I cannot decide… An everyday story of dealing in art.

I cannot decide…
An everyday story of dealing in art.

In our business you have to sell art to make money. It's that simple. It becomes, as the recession deepens, that much more difficult and problematical to do this. One problem we are always up against is our clients difficulty in making that tough decision to buy or not to buy. A staggering instance of this happened to me just last week.

My Dutch client did want to buy a small Picasso drawing he had seen on our webbsite. As often happens in these instances the «Trust Problem» reared it's ugly head: we would not send the drawing to him without payment of the money and he would not pay the money without having the drawing in his possession. This, alas, is a constant source of difficulty in a world where frauds and misdescriptions are all too easy in a multi-national business. Both points of view can be readily understood.

We addressed the problem as best we could. We sent him high resolution scans of the work. We sent him high resolution scans of the certificate signed by the proper universally recognised expert. We offered him, at our expense, the opportunity of buying through an excellent Escrow Service by which he would pay a third party who would only pay us once he had received and approved the goods. All our suggestions were, for whatever reason, unacceptable.

Ultimately a «solution» was arrived at. We had some business to conclude in Paris and suggested that our Dutch client met me in the quiet reception of our hotel lobby to view the drawing. In a couple of hours, by train, he could get there from his home and be totally satisfied as to our bone fides and the existence, quality and authenticity of the drawing.

And so it was, a week ago today, that for the first time I met my Dutch client at my hotel. Our preliminary conversation was an interesting one : By profession he was an author and playwright whose literary works sounded fascinating. We discussed at length the plot of his «murder of the Emperor Napoleon» at Saint Helena : a subject about which I myself had more then passing interest and had read extensively about. He was, obviously, an intelligent and erudite man.

Coming to the case in point he proceeded to examine the drawing. He took it outside to see in sunlight. He looked at it from below. He looked at it from above. He looked at it from the left. He looked at it from the right. He looked at it under the glare of the hotel lighting. He looked at it in the shadow. He examined the certificate of authenticity with awe. He noted the expert's hard-to-copy voluminous and distinctive signature. He saw the hard-to-copy embossment in the document. He marvelled at the experts fingerprint on the back. He agreed that this distinctive and fine document would be nearly impossible to falsify…

I sat in silence throughout this extensive procedure except when called upon to clarify minor points of question. We then discussed it all again, again, again and again… And finally he said «i cannot decide! »

I asked if the work was somehow different from what he expected. I asked if he still had problems about authenticity. I asked if he had left his native Holland that morning with an intention of making a purchase (and if not why he had come ? ). All these questions were brushed aside… «I cannot decide».

The Dutchman rose, shook hands and began strolling towards the Gare du Nord for the two hour train journey back to his native city. I returned to my room where the Hotel safe no doubt had not expected to see the Picasso drawing again. He could not decide! The drawing, a splendid item at an affordable price, again sits in my office in London. It is a joy to see and a pleasure to contemplate. The wonderful document of authenticity has returned to it's co-freres again in my safe. Another more discerning buyer will one day own them both.

Why did this somewhat surreal series of events take place? Why did he give up his day with two long and costly train journeys to meet me, pointlessly, in Paris? Why did he steal my afternoon, more profitably spent in gainful business, for no real purpose? These questions I cannot answer. I merely marvel at how a mature and intelligent man «cannot decide». The story, in my view, takes the concept of indecision to a new and higher level !


Niall «Art Dealer» Fairhead
Images Fine Art Dealers
London, uk

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Nfairhead@images-art.co.uk