Auction houses: professional conservation as a sales tool

Our team cares for a great multitude of items and artworks, including paintings, ceramics, furniture, paper, textiles, and memorabilia. This means that we frequently have contact with private clients and collectors across the United Kingdom with diverse and specialist items, as well as traditional pieces. 

Above: our team discussing artworks in our care

Customers often have questions about valuation and auction potential, especially when it comes to rare or unusual items that may need to justify restoration costs. This makes collaboration with London-based and regional auction houses an exciting and vital part of our offering. We have seen remarkable results following successful referrals to auction houses, benefiting both our customers and the salesroom. 

Above: an oil painting and frame before and after restoration in our studio

Our professional conservators ensure an artwork or item is well-preserved and expertly restored before it goes up for sale, giving peace of mind to potential buyers. By contrast, we can also give conservation assessments and estimates ahead of an auction to help the sale of an artwork in need of restoration.

Above: our conservator assessing an oil painting in our studio, including UV lighting to find hidden areas of overpainting and technical photography

As well as conservation treatments, there are many aspects of our restoration company that help to compel sales and complement existing services in auction houses, these include:

• Presenting items in their best condition for sale, including sensitive cleaning treatments
• Photo preparation for catalogues and exhibitions
• Personalised options for conservation-grade framing following purchase
• Care Guides tailored to sales and collection care
• Helping clients to get improved sales results by restoring any visual disturbances
• Restoration with no interference with authenticity, signatures or provenance
• Loyalty offers for ongoing referrals including discounts and perks
• Digital archiving for clients with professional documentation
• Storage facilities and a national transportation service

Above: two of our conservators holding an oil painting following restoration in our studio

Professional conservation to ensure historic integrity 

All of our conservators have Masters degrees in their respective areas of expertise, including ICON accreditation for our paper conservator and easel painting conservators on their way to their own accreditation. This means that our team works towards a museum-level of care, with great emphasis on artistic and historical integrity. 

Above: a Martin Bros pottery spoon warmer with broken ears, these were restored in our studio prior to a successful auction sale

Our conservators will never disturb important areas such as the signature and preserve any labels or extra pieces of material that may help with provenance. On a restoration such as an oil painting, any retouching is achieved with the smallest application of reversible pigments, isolated between two layers of protective varnish, so as not to add to the existing artwork in any dramatic or permanent way that may alter the value. 

 Above: one of our painting conservators repairing a torn canvas under the microscope for a sensitive thread-by-thread restoration 

Presenting artworks & items in the best condition

Art sales rely heavily on visual appeal, making this a vital part of your offering and something that our professional conservators certainly assist with. As well as the restoration of breakages and discolouration for private clients prior to a sale, we can also offer sensitive cleaning treatments for presentation or catalogue photography prior to the auction. 

Above: a print before and after restoration by our paper conservator

Our conservation team can assist you in the presentation of:

• Oil paintings on canvas and panel
• Decorative frames and gilding
• Paintings with heavy impasto
• Modern and contemporary art
• Ceramic artworks and items
• Antique and modern furniture 
• Upholstery and textiles
• Works on paper 
• Metalware and silver items
• Indoor and outdoor sculptures 
• Unusual and unique materials
• Memorabilia

Above: a wax miniature before and after restoration in our studio

Care guides and brochures tailored to your clients

At Fine Art Restoration Company we often produce guides and publications aimed at private clients and corporate partners to provide easily accessible information on art conservation. Our team is able to provide you with a care guide or restoration brochure aimed at the specific needs of your client base or for your colleagues who may benefit from further information on the processes and possibilities of professional restoration. 

Above: before and after the restoration of a large tilting table in our studio 

Our team is happy to provide you with a range of information, from conservation tips on safe care and maintenance following a sale, to bespoke framing brochures and articles about many aspects of restoration and art history. We can also create content for your website, including in-depth articles that may encourage traffic from search engines and help to provide your prospective buyers with a well-rounded picture of unique and important items ahead of auctions. 

Get in touch today

If you would like to offer auction house restoration services, our dedicated team is happy to arrange collaborations between our professional restoration studio and your auction room.

Please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or call 0207 112 7576 for swift advice and a conversation about our services.