can be called collection.” And stresses how good collections
Ilídio Pinho, with about 700 works, but this project has stopped. The Berardo
Collection is also mentioned as a good collection.
Jaime Isidoro in 2004 about art collectors in Portugal
claimed "there are a few. There are two large collections of Portuguese art,
which is mine, with about 500 pieces, made over 50 years, and Manuel Brito;
it was I who started Jorge de Brito. The Berardo Collection is not of
Portuguese art, Portuguese art is misrepresented.
Manuel de Brito in 2005 relates to shortage of
collectors “there is not much. There are group of lawyers Saragga Leal. "
Pedro Alvim also relates this tradition of collecting
classical art and antiques as a reality throughout the entire Ancient Regime.
For Peter Meerker the reflection of the economic
crisis on the art market in Portugal, already narrow, the situation is dramatic.
"We're going to galleries and no sales, the market is very narrow.” Collector’s
role is very important because their collections are deposited in museums, if
we look at history and we see great works of art around the world in its
genesis they began to be acquired by a collector.
Joe Berardo states that the initial acquisition of the
works was taken by Francisco Capelo, taking advantage of a favorable
environment of low prices in the late 80s. The Portuguese art in 2003 was
represented with 40 works totaling about 660.
