Eye of the Beholder

An independent practice for collectors and those who advise them. By introduction.

Eye of the Beholder

An independent practice for collectors and those who advise them. By introduction.

Independent counsel, where it is rarely offered.

The art market is one of the most rewarding markets in the world, and one of the most complex. It is also, by design, one of the least transparent. The system is not designed to inform or protect the buyer; the issue is architectural rather than personal, and the lack of transparency is what allows the asymmetry to persist.

Eye of the Beholder exists to act for the buyer within that architecture. It is independent counsel for collectors and for those who advise them, drawing on two decades of work inside the art market and alongside it. The role is to make the architecture visible, to help the buyer enter the market with eyes open, and to support the slower work of arriving at acquisitions that genuinely belong to them.

Engagements are entered into selectively by introduction or referral.

A serene landscape featuring mountains, a lake, and lush greenery under a clear blue sky.

Filippo Petteni

Founder — Eye of the Beholder

Filippo Petteni founded Eye of the Beholder following two decades advising galleries, auction houses, major private collectors, estates, and artists on contractual matters, litigation risk, provenance due diligence, and the full range of art market transactions.

That background — deep art market knowledge combined with the analytical rigor of litigation and deal structure — informs everything about how this practice operates.

Filippo continues to consult on art law and art market matters for a leading London private client firm, and is a founding member of their Art Group.

Founding Member, Art Group — leading London private client firm

Working Group Member — Authentication in Art, Court of Arbitration for Art, Netherlands

Based in Los Angeles — active across US and International markets