Buying a unique work has nothing in common with an ordinary online purchase. There is no stock, no second copy, no return without consequence, and the object is often heavy and fragile at the same time. Hence the value of a written process. Here is ARTDELION’s, step by step, with the questions best asked early.
1. Choosing the piece, and checking what is
Not every work visible in a catalogue is for sale. Some belong to collections, others are part of a group the artist does not want broken up. That is the case for the entire catalogue of Gabriel Lemaire Sicre, which is a collection rather than stock.
The works genuinely available are gathered in the shop, with a displayed price, set on criteria that can be explained. The complete catalogues remain consultable, to understand an artist’s path.
2. Asking the three material questions
Before price, three pieces of information decide whether a work suits your space.
Weight. A 150 kilo sculpture is no problem on the ground floor and is a problem on the third with no lift.
Fixing. A piece stands, hangs, or needs a plinth. A wall work weighing thirty kilos will not hold on a plasterboard partition without reinforcement.
Real dimensions, depth included. That is the measurement people forget, and the one that decides whether it goes up a stairwell.
This data is on every listing. If any doubt remains, ask through contact before reserving anything.
3. The written quotation
An enquiry leads to a quotation setting out the price of the work, the cost of shipping, insurance in transit and the lead time. Written, dated, with nothing left to be argued. It is the document you decide on, and it does not change afterwards.
4. Payment
Payment is made through the site’s secure methods. No payment is ever requested outside that framework, and no work leaves before funds have cleared. If anyone offers you a direct transfer outside the site in ARTDELION’s name, it is a fraud, and contact is there to check it within the hour.
5. Packing and transport
This is the stage where most damaged works are lost. A piece in metal and stone is not packed like a painting. Depending on weight and fragility, shipping goes by specialist carrier or by dedicated transport, and insurance covers the declared value for the whole journey. Packing and transport are the subject of a separate article.
On arrival, one point matters more than all the others: open the crate in front of the driver and report any damage immediately. A written reservation at the moment of delivery changes everything in the event of a dispute.
6. The certificate of authenticity
Where the artist issues one, the certificate travels with the work. It carries the title, the year, the materials, the dimensions and the artist’s signature, and what it must contain is worth knowing before you buy. Keep it apart from the work, with the invoice, and photograph both. That is what will serve as proof in the event of a resale, an estate or a claim.
7. After the acquisition
A unique work needs little maintenance but some attention. Avoid direct sun on painted surfaces, avoid permanent damp on metal and wood, dust dry. In case of doubt the agency answers, and for some pieces the artist records the exact shade used, which makes a touch up possible years later.
Going further
Both catalogues are reachable from the catalogues page, and Pierre Le Caër’s includes the pieces currently offered. The agency page explains how ARTDELION works, and artists who wish to be represented go through the application page.