News:
Agnew’s to sell historical archive
By Gareth Harris
As the historic London gallery closes, one of the most important and complete records of art market dealings over the past two centuries to go on the block
Agnew’s gallery in London, which will cease trading on 30 April, plans to sell its extensive library and archive, says Julian Agnew, the chairman of the gallery. Trade figures consider the archive to be one of the most important and complete records of art market dealings over the past two centuries. Agnew’s was founded in 1817 and has specialised in Old Masters since the late 19th century.
“Two centuries’ worth of dealing in everything from Rembrandt to Bacon has left Agnew’s with what must be one of the most important and valuable art-historical archives in the country,” says Bendor Grosvenor, who works for the Old Master and British art dealer Philip Mould in London. The archive contains stock ledgers, which are vital for researching provenances related to the gallery’s specialist areas.
“The question is, of course, where will the archive go?” asks Grosvenor on his blog Art History News, adding that a likely bidder is the Getty Institute in Los Angeles, which runs a provenance research centre. “Of course, one would prefer the archive to remain in the UK, and it seems unlikely that it will easily get an export licence if it is sold abroad,” he says.