Valentina Castellani, a veteran of Sotheby’s and Gagosian, is releasing a new book titled 'Trading Beauty: Art Market Histories from the Altar to the Gallery'. The publication aims to fill a pedagogical gap Castellani discovered while teaching at New York University, providing a comprehensive chronological overview of the art market from the Renaissance to the post-pandemic era. Published by Gagosian and distributed by Rizzoli, the book features a cover by Maurizio Cattelan and an introduction by Massimiliano Gioni.
The book is significant because it synthesizes the evolution of art valuation, moving from the religious and aristocratic patronage of the Catholic Church to the birth of the free market in 17th-century Holland and the modern gallery system pioneered by Paul Durand-Ruel. By examining landmark moments like the $450.3 million sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s 'Salvator Mundi' alongside historical shifts in social and economic structures, Castellani provides a framework for understanding how external political and religious pressures have historically dictated artistic production and value.