Colors, Emotions, and the Auction Value of Paintings

Marshall Xiaoyin Ma, Charles Noussair and Luc Renneboog

European Economic Review, 2022, vol. 142, issue C

Abstract: We study pricing in the art auction market, focusing on the impact of color composition in non-figurative paintings on hammer prices and willingness-to-pay, by means of both field and laboratory data. Our field data, consisting of art auction prices, reveal a color hierarchy reflected in hammer prices: a one standard deviation increase in the percentage of blue (red) hue triggers a premium of 10.63% (4.20%). We conducted laboratory experiments in the US, China, and Europe, and elicited participants’ willingness-to-pay and measured emotions. We find that blue and red paintings command a premium: blue (red) paintings generate 18.57% (17.28%) higher bids. Color influences prices through the channel of emotional pleasure rather than arousal. Our results are consistent across all three cultures and independent of individual traits such as gender, risk aversion, education and cultural background.

Keywords: Auction markets; experimental economics; alternative investments; art investment; cultural economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D44 G11 G20 Z11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Colors, emotions, and the auction value of paintings (2022)
Working Paper: Colors, Emotions, and the Auction Value of Paintings (2019)
Working Paper: Colors, Emotions, and the Auction Value of Paintings (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:142:y:2022:i:c:s0014292121002774

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2021.104004

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