This analysis of the regulation of art by law has both practical and jurisprudential implications. It examines the treatment of art within seven distinct traditional legal subjects, namely obscenity law, copyright law, libel law, the public funding of art, the law of charitable trusts, customs law and the law on the movement of national treasures, identifying in each the specialized problems law faces, not least given the lack of a universally acceptable definition of art. Based primarily on English law, the text also has a comparative dimension including French, American and European Union law. In this way a unitary idea of how law tackles its operation is achieved. This book should be of use to collectors, curators, art traders and lawyers.