Being art insurers, we tend to discover our greatest challenge is not the weird and sensational claims—but persuading individuals that unforeseen mishaps could occur to anyone, anytime.
Most artists, collectors, curators, and gallerists go on the assumption that significant losses don’t occur and aren’t likely to occur to them. And why not? Most insurance policies concentrate on covering the big things—robberies, fires, even terrorism.
It’s tempting to fall into the thinking: “What are the chances?”
And when budgets are tight, insurance can wait until tomorrow.
But accidents don’t wait. That’s why we’re sharing this true story—because sometimes it’s the smallest mistake that leads to the biggest losses.
The Incident: When Art Was Mistaken for Trash
One of our customers was having their work displayed at a well-respected gallery as part of an art fair in London. Their work? A dainty sculpture made of three intricately hand-worked porcelain cans, each with subtle curves and delicate detail—a lighthearted satirical commentary on consumerism and excess.
Once the fair closed for the day and the crowds dissipated, a member of the cleaning staff at the gallery started making the rounds.
Seeing what they believed to be cans left behind, the cleaner did what they were paid to do: cleaned up. Not knowing their error, they swept the sculpture into a bin.
By morning, the artwork—worth several thousand pounds—was damaged and almost thrown away for good.
How Brownhill Turned Things Around
Thankfully, this customer had a specialist art insurance policy with Brownhill.
Because our policy covers works of art exhibited in exhibitions and art fairs, the artwork was insured for accidental damage, even off-premises.
Although the sculpture was later recovered, there were chips and hairline cracks in the porcelain. The damage made the artwork unusable as is.
Our claims handled a total loss claim promptly, and the client got £5,000 to pay for the damage and possible restoration.
The Takeaway: It’s Not Always the Worst-Case Scenario
This is just a reminder that not all claims are due to disastrous or worse-case scenarios. This time, it was just a matter of someone misinterpreting something and a well-intentioned cleaner.
That’s why the right policy makes a difference—one that insures your artwork not just at your gallery or studio, but also when it’s out there in the world at fairs, exhibitions, and events.
Accidents can occur. But when they do happen, the proper cover prevents them from turning into disasters.
Interested in learning more about how to protect your work on the go? Read our blog post on art fair and exhibition insurance.