At Harte International Galleries, “Curating” is a lot more than just finding and then buying art.  
 
A professionally trained and knowledgeable curator must first develop relationships with credible sources, which include museum curators who may be downsizing a collection, estate managers who are liquidating private inventories and other curators who may be closing out a particular grouping or selling specific pieces on behalf of a private collector who wishes to remain anonymous.  
 
When offered works by credible sources, a Curator’s work really begins.  
 
First, they must demand professional photographs, precise measurements, and a visual inspection by a professional art appraiser. Has the work been damaged, restored and does it match up with all the historical reports on size, paper, and image? Does the work match up accurately with the appropriate catalogue’ raisonné’? If the work is located out of the country, a trusted professional must be hired to go to the location of the art and inspect and provide a condition report. Once the work passes this inspection period, then the curator must assign a qualified researcher to pour over the curator’s extensive library to match up known and recorded data with the inspection report. Measurements must match. The paper must be correct and include the right watermark, weight, and texture. Signatures, edition numbers, method and imagery must all match up with recorded data. 
 
If a work of art passes these steps, then the curator must negotiate a purchase, museum quality shipping, insurance and international tariffs, certified payment, and fees. Upon delivery, the curator again will inspect the art to assure it is the work that was discussed. In today’s extraordinary world of fast rising art prices, a curator seeks not only the best art in each category that they can find, but art that will deliver the value experience art collectors are seeking. Once the Curator is fully satisfied the work is assigned to a research team to create a full package of documentation for that future collector.