Art London: a Relaxed and Eclectic Fair in Chelsea

Next week will see the return of Frieze, London’s most famous art fair. In the meantime, art lovers can visit Art London, which opens today on the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Relaxed and eclectic, it offers a mix of works by internationally renowned names and emerging artists, with pieces selling at every price range, from a few hundred pounds to over a million.

Over the last fifteen years, London has built reputation as one of the leading capitals of art, alongside New York and Paris. And while contemporary Frieze rightfully deserves its title of most prestigious fair, the less specialised (and less intimidating) Art London provides a larger public with access to modern art, combining blue chip historical and contemporary art in a friendly and relax atmosphere.

Now in its 12th year, Art London has got 70 art galleries from the UK and around the world exhibiting their works in a marquee at the Chelsea Royal Hospital. And while the works on display may appear slightly random, with a surprising mix of old and new, very famous and totally unknown, ultra conservative and shockingly brash, Art London has the immense advantage to appeal to a very broad spectrum of clients, both in terms of taste and finance, with interesting pieces selling from 300 pounds to over one million.

This year’s fair features works by historically significant British artists including LS Lowry, Sir John Lavery and Pre-Raphaelites such as Sir Edward Burne-Jones. On the international side, notable artists on display include Picasso, Giorgio Morandi and Camille Pissarro, with a strong representation of contemporary artists from China, India, Vietnam and Australia. Four official charity partners have stands at the fair: ACE Africa UK, the Almeida Theatre, the Amber Foundation and the British Heart Foundation, which are benefiting directly from the sale of artwork on their stands.

Art London 2010, The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, SW3 (Sloane Square), Thursday 7-Monday 11 October, from 11am to 8.30pm (Thursday, Sunday, Monday) or 8pm (Friday, Saturday). Tickets purchased on the day: £12 for one, £18 for two (including catalogue).

Below: Cate Blanchett at the Almeida Theatre by photographer Simon Annad and Le Pré avec Cheval Gris, Eragny, by Camille Pissarro