Thursday 4 July 2013

JULY 2013 TRANSPARENCY PROVENANCE MASTERPIECE

It is the season of summer antique fairs what with Olympia, The Masterpiece Fair and  Master Paintings Week. Increasingly an interest in early paintings is developing and as with all new interests there is a research phase where learning is the main fascination. My current bedside reading, sent to me by a dear Irish friend, is The Word Museum by Jeffrey Kacirk. Such a pity that The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten should have come from America!

Happenstance then that I should discover within The Word Museum a word originally defined in the Slang Dictionary by JC Hotten, published in 1887. The word is screever. A screever is an art impostor and quote “there are impostors of this kind in higher walks of art”.

Transparency is the theme of our age as the internet prevents those who would rule from doing so with veils of secrecy. Whistle blowers are coming out of the woodwork everywhere and whilst virtually all such individuals get crushed by their revelations the incremental effect is that more and more veils fall away. The self serving activities of western governments, politicians, businessmen, tax consultants, charity brokers, the foreign aid industry, the police, the media and virtually any institution are revealed on a daily basis. Notwithstanding the new world of transparency the spin industry goes on relentlessly, oblivious to the new paradigm. Just one small example out in the last few days; in 2015, election year, there will be £11bn of additional cuts. Not unreasonable to believe less money would be spent; wrong. In fact in this age of “cuts”, government spending during this parliament will have risen in each year and debt will be some £500bn higher than at the start. This canard is repeated in virtually all western economies and the victims are not the perpetrators but the thrifty with savings and no debt. Low interest rates are penalising the thrifty. Is this a conspiracy of western voodoo economics as normally when money is printed (QE) it leads to high inflation, high interest rates and weak currencies. High interest rates would now finish off most of the weaker brethren in the Eurozone. Would a whistle blower please step forward and explain what is going on….

Meanwhile, back to Masterpiece and masterpieces. The former is the outstanding showcase of the best of the old and new. If you need to spend a shed load of money the Chelsea embankment is the summertime place to spend it. In addition to the finest array of antiques, antiquities, fine art etc you might want to pick up a beautifully restored 1950’s Riva launch for a mere 375000 euro. A similar price would get you a fully restored E-type. Want something new then a Maserati might be your thing. How about a piano within a cast bronze dining table for £400000, you had to be there to understand. Too lazy or confused to figure it out then a Concierge Service might be your thing or maybe you could just sip a glass of Ruinart and while away the time in the most opulent tent in the land.

The magnet for me is the display of tavern clocks. This year the five top clock dealers were out in force with splendid displays and three dealers have tavern clocks. It would be indiscreet to mention specific prices but the range is c.£20-45k. The makers for the record are Holland, Lord, Chappell, Penny and Vulliamy, all top notch and looking magnificent. Also evident is the continuing rise of prices of the Golden Age makers as the best pull away from the rest.


Yes, masterpieces and provenance. A steep learning curve of discovery as to how attributions in the art world are made. I hope not meet a screever in the meantime, fortunately transparency is the theme of our age.