Before we begin listing some famous blue-chip artists, let’s discuss what blue-chip art actually is.
Blue-chip art refers to artwork produced by artists with a history of creating art that holds its value or increases in value. After old masters, blue-chip artwork is generally the most expensive art you can buy.
There are many reasons to invest in blue-chip art – but the key reason is that blue-chip artwork can give you the best chance of gaining a profit.
Blue-chip artists are well-known names in the industry – art investors and art collectors trust that art created by blue-chip artists is a good investment.
Some popular blue-chip names include Warhol, Banksy, and Picasso. Read on for a list of the blue-chip artists and to learn more about some of the top blue-chip artists in the art world.
Andy Warhol
Whether you’re familiar with the world of art or not, you’ll have likely heard the name Andy Warhol – it is one of the leading names of the ‘60s Pop Art movement.
Warhol is one of the most recognised blue-chip artists, known for his famous contemporary art such as ‘Campbell’s Soup’, ‘Shot Marilyns’, and of course, the iconic album cover of The Velvet Underground’s self-titled album ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’.
Warhol’s work always performs well on the art market – his work is extremely valuable and a perfect choice for art investment/ art collection.
In fact, some of his pieces are among the most expensive pieces of art sold at auction. For example, ‘Blue Marilyn’ surpassed Picasso’s 1995 Les Femmes d’Alger at auction, selling for $195 million at Christie’s.
Another piece that exceeded expectations on the art market is ‘210 Coca-Cola Bottles’, a 1962 piece. This is the first piece of Warhol’s art to exceed one million dollars at Sotheby’s.
If you’re interested in investing in Andy Warhol’s art, we are here to help at Grove Gallery. Likewise, if you’d like to learn more about Warhol, check out this blog post exploring ten facts about Andy Warhol’s art.
Banksy
Banksy is one of the biggest names in not only the world of street art but the art world in general. He began his career as an artist back in the early ‘90s, painting graffiti in the graffiti gang DryBreadZ Crew. During this time, his work consisted of both stencil and freehand techniques.
Banksy quickly developed a following in Bristol, which then spread to the rest of the UK, and then the world. Despite being one of the most famous artists of the 21st century, Banksy chose anonymity over his intellectual property rights. The true identity of the famous street artist remains unknown.
Some notable pieces by Banksy include Love Is In The Air (which sold for £209,104), Pulp Fiction prints (selling for over £130,000 at auction), and Devolved Parliament (sold for £9.8 million). Napalm is another popular piece by Banksy, with 500 unsigned and 150 signed prints being released back in 2004, as well as 27 orange proofs and 27 rainbow proofs, both signed.
View our Banksy pieces today or make a smart investment in Banksy’s artwork with Grove Gallery. Banksy’s art is a great investment choice – his work not only retains its value but has a history of increasing in value over time.
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso is one of the world’s greatest artists, widely recognised for his cubism and surrealism pieces. His career, however, was so extensive that his artwork fell into many stylistic periods.
Spearheading the Cubism movement, Picasso had a huge impact on the art world. His artwork has a history of increasing in value, making him a popular blue-chip artist. In fact, a Picasso piece sold for over $100 million at Sotheby’s, which was a record-breaking sale. Invest in Picasso today with Grove Gallery. You can liaise with our expert art advisors to help you make the right decision.
Keith Haring
Keith Haring is another popular blue-chip name; one of the world’s most renowned modern artists. His work began in the subways of New York, featuring chalk outlines. This quickly developed into eye-catching, expansive murals.
Haring created over 50 public artworks between 1982 and 1989, some of which were showcased in public buildings such as daycare centres, hospitals, and schools.
His colourful designs and bold outlines are often more than meets the eye; exploring themes such as aids, hom*osexuality, safe sex, and anti-apartheid.
His ‘Untitled’ piece from 1982 surpassed the estimate of $6 million at Sotheby’s in 2017, setting a brand new record for Haring’s artwork. Invest in a Haring piece today with Grove Gallery.
Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst is a big name in the world of art – he is one of the YBAs (Young British Artists) that dominated the art market in the ‘90s.
Hirst is known for using death as a prominent theme throughout his work. His most iconic pieces of art feature dissected, dead animals that have been preserved in formaldehyde.
One of his most popular pieces is ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’.
This piece of art is a 14-foot tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde, showcased in a clear display. This is one of the most famous pieces of work from the ‘90s – and epitomises Britart around the world. This piece of art sold for a staggering 12m dollars.
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall is known for expressing a range of artistic styles, producing artwork in many formats such as ceramics, fine art, drawings, illustrations, and many more.
His work regularly sells for staggering prices – in fact, the annual return for Chagall’s art resold at auction was 6.8% in the years between 2003 and 2017. Chagall consistently ranks in the Artprice list of the top 40 artists in the world and ranked number 27 in 2021.
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a French painter and a well-known name in the world of art. Born in 1849, he significantly contributed to the Impressionist art movement and is best known for his iconic Water Lilies series.
Nymphéas, a 1906 piece, sold for $54 million at Sotheby’s in 2014., making it one of the highest-selling paintings of all time.
In fact, the term ‘Impressionism’ was coined due to Monet’s work – his painting Impression, Soleil Levant, epitomised the movement. Claude Monet’s work is always a smart choice for investors – despite being very expensive, they have a history of increasing in value.
