LONDON.- Masterpiece London 2015, in association with Principal Sponsor Royal Bank of Canada, resulted in strong sales to private collectors and international institutions alike. Held for the sixth year at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, many exhibitors saved their very finest pieces to unveil and sales across all principle categories supported the Fair's ethos of 'cross-collecting'.
The fair saw record visitor numbers of 40,000, a significant increase on 2014, and an influx of international collectors, a number of whom stated that they had flown into London to enjoy Masterpiece Week and the capital at the height of the season.
Of the 2015 Fair, Nazy Vassegh, CEO of Masterpiece London commented “It has been an absolute privilege to oversee the 6th edition of Masterpiece London in association with Royal Bank of Canada. All our exhibitors, partners and sponsors have contributed a huge amount of time and energy to help make this the best Masterpiece to date. London has a long and rich heritage at the heart of the art market and we are delighted to be at the very epicentre of this busy summer season."
Hugh Gibson of Thomas Gibson Fine Art commented “Masterpiece 2015 has been a very successful Fair for us. We have made sales to both new and existing clients. It has rapidly become a permanent fixture and meeting point for both international collectors and the wider art market in London.”
Jonathan Carter of Carter Marsh & Co added “Masterpiece has been astonishing. We were delighted to be able to offer such an extraordinary collection at the Fair, but have been overwhelmed by how well it has been received and by the quality of collectors in attendance.”
David Gill of David Gill Gallery commented “I was delighted with the exceptional quality of all aspects of the fair. As a first time exhibitor it was a pleasure to participate at a fair that is becoming a very important part of the yearly calendar.”
Jonathan Green, CEO of Richard Green, added "Our first year at Masterpiece London has been a positive experience. We have sold paintings, been reacquainted with former clients and also met new people who seem genuinely interested in the paintings we brought to the fair."
Sales of note included:
• Dickinson sold works by Marc Chagall, Joan Miró and Auguste Rodin.
• Osborne Samuel sold works including the Gertrude Hermes peacock, a rediscovered Henry Moore ‘Helmet’, and three works by Lynn Chadwick.
• Carpenters Workshop sold 10+ works including some important pieces by Ingrid Donat Bench.
• Philip Mould sold amongst others an important portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence of Mary Richmond.
• Ronald Phillips highlight sale was ‘The Castle Howard Mirrors’ – a set of four George II giltwood mirrors, c.1740.
The prize for ‘Object of the Year’ went to The Hanover Tompion, offered by Carter Marsh & Co, which was part of the Tom Scott collection of clocks many of which are attributed to Thomas Tompion. This horological collection has proved immensely successful with Carter Marsh & Co selling over £8.5million worth of clocks including £4.5million for the Medici Tompion.
Over 150 museum directors and curators from the world’s finest cultural institutions visited this year’s fair, including Carlos Picon (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Sir Nicholas Penny (National Gallery), Peter B Kerber (Getty Museum), Duncan Bull (Rijksmuseum) Christopher Monkhouse (Chicago Institute of Arts) and Jessica Harrison-Hall (British Museum) to name a few.
Throughout the eight days of the Fair, Masterpiece welcomed a host of high profile guests, including Mila Kunis, Liz Hurley, Sir Michael Caine, Anjelica Huston, Eva Herzigova, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul Smith, Lord and Lady Camoys, Jeffrey Archer, Robbie Williams, Joanna Lumley, Masako the Crown Princess of Japan, HRH Princess Alexandra and HRH Princess Michael of Kent.
On the penultimate evening Masterpiece London and the NSPCC hosted The Neo-Romantic Art Gala Reception & Dinner. The evening was a huge success with over £1.2 million raised for the NSPCC.
