Collecting in 3-D

By: Amy Gale

November 2003

Sculpture was once central to life, from fertility votives to burial equipage. In ancient times, a well-furnished tomb contained a range of figures and statuettes. But if estate planning no longer means commissioning the right pieces for the afterlife, there are few barriers to assembling a thoughtful collection to enjoy here on earth. With prices low and stock abundant, sculpture is a conspicuously neglected market.

What You’ll Pay

The prices say it all: $77 million for a Rubens, $55 million for a Picasso—but only $18 million for a Brancusi. Comparatively low sculpture prices are a consequence of the historic perception that painting is the more important medium. Andrew Butterfield, senior vice president at Salander-O’Reilly Galleries in New York City, notes that a Renaissance sculpture is often less expensive than a drawing by the same artist. He describes the high-end of the market as bullish, though significant works still can be had for less than $1 million. Prices are rising less rapidly for works less than $50,000. For Laura Guarisco of Guarisco Gallery in Washington, D.C., there are similar opportunities for collecting works priced under $100,000. “The 19th century is still a bargain,” she points out, with specialist fields like animalier bronzes still selling for less than $20,000.

Studying Sculpture

Looking at art is the best course of study, so collectors should visit museums, galleries and auction previews. According to Antonia Boström, an assistant curator at the Detroit Institute of Arts, painting is more popular with both the public and specialists. “People have to be taught how to look at sculpture,” she says. As the editor of The Encyclopedia of Sculpture, she knows well the dearth of scholarship, especially for non-Western works. But even important Western art can go unpublished. For instance, Butterfield cites the recent sale of one object that had never been illustrated in any journal: After centuries in private Italian collections, it was acquired last year by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Check Provenance

A reputable dealer establishes due diligence before selling a work of art. Since the trail can go cold even for blameless objects, a gap in ownership does not necessarily signal a problem. In the case of ancient sculpture, the collector should establish a provenance that at least precedes the recent war in Iraq; many museums push the baseline back to the early 1980s. Also, the Art Loss Register (www.artloss.com) has a database of stolen and missing works.
But provenance is not only about customs agents and lawyers’ fees. Previous ownership can shape the reputation of a work. Take the “Jenkins Venus,” a Roman statue, which was acquired in Italy in 1765 by an English collector who made it the centerpiece of his private sculpture gallery. It remained in the family until its sale last summer at auction. The price of $11.5 million was a record for antiquities—but a bargain for a Picasso bronze. “It was not the intrinsic value of this considerably restored work that mattered but its distinguished provenance in a specially designed Adam setting,” argues John Wilton-Ely, an English art historian who is protesting the sale.

Collecting Antiquities

Until the mid-19th century, a first-hand knowledge of classical antiquities was an essential finish to a gentleman’s education. Painting was important, too, but travelers to Italy reserved their awe for the ancient statues. “I felt a shock of electricity,” recalled one Grand Tourist. Two centuries later, reactions are more wary. After all, it takes courage to buy an unsigned fragment. A safe place to start is with any dealer belonging to the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art or the Antiquities Dealers Association.

Architectural Surroundings

It was not enough to assemble a collection of great statues. Ambitious connoisseurs once constructed special galleries for their display, often in symmetrical niches. This arrangement is no longer popular, though. Nowadays collectors are more eclectic in their arrangements, hanging a favorite Matisse next to a 12th-century pietà. Samuel White, an architect at Platt Byard Dovell White in New York, sees one benefit to the change. In the past, he notes “sculpture was a handmaiden to architecture. Modern architecture helped to remove representational sculpture from a subordinate context.” He concedes, however, one advantage to the sculpture niche: “It’s a wonderful way of dealing with bad sculpture, which then becomes a sort of three-dimensional wallpaper.”

Maintenance and Conservation

Maintaining a work of sculpture requires a light hand and a clean, dry cloth. Polishes, waxes and commercial antistatic cloths all cause damage. For a highly textured surface, try an unused watercolor brush.

Restoration work shows up more readily on sculpture than on paintings. But miracles are possible in the hands of a good conservator; check The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works for recommended professionals. Modern and contemporary sculpture can be especially fragile, and a collector should seek out private owners or institutions with similar works for a recommendation, says Michele Marincola, the chairperson and professor of conservation at the Conservation Center at the Institute of Fine Arts in New York. Before starting, the conservator should provide the client with a written estimate, an illustrated condition report and a written proposal of treatment.

All sculpture should be treated with care, but organic materials like wood and ivory are especially sensitive to light and heat. The best temperature is 68 to 72 degrees, while relative humidity should vary according to the material. Enclosing an object in a case is usually the most effective way to control the environment.

Display Decisions

Sculpture mounts should be stable and strong—just ask the Met. Last October, one of the museum’s Renaissance statues crashed to the floor when its pedestal collapsed, apparently from the weight. Stands and pedestals come in a variety of materials, from tropical hardwoods to acrylic. Attention must be paid to the size and heaviness of the object, especially for stone objects. In case of doubt, Marincola recommends consulting an engineer. n

For more information
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Washington, DC (202) 452-9545. aic.stanford.edu
Antiquities Dealers Association, London, England 011 44 207 930 1864. www.the-ada.org
Art Preservation Services, New York, NY (212) 722-6300.
Guarisco Gallery, Washington, DC (202) 333-8533.