We gathered some experts and asked them for advice on starting an art collection.
Starting an art collection is a rich and rewarding pursuit beyond mere aesthetics. It fosters a deep connection with cultural history and acts as a valuable tool for individual expressionism. Here at Tat, we clearly have a vested interest. But even before I started Tat art was of huge importance to me. The first picture I bought was with my sister. We were at a junk shop, and we found this oil painting of a bunch of flowers. I can't say we uncovered a van Huysum but to us it was sublime. When we moved into our flat together, it was the first piece to grace our walls, and now, over a decade on, it still hangs in the home of my sister, exuding the same beauty that we saw in it all those years ago.
Since then, I have collected many different pieces of art, the majority go on sale at Tat but there are a fair few that stay in my home. Each piece is important to me, not because of their perceived value but for the joy I gain from its composition, history and, in many instances, the way it lights up my home.
I can agree that this may not be the most fiscally prudent way to start a collection, but it does mean your walls are colourful, distinctive and full of heart. To get a more rounded opinion and variety of tips, we asked the curators below what they suggest when starting an art collection.
Huge thanks to Kiszely Fine Art, Wondering People, Partnership Editions, Jenna Burlingham Gallery and McCully & Crane.
What advice or tips would you give someone who is starting their art collection for their home?
Obviously, buy what you’re most drawn to visually and also try and find as much about the piece and its artist to gain a greater understanding and interest in it. Ask who you’re buying it from lots of questions.
Please provide a short description and photo of your favourite/ first piece you collected.
I love this small, delicate study by Jules Bastien-Lepage for his very famous portrait of the actress Sarah Bernhardt from 1879, which caused a sensation at the Salon that year. It’s the only known direct pencil study for the work.
What advice or tips would you give someone who is starting their art collection for their home?
Go with your eyes, not your ears. Buy what you love. Go with something you feel connected with, drawn to and feel like you want to live with forever. Your home might change, but there's something comforting about an artwork/ collection that comes with you from home to home.
Please provide a short description and photo of your favourite/ first piece you collected.
'Shaking Eachothers’s Bodies Water Inside' I bought this etching by Holly Mills in 2020. I simply love the mysterious stairs and whimsical figures. I wanted to find my own frame as the piece is so special to me, and eventually, I came across this beautiful curved walnut one.
What advice or tips would you give someone who is starting their art collection for their home?
Buy from emerging artists.
Don't be afraid to ask questions to the person you're buying from - people are often afraid to say the wrong thing when it comes to art, but no question is silly. Ask why something costs what it does, what it's about, what it's made from - it all helps you to appreciate the work better.
Buy what you love, not for investment - the investment is the joy it will bring over the years / generations.
Don't forget to factor framing into your budget - a good frame is expensive but worth the investment if you're buying original art.
Please provide a short description and photo of your favourite/ first piece you collected.
I’ll always treasure my large-scale painting “Stored Away in the Mind” by Joshua Perkin. I love the implied yet ambiguous narrative in his works. Me and my 3-year-old daughter love to discuss what could be going on in the painting. I always think that great paintings are ones that you can go back to again and again and always see something new in.
What advice or tips would you give someone who is starting their art collection for their home?
Lots of tips..
Our first tip is always to buy what you love. Go with the heart, and don’t necessarily worry about where it is going to go. The perfect painting or print will travel with you.
We also say that it is often better to buy one key work rather than lots of things that you’re not so sure about.
Talk to the gallery… it is amazing what extra information you can glean by asking questions, and we are always keen to chat about our paintings. We can tell you about the artist, let you know if we have other examples, discuss the framing, talk logistics and practicalities, discuss why a painting has the price that it has and perhaps tweak that price as well.
We sell both contemporary and Modern British Art. Contemporary work comes directly from the artist and is a great way of buying fresh, exciting works by artists we love. Comparatively, Modern British paintings and prints are sold through the secondary market. There is an underlying value to all our Modern British works, which means they can be sold at a future time - they can be great investments if you buy the right thing!
Modern British prints are a great way to start a collection and can be very affordable. We have works at all price points and have wonderful etchings from various artists’ estates that can be bought for as little as £ 75.
Very often, you can try before you buy… do ask! Where logistics work, we are happy for clients to try works out in situ before committing. We always want clients to remember their gallery experience fondly and not associate us with any mistakes!
Please provide a short description and photo of your favourite/ first piece you collected.
One of my best-loved paintings is a small Dorset tree study by the 1930s artists Algernon Newton. I spotted it when I had just started working in the auction world in the mid 1990s and pointed it out to my late father - he splashed out and bought it for £ 750. Newton is known for luminous light and this little study is a beautiful gem - the painting will forever remind me of my wonderful Dad.
What advice or tips would you give someone who is starting their art collection for their home?
Always go with your heart and you’ll find your fondness for the painting can only grow over a lifetime.
And if doing an interiors project?…start with art! So many people leave it to last minute and it’s so much more fun basing a new scheme or layout around something you already treasure - it’s the best springboard.
Where is your favourite place to source art?
We really enjoy going to young or emerging artists early shows. We were recently at Edgar Corroll’s ‘Nansmornow’ show at Electric Studios in St Leonards and snapped up an epic landscape piece.
Please provide a short description and photo of your favourite/ first piece you collected.
Here is the first painting Gareth and I ever bought together - about 18 years ago - on a very dark morning at Kempton Antiques Market. It’s of an ape on a rock - and we just loved everything about it, the unusualness, the colours, the frame. We were just immediately fascinated by it, and it was a steal at fifty quid!
If the house were on fire I’d grab that on my way out.
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