The art of insuring art: a talk at TEFAF Maastricht 2026, presented by ARTE Generali and Apollo. Photo: David Owens
On Friday 13 March, to coincide with the opening of the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht, Edward Behrens, editor of Apollo, chaired a discussion presented by ARTE Generali with Apollo at the De Groote Sociëteit. The panellists were Christopher Maxwell (Chair and Eloise W. Martin Curator of Applied Arts of Europe, Art Institute of Chicago), collector Jan Six XI and Valentina Sabucco (Manager, Security and Protection Advice for Arts Council England).
Museums are often thought of as among the safest places to store art but recent events have brought this reputation into question. The theft of the crown jewels from the Louvre in 2025, together with continued attacks by protestors on paintings and sculpture, makes clear that showing works in museums comes with many risks. The very presence of the public can pose a danger; a person’s breath can be enough to damage a work of art. In light of all this the role of the museum in safeguarding objects must be carefully considered.
Maxwell explained that these questions are taken very seriously at the Art Institute of Chicago, right down to the types of ink used on labelling to ensure that the ink does not emit any chemicals that might affect the work beneath the protective case. He also pointed to developments in conservation that ensure objects and works of art are preserved to the best of our ability.
Six was clear that although there are always risks when lending a work of art to an institution it is imperative that collectors ‘lend as much as possible’. In his view, the primary role of private custodians is to ensure that as many members of the public as possible have access to the work. He recounted a story of lending a Rembrandt to the Rijksmuseum for which they made a special frame with a glass cover; when the painting was returned and removed from its temporary frame, the glass was found to be covered in the fingerprints of the public. This is not a reason to shy away from lending but should prompt an open discussion with museums on how best to display works of art so that they are both enjoyed and safe.
It is on these matters in particular that Sabucco advises museums in England. Sabucco pointed out that a key part of protecting art is exhibition design. Clever design, she said, can guide an audience as to how to behave safely around art. She also spoke about the importance of training staff in how to handle the public.
Special guest Mario Cristiani, the founder of Galleria Continua and president of Save the Artistic Heritage, saw that technology might be of assistance. Save the Artistic Heritage makes digital scans that are watermarked and verified so that museums can exhibit perfect renders rather than endangering a fragile work of art by transporting it around the world. For Cristiani, these scans are a means of preservation and of ensuring that art will last for generations.
As Six pointed out, perhaps the greatest safeguard of artworks comes from the art itself. Imprinted with the hand of the maker, the greatest works of art produce their own sense of awe, and in so doing root the public to the ground. In order to be affected by artworks in this way, of course, the public needs to have access to them. To squirrel art away in the name of protection might be the most barbaric of all options.
For more information and insights from ARTE Generali please click here.
