The Art Market 2023 – 2024: A review

2023-2024 has been a deeply complex year all round; the world has had to navigate the continuing conflict in Ukraine, the ongoing volatility in the global financial markets and high inflation and interest rates, together with the increasingly tense and brutal situation in the Middle East. This combination of factors does not breed economic confidence and positivity, but rather caution and concern. This is also true of the art market, which is inextricably linked to the economic markets. 2023-2024 has been a year of contraction and reassessment.

The escalating inflation and other economic concerns in different regions have directly impacted available discretionary income and subsequent spending for many collectors. Even for high-net-worth (HNW) collectors, who may have been less impacted by cost-of-living hikes, concerns over wealth creation and its stability affected their willingness to make discretionary purchases and sales, while volatile social and political issues weighed on sentiment and distracted their focus from their collections.

The two years following the Covid pandemic, saw the art market recover and the general outlook become more positive. Sales increased across all sectors, which saw rapid and expansive growth, with the market reaching new heights – culminating in 2022 with global art sales of $67.8 billion.

In 2023 and 2024, the trickle-down effect from the global economy hit the art market, which saw a noticeable but not drastic 4% downturn, resulting in $64.4 billion global sales across all sectors and regions. Considering the significant external factors at play, this 4% fall has been surprisingly modest. The auction houses saw a greater fall than dealers, losing 7% of their sales versus 3% for dealers.

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) Femme à la montre (1932) Sold for $139.4 million at Sotheby’s, making it the most expensive artwork sold at auction in 2023.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) Femme à la montre (1932) Sold for $139.4 million at Sotheby’s, making it the most expensive artwork sold at auction in 2023.

Interestingly, it has been the lower to mid end of the art market that has fared better than the top of the market. This is unusual as normally in times of economic and political upheaval, the blue chip dominated top end of the market tends to be recession proof – quality is always demand and carries a premium. In this case, however, the relatively heavier downturn at the top of the market was reflective of a lack of supply to the market rather than a lack of money or interest. Major collectors have been reluctant to let major works from their collections go to auction when there is an underlying concern about the economic future. Much of this caution is misplaced, the appetite and money to buy great things still exists, as is evidenced by a slew of strong prices achieved by the major works which did make it to the market – most notably the $139.4m for Picasso’s 1932, Femme à la montre, or the £85.3m for Klimt’s Lady with a Fan. The lower to mid-level of the market had no such issues, with a healthy supply fuelling an increase in overall global sales transactions of 39.4 million (albeit at a lower level).

Gustav Klimt (Austrian, 1862-1918) Lady with a Fan Sold for £85.3 million ($106,756,354) at Sotheby's London
Gustav Klimt (Austrian, 1862-1918) Lady with a Fan Sold for £85.3 million ($106,756,354) at Sotheby's London

One of the main reasons for the relatively modest aggregate downturn in the art market has been differences in the performance of sales in some of the major global art markets – some have fallen but some have risen to counter this.

Historically, the three main players in the art market geographically have been the US, Britain and Asia represented by China in its entirety, including Hong Kong and Singapore. Within this group, the US is, and has always been, the senior partner. The US has the largest concentration of art buying wealth anywhere in the world, it is where the largest financial art transactions occur, and the where the most prominent auctions take place. In spite of this though, in 2023-2024 the US art market dropped by a significant 10% to $27.2 billion, which represents 42% of the global art market. This was predominantly due to the shrinking of the top end of the market.

In contrast, for the first time ever, China out stripped the UK to reach second place, up 19%, with sales of $12.2 billion. The rapid growth in the Chinese market balanced out the drop in the US and UK markets, resulting in the small global aggregate drop of 4%. China’s sudden growth was a result of their delayed bounce back from the COVID crisis – whereas the West came out of lockdown in 2021 and experienced a surge in economic growth; China on the other hand experienced harder and longer lock downs, only coming out of COVID recession in 2022-2023. Their economic boom was therefore felt in 2023, with their population eager to enter the market again with enthusiasm. Also, many auctions which had been cancelled due to COVID were rescheduled for 2023 and early 2024, resulting in a significant spike in sales.

Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Murnau with Church II, 1910 Sold for $44.8 million at Sotheby’s New York
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Murnau with Church II, 1910 Sold for $44.8 million at Sotheby’s New York

Historically, whilst Paris has been Europe’s centre of creativity, London has been the great centre of European art trading. In 2023, however, the UK fell to third place globally, down 8% with $10.9 billion. Much of that was due to China’s surging market, but the effects of Brexit were also a significant contributing factor. The increased difficulty and cost of trading in the UK, due to increased bureaucracy and import duties, have had a very real effect on the art market. Add to this, the indefinable impression felt internationally that London has lost its way somewhat and is not open to business as it used to be, has contributed to the UK’s art market decline in sales.

Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988) El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile), 198 Sold for $67m at Christie’s, New York.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988) El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile), 198 Sold for $67m at Christie’s, New York.

The growth of online digital sales has continued in tandem to traditional sales. The COVID crisis was pivotal in the push towards online sales, as it was a essential to the survival of the art market at the time. In 2023-2024, online sales rose 7% on 2022 figures to $11.8 billion, representing 18% of all art sales. This figure will do doubt continue to rise as collectors become more tech savvy and comfortable, however, the value of individual purchases remains relatively low – under $50,000. It seems that at the higher level of transactions, collectors still want to touch noses with the artwork before committing!

Whist the art market did contract by 4% in 2023-2024 due to various global economic and geopolitical factors, the market has stayed remarkably strong, nonetheless. Money has not disappeared, nor that the collector base, what has changed is that market is now more a buyer’s market rather than a seller’s market – the inflated hot air has left the room. That said, great things still made very strong prices when they came to the market as evidenced by the following master works which for sale last year.

Mark Rothko (American, 1903-1970) Untitled (Yellow, Orange, Yellow, Light Orange), 1955 Sold for $46.4 million at Christie’s, New York
Mark Rothko (American, 1903-1970) Untitled (Yellow, Orange, Yellow, Light Orange), 1955 Sold for $46.4 million at Christie’s, New York

If you would like an art valuation, get in touch by calling us on 01883 722736 or email us at [email protected].

FRANK AUERBACH WITH HIS SELF PORTRAIT IN THE NPG. 14 May 2002 PILSTON

A Tribute to Frank Auerbach (1931–2024)

Frank Auerbach, one of the most important and unique voices in contemporary art, passed away on 11th November, leaving a profound legacy in the world of painting. His death marks the end of an era, but his work—raw, visceral, and deeply human—will endure for generations to come. Auerbach’s paintings, which often appeared as works of fierce immediacy, were also the products of an unrelenting pursuit of truth and an intimate understanding of his subjects.

Frank Auerbach Self-Portrait (1958)
Frank Auerbach Self-Portrait (1958)

Frank Auerbach, one of the most important and unique voices in contemporary art, passed away on 11th November, leaving a profound legacy in the world of painting. His death marks the end of an era, but his work—raw, visceral, and deeply human—will endure for generations to come. Auerbach’s paintings, which often appeared as works of fierce immediacy, were also the products of an unrelenting pursuit of truth and an intimate understanding of his subjects.

Born in 1931 in Berlin, Auerbach’s life and art were shaped by history, by the upheavals of World War II, and by the quiet intensity of urban London. His parents were, jewish and were part of a thriving and integrated community fully assimilated into German society. His father, Max, who had served in the German army, was a lawyer, and his mother, Charlotte, had studied art. In 1939 his parents, concerned by the escalating, violent anti-semitism of Nazi Germany, dispatched Frank then aged 8 to England via the Kinder transport, he never saw them again. Sporadic letters from them conveyed via the Red Cross, ceased in 1943. Only much later did he learn that they had both been taken to Auschwitz early in March 1943 and both has died there that year. Talking about this time in his life on BBC radio’s ‘This Cultural life’ first broadcast on January 27th this year, he says “I am in total denial, and it has worked very well for me. To be quite honest I came to England, and it truly was a happy time. There’s just never been a point in my life when I wished I had parents.” Indeed, it did all work out well for him. He had the good fortune to find himself with some of the other Jewish Refugees at Bunce Court, a Quaker school in Kent which he loved and where he excelled in Art and Drama. In 1947 he was naturalised as a British Citizen and moved to London. He decided at the age of 16 to become an artist and attended art classes at Borough Polytechnic, now London South Bank University where the famous British painter David Bomberg taught him. Following this he was accepted at St. Martin’s School of Art.

It is tempting, to see Auerbach’s need for routine, his desire to keep the same sitters in the same place year after year, as a reaction to his childhood. Equally he lived within a very tight local orbit, and his subject matter comes almost entirely from his immediate environs of North London and his studio with its unfailingly regular and intensely loyal sitters.

In the early 90’s I had the pleasure of meeting one of these sitters, the art collector and academic Ruth Bromberg (1921-2010). Ruth sat regularly for Frank for two hours every Thursday for almost seventeen years. I asked myself why ? I found the answer in a letter Ruth wrote to Frank in 2008 published by the British Museum. Due to failing health Ruth reluctantly relinquished her duties as sitter, she wrote sadly to Frank as follows.’ I know how important your sitters are to you, and I would not wish to be the cause of disruption in your work schedule…I cherish my hours spent in the studio, my home away from home…Thursday afternoons will never be the same again and I feel the loss.’

Ruth Bromberg Frank Auerbach
Head of Ruth Bromberg (2005)

Frank’s brushwork, a relentless engagement with the surface of the canvas, was a testament to his tireless search for meaning beneath the layers of the everyday world. His portraits, are at once fiercely abstract and deeply personal, capturing the essence of the individual through the weight of paint and the tension of form.

Auerbach’s paintings are known for their emotional depth and complexity, born of years of painstaking observation and reworking. He would often spend months, even years, refining a single portrait or cityscape, digging deeper each time into the texture and emotion beneath the visible surface. His relentless approach to painting was not only about achieving perfection but about honing a profound connection between artist and subject. Each stroke on the canvas, each layering of thick impasto, spoke to Auerbach’s belief in the struggle to capture truth and memory—never an easy task, but one that demanded everything of him.

Mornington Crescent by Frank Auerbach
Mornington Crescent (1969)

His works were never concerned with trends or the fashion of the moment; instead, Auerbach’s paintings radiated an honesty and integrity that transcended time. His commitment to figuration, at a time when abstraction was dominant, and his resistance to simplification, made him a singular figure in British art. He was a master of his craft, but never complacent; always evolving, always questioning. He was a painter’s painter and his opinion really mattered to his fellow artists, particularly to his close friend Lucian Freud, who would not consider a work finished until Frank had seen and approved it.  

Head of Lucien Freud by Frank Auerbach
Head of Lucien Freud (1960)

Throughout his life, Auerbach remained a fiercely private individual, rarely seeking the limelight. Yet, his work spoke loudly, its emotional power reverberating in galleries and collections around the world. His portraits were not just depictions of faces—they were psychological explorations, capturing the depth of the inner life of his subjects. His cityscapes, on the other hand, were a meditation on the persistence of memory, as well as the transformation of place over time.

Auerbach’s influence, though perhaps understated in some circles, was profound. His legacy is not merely in the works themselves but in the way he taught us to see: to engage with the world with intensity, with a fierce awareness of its complexities and contradictions, and to never settle for the surface.

In his passing, the world has lost a giant. But the impact of Frank Auerbach’s work will continue to inspire and challenge us for many years to come. His paintings will live on, continuing to confront us with the same questions he asked of himself throughout his career: ‘What does it mean to capture a moment, a face, a city? How can we, as artists and as people, approach the world with the depth and urgency it deserves?’

Rest in peace, Frank Auerbach. Your vision, your dedication to your art will never be forgotten.

Jonathan Horwich, 14/11/2024

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Old Master Sales December 2023

The December Old Master Sales were rather lacklustre with the three major London salerooms, Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams reporting combined totals for their five sales of £55.8M, just less than December 2022’s feeble total of £56.3M.

One can hardly blame consignors for not wishing to offer great paintings at auction in the current geo-political climate. These totals would have been nearly 40% lower but for an early Rembrandt of the Adoration of the Magi sold by Sotheby’s to the guarantor for £9.5M and two Canalettos (1697-1768) (not a pair, but part of a set of Venetian views), sold at Christie’s for £8.2M. They had never previously been published and were, therefore, ‘fresh’ to the market.

Interestingly, the Rembrandt at Sotheby’s, had been offered by Christie’s Amsterdam, two years ago, as ‘Circle of Rembrandt’, with an estimate of €10-15,000. It was knocked down to the Sotheby’s consignor for €860,000. So, somebody else had recognised its potential, too.

My favourite painting from all the sales was the most unusual ‘The Virgin in Prayer’, by the enigmatic Flemish artist, Michiel Sweerts (1618-1664).

This is a picture within a picture. Sweerts paints himself, peeping shyly round the edge of a framed picture of the Virgin in Prayer, which he has painted and, which he is showing to you, the onlooker, with a cloudy sky behind him. It is a touching picture, not only for the sacred nature of the central subject, but because here is the apprehensive artist, watching anxiously to gauge your response to his painting. It made a well-deserved £1.4M hammer price, 3 ½ times the lower estimate.

If the market is wary of exposing Old Master masterpieces at the current time, no such worries affected the group of beautiful Rembrandt etchings collected by the discerning Sam Josefowitz. There were some great rarities offered amongst the 70 lots offered in a dedicated catalogue and every print was in excellent condition. This was a collection for connoisseurs and museum curators. Every lot sold, mostly well above the top estimate and 51 world records were achieved for individual subjects. This catalogue and the 5 prints offered in their Old Master sale, grossed Christie’s £10.2M including buyer’s premium. The front cover lot of a Sea Shell, (Conus Marmoreus), which measures 97 x 132 mm and is an etching, engraving and drypoint on laid paper, made £730,800 with buyer’s premium. It is a natural object of profound beauty and simplicity. It was the top price of the sale and proves that whatever market conditions prevail, masterpieces will find their true level.

The Art Market 2023

2023 in the Art Market has been one of readjustment and realignment, but thankfully not collapse – a market correction rather than the much talked about free-fall of the market.

2022 ended on a fever pitch high, with a slew of blockbuster auctions and record-breaking auctions – the Macklowe Collection brought in $922m at Sotheby’s, the Anne Bass Collection achieved $383m at Christie’s, and the Paul Allen Collection achieving just over $1.6b also at Christie’s – taking the honour of being the first sale to top the billion-dollar mark.

Yet even as these records were being made, savvy pundits predicted a gloomier future for 2023 which turned out to be true.

Surprisingly, it was the top end of the market, with its superior quality and strong provenance, that failed to deliver the goods in 2023. It was badly hit in comparison to 2022, generating a little more than half the sales value compared to the previous years. In 2023, the most expensive artworks at auction paled in comparison to last year. The top 100 lots at auction this year totalled $2.4 billion, compared to $4.1 billion in 2022.

Why is this? Experts cite higher interest rates, continued inflations, and the ongoing turbulence in the financial markets as reason for the dip – but economic jitters aren’t the only factor at play. The continuing war in Ukraine continues to negatively effect the global economy, as no doubt, the current Israeli/Palestinian war will too. Added to this, the post-pandemic exuberance of spending that fuelled the market in late 2021 and 2022 has certainly levelled off.

Across every category in the market, sales contracted in 2023 – but some were hit harder than others.

All of this has had a negative effect on the market – spooking all but the motivated seller from consigning their treasures to an increasingly unpredictable and volatile market. Just like the property market, why would you sell in a falling market? As a result, the number of works coming to auction hit a three-year low in the year’s first five months, and the contraction is most extreme on the high end. The May marquee auctions of Modern and Contemporary art in New York were noticeably underwhelming. The three main auction houses grossed an aggregate $1.4bn (with fees), significantly lower than the $2.5bn achieved the previous May, according to data provided by Pi-eX (the Londonbased art auction analysis firm).

Similarly, the up until now extra-hot, speculative/flip led market for young ultra contemporary artists also cooled down dramatically, with demand being far more measured than in 2022. In May 2022 in New York, Sotheby’s The Now sale of 23 recent works by coveted, hard-to-source names had been a bidding frenzy that achieved $72.9m. In stark contrast, just over a year later in June this year, Sotheby’s 14-lot London version of The Now format took £8.7m ($11m). This market had been characterised by heavy speculation and flipping by collectors keen to turn a quick (and often significant) profit on here to untested newcomers to the secondary market. However, market jitters have calmed this market down noticeably – with less activity from ‘flippers’ producing less demand and lower prices.

The biggest decline was in the Impressionist and Modern sector, whose sales plummeted by almost 30 percent year over year. The Postwar and Contemporary category had a slightly smaller dip of 23 percent. Ultra- Contemporary art, once the fastestgrowing category, took a tumble as the froth surrounding the market for young artists began to dissolve. It shrunk by 26 percent year over year. The most stable category turned out to be Old Masters, whose revenue declined a comparatively modest 6 percent. It remains one of the smallest markets by dollar value, second only to ultracontemporary (which covers around two dozen years of artistic production, while Masters embraces nearly six centuries).

Each of the big 3 auction houses saw their sales figures contract in 2023. Christie’s narrowly beat Sotheby’s in the race for the top spot, generating $8.9 million more in fine-art sales by mid 2023. Both houses saw revenue decline in the first five months of the year compared with the equivalent period in 2022. Christie’s was down 23 percent while Sotheby’s was down 20 percent. Hardest hit was Phillips, which reported $255 million in art sales, a 29 percent dip year over year, after reaching a record high in 2022.

In terms of the geographic split of the art market, the top three players stayed the same. The US reconfirmed it preeminence in this regard, albeit with sales down by 25 percent from the equivalent period in 2021, 2020, and 2019. China similarly reconfirmed its place as the second largest market, but in contrast to the US, its total sales spiked by more than 110 percent during the same period. The increase illustrates the continuing strength of the Chinese collector market, but it also reflects a statistical anomaly whereby several Chinese auction houses, including Poly International and Yongle Auctions, postponed their 2022 autumn sales to early 2023 in order to comply with government lockdowns, boosting the country’s spring results.

The UK market experienced a decline in sales of 27 percent but still held third place in the global art market. The impact of Brexit and the increase in overall in logistical and importation costs still continue to effect the profitability of Britian’s historic art market.

During the pandemic and the associated lockdowns, online and digital sales increased out of necessity and market survival and drove global art sales for this period. Now that in-person auctions have fully returned, online fineart sales are hitting a plateau—but they remain far above pre-pandemic levels. A total of $155.8 million worth of fine art was sold in online-only sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Phillips, Bonhams, and Artnet Auctions in the first five months of the year. That’s down 5 percent from the equivalent period in 2022 and down 64 percent from 2021, when many high-profile sales had not yet returned to being held in-person. The 2023 total remains more than 300 percent higher than 2019, when online sales generated just $35.5 million in the year’s first five months. What has changed is the comfort level of collectors to purchase via online routes – the average price in 2023 for an online purchase has dropped to $17,794 which is lower than since 2019.

In conclusion, 2023 – whilst certainly not a bullish year, it has still proved to be a strong market with no collapse foreseen in the near future. Bearing in mind the overall global uncertainties, and the fact that purchasing art is not a survival purchase, this is no mean feat!

Victorian Christmas Paintings: A Glimpse Into Festive Traditions

Much of what we associate with Christmas today, with the exception of After Eights and Christmas jumpers, stems almost entirely from the Victorian era (1837-1901). Prince Albert introduced all of his German family’s Christmas traditions to the Royal household following his marriage to Queen Victoria in 1840. Christmas trees, cards, turkeys with all the trimmings and Christmas stockings were all enthusiastically taken up by Queen Victoria and as the key influencer of her day, her loyal subjects followed and fully embraced all the young Queen’s new and exciting festive family traditions.

Charles Dickens wrote about Christmas and Victorian painters in Europe and America alike brought these Christmas scenes and people to life. Santa Claus was brought to life by the American illustrator Thomas Nast who also invented the Christmas Card, another stroke of Victorian genius that brought a little bit of festive splendour through letterboxes around the world during the festive season.

Here are some common themes and elements found in Victorian Christmas paintings:

1. Family Gatherings: Victorian Christmas paintings frequently feature scenes of families coming together to celebrate the holiday. These gatherings often take place in beautifully decorated homes, with family members enjoying each other’s company.

2. Decorations: The Victorians were known for their elaborate Christmas decorations. Paintings from this era often showcase festively decorated Christmas trees adorned with candles, ornaments, and tinsel. Mistletoe and holly were also commonly used to decorate homes.

3. Gifts and Presents: Gift-giving was an important aspect of Victorian Christmas celebrations. Paintings might depict scenes of children eagerly unwrapping their presents, or the presentation of gifts to family members.

4. Caroling: Christmas carolers, often dressed in traditional Victorian clothing, are a common subject in these paintings. Carolers would go from house to house, singing festive songs to spread cheer.

5. Snowy Scenes: Many Victorian Christmas paintings depict snowy landscapes and scenes, introducing the idea of a “white Christmas.”

6. Feasting: A Victorian Christmas feast was an important tradition, and you can find paintings that feature festive tables laden with roast meats, puddings, and other holiday treats.

7. The Yule Log: The Yule log was a symbol of warmth and light during the Christmas season. Some paintings show families gathered around a fireplace with a burning Yule log.

8. Christmas Cards: Victorian Christmas cards, which gained popularity during this era, often featured sentimental and picturesque scenes. Paintings might show people exchanging or displaying these cards.

9. Acts of Charity: The Victorians placed a strong emphasis on acts of charity and goodwill during the Christmas season. Some paintings depict scenes of people helping the less fortunate, emphasising the importance of giving during the holiday.

10. Father Christmas: The modern image of Santa Claus, known as Father Christmas in the UK, started to take shape during the Victorian era. Paintings might feature the jolly figure of Father Christmas, sometimes dressed in green or other colours, distributing gifts to children.

Prominent artists of the Victorian era, such as John Callcott Horsley (British, 1817-1903) Thomas Nast, (American1840-1902) and Sir John Gilbert (British1817-1897), created Christmas-themed works that have become iconic representations of the holiday. These paintings continue to be cherished for their ability to capture the nostalgia and spirit of Victorian Christmas celebrations.

Robert Herrick: Poems of Christmas

The poem ‘To Daffadills’ beginning ‘Faire Daffadills, we weep to see/You haste away so soon’ graces many an anthology. It is often mistakenly thought of as by Wordsworth. But the author was Robert Herrick, a 17th-century country vicar who made a speciality of lyric verse in short lines. Although Herrick’s life was a quiet one, yielding few facts, his work displays an appealing hedonism and deep preoccupation with the fleeting nature of time. He penned the famous lines: ‘Gather ye Rose-buds while ye may/Old Time is still a flying’ which open the poem ‘To the Virgins, to make much of Time’.

Hesperides: or The Works both Humane and Divine of Thomas Herrick, printed in London for John Williams and Francis Eglesfield, in 1648, contained the poet’s collected verse. As the ‘humane’ poems occupy 398 pages of the octavo volume, compared to just 79 pages for the divine, one can deduce that sacred subjects were not his favourite. Hesperides remained an under appreciated book for two centuries, though Anthony Wood recorded that the volume made Herrick ‘much admired in the time … especially by the generous and boon loyalists’ (Wood, Athenae Oxonienses, 1721, II, pp. 122-123). It is a rare book today. Sotheby’s sold the Stockhausen copy for $35,000 in 2015, and the Huth copy for £15,000 in the same year.

One subject that seems to bridge the secular and religious divide in Hesperides is Christmas. Herrick’s Christmas poems include two splendid carols, sung before James I at Whitehall and set to music by Henry Lawes, as well as ‘An Ode of the Birth of Our Saviour’. In the latter, the poet is deeply shocked that the ‘pretty Baby’ and ‘Kingly Stranger’ should have his birthplace in a ‘base Out-stable’, preferring him to possess a cradle of ‘interwoven osiers fragrant posies/Of daffodils and roses’. This is the country cradle of rushes deployed in nativity scenes such as Georges de la Tour’s Adoration of the Shepherds. ‘As Gospel tells’ the actual cradle ‘Was nothing else,/But here a homely manger’. But the poet promises to totally transform the conditions spoken of in the Gospel. The baby’s rough clothing will be exchanged for silks sewn with ‘precious jewels’ and ‘lily-work’, the manger will be turned into a chamber of ivory and amber:

But we with silks, not crewels,
With sundry precious jewels,
And lily-work will dress thee;
And as we disposses[s] thee
Of clouts, we’ll make a chamber,
Sweet babe, for Thee, of ivory,
And plaister’d round with amber.

The allusions to silks, jewels and other precious commodities would have been made from a standpoint of knowledge as Herrick was born into a family of goldsmiths in 1591, the seventh child of Julia Stone and Nicholas Herrick. He was named after an uncle, Robert Herrick (or Heyrick), Member of Parliament for Leicester. Tragedy struck when, the year after his birth, his father died in a possible case of suicide (he fell from an upper window of his house in Cheapside two days after making his will). Fortunately, his uncle provided for him.

In 1607 Herrick was apprenticed to another uncle, Sir William Herrick, a goldsmith with close ties to James I. He got through six years of the ten year apprenticeship, then sought a different future in law. At the comparatively advanced age of 22, he matriculated at St. John’s College, Cambridge. Surviving letters to Sir William indicate that his nephew’s finances could barely cope with a year’s carousing at St. John’s, and he moved to Trinity Hall where he spent three more years reading law, graduating in 1617.

For reasons we don’t know Herrick never became a practising lawyer. In the twelve years between his graduation from Cambridge in 1617, and his appointment as vicar of Dean Prior ‘tantalisingly little’ is known for certain about his life (see poetryfoundation.org). It is widely accepted that he spent much of his time in London. Writing in the mid- 19th century, Henry Vizetelly described him as being ‘in familiar intercourse with the chief wits, and writers of the age. Herrick had for his early intimates Ben Jonson, [John] Selden, William Lawes the eminent composer, and Endymion Porter, groom of the chamber to the King, besides many others of equal note’ (Christmas with the Poets, London, David Bogue, 1851).

The teacher/pupil relationship with Ben Jonson (1572-1637) was real enough for Herrick to address five poems to him, including an epitaph. The first verse of ‘His Prayer to Ben. Jonson’ pays due homage to the great classicist, as a playwright ranked second only to Shakespeare:

When I a Verse shall make,
Know I have praid thee,
For old Religions sake,
Saint Ben to aide me.

Endymion Porter (1587-1649) was a diplomat and patron of the arts, fiercely loyal to Charles I, who also wrote verses. Both he and his wife, Olivia, niece to the Duke of Buckingham, were painted by van Dyck. While Herrick himself never married, he was preoccupied with women as a subject, writing about Julia and other ‘mistresses’ in as many as 158 poems. It is possible that none of the women he so admired in verse existed as real people.

It may have been owing to the influence of Endymion Porter that Herrick briefly obtained the position of assistant chaplain to the Duke of Buckingham, playing his part in the catastrophic expedition to free the French Huguenots on the Ile de Ré in 1627. But that was the beginning and end of his military career. He was appointed to the living of Dean Prior in South Devon in 1629, a post he took up in 1630, perhaps with the conscious aim of having more time and opportunity for his poetry.

Dean Prior in the 17th century must be regarded as extremely remote and therefore ideal for a hermit like Herrick. The nearest towns, Exeter and Plymouth, were almost a day’s ride away. London was a five-day trek. Though the vicarage next to the church was by no means ostentatious, the poet-clergyman never agitated for change and lived in Dean Prior for a total of 31 years, the period split into two by the civil war.

Whereas Herrick was a royalist and traditional Anglican, and is often grouped among 17th-century ‘cavalier poets’, the population of the west country was strongly sympathetic to the Puritan cause. The Civil War which began in 1642 made his position precarious; in 1647 he was among 142 Devonshire clergymen expelled from their parishes because of their loyalty to the King. He went to live in Westminster, where he could be supported by his family and friends. His first period as vicar had lasted for 17 years. On his return to Devon at the Restoration of 1660, he served for 14 years more, ending with his death in 1674. While the 14th-century parish church of St. George the Martyr still stands, his gravestone has disappeared, exactly as he predicted it would.

Herrick would certainly have missed old friends on his return to the capital. Ben Jonson had died ten years earlier, William Lawes had been killed at the siege of Chester, Endymion Porter had fled abroad, returning to England only to die in poverty in 1649. ‘Selden alone survived in the enjoyment of a green old age’ (Vizetelly). New literary friendships were forged with Charles Cotton, translator of Montaigne and contributor to The Compleat Angler, and Sir John Denham, the bard of Cooper’s Hill. Herrick also had his octavo volume of poetry, largely written in Devon, to think about for the press. Being close to the printers must have been a stimulus despite the existence of this biblical quatrain preceding the errata:

For these transgressions which thou
here dost see
Condemne the Printer, Reader,
and not me;
Who gave him forth good Grain,
though he mistook
The Seed; so sowed these
Tares throughout my Book.

Herrick revised his work, carefully considered what order to place the poems in, and even went to the trouble of versifying the table of contents. The religious poems have an independent title, His Noble Numbers, and separate pagination; dated 1647, the year of his return from Dean Prior, they may originally have been intended for separate publication

Hesperides contains some 1400 lyrics in all, of which there are sixteen or so Christmas poems. While this is only a fraction of the content, it is hard to think of any other poet who has taken such pains to record the festivities. We are used to thinking of indulgent Christmases as a Victorian invention. Reading Herrick’s accounts of wassailing and other Christmas ‘ceremonials’ will show this to be a misconception. For Christmas traditions in 17th-century Devon are time honoured and have no identifiable beginning.

As opposed to being treated as a single day in modern fashion, Christmas drinking and feasting lasts for a whole season, coming to another climax on Twelfth Night, and even extending up to Candlemas Eve on 1st February. There is little if any mention of young children. It is maidens and young men who are at the centre of Herrick’s Christmas, and happy carousing, happy eating of plum pies and pastries, are the order of the day.

‘Ceremonies for Christmas’ is primarily about the lighting of the Christmas log. The speaker demands that it be brought into the room, accompanied by a suitable uproar of noise from the ‘merry boys’. Thanks to ‘my good dame’, a generous hostess, drinking opportunities are unlimited:

Come, bring with a noise, My merry, merry boys, The Christmas log to the firing; While my good dame, she Bids ye all be free And drink to your heart’s desiring.

The speaker next demands that the new block of wood for the Christmas fire be lit with a piece of the old wood, saved from the previous Christmas: ‘With the last year’s brand/Light the new block’. The middle stanza also refers to the ‘psaltries’ (or guitars) that have to be played as the wood kindles, bringing ‘sweet luck’. Once these ceremonies have been performed, the orders are to:

Drink now the strong beer,
Cut the white loaf here;
The while the meat is a-shredding
For the rare mince-pie,
And the plums stand by
To fill the paste that’s a-kneading.

It’s an abrupt end but typically matter of fact in manner. From this poem alone Herrick’s approval of wassailing or drinking to excess is unquestionable. However, his poem ‘Wassail’, written in 3-line stanzas, is ironically so called, for it takes to task the miserly household that refuses to open its doors for Christmas. Nothing is so grievous as the lack of beer. ‘Alas! We bless, but see none here/That brings us either ale or beer;/ In a dry house all things are near’. Neither are there any happy noises in a house ‘Where chimneys do for ever weep/For want of warmth, and stomachs keep,/With noise, the servants’ eyes from sleep’.

‘Twelfth Night or King and Queen’ describes the ‘cake full of plums’ (the ancestor of our Christmas pudding), and the election of the Twelfth Night king and queen by the successful recovery of a bean and pea hidden inside it: ‘Now, now the mirth comes/With the cake full of plums,/Where bean’s the king of the sport here’. Once the election is decided, the invitation is issued to all to ‘…make/Joy-sops with the cake’, and drink to a cup’s limits:

… let not a man then be seen here,
Who unurged will not drink,
To the base from the brink,
A health to the king and queen here.

The reference to ‘lamb’s wool’ in the penultimate stanza becomes less puzzling once ‘… a bowl full/With gentle lamb’s wool’ is recognised as the Devonshire name for a bowl of spiced beer. Herrick even provides a list of ingredients: ‘sugar, nutmeg and ginger,/With store of ale, too’, all necessary ‘to make the wassail a swinger’. Guests are encouraged to wassail the king and queen, and an assurance is given that the drinking is all good natured:

… though with ale ye be wet here,
Yet part ye from hence
As free from offence
As when ye innocent met here.

Herrick’s poems could be very short indeed. Two of the Christmas lyrics consist of only one 4-line stanza. ‘Another to the Maids’ warns the maids in a household against kindling the Christmas fire with ‘unwash’d hands’, the belief being that this will only put the fire out:

Wash your hands, or else the fire
Will not teend to your desire;
Unwash’d hands, ye maidens, know,
Dead the fire, though ye blow.

A second short poem, called simply ‘Another’, forms a companion-piece to the first, advising the maids to wassail the fruit trees in order to improve their fertility:

Wassail the trees, that they may bear
You many a plum and many a pear:
For more or less fruits they will bring,
As you do give them wassailing.

At fifty lines in length ‘A New Year’s Gift sent to Sir Simon Steward’ was one of the more ambitious Christmas poems. It is a composition that can be dated. Sir Simon (1575-1632) had been a student at Trinity Hall living on there for some years after his graduation. Besides combining the roles of a Justice of the Peace, High Sheriff, and MP, he was an occasional poet. Herrick sent him his long string of rhyming couplets in January, 1624, starting that no kind of bad political news would be the subject his letter. Instead Sir Simon should expect to find:

… here a jolly
Verse, crown’d with ivy and with holly,
That tells the winter’s tales and mirth,
That milkmaids make about the hearth,

In the mid stage of the poem various ‘Christmas sports’ and customs are affectionately named or mentioned, not least the choosing of the Twelfth Night king and queen. Sir Simon and his household are urged to read the poem, and ‘Remember us in cups full crown’d’. But the mood is not all joyful; in the final part Herrick touches on his favourite theme of the brevity of time, and insists that thoughts of future Christmases are preferable to ‘fled Decembers’. Better, it is suggested, to drink on until Father Bacchus ‘twirls the house about your ears’, attaching ‘your cares’ to the past year not the future one:

Then as yet sit about your embers,
Call not to mind those fled Decembers,
But think on those that are t’appear
As daughters to the instant year:
Sit crown’d with rosebuds, and carouse
Till Liber Pater twirls the house
About your ears; and lay upon
The year your cares that’s fled and gone.

However, the last piece of advice is light hearted. It is to enjoy the Christmas plays, and ‘Frolic the full twelve holidays’.

‘Ceremonies for Candlemas Eve’ is another poem about transience and the need to avoid regret. Who hasn’t taken down the Christmas decorations with a sense of relief and a feeling that it’s time to move on? Herrick captures that feeling, beginning his poem with the call to take down the Christmas greenery on Candlemas Eve (i.e. 1st February). He is happy to see a new plant, ‘the greener box … domineer’ instead. However, the box also has its time limit in the house, holding sway only up to ‘dancing Easter day’. His poem begins:

Down with the rosemary and bays,
Down with the mistletoe;
Instead of holly, now up-raise
The greener box (for show).
The holly hitherto did sway:
Let box now domineer
Until the dancing Easter day,
Or Easter’s eve appear.

As the year progresses, there is a recognisable succession of plants traditionally used for adornment. The ‘youthful box’ renews houses but when ‘Grown old, surrender must his place/Unto the crisped yew’. The yew is followed by the birch ‘And many flowers beside’ which do honour to Whitsuntide. In the final stanza, ‘green rushes’, ‘bents’ (so called because they are flowers which bend or droop?) and ‘cooler oaken boughs’ are considered ‘comely ornaments/To re-adorn the house’. But the poem does not end there.

Herrick adds an extra couplet to remind us that, as greenery goes in and out of favour in the house, so the shifts of time effect change in all things:

Green rushes, then, and sweetest bents,
With cooler oaken boughs
Come in with comely ornaments
To re-adorn the house.
Thus times do shift; each thing
his turn does hold;
New things succeed,
as former things grow old.

Through these varied poems Herrick gives us a remarkably strong picture of what a 17th-century Christmas in Devon was like, something to think about as we are enjoying our Christmas in the early 21stcentury. Anyone interested in reading more of his work should consult the website luminarium.org where his poems are available online.

John Constable and the Stour Valley

I can’t think of a painter who was as influenced by, or devoted to recording the landscape of his boyhood, as John Constable R.A. (1776-1837). He is famously recorded as saying: “Still I should paint my own places best; painting is with me but another word for feeling, and I associate ‘my careless boyhood’ with all that lies on the banks of the Stour; those scenes made me a painter, and I am grateful.”

He was born in East Bergholt in Suffolk and the villages of the Stour Valley were the subjects of his early work. However, as Michael Rosenthal points out in his excellent book ‘Constable, the painter and his landscape’ published in 1983, it was not all plain sailing. Despite the familiarity and love of the place, there were emotional associations that precluded Constable painting certain aspects of his childhood landscape. For instance, he was incapable of painting land owned by his father, Golding, a successful farmer, mill owner and grain merchant, until Golding came to terms with is son’s desire to become a painter. Golding wanted him to join and then run the family business, as John’s elder brother had learning difficulties. By 1799, Golding had relented to some extent, granted his son a small allowance and John then entered the Royal Academy Schools.

In 1808 Golding gave him a small grain store in East Bergholt to convert into a studio, now owned by my friend, Susan Morris. She’s the only one of my friends who has a fridge magnet of her house! Father and son were truly reconciled.

In 1816 he married Maria Bicknell, whom he had known since 1809. Their love was a source of great comfort to Constable, but the union was not approved of by Maria’s grandfather, Dr Rhudde, rector of East Bergholt, who threatened to disinherit her. He thought the Constables were socially inferior. However, Golding and Ann Constable died in quick succession and John inherited one fifth of the family business, which eased the financial pressure.

Now with several children to support, he embarked on an ambitious plan to enhance his reputation by producing large canvases for exhibition in both London and Paris. He returned to his beloved Stour Valley for these and produced a series of ‘six footers’ (the size of the canvas), of which the most famous is ‘The Hay Wain’.

It was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1824, where it caused a sensation, because of its vibrant technique and colour and its truth to nature. It was awarded a gold medal by Charles X. Delacroix repainted the background of his ‘Massacre de Scio’, as a result of seeing it.

By the early 1820s, Maria was showing signs of tuberculosis and Constable took lodgings in Brighton for her health. He made numerous drawings of the South Downs and Coast, and produced a marvellous oil painting of the ‘Chain Pier, Brighton’, which was exhibited in 1827. Sadly, the sea air did not save Maria and after the birth of their seventh child, Maria died in November 1828. Constable was distraught. He wrote to his brother, also called Golding, ‘hourly do I feel the loss of my departed angel…the face of the world is totally changed for me’.

The period following Maria’s death was a profoundly melancholic one for Constable. He dressed in black and was prone to anxiety. I always think that Hadleigh Castle sums up Constable’s state of mind at this time. A lonely figure and his dog stand beside the ruined castle, whilst a storm approaches from the sea, with just two shafts of light to suggest some source of hope. The palette is subdued but the brushwork vigorous, the product of a troubled mind.

On a less sombre note, there is a charming story that Constable relates to his friend Archdeacon Fisher of Salisbury. He was travelling in the 1820s in a carriage from Ipswich to London with two strangers. By way of making conversation, he pointed out of the window and remarked “Don’t you think this is a beautiful landscape?” One of the strangers said “yes I do, Sir, but you should remember this is Constable country.”

Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly is an Internationally renowned American glass artist known for his innovative and intricate glass sculptures and installations. He was born on September 20, 1941, in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Chihuly’s early life played a significant role in shaping his career as an artist, here are some key points.

Family Background

Dale Chihuly was raised in a middle-class family in Tacoma, Washington. His father worked as a meatpacker and union organiser, while his mother was a homemaker.

Early Interest in Art

Chihuly developed an early interest in art and began working with glass in the early 1960s while studying interior design at the University of Washington in Seattle. During this time, he had the opportunity to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice, Italy, which ignited his passion for glassblowing.

Education

After completing his undergraduate studies, Chihuly pursued a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in ceramics at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Founding Pilchuck Glass School

In 1971, Chihuly co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. This school played a crucial role in the development of the American studio glass movement, providing a space for artists to experiment and collaborate with glass as a medium.

Artistic Influences

Chihuly was influenced by various artistic movements and styles, including the Murano Italian glassblowing tradition, Native American art, and the Studio Glass Movement. His work often combines traditional glassblowing techniques with contemporary artistic concepts.

Career Development

Dale Chihuly’s early career was spent in experimentation and innovation in glass art, which resulted in the production of his best-known series of glass sculptures, including the iconic Macchia and Persian series.

International Recognition

Over the years, Chihuly’s work has gained international acclaim, and he has become one of the world’s best known and most prominent glass artists. Here are just six of his most famous and widely recognised works and projects.

Chihuly’s body of work extends far beyond these few examples, and his contributions to the world of glass art are extensive and influential.

Here are some lesser-known facts about Dale Chihuly:

Early Interest in Interior Design:

Before becoming a renowned glass artist, Chihuly initially pursued a degree in interior design at the University of Washington. His interest in design played a role in his creative approach to glass art and sculpture.

Inspiration from Indigenous Art:

Chihuly has drawn inspiration from indigenous art and cultures around the world. In particular, he has been influenced by Native American art, and some of his works incorporate elements reminiscent of Native American basketry and design.

Innovation in Glassblowing:

Chihuly is known for his innovative techniques in glassblowing. He introduced the concept of the “team approach” to glassblowing, where he works closely with a team of skilled artisans who help bring his intricate and large-scale designs to life.

Blind in One Eye:

In 1976, Chihuly was involved in a car accident in which he lost vision in one eye after being struck by a metal rod. Despite this life changing injury for any artist working in any medium, he continued to create glass art and adapted his techniques to accommodate his visual impairment.

Collections in Unusual Places:

Chihuly’s work can be found in some unexpected places. In addition to galleries and museums and private homes his glass sculptures have been displayed in unique locations such as botanical gardens, casinos, and even underwater. For example, his glass installations have been featured in underwater settings like aquariums and also Venice during his “Chihuly Over Venice” in 1996, see 5 on previous page.

After looking at some of the images of Dale’s huge installations and projects you would be forgiven for thinking that owning a piece is only possible for the elite collector with deep pockets and lots of space! Happily, Dale makes some beautiful table size and smaller single pieces that all use the exact same wonderfully uplifting ‘hot’ colours and flowing shapes. The first Exhibition of Dale’s work I saw was at the Halcyon Gallery London in January 2108. I remember being blown away by the vibrancy of his colours and the sheer energy and scale of the larger pieces and the gem like qualities of the smaller works which were all beautifully displayed in elegant glass display cases.

Chihuly’s works come up at auction fairly regularly and also appear on the art selling sites, Artsy and 1st Dibs, I have made a small selection of auction sales with prices and estimates as a guide and some currently available pieces for sale on these two main selling sites, which I hope will further wet your appetite for works by the master of glass, Dale Chihuly.

Andy Warhol’s Birthday

Andy Warhol, born Andrew Warhola, was born on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Slovakian immigrant parents. Andy was the fourth of five children, his father worked as a construction worker, and his mother was a homemaker and they lived in a working-class neighbourhood in Pittsburgh.

Andy was ‘dogged’ by illness, at the age of eight, he contracted a rare and severe illness called Sydenham’s chorea. This left him bedridden for several months, during which time his mother helped fill his days by giving him drawing lessons, which ignited his passion for art. Andy attended Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, where he demonstrated early artistic talent and where he was recognised and encouraged in these abilities. After graduating in 1945, he went on to study at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh.

After completing his studies in 1949, Andy moved to New York City, where he began his career as a commercial artist and illustrator. He worked for magazines, advertising agencies, and retail stores, quickly gaining recognition for his unique and imaginative art style.

By the late 1950s, he had started experimenting with Fine Art and had begun producing paintings, drawings, and prints. He found his inspiration in everyday objects and popular culture, leading him to create many of the works that would become iconic representations of the Pop Art movement and synonymous with Andy Warhol.

In the 1960s, he established his now famous studio space called “The Factory.” It was a hub for creative collaborations, attracting artists, musicians, writers, and celebrities, alike and it rapidly became a centre for the avant-garde in New York City.

Warhol’s fascination with celebrity culture led him to create portraits of many famous personalities, including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Elizabeth Taylor.

Andy Warhol’s creativity extended way beyond painting and drawing and he ventured into film, creating the experimental movies “Chelsea Girls” (1966) and “Empire” (1964), a slow-motion film of the Empire State Building.

Andy Warhol, well known for his contributions to the Pop Art movement and his choice of subjects for his art, was heavily influenced not only by celebrity and popular culture but also brand names, crime and for some reason car crashes. Some of his most famous paintings include the following:

The market for Warhol’s work has existed from day one and interest from buyers is truly international, with his work being sold across the world, where it is both a highlight and a mainstay of all the major and minor auction houses and galleries across the world. His major works continue to change hands for multi-million pound sums and the second and third most expensive Warhol works sold at auction to date are as follows:

Andy Warhol's art and history

Behind the scenes Andy Warhol is just as fascinating, here are a few little known facts about him.

Time Capsules:
Warhol was an avid collector and archivist. He had a fascination with preserving everyday items and created what he called “Time Capsules.” These Time Capsules were essentially cardboard boxes in which he stored various objects such as newspapers, correspondence, photographs, art supplies, and random items from his daily life. Over the years, he filled over 600 of these Time Capsules, which provide a unique insight into his life and the culture of the time.

Religious Devotion:
Despite his flamboyant and controversial public persona, Warhol was a devout Byzantine Catholic. He attended church regularly, and his religious beliefs played a significant role in his life. He even commissioned religious-themed artworks, including several portraits of Jesus Christ.

Art Collector:
Warhol was an enthusiastic art collector and he had his own extensive collection of art, including works by fellow contemporary artists and art pieces from various periods and styles. Following his death, Sotheby’s auction house held a nine-day auction in 1988 where they sold off more than 10,000 items from Warhol’s personal collection, which fetched tens of millions of dollars.

Underground Filmmaker:
As mentioned earlier in this piece Warhol is well-known for his contributions to the visual arts and he was also a pioneer in underground filmmaking. In the 1960s, he produced a series of experimental films that challenged traditional cinematic conventions. One of his most famous films is “Sleep” (1963), which depicts his friend John Giorno sleeping for over five hours. Warhol’s films often explored themes of monotony, voyeurism, and the passage of time.

Wig-Wearing Icon:
Andy Warhol’s signature silver-white wig became an essential part of his public image. He began wearing wigs in the 1960s to create a distinctive look, and it quickly became one of his trademarks. The wig allowed him to transform his appearance and present himself as an enigmatic figure in the art world and popular culture

Cookbook Author:
In 1959, Warhol and his friend Suzie Frankfurt co-authored a quirky and amusing cookbook titled “Wild Raspberries.” The book, which was never intended to be a practical guide to cooking, featured illustrations and handwritten recipes for dishes like “Omelet Greta Garbo” and “Piglet a la Cubist.” This limited edition book is now a highly sought-after collector’s item.

These lesser known facts highlight the diverse and eccentric aspects of Andy Warhol’s life and artistic pursuits. His impact on various forms of art and culture continues to be influential and celebrated to this day.

Throughout his life, Andy Warhol continued to push the boundaries of art, leaving a lasting impact on the art world and popular culture. His early experiences and upbringing shaped his artistic style and many of the themes he explored in his work.

 

Read more about investing in Warhol art here.

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How to look after paintings

Pictures, like small children, prefer consistency of treatment. In the case of paintings and watercolours this means no violent fluctuations in temperature or humidity.

If you have a damp room a de-humidifier can bring the relative humidity down to around 40%-60%, above this level and there is a possibility of mould growing on surfaces and this can stain the paper on which watercolours, drawings and prints have been worked, irrevocably. Some moisture in the air is good, especially for inlaid furniture and panel pictures. I was in the Pinacoteca in Bologna 40 years ago, where there was about zero relative humidity and the great wooden altarpieces were groaning like ships’ timbers, as they dried out and moved. It’s not like that now!

water damage - caring for paintings

Hanging paintings above radiators or chimney breasts is to be avoided as the paint layer dries out and becomes brittle and if the painting is on a panel it can warp. The same applies to furniture.

Direct sunlight is a no-no, especially for watercolours. I remember seeing a large pair of watercolours by Turner hanging in a lightwell. They had been there since 1800 when the owner’s forbear had bought them at Christie’s. I tracked the sale. Instead of being worth £200,000 (they were obviously very early ones) they were worth about £5,000 as curiosities. All the colour had been bleached out – no blues, no greens, just pale pink and brown smudges. What a tragedy!

light damage on a painting

Whether light travels in waves or pulses, it equals heat and this will damage anything subjected to it. Ultra violet inhibiting strips can be put on windows, but they are only about 60% effective and should not be exclusively relied upon. Old-fashioned velvet curtains, with brass rods stretched through the bottoms are an ideal way of protecting watercolours in daytime and can, be turned back at night.

Artificial lighting can be harmful too, although it lacks the sun’s power, so low energy bulbs should be used and try to avoid picture lights on brass arms attached to the frame of an oil painting. They are too close to the surface of the painting and can cause stress to an old carved and gilded frame.

The cleaning of all paintings must be left to well-trained professional conservators. It is a highly complex procedure requiring in-depth knowledge of chemistry. Never use a damp cloth to clean the gilding on a frame. If it is water-based gilding, as opposed to oil, it will dissolve. A feather duster is preferable to a cloth duster as it is less likely to snag the carving and pull it off. You can dust the surface of an oil painting, very gently, with a cloth duster.

caring for paintings - feather duster

Lastly, never dust the glass on a pastel, it can cause static electricity to build up and the pastel (powdery chalk), which was never treated with a fixative in the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries, will jump off the paper and adhere to the inside of the glass!

Some things you just have to live with such as houseflies whose poo can stain an oil painting and can only be removed with a scalpel (don’t try this yourself!).

Thunderflies, in high summer, can find their way under the tightest-fitting glass and litter the surface of a watercolour or drawing. Wait until autumn and take the backing off the work on paper, dust them out and reseal. Silverfish are a menace. If they get into a Victorian watercolour they can munch their way through the pigments, which have been impregnated with gum Arabic (the substance that Osama Bin Laden’s family fortune was based on) leaving patches of bald paper. Try to keep on top of silverfish by regular hoovering.

It is a very good idea to have your paintings regularly valued, which will involve keeping a good photographic record. This could prove very useful to a conservator and loss adjuster should you have the misfortune to have water or fire damage.