The Art Newspaper reported that a sultry heatwave has coincided with the opening of Treasure House Fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea along with the second editions of Classic Art London and Studiolo as modern and contemporary auctions draw to a close. Thomas Woodham Smith one of the fair’s co-founders told the publication that the layout at Treasure House has been rotated 90 degrees this year to accommodate future expansion even as the number of exhibitors fell to 60 from 72 in 2025. The event which runs through June 30 traces its roots to the 2023 cancellation of Masterpiece London by owner MCH Group which the company attributed to escalating costs and fewer international participants after Brexit a move that prompted Woodham Smith and Harry Van der Hoorn to launch the smaller successor at the same venue.
According to The Art Newspaper roughly one third of Treasure House Fair’s participants are new this year signaling a generational change in the trade with younger dealers such as Ed Foster of Foster and Gane and Joe Chaffer of Vagabond Antiques coming to the fore. The publication noted the influence of interior designer Rose Uniacke whose cross-period approach has shaped tastes among emerging exhibitors including first-timer Jenna Burlingham Gallery. A non-selling special exhibition drawn from the Southampton City Art Gallery collection focuses on British Surrealism to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition in London with works by artists including Paul Nash Eileen Agar and Ithell Colquhoun.
The Art Newspaper detailed how Classic Art London which runs from June 22 to July 3 features 16 galleries staging selling exhibitions of old and modern masters across Mayfair St James’s Pimlico Road and Cecil Court. One highlight cited by the publication is a Laura Knight painting of Anna Pavlova rehearsing The Bacchanal from around 1910-1911 offered by Karen Taylor Fine Art. The gallery trail which emerged after the end of London Art Week includes expert talks and tours aimed at international collectors and museum curators seeking traditional art genres.
Studiolo makes its return on June 26 as a one-day selling exhibition according to the report moving from last year’s Spencer House to the College Garden and Cloisters at Westminster Abbey. The Art Newspaper stated that the event has partnered with interior and architectural design studio Ben Pentreath to present works in a historic setting that complements the participating dealers’ offerings. Organisers positioned the intimate format as a complement to the larger fairs unfolding across the city that week.
The publication placed the events against a backdrop of record auctions including a Sotheby’s sale of 50 masterpieces from the Lewis Collection with an overall estimate exceeding £15 million. An assessment published days earlier by The Art Newspaper drawing on the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report found that the UK has held second place in global art trade with an 18 percent share despite a drop from 21 percent in 2016 while imports of art and antiques fell sharply after Brexit. Woodham Smith who also spoke to the outlet on the decade since the vote described how the change has burdened dealers with paperwork particularly at the lower end of the market.
The British Antique Dealers’ Association lists Treasure House Fair tickets at £25 for general admission with preview day entry at £100 while accompanied children under 12 attend free. A New York Times preview published on June 18 noted the fair’s focus on varied refreshments and lower prices compared with events such as Frieze Masters. The Art Newspaper added that Woodham Smith has kept fees unchanged despite rising costs as the fair aims to sustain momentum for London’s summer art calendar.
