6 minute read
MASTER OF ECLECTICISM
MASTER
OF ECLECTICISM
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In one of his final interviews before his death, Philip Hewat-Jaboor, the much-loved chairman of Masterpiece art fair, explained his passion for cross-collecting – the highly fashionable pursuit of acquiring everything from Greek armour and period furniture to Old Masters and contemporary art
Words by Emma Crichton-Miller
EVER SINCE IT LAUNCHED in 2010, Masterpiece has flown the flag for a particular style of collecting. This annual art fair, held at the end of June in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, for which Savills is the property partner, has established itself as a key event of the summer season. It distinguishes itself from its rivals not by specialisation, but by welcoming into its luxurious tent leading galleries showing art objects across the widest possible range. Here you can find Old Masters and Impressionist paintings alongside contemporary art; 18th-century silver, antique maps and illuminated manuscripts cheek by jowl with midcentury modern design; and fine watches next to ancient sculpture. The fair doesn’t just embrace eclecticism, it positively encourages it, designing its layout to ensure that galleries specialising in the same field don’t end up next to each other, and inviting dealers in different disciplines to share booths.
Chairman of Masterpiece since 2012, Philip Hewat-Jaboor – who sadly died after a short illness a few weeks after being interviewed for this feature – was the perfect figure to lead the fair. A distinguished collector in his own right, he was evangelical in his belief that great art objects, beautifully displayed, enhance life immeasurably. His passion for beautiful things made him an inspiring art adviser, while his embrace of everything from ancient Egyptian porphyry to contemporary ceramics made him the perfect champion for “cross-collecting”, which can encompass everything from Old Masters and contemporary art to antiquities, the first editions of great American novels and Art Deco jewellery.
“A journey of mutual enhancement of knowledge” was how he described his experience of advising collectors when we spoke in February. Or perhaps we should say journeys, given the many
voyages of discovery that cross-collecting entails. But for HewatJaboor, collecting across genres wasn’t a new trend; it was “what everybody always did”. Beginning in the 1770s, Sir John Soane collected everything from Egyptian and Roman antiquities to Old Masters and the works of contemporary painters. In the 19th century, “people became Collectors with a capital C and focused minutely on areas of study such as Renaissance bronzes or portrait miniatures. Those collections sat on their own and were not in any way integrated into the interior in which they sat.” Then came “the modern focus, which has been so much on collecting contemporary, in whatever medium, that the idea of collecting across periods and countries was lost”.
“You don’t have to be that kind of collector,” Hewat-Jaboor argued. For him, putting together a collection or an interior – “with style and panache and with great works of art” from vastly different eras – represented another kind of achievement. He was proud that Masterpiece attracts a broader audience than many art fairs. Besides museum curators and established collectors, “we attract a group of wealthy people who are starting out on this route, and they can come to us with the confidence that everything has been vetted, so every object and artwork is what the label tells you it is”. The fair “shows you the enormous range of works of art available on the market – you can’t see that in a museum setting – with the barriers between disciplines taken down”. What this means is that you are not predisposed to only look at Old Masters and ignore contemporary art. Or that just because you are particularly interested in 18th-century Sèvres porcelain, you don’t look at contemporary silver. Or that a love of midcentury modern furniture isn’t incompatible with a love of Arts & Crafts.
Hewat-Jaboor also observed that visitors have become increasingly open to this approach over the past few years, suggesting this is “helped not just by the range of artworks our exhibitors bring, but also by the care they take to display them. As an individual exhibitor, Godson & Coles stands out to me with a wonderful combination of 18th-century and early-19th-century furniture, which is always of superb quality, mixed with modern British pictures and ceramics.” Visitors are encouraged to handle works of art, “to pick up the Suzuki silver vessel at Sassoon, a piece of contemporary glass at Michele Beiny or some antique classical armour – that’s what draws people in”. Seduced by the marvel they are holding in their hands, people become hooked and this is how their collecting career begins. Hewat-Jaboor explained: “People should buy works of art because they are beautiful, because they become passionate about them and because the objects have inherent integrity in themselves.”
As his colleague and friend Lucie Kitchener, CEO of Masterpiece, put it: “Philip’s expertise, passion for collecting, desire to share what he knew and sheer joy of life were unparalleled. His legacy of openness and curiosity is central to Masterpiece and will be celebrated at the forthcoming edition in June.”
Savills is the exclusive property partner of Masterpiece London, Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW3; 30 June-6 July, 2022
Above: a visitor admires a modern masterpiece by Keith Haring at Opera Gallery’s stand. Left: Godson & Coles exhibits its trademark mix of antique English furniture and 20th-century British art Furniture with history at Oscar Graf
Antiquities on display at Galerie Chenel
Philip Hewat-Jaboor highlighted five trends to look for at Masterpiece
FURNITURE BY ARCHITECTS Architect-designed furniture and associated works of art by names such as Edward William Godwin, Augustus Pugin and William Lethaby often pop up at Masterpiece. It is an interesting – and not necessarily very expensive – field. You can pin down what the piece is, who designed it and often where it was designed for, to build up a history around it.
BROWN FURNITURE It is a shame that “brown furniture” has become such a derogatory term. You can acquire English 18th- and early-19th-century pieces of excellent quality for modest amounts. Why spend money on an ephemeral or less well-made item when you could buy a one-off Regency chest of drawers with real spirit?
MATERIALITY Material, rather than era or genre, is emerging as the organising principle for many collectors, and is an intellectually engaged way of collecting. I have a selection of objects made from various types of stone. By concentrating on the material, whether it is alabaster, porphyry or granite, I put together a group of works that range in date from the contemporary – Stephen Cox, for instance – all the way back to the Roman period. It brings a new depth of excitement to looking at these objects.
ANTIQUITIES COME OF AGE Collectors are beginning to understand how to judge antiquities in a cleverer way, with an emphasis on the beauty and clarity of forms. An Ancient Greek cuirass, or armoured breastplate, for example, combines a warlike functionality with the beauty we associate with classical sculpture.
HAUTE POTTERY The current enthusiasm for contemporary ceramics, a trend almost single-handedly inspired by Adrian Sassoon, looks set to continue. His stand is remarkable because he is so passionate and because everything in it is beautiful. It is inspired by his deep understanding and desire to ensure that every object he works with is exceptional.
