The Truchsessian Picture Gallery

by Nikolas Maisch

The London art market: collectors and strategies

In order to promote the sale of his art collection, Count Joseph had a detailed inventory and valuation of the works drawn up. His new plan to sell the collection in England was to be implemented as quickly as possible. The art world in London was dominated by institutions that were independent of the state and able to operate autonomously. After its founding in 1768, the Royal Academy was the largest of these and influenced the artistic tastes of the time with its exhibitions. It thus had an indirect influence on supply and demand in the London art market.

At the beginning of the 18th century, paintings from the Netherlands and Flanders were particularly popular. The short transport routes from Northern Europe meant lower costs and less risk for dealers. This changed after the French Revolution: many works of art owned by French nobles found their way onto the English market after collections were dissolved. As a result, paintings from southern European countries such as Italy and Spain, which had previously been rare on the English market, became highly sought-after objects. In particular, the sensational sale of the Duke of Orléans' collection, which brought art-historically significant paintings to England from 1792 onwards, influenced demand in the following years. Count Joseph sought to take advantage of these developments. As he had done in Vienna, the count planned to sell his collection as a whole. At that time, England did not yet have a national painting collection, which is why he conceived the daring plan to help establish one with his paintings.

First marketing steps

Since 1769, a large annual summer exhibition had been held at the Royal Academy. This led to the development of an “art season,” to which auction houses and galleries adapted. As a result, the majority of auctions and sales took place between May and September, because this was the period when the largest number of potential buyers were in town to visit exhibitions and other cultural events. To take advantage of this season, the count traveled to Great Britain for the first time in the summer of 1802. Once there, he immediately launched his first advertising campaign for his company.

He presented English art lovers and collectors with a subscription plan for the sale of the entire count's collection, which was to be financed by individual donors. Interested parties would be able to purchase shares in the Truchsessen collection through individual stocks. Once a certain amount had been reached, the paintings would then be handed over to the British state in their entirety in order to establish an English National Gallery. The count had set a sale price of £65,000. In order to reach as many collectors and patrons as possible and establish a network, he sought contact with the most influential citizens of London, including Benjamin West (1738–1820), director of the Royal Academy. At the same time, he approached the English aristocracy directly and presented his plan to the royal family himself, with the support of the heir to the throne, the future King George IV (1762–1830). In his correspondence, Count Joseph appealed above all to the national pride and cultural awareness of the British people, constantly emphasizing the need for a state art collection.

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Citation: Nikolas Maisch, The Truchsessian Picture Gallery, in: art&market. The Truchsessen Gallery in London and the English art market around 1800, URL: [...], as of June 2, 2025.