H I S T O R I C A R T
Provenance Research • Picture Hangs • Period Framing • Conservation • Lighting
From researching art provenance and attribution, to picture hangs, lighting and managing picture and frame conservation, our expertise, experience and resources help to grow understanding, inform conservation and enhance the appreciation and enjoyment of historic art and object collections.
For clients looking to acquire or sell art and antiques, we provide unbiased counsel, deep market knowledge, absolute discretion and an extensive network in the secondary market. Our involvement ensures that clients enjoy complete privacy and anonymity.
O U R H I S T O R I C A R T S E R V I C E S
Provenance Research
Objects have a life from the time they are created and much of it is recorded if you know where to look. Our provenance research provides a documented history that can help to establish authenticity, attribute the work to an artist or maker, prove ownership with good title, and influence opinions of value.
Reaching far beyond the main art databases, we undertake primary research in private and public archives to find records of original payments to artists or makers, inventories to identify the house and room in which object was displayed, and receipts relating to repairs and restoration and by whom undertaken.
Our provenance research aims to identify the the people, families, galleries and dealers who possessed the object, and the dates when it came into contact with them, though the establishment of a complete provenance spanning centuries is rare and elusive.
Picture Hangs
Hanging pictures is much like painting them; a balancing act of spacing, colour, light and proportion. However great or modest the collection, a good hang scheme transforms the perception and appreciation of it.
We advise private collectors, conservation professionals and curators on picture hanging, from a single picture to an entire collection. Schemes are presented as realistic digital visuals showing the scheme wall-by-wall, or optionally as a navigable 3D model so that every sight line can be assessed and changing daylight precisely modelled; all factors that we take into account when designing a hang scheme.
A room or collection rehang is often a good time to make an inventory and assessment of picture and frame condition to identify conservation needs, which we can also advise on.
Framing
Picture frames play an important and often underrated part in the perception and experience of a painting. A poor or inappropriate frame detracts from a picture’s appreciation and value.
We advise private owners and collectors, museum curators, art consultants and art dealers on selecting and sourcing historically appropriate frames, managing expert frame restoration and toning where required. A well matched antique frame adds context and declares the importance, period and origin of a picture.
The association of frame patterns with particular artists and countries can also play a part in provenance detective work which we can also undertake.
Acquisition/Sale
For clients looking to acquire or divest art and antiques, we provide unbiased counsel, deep market knowledge, absolute discretion and an extensive network in the secondary market. Our involvement ensures that clients enjoy complete privacy and anonymity throughout.
We have been honoured to work with many private collectors over the years, helping to build fine collections of art and antiques, as well as supplying museums and other public institutions.
We can advise on new commissions, especially portraiture; commissioning a portrait takes the long view, so familiar to those who look after historic houses and collections, celebrating family continuity by adding a new layer. We make commissioning enjoyable, straightforward and discreet.
Conservation
While favouring as little intervention as possible, some pictures become vulnerable over time and conservation is required to ensure their enjoyment by future generations. From a straightforward clean and revarnish to a full-scale restoration, we advise private owners and collection custodians on picture conservation and oversee the entire process in partnership with our trusted conservator associates.
The process can involve scientific methods, such as microscopy and the chemical analysis of pigments and media, and X-radiography and infrared reflectography to expose the artist's preliminary workings beneath the paint surface. The process is carefully monitored and documented, including extensive use of photography. Where required conservation of panel and canvas supports is also undertaken.
Picture Lighting
True colour lighting brings art to life, maximising appreciation and enjoyment, enabling a picture to be seen more as the artist intended, whether an old master or contemporary work.
Using the latest and most sophisticated LED energy-efficient technology, we specify true colour picture lighting systems that are suitable for installation in historic houses and their art collections. Our lighting systems blend into the background without compromising on optical performance.
Unlike older picture lighting systems which can damage pictures and hasten the fading, discolouration, and eventually the destruction of pigments and supports, our lighting systems are conservation-friendly and entirely suitable for historic art collections.