Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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for the Art Market and Heritage
24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Market

OIMAP Observatory

The OIMAP Observatory produces and publishes the reference statistics of the global art and heritage market.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

Taj Mahal, Back View of the Rest-House, with Figure, Dr. John Murray (c. 1858–1862)MissionMeasure the market, explain its changes, make its data accessible: the threefold mission of the OIMAP Observatory.› An Indigo Factory, Allahabad, Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet (1865–68, published 1869–70)MethodologyCollection, checking, calculation and publication: the detailed method that produces the OIMAP art market statistics.› Flowers and Trees of the Four Seasons, Watanabe Shikō (early-mid 1700s)TeamThe management, analysts and scientific council that bring the OIMAP Observatory to life.›

The market's figures memory

Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)
Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)

Created in 2010, the OIMAP Observatory collects, checks and publishes art market data from 67 Member States. It is the source of all the figures in this section.

Placed under the authority of the Secretariat but overseen by an independent scientific council, the Observatory has a threefold mission: to measure the market, to explain its changes and to make its data available to all.

Three pages describe it: its mission, its methodology and its team.

  • Public statistics
  • Independence
  • Open data

The Observatory in figures

2010Year of creation
14Analysts and statisticians
9Members of the scientific council
15 yearsOf data history

Source: OIMAP Observatory.

The three pages of the section

Jar with Stamped Decoration (1400s)RoleMission

What the Observatory does, for whom and with what guarantees.

›Letter Box, Ogata Kōrin (1700s)MethodMethodology

Collection, checking, calculation and publication of data.

›Turtleback Reading Lamp, Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company (c. 1895–1902)PeopleTeam

Management, analysts and members of the scientific council.

›

Public statistics in the service of the market

The art market is fragmented: public sales are visible, private sales much less so, and States do not always have tools to track them. The Observatory fills this gap by centralising standardised declarations.

It sells no data for exclusive commercial purposes. The basic series are free; only tailor-made studies may be charged, at cost.

View of Venice, Jacopo de' Barbari (1500)
View of Venice, Jacopo de' Barbari (1500)
Telescoping basket (1800's)
Telescoping basket (1800's)
Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)
Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)

The Observatory's annual cycle

  1. January

    Closing of the previous year's declarations.

  2. February

    Quality control and reconciliation with certificates.

  3. March

    Publication of the annual report.

  4. June

    Spring sector studies.

  5. October

    Methodological review by the scientific council.

Origin of sales declarations

Auction houses58%
Galleries and dealers24%
Digital platforms12%
Administrations6%

Share of declarations received in 2024.

Highlights

  1. Creation

    First statistics, eleven contributing States.

  2. Global index

    Launch of the reference series.

  3. Open data

    Publication under an open licence.

  4. Scientific council

    Creation of an independent council of nine members.

  5. 67 States

    Full coverage of the Member States.

Independence

Open data or tailor-made studies

Leaf from a Psalter and Prayerbook: Calendar Page with Labors (recto) (c. 1524)

Open data

Standard series of the Observatory
  • Free
  • Updated every quarter
  • Open licence

For all uses.

Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)

Tailor-made studies

Analyses requested by a client
  • Invoiced at cost
  • Scope defined with the client
  • Results published afterwards

For specific needs.

What the Observatory undertakes to do

Fragment of a Border with Standing and Seated Birds Amidst Vegetation (1500s)
Fragment of a Border with Standing and Seated Birds Amidst Vegetation (1500s)
Carnet (1863–1865)
Carnet (1863–1865)
Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)
Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748)

The director

Peregrine Falcons (Duck Hawks), John James Audubon (c. 1827)
« We do not produce opinions on the market. We produce series that anyone can challenge. »
Dr. Camille Roussel, Director of the Observatory

Vocabulary of statistics

Declaration
Information sent by an approved operator about a sale.
Series
Sequence of values measured at regular intervals.
Scientific council
Independent committee that checks the method.
Open licence
Permission to reuse the data freely.

Frequently asked questions

Who can consult the data?

Everyone, without registration, for the basic series.

Does the Observatory know the names of buyers?

No. Declarations are anonymised before any statistical processing.

How can I contact an analyst?

Through the contact form or by email: see the team.

Where can I find the index's calculation method?

On the Methodology page.

Useful documents

Contact the Observatory

Small Mosque in the Kaiserbagh, Felice A. Beato (1858)
Small Mosque in the Kaiserbagh, Felice A. Beato (1858)
OIMAP ObservatoryParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 01 00observatoire@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

Understanding the method

Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)

Discover how the figures are produced and checked.

Read the methodology
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