How to look

Many people find the idea of looking at Old Masters distinctly intimidating, above all because they suspect that they lack the kind of specialist knowledge that is required to get the most out of such works. The idea behind my tours of Frieze Masters is to demythologise the process, by showing visitors to the fair how to look and what to look for. 

In essence, this tends to involve close attention to detail and to the physical nature of the pieces in question, including such issues as their condition and any possible restorations.  At the same time, the subject-matter of the individual pieces needs to be explored and explained – if you do not know who is represented or what is going on, the experience of looking is a bit like watching a film in a foreign language without subtitles.

Given the huge body of material on show at Frieze Masters, it is also possible to range both across the centuries from the fourteenth to the eighteenth and to select objects from all over Europe, while equally making sure that all sorts of types of works of art are examined. ‘Art’ sometimes seems to be a shorthand for pictures, but my tours are deliberately all-embracing in terms of media, and also cover drawings, sculpture, metalwork, illuminated manuscripts, and ceramics.

Last but not least, the actual items upon which I will focus my attention are all of the highest artistic quality, and include a number of important discoveries of works never previously seen.

Book a Bespoke tour at Frieze Masters with internationally renowned art authorities Pr. David Ekserdjian and Marilyn McCully - an exclusive addition to this year’s Bespoke offer.