The AppraisalDumas’s secondary market peaked in 2017, the same year she had concurrent solo museum shows at the Albertinum, Kupferstich-Kabinett, and Staatliche Kunstsammlungen in Dresden. While most of her collectors hold onto their best paintings or sell privately, three of her top 10 auction prices were set that year, when her work generated a total of nearly $16 million.Dumas’s best works rarely come up for auction—especially not over the past decade.
Part of this may be due to careful placement on the part of her dealers, global juggernaut David Zwirner, Frith Street in London, and Zeno X in Antwerp, who have sold her work to buyers unlikely to resell. It doesn’t help that Dumas is a female artist in an art world that. Dumas herself has also refused to bend to the will of the market, creating work that explores the darker side of humanity, like terrorism and war crimes.
Auction prices are, to some degree, irrelevant—Dumas’s place in the pantheon is secure thanks to her all-star collector base and robust museum presence. If you are a flipper looking to make a fast buck, it’s no wonder her work is not particularly appealing. But if you are looking for a work that shows a fine artist at the peak of their powers, a painting by Dumas is a wise choice—if you can get your hands on one.