When a client comes to us with a requirement or dream of creating a new collection of art they often come with a very loose brief. It is only with thorough research that we can define the collecting criteria and set about putting it together.
This involves visiting museums, other public and private collections, perusing catalogues and documentation in our extensive reference library to agree with the client exactly what their collection should contain. We need to establish whether the collection is to be an investment or a labour of love, suggest budgets and timescales and discuss condition, provenance, method of acquisition etc.
Once we have that in place we have to set about identifying potential targets for acquisition. We have extremely good relationships with all the major auction houses and dealers and one of our strengths is the ability to aggressively locate pieces via private sources.
Building a collection takes time. It requires thorough research and knowledge and the ability to be flexible and very patient.