Q: Is your entire inventory on your website?
A: Yes. We have an extensive inventory of art that is constantly changing as we sell works, and make new purchases. We try to keep our website as up to date as possible, however, we do not list sizes, or
price-points online. Please stop into the gallery to view our whole collection in person.
Q: What forms of payments do you accept? Do we offer layaway?
A: We accept all forms of checks including personal, business, certified/cashier's checks, wire transfers,
as well as cash. As a small, and independent business we do not accept credit cards. We simply cannot afford to with the high fees they charge.
We offer a layaway plan for no extra charge. Clients can make monthly payments (up to six months in length) on a work of art. Roughly half of our clients take advantage of this great service we provide.
Q: I inherited an interesting work of art and I don’t know anything about it. Do you do appraisals?
A: No, we do not. We are not licensed to do outside appraisals. We may only provide appraisals for work sold in our gallery. We would be happy to refer you to licensed appraisers in the Chicagoland area.
Q: Do you take works on consignment?
A: No, we do not. Galleries tend to have their own specialized niche of the art they represent.
Our gallery specializes in works on paper by 19th and 20th century masters (i.e. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, or Pablo Picasso), contemporary French painting, and as well as living master Nikolay Blokhin.
We can always provide a recommendation for art appraisers, or private art consultants.
Q: Do we offer framing?
A: Yes we do. Beginning April 2024 our gallery will now be offering custom framing services in addition to our world-class collection of Masterworks and contemporary paintings. Please stop by the gallery to view our selection of framing options.
Q: What is a print?
A: The answer is more complex than the question. The prints that we sell in the gallery are original works of art and should be referred to as original graphics or works-on-paper. Etchings, lithographs, and collotypes are all specific types of prints. These are very different from the prints that one can buy in a museum or poster shop.
Q: What is a graphic original?
A: A graphic is an original work of art, done in a limited edition. It, however, is not unique in the sense that an oil painting is. If a piece is done in an edition of 100, and you purchase one, there may be up to 99 other identical works that exist. If the graphic is particularly old, there is a good chance that fewer of its matching prints survived over time.
Q: What is a collotype?
A: Also called photo gelatin process, a collotype is a method of lithographic printing from a flat surface of hardened gelatin: used mainly for fine-detail reproduction in monochrome or color. Artists that have used collotypes are Tissot, Duchamp, Klimt, Picasso, Léger, Chagall, Andy Warhol, and Peter Max.
Q: What is an etching?
A: An etching is a type of print that is made by coating a metal plate, often copper, with an acid-resistant etching ground. The artist uses a needle to draw a design on the surface of the plate, through the ground. When the plate is placed in a bath of acid these lines will be affected while the areas covered by the ground will not. When the artist has achieved the look that he/she is attempting, the artist then dries the plate, cleans off the ground, and applies the ink.
Q: What is an aquatint etching?
A: Rather than specific lines being ‘bitten’ by an acid bath, large areas of the plate are exposed to the acid. The plate is first prepared with a (typically) powdered resin, heated from the other side, and then given an acid wash to bite the tiny areas not covered by the minute granules of resin. Varied tones are created by blocking some areas of the plate and by biting others more dramatically.
Q: What is a lithograph?
A: A lithograph is a print that is done using a stone slab, rather than a metal plate. A drawing is made in grease pencil directly on the stone. This drawing is fixed with a mixture of gum and nitric acid. The stone is then drenched with water. When ink is rolled over the wet stone, the ink will only adhere to the greasy areas of the drawing. When paper is pressed to the stone, the ink on the greasy parts is transferred to it. Color lithographs require a separate stone for each color and must be printed separately.
Q: What is a mezzotint?
A: The surface is completely pitted with a sharp tool called a rocker or cradle. The overall effect is that of a beautiful, rich black. The areas intended to be white are rubbed with a burnisher to smooth out these areas so they don’t take the ink. The image created is made of tonal areas, rather than lines.
Q: Do you ship?
A: We are happy to ship all over the world, and do so regularly.
Q: What if I do not like the frame?
A: Changing a frame is not a problem at all, and we have a wide selection of custom framing, matting and lining options. We also have many different glass options, such as non-glare and UV resistant.
Q: May I see the piece in my home before I make the decision to purchase?
A: Yes. We are happy to bring artwork to your home at no cost to you. In some cases we can leave artwork with you for 24 hours. If you live far away from our gallery, we can send the artwork to you with a full-deposit and shipping & handling fee.
Q: May I return art once I’ve made the purchase?
A: Yes you can. You would receive a gallery credit for the full sale amount.
