New galleries, promotions and hires – the latest round up across the world of art and antiques

Moretti Fine Art

Old Master paintings and sculpture dealership Moretti Fine Art will open a new gallery in Paris this autumn. It will be the third location for Moretti Fine Art alongside London and Monaco.

The new gallery, on the ground floor of 1 Place du Louvre, will open on September 14 with exhibition of a major Italian Baroque masterpiece to reflect the specialism of Moretti in Italian Old Master paintings. Giulia Giustiniani, an Italian art historian and Old Master specialist, joins Moretti Fine Art from Eric Turquin as director of the new Paris gallery.

Fabrizio Moretti, founder of Moretti Fine Art, said: “There is a strong collector base in the city as well as world-class cultural institutions with whom we have regular dealings. We wanted to find a space that was intimate enough to allow us to stay close to the galleries and auction houses and Place du Louvre seemed the perfect spot.”

Olympia Auctions

Olympia Auctions has hired Stephen Loakes to head its Asian Works of Art department. Loakes has more than 25 years' experience in the Chinese art field, having starting his career with Phillips, then Bonhams, and for the past 17 years in the Chinese department at Sotheby's Bond Street, latterly as a director.

Under his direction, Olympia’s Asian Works of Art department will be strengthening its sales in both Chinese and Japanese paintings and objects. The next Asian Works of Art auction is on November 8.

Kinghams Auctioneers

Kinghams Auctioneers has appointed Matthew Lafite as associate director and head of Silver and Objects of Vertu. He previously worked at several UK auction houses but more recently as a dealer in his native Australia. Kinghams’ inaugural Silver & Objects of Vertu sale is scheduled for September 8.

Lyon & Turnbull

Book specialist Simon Vickers is retiring from his full-time role at Lyon & Turnbull to become a consultant.

After 17 years heading up the Rare Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photographs department at L&T he will pass the baton of leading his department to his colleague of 10 years Cathy Marsden.

Marsden joined Lyon & Turnbull in 2012 as a book specialist and was most recently assistant head of department.

Read more about Vickers and Marsden in ATG no 2601.

Bonhams

Bonhams has launched a department of handbags and fashion in the US and has appointment fashion specialist Marissa Speer as head of sale. The department will present designer handbags, accessories and ready-to-wear from names such as Hermès, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton.

Speer has 20 years’ experience in the pre-loved luxury goods sector and previously worked at The RealReal where she held an authentication, valuation and sales position and at Resurrection Vintage. The first online auction is scheduled for August.

The launch in the US follows Bonhams first handbags and fashion department which it formed in London in 2020. It holds more than 15 auctions a year in the category with specialists in London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Phillips

Phillips is to hold its first Swiss jewellery and object d’art auctions in the autumn. The inaugural jewellery sale will take place on November 6 in Geneva and will also include Art Deco objects.

The firm decided to expand following strong results in Phillips’ jewellery auctions in 2022.

National Association of Jewellers

The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has appointed Ben Massey as Chief Executive Officer. He was previously principal officer. The NAJ represents the UK jewellery industry and has 2000 member companies. The Institute of Registered Valuers is also part of the NAJ, comprised of around 100 professional valuers.