Forming a fine art collection can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. But collecting requires knowledge and expert advice. This article explains how to choose and buy art from a reputable dealer.
In a world where cultural property crime is on the rise, discretion remains key for private dealers. This is particularly true in the UK, where new rules have made it mandatory for dealers to report suspicious transactions.
Elford Fine Art
The company specializes in oil paintings, watercolours and drawings. Its collection includes landscapes, coastal, marine, and genre subjects from the 19th century to the present day. The gallery is situated in the historic market town of Tavistock, Devon. The gallery has a reputation for quality and offers a personal service. It is a member of BADA, the British Antique Dealers’ Association; LAPADA, the Association of Art and Antique Dealers; and CINOA, the International Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers.
The Elford Fine Art Plymouth offers a range of services, including valuations and appraisals of individual paintings. The gallery also carries out research on artists, works and collections. It has an extensive database that includes information on the history of the works. It also provides information on the artists and the art movement in which they worked. The company is also able to source paintings for clients. It is a good choice for both the experienced collector and the first time buyer.
Clarendon Fine Art
Clarendon Fine Art is dedicated to the presentation of the finest national and international artists introducing exceptional contemporary art to established and emerging collectors. Its beautifully designed galleries are a delight to explore and host a superb list of artists and an enviable array of celebrity clients. The gallery also hosts personal appearances and an extensive programme of exhibitions and events.
Every Clarendon and Whitewall gallery is a bespoke destination in its own right, reflecting and enhancing the community in styling, artworks and atmosphere. Each features an eclectic collection, from original paintings and sculpture to collectable fine art editions. The gallery also showcases some of the world’s most talented emerging artists, as well as many important and influential names in recent history.
It started life as a single Mayfair gallery but now has eight in classic English locations, plus two more across the U.K., including the flagship in Westport. Its ethos is to offer “unique statement pieces for distinctive interiors,” focusing on the best emerging artists alongside some of the world’s most exciting established stars.
Callaghans of Shrewsbury
Callaghans of Shrewsbury is a family-owned art gallery based on St Mary’s Street. They specialize in European 19th and 20th Century oils and watercolours but also offer contemporary paintings and original bronze sculpture. Their goal is to provide a highly personal service, tailored to each client’s precise needs.
They also assist clients in forming collections, providing the provenance and scholarly background to each painting, and advising on framing and hanging. They also offer a cleaning and restoration service to museum-level standard.
In addition to the main international galleries, many private fine art dealers in London specialise in a particular field. For example, Johnny Van Haeften deals in Netherlandish Old Masters, Simon Dickinson is expert in British art of the 18th and 19th centuries, and Richard Green focuses on early modern painting. Some have offices in the heart of Mayfair, where they are at the centre of the London art world. They deal in works of exceptional quality and beauty, ranging from Old Masters to contemporary art.
Whitford Fine Art
Whitford Fine Art is one of London’s leading international Art Galleries, specializing in European and British Post-War Abstraction and Pop Art. The gallery has over forty years of experience in buying, selling and advising on art. Its staff can help you with valuation and curatorial advice on collection building. The gallery also participates in international art fairs.
Its large stock of modern European and British painting is regularly lent to museum exhibitions in the UK and abroad. It manages the estates of Caziel, Mildred Bendall and Joseph Lacasse, and represents artists Clive Barker, Derek Boshier and Georges Bernede.
Its founder Adrian Mibus has a rare and profound understanding of the visual language of abstraction, which is why he was an early defender of artists like Caziel. He has written extensively on the subject of art, notably a book entitled “Abstraction Explored”. He also contributed to the catalogue raisonné of Frank Avray Wilson. He is currently working on a book about the Polish painter Kaziel.
