Building Collections

Simon Oldfield & Associates provides a highly discreet approach to building museum-quality art collections across the world for private individuals, family offices, and corporate entities. We prioritise a deep understanding of our clients' unique ambitions, offering impartial, meticulously researched counsel that ensures every acquisition carries cultural weight and enduring value. 

Operating at the highest levels of the international art market, our practice is grounded in two decades of trusted relationships with artists, estates, and leading galleries. We manage the lifecycle of a collection—from identifying new talent and securing in-demand contemporary artists, to sourcing of rare 20th Century masterpieces and the complex commercial and legal structuring required for significant Old Master transactions. We guide clients with precision through both major acquisitions and strategic sales, with recent private placements including works by Joseph Albers, Rashid Johnson, Bridget Riley, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Tracey Emin. 

Crucially, our advisory practice is deeply informed by our curatorial leadership. Our history of collaborative projects with major institutions, including the Royal Academy of Arts and Tate, combined with our current direction of landmark cultural programmes—such as our work at Wolterton Hall featuring Phyllida Barlow —provides a macro-level perspective on the evolving art historical canon. This allows us to guide our clients with intelligence and foresight, securing works that resonate far beyond the immediate market to hold lasting institutional relevance.

Image above: The Garcia House by John Lautner, Los Angeles (client home)