East Coast Fine Arts principal auctioneer and co-owner Brian McGrath has been in or around the antiques business since the day he was born. His father James I McGrath (Mac to anyone who knew him) began in the antiques business in the Boston MA area in the mid-1950s. From an early age, Brian would go on antiques related trips with his father, and was surrounded at home with quality fine art and antiques.

As Mac was a private art & antiques dealer, it made it natural for Brian to follow in his footsteps. Shortly after graduation from Boston College in 1986, he started in the family business from the ground up. Packing trucks, cleaning out houses, researching items, setting up at antique shows, and anything else that was required. This built a strong foundation in general antiquities.

Around 1991 Brian bought his first painting at a show in Perkiomenville PA. Just something that caught his eye walking through the aisles. A small watercolor of figures swimming at a pond. It turned out the artist was a pretty famous WPA era painter named AB Davies. A customer came through about an hour later, and paid what was at that time, about three weeks of salary for the tiny work of art.

From that point on, Brian’s primary focus was on fine vintage and antique paintings and prints. As a private art dealer, Brian has handled countless pieces of rare and important fine art. From single pieces to large collections. He has sold works to major art galleries, museums, and private collections throughout the country and world. His attention to quality, condition, and research will ensure that every East Coast Fine Arts auction will be a must attend for dealers and collectors alike.