AN EYE FOR BEAUTY Meet the gallerist showcasing fine British paintings at the Lapada art fair
The gallerist Jenna Burlingham will show the finest examples of British painting at Lapada
Visitors to Lapada tend to linger in front of Jenna Burlingham’s stand, where outstanding examples of Modern British and contemporary art are hung above comfortable sofas, making you feel as if you’ve wandered into a spectacularly tasteful sitting-room. ‘I like to show my work in a domestic context,’ says Burlingham. ‘My clients buy for their own homes, not just as an investment.’ That said, as a long-established expert in her field, Burlingham has an eye for a good painting, having been a specialist at Phillips art auctioneers before opening her own gallery eight years ago. ‘I’d far rather buy a great piece by a lesser-known artist than a bad work by a famous name,’ she says, firmly.
Burlingham is bringing some of her most exquisite acquisitions to the fair – figurative pieces by Duncan Grant and Augustus John, and paintings by the St Ives School, including Roger Hilton, Peter Lanyon and Sandra Blow. ‘They have a nice, spare aesthetic,’ she says. ‘Even after all these years, they still feel very contemporary.’ Lapada Art & Antiques Fair (www.lapadalondon.com) runs from 15 to 20 September in Berkeley Square, London W1.