Gurr Johns

Gurr Johns is the leading independent advisory firm specialising in the acquisition, sale and valuation of fine and decorative art and jewellery. With an international team of experts, and a focus on discretion, we assist private and institutional clients in navigating the global art market to achieve best value.

An Artist’s Estate

Gurr Johns has extensive expertise in valuing artist’s estates for families or foundations left with the management of valuable collections.Gurr Johns was retained by the estate of an important contemporary artist to provide an IRS compliant estate tax appraisal under a tight filing deadline. Our team of specialists worked closely with the family, attorney and artist’s gallery to confidentially appraise the collection in the most time and cost efficient manner.

A Matrimonial Action

Gurr Johns was retained as the neutral appraiser in the divorce of a high net worth couple. Like many of our clients, the collection was located in multiple residences in the United States and Europe, with additional works loaned to museums and in art storage. Utilizing our international team we were able to swiftly appraise thousands of items of fine and decorative art.

An Active Collector-Dealer Using Art as an Asset

Gurr Johns works closely with these sophisticated collectors, exploring the full spectrum of art based transactions in the current market. Annual appraisals allow the client to track fluctuations in the market and account for a high volume of sales and acquisitions. Gurr Johns’ valuations allow the collector-dealer to engage in a wide range of estate and financial planning – transfer of art assets, the funding of trusts, art leasing, art as collateral; 1031 exchanges and donations.

The Disposition of an Important Art Collection

We acted on behalf of a fiduciary to advise and assist with the disposition of artwork from an important collection that had been assembled over four decades. Working to meet an assigned liquidity target, we selected works of high quality that did not diminish the aesthetic integrity of the collection, while being guided by our understanding of the family’s sentimental connection to certain pieces.

A Damaged Collection

Accidents happen, particularly when valuables are moved from one location to another. Gurr Johns has extensive experience in working with major insurance carriers and their clients to provide the range of values needed to resolve an insurance claim. Recently, Gurr Johns was retained by a transportation company to provide the pre-damage retail replacement value and percentage loss for the damage of an entire collection that occurred during a cross-country move.