Glorious
Gainsborough

Suffolk, UK.

Brief

Our work often opens the door to some of the greatest seats of art history. In June 2019, we handled masterpieces by the great British painter Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788). The exhibition, Masters of the Golden Age: Gainsborough, Constable, Turner and Lawrence, was opened at Gainsborough’s House in Suffolk in the east of England. Gainsborough grew up in this house and it has now become a museum, and we were thrilled to assist the institution in one of its most ambitious exhibitions to date.

Major paintings from the Golden Age of British painting were loaned by a private collector for the show, most for the first time ever. Although some of the collection was London-based, the majority of works were based in Jersey, a 5-hour ferry journey from the south coast of the U.K.

Solution

We sent a team to Jersey to undertake the de-installation of the nine works and crated them in bespoke fine art crates that we ensured were suitable for the journey between the island, just off the coast of France, and their destination in the east of England.

Our team carried out the sea and road transportation of artworks to Gainsborough’s House in several stages. The Jersey collection was brought to one of our London fine art facilities for a short time for storage while we brought in the works from other locations – various museums (UK and international) and several other private clients, Foundling Museums and the National Gallery. Once assembled, the collection of loaned works was transported in a single consolidated load to Suffolk. We orchestrated the installation on-site at the museum under the eye of the museum’s curators. For smaller institutions that do not have their own technical teams, this is the best option; trained and fully insured art technicians can conduct the hanging quickly and efficiently with a low risk of error or damage.

Once the exhibition closed in late 2019, we handled the return to Jersey and re-installation of the works to the complete satisfaction of the lender.

It was our pleasure to work with Gainsborough’s House to facilitate the delivery and return of loans for this exhibition, a great show of an important period in British art history.

All images courtesy of Gainsborough’s House Society.

Recent Projects

Miami Basel

We successfully partnered with Art Basel in Miami Beach (ABMB), the largest contemporary art fair in the United States, leveraging our international network and expertise to manage transportation, installation, and logistical challenges.

National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery came to us as a reliable partner and an Approved Fine Art Agent under the NPG Framework Agreement to carefully pack and store approximately 1,500 artworks during the 3-year, £35.5m refurbishment period.

Munnings Art Museum

In Spring 2019, we had the pleasure of delivering the works of celebrated British painter Alfred Munnings for an exhibition at the Munnings Art Museum at Castle House, his former family home in Essex.

The Wiseman Group

The Wiseman Group (TWG) is one of the most iconic interior design firms in the San Francisco Bay area, priding itself on its commitment to creating beautiful, sophisticated, and innovative rooms that reflect each client’s needs.

The Fine Art Group

A young entrepreneurial collector working with The Fine Art Group’s advisory team to develop his contemporary art collection, was seeking a 2-year loan of $4 million against his collection.

Watts Gallery

We were appointed to transport and install an exhibition of the work of Christina Rossetti and related artwork by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Leeds Castle

We were appointed to transport and install a unique 15th century monumental artwork, the Battel Hall Retable, to Leeds Castle, UK.