To really get the full experience of art and antiques, one can’t understate the value of visiting museums and exhibitions. Viewing these collections, which are curated by experts who take the utmost care to include the absolute best of the best, brings so many benefits. Whether you are already an avid collector or just starting out on your antiques journey, there are so many reasons you won’t regret paying a visit to an exhibition near you.    Today we explore the top ones to consider.  

 1.The Chance to Appreciate the Pinnacle Pieces

If an antique or artwork is ‘Museum Standard’, you know it is something special. Antique bronzes exhibited at museums and leading galleries are often the original casting and are therefore most like the artist intended them to be.

The detail is very much on the ‘next level’, the colouring will be captivating, their perfections and even imperfections breathe a life into them that only the best pieces have and you really need to see to believe.

Museums and galleries also know how to showcase the pieces in their exhibitions to best effect. They will have experimented with the positioning, placement and lighting to ensure it perfectly compliments the work and allows you to appreciate all its nuances. Seeing these iconic pieces in the flesh, as it were, allows you to appreciate just how wonderful they are in all their glory. For those with a keen appreciation for the style, a well-curated exhibition can truly stir something inside you and raise your love of the genre to a whole new height.

If you love antique sculpture, we suggest visiting the Victoria and Albert Sculpture Collection to see the absolute best bronzes made in the 17th – 18th Century.    

2. A Valuable Reference Point for Your Antique Collecting Journey

Owning your own Museum Exhibited antique will be beyond the budget of many collectors. However, viewing these pieces gives you a valuable point of reference for your own collection.

Having seen the original casting, you can then compare it to, for example, a 19th Century “copy” and 20th Century “copy” that are available to purchase. Later pieces tend to go down in quality, typically featuring less detail, so if you can look at a later antique and say “it’s hardly dissimilar to the original” you know you have a cracking piece in front of you.

3.Providing Extra Meaning to Your Own Antiques Collection 

You can heighten your experience and connection with your own collection by seeing an artistsmasterpiece works, then acquiring their more accessible pieces for yourself.

For example, having seen an original Dali paintingand appreciated all it’s wondrous qualities, if you then purchase a Dali sculpture for yourself, your prior experiences with his work become an important reference for your own personal enjoyment.

There is a wonderful Dali exhibition currently on at the Royal Academy of Arts that we fully recommend. 

At Hickmet Fine Arts we have had the pleasure of holding several pieces over the years that have been exhibited at leading museums and much of our current stock is museum quality.

Do get in touch by phone or email, visit us at our gallery or one of the Antiques Fairs we exhibit at (Next up is the Mayfair Antiques and Fine Art Fair in January) to talk to us about how you can own a museum quality piece for yourself. 

If you enjoyed this post do sign up to our newsletter because in the new year we will be writing more on this topic, starting with a look at the top museums and permanent exhibitions to visit if you are a lover of Art Nouveau and Art Deco antiques.