A discreet channel
for significant works.
For owners of privately-held works seeking an off-market channel — estate sales, collection rotations, dealer consignments. Ateliera offers private brokering with institutional-grade documentation and the discretion that significant transactions require.
By application
only.
Ateliera’s private channel isn’t a listing option. It’s a curated program we extend to sellers whose works and documentation meet a specific standard — because the collectors we introduce those works to expect it.
Owners of works they acquired privately or through legitimate channels — gallery purchases, auction, inheritance. Provenance documentation is required. Works without clear provenance are not eligible.
Estate representatives working with legal counsel or executors to place works from an estate. We coordinate with the relevant professionals through the full process.
Galleries and private dealers consigning works that fit our collector base. Gallery relationships typically move through introduction from someone we already work with.
Museums and institutional collectors deaccessioning works. Handled case-by-case under the specific protocols institutional sales require.
Institutional-grade
documentation.
Every work entering the private channel goes through four stages of documentation before it’s shown to a collector. This protects the seller, the buyer, and the integrity of the channel itself.
- 01
Provenance review
Documented ownership history. Gallery receipts, auction records, estate documentation, prior correspondence. We need to establish where the work has been since it left the artist’s hands.
- 02
Condition report
Professional assessment of the work’s physical state. For significant works, we work with independent conservators to produce a formal condition report that accompanies the sale.
- 03
Authentication, where relevant
For works by deceased or historical artists, authentication through the artist’s foundation or recognized expert is required before the work enters the channel. No exceptions.
- 04
Market positioning
We assess comparable sales data, current market conditions for the artist, and the specific work’s context in the body of work. We arrive at a recommended price with you before the work is shown.
Negotiated
per engagement.
Unlike our public marketplace commission, private-channel fees are set per engagement based on the work’s value, the documentation required, and the placement complexity. Typical ranges:
Fees are agreed in writing before any work is shown. There are no surprises, no success-based adjustments, no auction-style buyer premiums stacked on top. The buyer pays the agreed price. You receive the agreed price minus our negotiated fee. Clean.
From inquiry to placement
You submit an inquiry. We respond within three business days to schedule a call and review initial documentation.
Provenance review, condition assessment, authentication if required. Complexity determines duration.
Targeted introduction to collectors, negotiation, agreement. Most significant works place within this window.
Logistics, transfer of title, settlement of funds. Typically within two weeks of agreed sale.
For significant works.
Initial conversations are held in confidence. If the work and the timing are right, we’ll proceed with a formal engagement agreement before any further steps are taken.