The 2017 edition of Masterpiece London closed on Wednesday 5 July, having seen record visitor numbers and strong sales across all disciplines, including major acquisitions by international institutions and significant sales to private collectors. The Fair drew a record 44,000 visitors, including 8,500 for the preview alone. Masterpiece London was supported for the fourth consecutive year by Principal Sponsor, Royal Bank of Canada.
The Fair’s success follows high quality gallery presentations by 153 exhibitors, showing the finest works of art from antiquity to the present day, with a unique focus on cross-collecting. Exhibitors who participated at the Fair spoke highly of their experience and success at this year’s show.
Philip Hewat-Jaboor, Chairman of Masterpiece London said: ‘This was a particularly outstanding year for Masterpiece London. We were delighted to present such a strong programme of returning and new exhibitors, expanding the breadth of world-class works of art on offer, as well as launching our new initiative MASTERPIECE PRESENTS with a specially commissioned piece by leading contemporary artist, Iván Navarro.
Significant gallery presentations within curated booths, spanning all eras and styles, translated into major sales and we are pleased to report on the excellent attendance of collectors and museum figures from around the world. Masterpiece is moving from strength to strength, truly establishing itself as the leading international destination for visitors to discover and engage with art first hand, in the heart of London.’
Thursday 29 June-Wednesday 5 July, daily at 6pm, JLT Stand in the Partner’s Area
SAW was set up to give people of any age curious about any kind of art the opportunity of looking at it and, more importantly, handling it, within a small group led by a specialist dealer or curator. These workshops are not talks, or master classes for experts, but environments in which anyone can engage with objects first hand, look, think and ask questions. They are as much about passion and pleasure as knowledge.
Subjects will vary each day. They are free to attend with a Masterpiece 2017 ticket and will operate on a first come, first served basis, maximum 10 guests:
29 June – Chinese scholar’s rock, with Marcus Flacks
30 June – Bronze: The Centaur Nessus Abducting Deianeira, c1590, with Dino Tomasso
1 June – Rustic pottery v. court porcelain, with Errol Manners
2 July – Regency silver, with Lewis Smith of Koopman Rare Art
3 July – Historicism meets modernism: a tureen designed by Christopher Dresser, c1880, with Blairman’s Martin Levy
4 July - Lalique: the pine cone pendant in context, with Wartski’s Katherine Purcell (on Wartski’s stand)
5 July - Cabinet of Curiosities, with Jan Finch
See The Cape Reimagined, an exhibition by Burberry at Masterpiece London.
Our official Preview Day partner, Burberry, will bring a selection of handmade couture capes to this summer's fair.
Referencing the spirit of the Burberry archive, each cape is designed in their London atelier and crafted using unique constructions. Introduced on the runway, these collector’s pieces are inspired by the scale and form of Henry Moore’s sculptures, and represent the very essence of the British brand.
Click to find out more