IT was an even greater pleasure than I had expected to visit the Petworth Park antiques fair in mid September. There was doubt about its opening almost to the moment that it did, but circumstances—and the weather—were kind.
Business was done across the board, including a rare Regency four-fold screen (Fig 1) from William Cook, and it was moving to feel the real joy of exhibitors and visitors once again doing something that they loved, in the traditional way. For many of us, it may be some time before we experience that again.
When, eventually, our current stop-start way of living gives way to a more predictable existence, we are unlikely to go back fully to our old ways of doing things, when online was only one method among many. At the moment of writing, it’s possible to go to a physical exhibition, if not a traditional opening—but who knows if that will be the case next week or next month?
However, it has been evident from many of the shows, activities and initiatives that I have covered here over the past months that the best businesses are making sure that the internet really works for them. If they cannot do so, they will probably go under.
In the past, especially before art fairs came to prominence, the trade was made up of individuals who rarely co-operated with one another (except, whisper it, those who took part in bidding rings) and dealers and auctioneers observed professional, and often social, distancing. It’s not that long ago that dealers, even former colleagues, were never invited to boardroom lunches at Christie’s.
Denne historien er fra October 14, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra October 14, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
