LAPADA Fair

For the first time London’s leading art & antiques fair, LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair, which returns to its iconic Mayfair location between Wednesday, 23- Sunday, 27th October (preview on the 22^nd), will be offering visitors the opportunity to experience the LAPADA Fringe. 

Chief Executive, Freya Simms, comments: “Mayfair is brimming with wonderful culture and creativity so to enhance the visitor experience, LAPADA is introducing an exciting Fringe component to the fair – watch this space for exciting additions!”

Katie Thomas (Director LAPADA Fringe) adds: “The introduction of the LAPADA Fringe is a wonderful opportunity for Mayfair’s world-famous boutiques, restaurants, and galleries to work in partnership with the Fair through a programme of special events and collaborations.  We look forward to showcasing this unique destination and all it has to offer to visitors to the Fair,  opening doors to new stories and experiences across Mayfair and St James’s.” 

One of the first events to be confirmed will be a special tour and recital at Handel Hendrix House on nearby 23-25 Brook Street on Thursday, 24^th at 6pm. The Mayfair museum that was once home to composer G.F. Handel and rock legend Jimi Hendrix reopened in May 2023 after a £3million refurbishment enabling visitors for the first time to come through the front door that Handel would have used and where he composed many of his most famous works such as Messiah. Tickets cost £60 and are on sale at https://handelhendrix.org/events/lapada-fringe-tour-concert

As well as the newly added Fringe, several new names will be exhibiting at the Fair showing rare and fascinating items ranging from paintings to panelling to publications. 

Situated in the heart of Mayfair, Heywood Hill, a London literary landmark, will be exhibiting at the fair for the very first time. They will be showing three exquisite and exclusive limited-edition folio publications titled Florence: Dawn and Triumph of the Renaissance (one volume published, two upcoming), The Sistine Chapel (three volumes published) and Leonardo Da Vinci: Atlas Anatomicus – all from Italian publisher Scripta Maneant. The print runs of the Sistine and Florence volumes are both limited to 1,999 sets, the first gifted to His Holiness the Pope – with a price of £17,500 for each set. The Sistine Chapel took five years to create and shows the exquisite detail of its frescoes by Michelangelo, with a hexachrome printing technique used to recreate every colourful aspect of the stunning interior. The first volume of Florence, shown at LAPADA, shows the definitive and intricate photographic depiction of the Cathedral focusing on Brunelleschi’s iconic dome, followed by the Bell Tower and Baptistry for the upcoming volumes. The Atlas Anatomicus shows Da Vinci’s complete corpus anatomical drawings from the Royal Collection of Windsor. In addition to these stunning books, during or before LAPADA visitors can book an exclusive 30-minute Library consultation with Heywood Hill’s Head of Libraries. The Heywood Hill Libraries Team specialise in assembling bespoke personal libraries, assembled by hand, book-by-book, combining new and old publications.

Puritan Values, who specialise in important works of art circa 1850 to Circa 1950 will be showing a highly important fireplace and matching panelled room by George Trollope and Sons, who were based on West Halkin Street, Belgrave Square, London, first exhibited at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878 winning a Gold Medal for excellence. The set forms the four sides of a complete room that was exhibited as a boudoir room or petit salon with  the Rosso Antico marble fireplace a standout feature. The room measures 21feet (6.4m) wide by 17 feet (5.2m) deep and 12feet (3.7m) high. 

The Finch Project, an independently run gallery that nurtures a vibrant portfolio of emerging and mid-career artists, will be also exhibiting at the fair for the first time. Founded in 2022 by Nikki Finch, the gallery is particularly renowned for its diverse representation of international artists, who are based in South Africa, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Australia including artists such as Clara Adolphs; Piet Raemdonck; Greg Wood and Anne Griffiths. 

The LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair marks the last event of London's international art fair season, offering the perfect oppotunity to purchase unique gifts ahead of Christmas. These include a vast array of jewellery from vintage to contemporary. Grasilver, who are the leading experts in 20th century Scandinavian jewellery will be showcasing their stand-out collection by renowned Scandinavian designers such as Georg Jensen and Rey Urban. Included will be a rare 18k gold 'splash' necklace designed by Henning Koppel for Georg Jensen circa 1960 with matching bracelet and earrings. Olga L'agbesi will be bringing exquisite 19th century antique earrings showcasing old-cut- 4-carat diamonds and 18-carat gold and silver that dates to the 1860s, as well as a remarkable Victorian marquise-shaped rin featuring a stunning 2.30-carat fancy yellow cushion-cut diamond. In contemporary juxtaposition, The Sea Urchin Collection, presented by VANT Jewellery was inspired by a diving trip to Turkey. The exquisite pieces in sterling silver are delicately enamelled by hand with different coloured precious stones carefully set. 

Since 2009, the LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair has become a leading showcase for art and antiques on the international arts calendar, establishing a reputation for attracting buyers interested in significant one-of-a-kind investment pieces, alongside a new generation of keen collectors from around the world. The fair is located in the heart of Mayfair, known globally for its rich heritage, luxury retail, neighbouring art galleries, restaurants, hotels and private members clubs. The fair benefits from its close proximity to these establishments, with visitors spending well over £10m across the week.

The LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair is delighted to welcome back esteemed partners Rathbones incorporating Investec Wealth & Investment (UK), the Wallace Collection and Pulbrook & Gould for 2024, whose value and support leading up to and during the fair continue to bolster the fair’s success. 

For further information visit www.lapadalondon.com or sign up to the newsletter for regular updates.

About LAPADA

LAPADA the Association of Art & Antiques Dealers is the largest society of professional art and antiques dealers in the UK. It is a trusted resource for private collectors and the art and antiques trade in the UK and 16 other countries around the world. Established in 1974 it boasts over 500 worldwide members, who are experts in their fields, with specialities ranging from fine art, jewellery and furniture to contemporary works, sculpture and ceramics. Due to the Association’s strict Code of Practice, clients are offered total reassurance when purchasing from a LAPADA member. LAPADA offers a referral service for any member of the public looking for a trusted dealer in a specific area, who is seeking quality and assurance of authenticity. It also offers industry advice and lobbies on issues affecting its members and good practice in the art and antiques trade. In 2015, LAPADA launched its newly developed website, which is the leading online marketplace for sourcing authentic art and antiques from trusted LAPADA-accredited dealers.