Now established as one of the key art events in the summer calendar, Master Paintings Week is a collaboration between twenty-three leading galleries and three auction houses. This week of exhibitions and events offers a wonderful selection of predominantly European paintings, dating from the 15th to the 20th centuries. New to Master Paintings Week in 2012 are Haldane Fine Art, Noortman Master Paintings and Theo Johns Fine Art Ltd. Each of the participating galleries, all of which are in the heart of London’s Mayfair and St James’s, will stage a special exhibition or event or unveil new discoveries, emphasising the unrivalled expertise to be found in London. Auctions will be held at Bonhams on 4 July, at Christie’s King Street on 3 and 4 July and Christie’s South Kensington on 6 July, while Sotheby’s sales will be on 4 and 5 July. Master Paintings Week coincides with another dealer initiative, Master Drawings London (27 June to 5 July).
As the Winter sales of Old Master paintings demonstrated, the market is strong, especially for rare and beautiful works in good condition. Besides the three international auction houses, London boasts more knowledgeable dealers than any other city in the world. Their galleries are a short walk from one another and will be open during Master Paintings Week:
Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm
Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm.