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Pricing color intensity and lightness in contemporary art auctions

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  • Pownall, Rachel A.J.
  • Graddy, Kathryn

Abstract

Color plays an important part in modern life and influences our decision making process. However, little is known about how the different attributes of color, namely intensity and lightness, influence price. By analyzing auction data for paintings we can put a price on these attributes of color. Using a unique set of data for Contemporary artworks of Andy Warhol prints, we are able to observe the influence of intensity and lightness using RGB values as explanatory variables on prices achieved at auction. Controlling for other hedonic characteristics, our empirical results find significant evidence of intense colors fetching a premium over equivalent artworks which are less intense in color. Furthermore, darkness carries a premium over lightness.

Suggested Citation

  • Pownall, Rachel A.J. & Graddy, Kathryn, 2016. "Pricing color intensity and lightness in contemporary art auctions," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 412-420.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reecon:v:70:y:2016:i:3:p:412-420
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rie.2016.06.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Itaya, Jun-ichi & Ursprung, Heinrich W., 2016. "Price and death: modeling the death effect in art price formation," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 431-445.
    2. Garay, Urbi & Puggioni, Gavino & Molina, German & ter Horst, Enrique, 2022. "A Bayesian dynamic hedonic regression model for art prices," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 310-323.
    3. Lan Ju & Zhiyong Tu & Changyong Xue, 2020. "Pricing the Information Quantity in Artworks," Papers 2011.09129, arXiv.org.
    4. Elena Stepanova, 2019. "The impact of color palettes on the prices of paintings," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 755-773, February.
    5. William N Goetzmann & Christophe Spaenjers & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, 2021. "Real and Private-Value Assets [Gendered prices]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(8), pages 3497-3526.
    6. Hellmanzik, Christiane, 2016. "Historic art exhibitions and modern - day auction results," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 421-430.
    7. Ma, Marshall Xiaoyin & Noussair, Charles N. & Renneboog, Luc, 2022. "Colors, Emotions, and the Auction Value of Paintings," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    8. Federico Etro & Elena Stepanova, 2017. "Art Auctions and Art Investment in the Golden Age of British Painting," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 64(2), pages 191-225, May.
    9. Maksim Borisov & Valeria Kolycheva & Alexander Semenov & Dmitry Grigoriev, 2022. "The influence of color on prices of abstract paintings," Papers 2206.04013, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    10. Mathieu Aubry & Roman Kräussl & Gustavo Manso & Christophe Spaenjers, 2023. "Biased Auctioneers," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 78(2), pages 795-833, April.
    11. Garay, Urbi & Pérez, Eduardo & Pulga, Fredy, 2022. "Color intensity variations and art prices: An examination of Latin American art," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 158-176.
    12. Jaehyuk Choi & Lan Ju & Jian Li & Zhiyong Tu, 2023. "Information extraction and artwork pricing," Papers 2302.08167, arXiv.org.
    13. Shailendra Gurjar & Usha Ananthakumar, 2023. "The economics of art: price determinants and returns on investment in Indian paintings," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 50(6), pages 839-859, January.
    14. Stephen Sheppard, 2021. "Image Content, Complexity, and the Market Value of Art," Department of Economics Working Papers 2021-08, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    15. Alessia Crotta & Filip Vermeylen, 2020. "Does nudity sell? An econometric analysis of the value of female nudity in Modigliani portraits," ACEI Working Paper Series AWP-02-2020, Association for Cultural Economics International, revised Dec 2020.

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    Keywords

    Art Economics; RGB color; Value;
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