At Dickinson, our involvement doesn’t end with the sale! We offer a comprehensive range of curatorial services to ensure that individual artworks and whole collections are conserved and displayed to their best advantage, whether in a gallery or a private home, and to oversee their safe transportation around the globe.
Bringing art to you: Our van visit service
At Dickinson we recognise that works of art can look very different in your home than they do on the walls of a gallery. We also understand that many collectors cannot spare the time to browse exhibitions and art fairs as regularly as they may wish. In order to sidestep these difficulties, Dickinson will bring works of art to your home as part of an obligation-free service that allows prospective clients to see a range of art in situ. With personal access to great collections worldwide, we provide this unique service to individuals and to those working with interior designers.
Artworks stocked in a van after an in situ visit to a client’s country house
Installation
Team Dickinson installing Old Masters pieces in the London gallery
At Dickinson, Gallery Manager Max Weaver regularly manages the hanging and installation of artworks ranging from easel-sized pictures to full-length portraits and weighty altarpieces, in the gallery and at art fairs, assisted by gallery colleagues. He is well placed to advise on any installation needs our clients may have. For remote jobs, Max also relies on the assistance of professional art shippers and art handlers, to ensure that each piece is hung as carefully and correctly in your home as it would be in a gallery or museum.
Conservation
Dame Barbara Hepworth’s River Form (conceived in 1965 and cast in 1973) before and after restoration
We can assist with the complexities of conservation, cleaning and restoration, working closely with some of the most reputable restorers worldwide. For each piece, whether it is a painting, sculpture or work on paper, we consult a specialist conservator in the correct field, who is able to produce a bespoke condition or treatment report. Recently, we organised the cleaning and restoration of Dame Barbara Hepworth’s River Form, on behalf of the new owner. The process was carried out by the leading Hepworth restorer Lyndsey Morgan under the supervision of Hepworth’s granddaughter, Dr Sophie Bowness.
Framing
Never underestimating the value of the perfect frame, Dickinson has built longstanding relationships with leading international framers to offer clients a wide range of options. We are able to source high-quality reproduction frames, as well as period frames to suit any work.
Different examples of gilded frames
For example, when a private collector consigned Gustave Caillebotte’s Voiliers sur la Seine a Argenteuil in 2017, we replaced its existing frame with a more fitting French Louis XIV carved and gilded frame from Rollo Whately Ltd., London, to enhance the composition and achieve a successful sale.
G. Caillebotte, Voiliers sur la Seine a Argenteuil, 1886, oil on canvas. Sold by Dickinson to a private collector
Transport
Shipping a delicate work of art can be a daunting process. We regularly manage the international movement and storage of artworks in collaboration with the most reliable and efficient international art handlers to ensure safe and correct transportation. Our primary shipper, Martinspeed, has worked with us for over twenty years and have extensive experience handling fragile and valuable pieces. We also work with Aiston shippers in New York.
Martinspeed’s truck heading off to TEFAF Maastricht 2020
Lighting
In order to display a work of art to best advantage, it is essential to light it properly. Rest assured that between Max and lighting gurus TM Lighting, you are in safe hands, and we will be happy to pay you a visit to install and set up a lighting system that is sensitive to your collection and unobtrusive in your home. As Harry Triggs of TM lighting reaffirms: ‘The key to appreciating an artwork at its absolute finest is to use only the best quality of light to show off to fullest vibrancy all the colours the artist used.’
Dickinson’s Gallery Manager Max Weaver lighting van Gogh’s Paysanne devant une Chaumière (late July 1885) ahead of TEFAF Maastricht 2020
Whatever the needs of your collection may be – installation, conservation, framing, transport, lighting, our bespoke van visit service or any other help – Dickinson looks forward to hearing how we can assist with all your collection management needs.