Andy Warhol once said: "Making money is art." But what about making money from art?

A boom in the global market has delivered some eye-popping returns in the past few years, drawing new collectors keen to invest in an asset class that offers cultural as well as financial appreciation.

Irish horse-breeder John Magnier will get at least $150 million for a painting of a nude by Amedeo Modigliani on May 14 in New York at Sotheby's, thanks to a third-party guarantee. He paid $26.9 million for the work in 2003.