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55-520: William Seguier ( / ˈ s iː ɡ ər / SEE -gər ; 9 November 1772 – 5 November 1843) was a British art dealer , painter, and official functionary in the art world. He was the first Keeper of the National Gallery, London . Seguier was born in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London , the descendant of French Huguenot refugees. Many of his relatives were involved in

110-415: A vanity press does for authors. The shows lack legitimate curation and often include as many artists as possible. Most art professionals are able to identify them on an artist's resume. Art exhibition An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience . The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as

165-759: A crucial impact on the study of Early Netherlandish painting . In 1968, Art fairs in Europe became quite the fashion with the advent of the Cologne Art Fair which was sponsored by the Cologne Art Dealers Association. Because of the high admission standards of the Cologne fair a rival fair was organized in Düsseldorf which enabled less regarded galleries opportunity to meet with an international public. The fairs took place during

220-533: A level lower than that falling on the exhibit. Visible light levels should be maintained at between 50 lux and 100 lux depending on the light sensitivity of objects. An items level of toleration will depend on the inks or pigments being exposed and the duration of the exhibition time. A maximum exhibition length should initially be determined for each exhibited item based on its light sensitivity, anticipated light level, and its cumulative past and projected exhibition exposure. Light levels need to be measured when

275-432: A low UV output and when covered with plastic sleeves before exhibition. Though tungsten-halogen lamps are currently a favorite artificial lighting source, they still give off significant amounts of UV radiation; use these only with special UV filters and dimmers. Lights should be lowered or turned off completely when visitors are not in the exhibition space. The exhibition space's relative humidity (RH) should be set to

330-692: A period where exhibitions, often one-off shows, were crucial in exposing the public to new developments in art, and eventually Modern art . Important shows of this type were the Armory Show in New York City in 1913 and the London International Surrealist Exhibition in 1936. Museums started holding large loan exhibitions of historic art in the late 19th century, as also did the Royal Academy, but

385-464: A physically and chemically secure environment. Vertical cases are acceptable for small or single-sheet items, and horizontal cases can be used for a variety of objects, including three-dimensional items such as opened or closed books, and flat paper items. All these objects can be arranged simultaneously in one horizontal case under a unified theme. Materials used for case construction should be chosen carefully because component materials can easily become

440-569: A portion of art sales; twenty-five to fifty per cent is typical. There are also many non-profit or collective galleries. Some galleries in cities like Tokyo charge the artists a flat rate per day, though this is considered distasteful in some international art markets. Galleries often hang solo shows. Curators often create group shows with a message about a certain theme, trend in art, or group of associated artists. Galleries sometimes choose to represent exclusive artists, giving them opportunities for regular shows. A gallery's definition can also include

495-490: A private for-profit commercial gallery. These galleries are found clustered together in large urban centers. Smaller cities are home to at least one gallery, but they may also be found in towns or villages, and remote areas where artists congregate, e.g. the Taos art colony and St Ives, Cornwall . Contemporary art galleries are often open to the general public without charge; however, some are semi-private. They profit by taking

550-418: A significant source of pollutants or harmful fumes for displayed objects. Outgassing from materials used in the construction of the exhibition case and/or fabrics used for lining the case can be destructive. Pollutants may cause visible deterioration, including discoloration of surfaces and corrosion . Examples of evaluative criteria to be used in deeming materials suitable for use in exhibit display could be

605-513: A space for temporary exhibitions. Exhibitions in commercial galleries are often entirely made up of items that are for sale, but may be supplemented by other items that are not. Typically, the visitor has to pay (extra on top of the basic museum entrance cost) to enter a museum exhibition, but not a commercial one in a gallery. Retrospectives look back over the work of a single artist; other common types are individual exhibitions or "solo shows" , and group exhibitions or "group shows"). The Biennale

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660-407: A specific form of art . The art works may be presented in museums , art halls, art clubs or private art galleries , or at some place the principal business of which is not the display or sale of art, such as a coffeehouse . An important distinction is noted between those exhibits where some or all of the works are for sale, normally in private art galleries, and those where they are not. Sometimes

715-652: A useful way of getting to know collectors. From 1806, when Lord Grosvenor consulted him on the purchase of the Agar collection, Seguier's clientele became ever more aristocratic and well-connected, including such names as Sir George Beaumont , Sir Abraham Hume , Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of Wellington . Beaumont and Grosvenor were also members of a group of connoisseurs and artists (including David Wilkie and Benjamin Haydon ) that called itself "the clique", to which Seguier

770-476: A value between 35% and 50%. The maximum acceptable variation should be 5% on either side of this range. Seasonal changes of 5% are also allowed. The control of relative humidity is especially critical for vellum and parchment materials, which are extremely sensitive to changes in relative humidity and may contract violently and unevenly if displayed in too dry an environment. For preservation purposes, cooler temperatures are always recommended. The temperature of

825-689: A wavelength below 400 nm (ultraviolet radiation) be limited to no more than 75 microwatts per lumen at 10 to 100 lux. Furthermore, exposure to natural light is undesirable because of its intensity and high UV content. When such exposure is unavoidable, preventative measures must be taken to control UV radiation, including the use of blinds, shades, curtains, UV filtering films, and UV-filtering panels in windows or cases. Artificial light sources are safer options for exhibition. Among these sources, incandescent lamps are most suitable because they emit little or no UV radiation. Fluorescent lamps , common in most institutions, may be used only when they produce

880-404: A window cut in the top board to enable the object to be seen, can be used to support and enhance the display of single sheet or folded items. Backing layers of archival cardboard should be thick enough to protect objects. Moreover, any protective glazing used should never come in direct contact with objects. Frames should be well-sealed and hung securely, allowing a space for air circulation between

935-443: Is a large exhibition held every two years, often intending to gather together the best of international art; there are now many of these. A travelling exhibition is an exhibition seen at several venues, sometimes across the world. Exhibitions of new or recent art can be juried, invitational, or open. The art exhibition has played a crucial part in the market for new art since the 18th and 19th centuries. The Paris Salon , open to

990-428: Is an exhibition space of works in a gallery that charges the artist for use of the space. Temporary museum exhibitions typically display items from the museum's own collection on a particular period, theme or topic, supplemented by loans from other collections, mostly those of other museums. They normally include no items for sale; they are distinguished from the museum's permanent displays, and most large museums set aside

1045-655: Is cumulative and irreversible. Two trusted sources – the National Information Standard Organization's Environmental Conditions for Exhibiting Library and Archival Materials, and the British Library's Guidance for Exhibiting Library and Archive Materials – have established indispensable criteria to help curtail the deleterious effects of exhibitions on library and archival materials. These criteria may be divided into five main preservation categories: Environmental concerns of

1100-408: Is essential that they be displayed with care. Not all materials are able withstand the hardships of display, and therefore each piece needs to be assessed carefully to determine its ability to withstand the rigors of an exhibition. In particular, when exhibited items are archival artifacts or paper-based objects, preservation considerations need be emphasized because damage and change in such materials

1155-544: Is occasionally true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English , they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" (the French word) or "show". In UK English, they are always called "exhibitions" or "shows", and an individual item in the show is an "exhibit". Such expositions may present pictures , drawings , video , sound , installation , performance , interactive art , new media art or sculptures by individual artists, groups of artists or collections of

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1210-495: Is often said to be reflected in his portrait by Titian (1567) . Art dealers often study the history of art before entering on their careers. Related careers that often cross-over include curators of museums and art auction firms are industry-related careers. Gallery owners who do not succeed may seek to work for more successful galleries. Others pursue careers as art critics , academics, curators of museums or auction houses, or practicing artists. Dealers have to understand

1265-419: Is subject to economic booms and busts just like any other market. Art dealers must be economically conscious in order to maintain their livelihoods. The mark ups of art work must be carefully monitored. If prices and profits are too large, then investments may be devalued should an overstock or economic downturn occur. To determine an artwork's value, dealers inspect the objects or paintings closely, and compare

1320-738: The academic art promoted by the Paris Salon, always more rigid than London, was felt to be stifling French art, alternative exhibitions, now generally known as the Salon des Refusés ("Salon of the Refused") were held, most famously in 1863, when the government allowed them an annex to the main exhibition for a show that included Édouard Manet 's Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) and James McNeill Whistler's Girl in White . This began

1375-530: The artist cooperative or artist-run space , which often (in North America and Western Europe) operates as a space with a more democratic mission and selection process. Such galleries have a board of directors and a volunteer or paid support staff who select and curate shows by committee, or some kind of similar process to choose art often lacking commercial ends. A vanity gallery is an art gallery charging fees from artists to show their work, much like

1430-538: The King—the Duke of Bedford — Lord Westminster — Lord Egremont , or the President of the Royal Academy — "MR SEGUIER"." When in 1832 two pictures by Richard Parkes Bonington , who had been dead only four years, were included in an "Old Masters" exhibition, Constable (who was twenty-six years older than Bonington) wrote that Seguier was "carrying on a Humbugg". The William Blake scholar Ruthven Todd tells us that at

1485-843: The National Gallery Seguier "established a reputation both for incompetence and for a passion for brown varnish, apparently agreeing with Sir George Beaumont, connoisseur and amateur artist, that a really good picture should have the color of a Cremona violin". Seguier held these three positions until his death in 1843; his brother succeeded him at the British Institution. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery , London. Art dealer An art dealer in contemporary art typically seeks out various artists to represent, and builds relationships with collectors and museums whose interests are likely to match

1540-470: The United States. Following the advent of Wash Art, many fairs developed throughout the United States. Although preservation issues are often disregarded in favor of other priorities during the exhibition process, they should certainly be considered so that possible damage to the collection is minimized or limited. As all objects in the library exhibition are unique and to some extent vulnerable, it

1595-531: The arts on a professional level, from his father David, a picture dealer, to his uncle on the paternal side, the sculptor Peter Seguier. Initially Seguier worked as an artist; he may have been taught by George Morland and perhaps even William Blake . However, his marriage to Anne Magdalene Clowden (a fellow Huguenot), gave him the independent means to establish a dealership, and he largely gave up painting thereafter. The business, in which his brother also worked, also offered picture-cleaning and restoring services,

1650-423: The binding structure. Because exhibited items are often of special interest, they demand a high level of security to reduce the risk of loss from theft or vandalism. Exhibition cases should be securely locked. In addition, cases may be glazed with a material that hinders penetration and that when broken does not risk shards of glass falling on the exhibits. Whenever possible, the exhibition area should be patrolled;

1705-572: The book hinge; cradles, which support bound volumes as they lay open without stress to the binding structure; and polyester film strips, which help to secure open leaves. Textblock supports are best used in conjunction with book cradles where the textblock is greater than 1/2 inch, or where the textblock noticeably sags. Regardless of its method of support, however, any book that is kept open for long periods can cause damage. One should turn an exhibited book's pages every few days in order to protect pages from overexposure to light and spread any strain on

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1760-448: The business side of the art world. They keep up with trends in the market and are knowledgeable about the style of art people want to buy. They figure out how much they should pay for a piece and then estimate the resale price. They are also often passionate and knowledgeable about art. Those who deal with contemporary art promote new artists, creating a market for the artists' works and securing financial success for themselves. The art world

1815-401: The case (for example, polyester blend fabric), and any adhesives used in the process, should also be tested to determine any risk. Using internal buffers and pollutant absorbers, such as silica gel , activated carbon , or zeolite , is a good way to control relative humidity and pollutants. Buffers and absorbers should be placed out of sight, in the base or behind the backboard of a case. If

1870-615: The case is to be painted, it is recommended oil paints be avoided; acrylic or latex paint is preferable. There are two kinds of objects displayed at the library and archival exhibition – bound materials and unbound materials. Bound materials include books and pamphlets , and unbound materials include manuscripts , cards, drawings, and other two-dimensional items. The observance of proper display conditions will help minimize any potential physical damage. All items displayed must be adequately supported and secured. Unbound materials, usually single-sheet items, need to be attached securely to

1925-523: The direction of Elias Felluss, in Washington DC organized the first American dealer art fair. "The Washington International Art Fair" or "Wash Art" for brevity. This American fair met with fierce opposition by those galleries interested in maintaining distribution channels for European artwork already in place. The Washington fair introduced the European idea of dealer fairs to art dealers throughout

1980-447: The display space should not exceed 72 °F. A lower temperature of down to 50 °F can be considered safe for a majority of objects. The maximum acceptable variation in this range is 5 °F, meaning that the temperature should not go above 77 °F and below 45 °F. As temperature and relative humidity are interdependent, temperature should be reasonably constant so that relative humidity can be maintained as well. Controlling

2035-459: The environment with 24-hour air conditioning and dehumidification is the most effective way of protecting an exhibition from serious fluctuations. One factor that influences how well materials will fare in an exhibition is the length of the show. The longer an item is exposed to harmful environmental conditions, the more likely that it will experience deterioration. Many museums and libraries have permanent exhibitions , and installed exhibitions have

2090-422: The event is organized on a specific occasion, like a birthday, anniversary or commemoration. There are different kinds of art exhibitions, in particular there is a distinction between commercial and non-commercial exhibitions. A commercial exhibition or trade fair is often referred to as an art fair that shows the work of artists or art dealers where participants generally have to pay a fee. A vanity gallery

2145-417: The exhibition is prepared. UV light meters will check radiation levels in an exhibit space, and data event loggers help determine visible light levels over an extended period of time. Blue wool standards cards can also be utilized to predict the extent to which materials will be damaged during exhibits. UV radiation must be eliminated to the extent it is physically possible; it is recommended that light with

2200-585: The exhibition space; Length of the exhibition; Individual cases; Display methods used on individual objects; and Security. The main concerns of exhibition environments include light , relative humidity , and temperature . Light wavelength , intensity , and duration contribute collectively to the rate of material degradation in exhibitions. The intensity of visible light in the display space should be low enough to avoid object deterioration, but bright enough for viewing. A patron's tolerance of low-level illumination can be aided by reducing ambient light levels to

2255-596: The fall months. This rivalry continued for a few years which provided the Basel Art Fair the opportunity to interject the Basel fair in early summer. These fairs became extremely important to galleries, dealers and publishers as they provided the possibility of worldwide distribution. Düsseldorf and Cologne merged their efforts. Basel soon became the most important art fair. In 1976, the Felluss Gallery under

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2310-422: The fine details with similar pieces. Some dealers with many years of experience learn to identify unsigned works by examining stylistic features such as brush strokes, color, form. They recognize the styles of different periods and individual artists. Often art dealers are able to distinguish authentic works from forgeries (although even dealers are sometimes fooled). The term contemporary art gallery refers to

2365-415: The frame and the wall. The most common way to display bound materials is closed and lying horizontally. If a volume is shown open, the object should be open only as much as its binding allows. Common practice is to open volumes at an angle no greater than 135°. There are some types of equipment that help support volumes as they displayed openly: blocks or wedges, which hold a book cover to reduce stain at

2420-458: The length of the exhibition time and the light level of the display, may prevent objects from being exhibited too frequently. Displayed items need to be inspected regularly for evidence of damage or change. It is recommended that high-quality facsimiles of especially delicate or fragile materials be displayed in lieu of originals for longer exhibitions. Library or archival materials are usually displayed in display cases or frames . Cases provide

2475-500: The modern "blockbuster" museum exhibition, with long queues and a large illustrated catalogue, is generally agreed to have been introduced by the exhibitions of artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun held in several cities in the 1970s. Many exhibitions, especially in the days before good photographs were available, are important in stimulating research in art history ; the exhibition held in Bruges in 1902 (poster illustrated below) had

2530-683: The most savage put-downs they could think of. Many of the works were already sold, but success at these exhibitions was a crucial way for an artist to attract more commissions. Among important early one-off loan exhibitions of older paintings were the Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857 , and the Exhibition of National Portraits in London, at what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum , held in three stages in 1866–1868. As

2585-826: The mounts, unless matted or encapsulated. Metal fasteners, pins, screws, and thumbtacks should not come in direct contact with any exhibit items. Instead, photo corners , polyethylene , or polyester film straps may hold the object to the support. Objects may also be encapsulated in polyester film, though old and untreated acidic papers should be professionally deacidified before encapsulation. Avoid potential slippage during encapsulation – when possible, use ultrasonic or heat seals. For objects that need to be hung (and that may require more protection than lightweight polyester film), matting would be an effective alternative. Objects in frames should be separated from harmful materials through matting , glazing , and backing layers. Matting, which consists of two pH-neutral or alkaline boards with

2640-478: The potential of contact-transfer of harmful substances, water solubility or dry-transfer of dyes , the dry-texture of paints, pH , and abrasiveness . New cases may be preferred, constructed of safe materials such as metal, plexiglass, or some sealed woods. Separating certain materials from the display section of an exhibition case by lining relevant surfaces with an impermeable barrier film will help protect items from damage. Any fabrics that line or decorate

2695-423: The potential to be on the view without any changes for years. Damage from a long exhibition is usually caused by light. The degree of deterioration is different for each respective object. For paper-based items, the suggested maximum length of time that they should be on display is three months per year, or 42 kilolux hours of light per year – whichever comes first. An exhibition log report, including records of

2750-429: The public from 1737, rapidly became the key factor in determining the reputation, and so the price, of the French artists of the day. The Royal Academy in London, beginning in 1769, soon established a similar grip on the market, and in both countries artists put great efforts into making pictures that would be a success, often changing the direction of their style to meet popular or critical taste. The British Institution

2805-646: The work of the represented artists. Some dealers are able to anticipate market trends , while some prominent dealers may be able to influence the taste of the market. Many dealers specialize in a particular style, period, or region. They often travel internationally, frequenting exhibitions , auctions , and artists' studios looking for good buys, little-known treasures, and exciting new works. When dealers buy works of art, they resell them either in their galleries or directly to collectors. Those who deal in contemporary art in particular usually exhibit artists' works in their own galleries. They will often take part in preparing

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2860-506: The works of art to be revealed or processed. Art dealers' professional associations serve to set high standards for accreditation or membership and to support art exhibitions and shows. The art dealer as a distinct profession perhaps emerged in the Italian Renaissance , in particular to feed the new appetite among collectors for classical antiquities , including coins. The somewhat disreputable character of Jacopo Strada

2915-490: Was added to the London scene in 1805, holding two annual exhibitions, one of new British art for sale, and one of loans from the collections of its aristocratic patrons. These exhibitions received lengthy and detailed reviews in the press, which were the main vehicle for the art criticism of the day. Critics as distinguished as Denis Diderot and John Ruskin held their readers attention by sharply divergent reviews of different works, praising some extravagantly and giving others

2970-466: Was admitted. Through such connections as these, the opportunistic Seguier secured a number of high-ranking official positions, beginning in 1805 with his appointment as Superintendent of the newly formed British Institution . This was followed in 1820 with the post of Surveyor of the King's Pictures , and upon the foundation of the National Gallery in 1824 he was appointed its Keeper. The Superintendent

3025-495: Was responsible for organizing and hanging the shows at the British Institution, a role that inevitably gave rise to grumbling and worse from artists - at the Royal Academy a committee was responsible for the hang, which allowed someone else to be blamed, but Seguier had no such opportunity to share the blame. In 1833 John Constable wrote with heavy irony of having received a visit in his studio from "a much greater man than

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