What to Do When a Work of Art Arrives

The moment a new work arrives is exciting, and it is tempting to tear open the packaging and hang it straight away. A few minutes of care at this stage protect both the work and your position if anything has gone wrong in transit. Here is how to handle a delivery like a registrar.

Before it arrives

• Confirm the details. Make sure the seller has your correct address, a phone number the carrier can reach, and any access instructions such as a lift, stairs or a narrow doorway.
• Check the insurance. Know whether the work is insured in transit and for how much, and keep a copy of the shipping arrangements you agreed.
• Be there. Arrange to be present for delivery rather than having a work left with a neighbour or on a doorstep.
• Prepare a space. Clear a clean, flat area large enough to unpack the work, away from pets, children and drinks.

At the door

Look at the packaging before you sign. Crushed corners, punctures, water marks or a crate that rattles are worth noting. If the carrier's paperwork allows it, record any visible damage on the delivery receipt, and photograph the package from several sides before you open it. Carriers and insurers usually ask for this evidence, and it cannot be recreated later.

Let it settle

If the work has travelled from a very different climate, for example out of a cold vehicle into a warm home, leave a wrapped painting or work on paper to acclimatise for several hours, ideally a day, before unwrapping. Sudden changes in temperature and humidity can cause condensation and stress delicate materials.

Unpack with care

• Work slowly, on your prepared surface, with the work flat or supported.
• Cut packaging tape with care, keeping blades well away from the work, and never cut towards it.
• Handle the work by its frame or edges, with clean, dry hands or clean gloves, and support it from below. Never lift a painting by its stretcher bars, hanging wire or top edge.
• Keep all the packaging until you have finished inspecting the work. If there is a problem, you may need it for a claim or to return the work safely.

Inspect it against the description

With the work unpacked and in good, even light, compare it carefully with the listing, the photographs and any condition report.

• The front. Look across the whole surface, then look again in light from the side. Check for new scratches, dents, cracks, flaking, smudges or marks.
• The back. Check the canvas, panel or backing board, and any labels or inscriptions described in the listing.
• The edges and corners, where transit damage most often appears.
• The frame and glazing, if any: cracked glass, loosened corners, chips or rubbing.
• The details. Confirm the dimensions, the signature and its location, and any edition number match what you were told.

Take clear photographs as you go, including close-ups of anything that concerns you. Our guide to reading a condition report explains what to look for and the terms sellers use.

If something is wrong

Act quickly, and keep everything.

1. Photograph the problem clearly, alongside the packaging and the delivery paperwork.
2. Do not attempt any repair, and do not clean or touch damaged areas. Well-meant fixes can make conservation harder and complicate a claim.
3. Contact the seller promptly with your photographs and a clear description of what does not match.
4. Keep the packaging and the carrier's paperwork in case a claim is made with the carrier or insurer, which often have short deadlines.

Most problems are resolved quickly when they are raised promptly and documented well.

On Meridian's

If you bought the work through Meridian's checkout, use your order page once it has arrived. When you are happy with the work, confirm delivery: this closes the record of the sale and lets you leave a review. If something is wrong, report a problem instead. The seller is notified immediately and resolves it with you directly, and any return or refund is handled by the seller. Reporting a problem keeps your order open until it is resolved, while an order with nothing reported completes automatically after a set period, so inspect the work promptly. The details, including the current timings, are on our buyer protection page.

Once it is home

Keep the invoice, the listing, the condition report and your arrival photographs together. They become part of the work's history, and they will matter for insurance, for any future sale and for anyone who inherits the work. When you are ready to hang it, our guide to caring for original art at home covers light, humidity and hanging.