In a salon-style discussion, "The Role of Conservation and Presentation in Collecting Fine Art” brought together interior designer Jamie Drake, President and Director of Hirschl & Adler Galleries and Hirschl & Adler Modern Stuart Feld, fine art consultant and curator Kate Chertavian and Senior Painting Conservator at Lowy Lauren Rich to discuss the myriad ways conservation, framing and installation can enhance interiors and maintain a work of art’s integrity.

Anthony Barzilay Freund, Lauren Rich, Kate Chertavian, Stuart Feld and Jamie Drake

The panel, which was moderated by Anthony Barzilay Freund, 1stdibs’ Director of Fine Art and Editor in Chief of 1stdibs’ Introspective Magazine, addressed the intricacies of framing and its impact on artwork. Consultant and curator Chertavian pointed out that condition plays a role in not only purchasing art, but using it as a design tool. She recommended investigating an artwork’s quality, such as by looking at it in sunlight and taking it out of its frame, if possible. “Be brave enough to look at the picture,” she urged, and not merely “the overall vision” before making a potential purchase.

Panelists discuss the role of art conservation.

The panelists noted that a work of art needn’t be limited by the frame it was originally purchased with; as Drake noted, a new or seemingly surpising frame can mean “appreciating something in a different context.” Drake also shared his take on choosing artwork for clients: “I look at the whole mise-en-scene,” he said. “Framing can add a layer of complexity and dynamism” as an “important component to the total look.”

Panelists Chertavian, Feld and designer Drake

Hosted by Lowy and Hirschl & Adler, guests raised a glass during a pre-panel cocktail reception held at Hirschl & Adler Galleries in New York City, surrounded by the firm’s specialities: American and European paintings, watercolors, sculpture and drawings from the 18th through 20th centuries as well as American prints and American decorative arts.

Gregory Hedberg, Shelly Farmer and Tom Parker

Holly Burguieres, Susan Nelly and moderator Freund

Liz, Stuart and Sue Feld

Eric Baumgartner, Jamie Drake and Larry Shar