LONDON — It was fun while it lasted.

The memories of Beyoncé, Victoria Beckham and others displaying a fascination over the summer with European old masters have faded. Auctions of such works have once again reverted to traditional type.

At least, that was the impression in London this week when Sotheby’s and Christie’s held their regular December sales of pre-Victorian art. The wall colors might have been different (black at Sotheby’s, blue at Christie’s), but these latest old master offerings — featuring a “Head of Christ” by Rembrandt, portraits by Anthony Van Dyck and Frans Hals, and landscapes by the Brueghel family — were put on show much the same way they have been for centuries.

“We’re the tortoise to contemporary art’s hare,” said Johnny Van Haeften, a London-based dealer in old masters. He acknowledged that collecting fashion had shifted toward more recent artworks, but added that old masters represented an alternative investment strategy. “It’s about preservation of capital, he said. “It’s safe, and people are realizing what good value they are.”

The idea that European old masters are relatively inexpensive and that as investments they stand the test of time better than contemporary works is a familiar refrain among those trying to sell historic art. The trouble is, old masters have become an unpredictable market.