Celebrated art pieces often travel across borders and oceans. Unfortunately, transportation from exhibition to exhibition or from an art auction to the owner increases their risk of damage. Even when professional art transportation services are involved, there is still a risk of unintentional but fatal harm. We’ve collected some of the most expensive mistakes associated with poor fine art transportation and categorized them according to the causes.
Lack of Proper Protection
Most unfortunate cases of artwork damage during fine art transportation are caused by the lack of proper precautions. For example, Andy Warhol’s self-portrait was once caught and ripped by strong wind as carriers transported it from a gallery to a van. Obviously, the valuable piece was not protected as it should have been, e.g., with the use of professional art packing materials and a sturdy cardboard box or wooden crate.
However, sometimes, even quality packing materials are not reliable enough to offer comprehensive protection to precious art pieces. For instance, there was a case where one of Picasso’s ceramic busts was shattered into pieces inside a shipping case specifically designed for carrying it. In fact, there are dozens of cases when delicate art pieces suffered bumps and scratches en route. Ancient vases, old manuscripts, and jewels often become victims of substandard packaging and transportation. For this reason, it is very important to pack artworks in several layers of protective materials and provide enough cushioning to guarantee their safety in transit.
These debacles highlight the critical importance of involving professionals in the transportation process to minimize risks. Experienced carriers take all necessary precautions to make sure that no matter what distance the art piece must travel, it will be protected from temperature fluctuations, fire, moisture, and bumpy roads.
Communication Errors During Fine Art Transportation
Another famous accident was in 2000 when Lucian Freud’s “Untitled” oil painting was destroyed by obvious miscommunication. The piece was expected to be sold at an auction for, at least, several million dollars. However, it did not make it to the auction room because handlers had mistakenly placed it in a warehouse meant for the destruction of empty crates. As a result, the oil painting ended up in a crushing machine. The mistake was discovered only when the loss of the painting was acknowledged, and the security services checked the CCTV.
Deliberate Destruction
In rare cases, art pieces are damaged intentionally, as in the case of Byzantine columns, which were smashed by British customs officers. The officers were looking for illegal drugs and were apparently carried away in the process. This case illustrates the importance of professional international art shipping services, proper documentation, and also art transit insurance, which can cover the damage.
If you want to avoid these and other mistakes and receive your art piece in perfect condition, contact Fine Art Shippers today. We will be happy to help you get your artwork smoothly and safely.