In 1990, I decided very romantically to open an art gallery. I didn't know the field so well, nor was I drawn to contemporary art. But then I said to myself:

“it's impossible that all this trash art they produce today (that is currently publicized) is the only art made today!... There must be amazing artists out there but they're unknown because they dont “fit in” the current trend".

So I went out looking for them. Your only true capital is yourself.
Using both my art/antique taste coming from my mother and the printing, paper, photography background that came from my father's side, I decided to dedicate a substancial part of my activity to traditional black and white printmaking. I realized also that all the “great signatures”, the celebrated, the famous, the recognized artists hadn't produced such great art, and that their best works were way too expensive for me to start with anyway.

So I actually took printmaking classes both in France and Italy, not to produce my own art - leave that to the truly gifted ! - but in order to know what they feel when they create. Going through the process makes you more aware of the work involved.

In 1990, I also had the privilege to meet Jean-Pierre Velly, a French artist living in the outskirts of Rome, through another excellent etcher Edo Janich. I fell under a spell viewing his etchings. They were the most intriguing, mysterious, often tragic, art I had ever seen by a living artist. Much to my dismay, a few weeks later, he was to drown in a lake near Rome in a senseless boating accident.

By 1993, the gallery was operational. The structure was there but what was I to hang ? It took me several years to build up a crew of artists. I started out exhibiting the few talents I liked; amongst the first sculptors were Mauro Corda and Silvano Porcinai; Gérard Trignac's and François Houtin's etchings were on view already back in 1994 as well as Christiane Vielle's informal aquatints; I bought works outright and sold succesfully. I purchased sculpture and drawings of Mauro Corda as well as some Velly etchings and engravings. I got interested in Erik Desmazières' and Philippe Mohlitz' amazing prints too, as well as Livio Ceschin's delicate vision of nature. I then bought many bronze pieces and drawings by Laurent Belloni, mezzotints by Mikio Watanabé.

I have featured in the Gallery over 30 solo exhibitions:

paintings by the local artist Daniele Bianchi, or drawings on velum by the mexican born Miguel Condé or the luscious watercolors by the Rome-based but spanish born Pedro Cano; photographs by Jean-Christophe Ballot and innovative painting by Mathias Schauwecker. We had three solo exhibitions with the bosnian Safet ZEC, one of the great talents of today.

By 2000, I had 30 artists! and a collection of several hundred pieces! Came in three artists from France, Lionel Guibout, Raffi Kaiser and Nicolas Alquin.
In 2002 I published my first artist book, le Radeau de la Méduse (www.medusa-project.net) and in 2003 I became the proud editor of nine bronze pieces by Alquin. I also amplified art by living artists

The Gallery is located on the Island of the Giudecca, in the historical center of Venice.

it is right in front of the waterbus station called “Giudecca-Palanca”, so it's easy to find.
Line 82, 41/42, and N stop there so from San Marco or Zattere (in front of which we are), Piazzale Roma or the train station, it takes only a few minutes.

Usually we are open from 10 am until 7 or 8pm, everyday but call for an appointment and check opening hours :

0039 339 6886 954

This is what the Gallery looks like! Through the door, you can see people coming out of the waterbus. Its a great view though.

you can see here the wooden beams the brick wall and the lighting system.

About the Art and the artists

All art we deal in is ORIGINAL and GUARANTEED.
All the art at Galleria del Leone is contemporary and made by living artists.
All artworks we handle are made by the artist that signs it :
I know that sounds obvious but it isn't! It is known that certain “famous” artists never etched
or did not sculpt ! Their prints / sculptures - although signed and numbered - were actually
made by a different hands. This cannot happen here.
We know every single artist we work with.

In order to provide you with what I consider the best AFFORDABLE art around, I pick, I choose and buy the best works outright from the artists. So you don't get the leftovers!
Some art is also on consignment.

prints
All etchings are hand made by etchers on copper - or zinc plates. Most of our artists use the traditional techniques of etching: the burin (engraving), drypoint, hard and softground, acquatint. We handle lithographs only when it is made the regular way, on stone. Although we respect woodcuts, we don't handle any; we do not feature silkscreens.
There are NO PHOTOGRAPHIC processes involved at ANY stage. Plates are then printed manually on etching press by the artist himself, or under his strict supervision by a master printer. Editions may never exceed 100. Artists are free to decide the number of prints but none of our artists ever pulls more than 100 copies and a few artists proofs (less than 10% of the edition). Most prints are editions of 50, 60, 80. Naturally, etchings are printed on quality, acid-free pure coton etching paper such as Arches, Fabriano, Hahnemulle or Rives. Some are chine collé.

WE DELIVER CERTIFICATES, ask for one (free of charge)

paintings, works on paper
We handle paintings which are usually oil on canvas. Their longevity is impressive, as well as for acrylics today - unlike in the past where pictures would deteriorate or fade a few years after being made. Some artists work with mixed media on paper or with oil and wax. They are more fragile, delicate than on canvas. I fancy pencil work, as well as silver points. I avoid placing them in direct sunlight or near sources of heat. Well framed and taken care of, these artworks will not change or evolve with time. Make sure that you rely on a professional framer, using quality neutral mats : that's essential! Acid-free material will leave no marks on the work, but other acidic boards will - with time leave an ugly yellow brownish stain.
Frames in wood must be treated against insects, as termites eat both wood and paper.

sculptures
We are VERY scrupulous about sculpture: no by-products, no assistant's works, no ready-mades. Only bronze. They are all modeled by the sculptor usually in earth or in wax, sometimes in plaster. Sculptures in bronze at the gallery are either unique pieces (that means only one 1 bronze cast was done, the mold was destroyed) or in a limited edition of 8 (numbered 1/8 through 8/8): this is inscribed in the bronze itself as well as the foundry mark. Its discreet but its always there.

We do not handle multiples (ie, sculptures cast in more than this limited edition of 8). We have very limited marble pieces but if we do, that means it was made by the sculptor.

We manage three websites :

1. the gallery : www.galleriadelleone.com

2. the Jean-Pierre Velly estate : www.velly.org

3. the Medusa : www.medusa-project.net

they are updated very regularly so check them often ! We try to provide quality picture to view online. With time, we will improve with time the display and all.

But you need to know that everything we have is not online! But most pieces online are physically in the Gallery and are for sale. It might happen that the piece you selected was sold. If it's an etching, we might have another copy, or might order for you from the artist. For a picture, we might have other similar pieces too!

So the best thing to do is to inquire : inquiry@galleriadelleone.com

Some pieces online have enlargments, make sure you look at the art carefully. If you are unsure about a detail, send us an email and we will provide custom pictures of the piece.

You also get a price quotation. Prices online are subject to change according to availability.
We provide you with a price in € including VAT (20 % local sales tax), frameless.
If you are a private person in EU (European Community, you apply for VAT.
If you provide a VAT number (EU included), you don't have to pay the VAT tax.
If you are a non EU member (the rest of the world), and if you buy via Internet, or fax or telephone from your country, you don't pay VAT either.
US residents (and all others by the way): I remind you that all works of art you buy from the Gallery are DUTY FREE (no custom import tax).

Every client gets an invoice too (which is sent alongside with the parcel, get one by the post or by email)

our clients
We have many clients!
There is no specific profile either; everybody's different!
I cannot provide you with a list of our distinguished clients but ... I have sold many valuable art pieces to big collectors, to qualified print experts, to regular people (lawyers,professors, bankers, managers, housewives), to celebrities and movie actors, to five-star hotels, to high profile interior designers and decorators;
I have sold contemporary art to people that had never bought any.
I have even sold to other artists and once to ... a teenager!

Some clients we don't even know personally! That happens more and more often because of the Internet.
Some saw a print at the Corcoran Museum in Washington...a friend of theirs bought a painting at the Affordable Art Fair...

a collector mentionned the gallery to friends coming to Venice...

French, Swiss, Britons, Americans, Belgians, Canadians, Venice visitors that heard about us in a Louis Vuitton Guide..
...or that bumped into the right place by chance !

corporations
I have sold to corporations like the Assicurazioni Generali (bronzes and print portfolios);
I have also sold to hotels such as the world class Villa Feltrinelli (www.villafeltrinelli.com)
as well as other Four Seasons Resort.
Other things are private and my lips are sealed...
We are however open to corporations that would either buy art (sorry we don't rent art) or act as sponsors.

Well, needless to say that we consider packing as a VERY IMPORTANT part of our work.
Packing is an art and it can be done many different ways, but there is only one good way.

This is how it's usually done: Art in the Gallery is either framed, or unframed.
If the piece you selected is framed, and you dont want it framed, that fine by us, we will unframe it.

For works on paper, 95% of the time, our online customers don't wish to have the piece shipped framed.
It's possible to ship artworks framed but its usually much more expensive because we need to crate.
the parcel becomes therefore heavier.
We work with corporations (interior designers, decorators and hotels for instance) that need the works frames.
They usually order in bulk and we do provide custom framing by our local framer.

packing at the Galleria del Leone

Part of our inventory is displayed in wooden browsers; art works are put into transparent plastic sheets
and a rigid cardboard so people can browse without damaging them.
First we show you the artwork you have selected :

We double wrap the artwork in a silk type paper...
it is then rolled into kraft brown wrapping paper and bubbled up ...

... and then put into the tube.

These tubes are made of PVC (similar to the ones for piping). I agree they don't have very nice color.
But they have many virtues: they are extra strong, and are fairly light so shipping fees remain low.

I'm standing on one of these orange tubes ! And I'm 180 pounds ! So dont worry about torned parcels or ruined art,
it cannot happen here either.
... it's thoroughly clean and we slip in the work gently.

There is plenty of room so art doesn't suffer. We add a little extra bubble wrap if needed and then both ends are sealed with heavy duty cardboard and brown tape...
The tube is then wrapped in brown wrapping paper and a BIG print out copy of your address is slipped in a transparent sheet of plastic (against the rain)





For sculptures and paintings, we have Luca (i'll try to put his picture in for you). He lives here nearby and is a very able carpenter. This is what he built for me lately. We have a lot of bubble wrap and cardboard.We use also Styrofoam too so things don't get moved around in the box. He builds crates very well and he did countless for clients in New York and San Francisco, Miami, in London, Paris, Geneva and Singapore.

This one is going to Spain.

shipping & delivery
Another feature of the Gallery is its policy of SHIPPING AT COST ! This cost however is at charge of the client.
If a tube costs 10€, we will charge you 10€; if the shipment costs 30€, this is exactly what you will pay.
We ship our large parcels with Express Shipping, Venice; they are the local agents for Fedex and they make things happen in a big way.
We also rely on Italian post with registred mail with tracking number.

WE HAVE NEVER LOST A PARCEL !

Depending on where you are, expect a 2/3 days for Italy and Europe; a week to 10 days for the USA.
Rates range between 15 to 20 €.
It works and its cheaper than FEDEX
We also provide shipping with FEDEX; its very quick (48 hours), its PERFECT but is more expensive
(depending again on the item but roughly expect €60).
Some clients have a FEDEX number (or their friend / neighbor). If it's your case do send it to us for accurate and error free delivery.
We are also happy to use any other postal service you wish (D.H.L., UPS, TNT, etc)

delivery

This his how it works :
The Italian post office sends your parcel with registred mail:
that means that the postman will have you sign a return form that will then be sent back to us (to prove delivery).
They give us this receipt that we send to you (by email).

This parcel contained two etchings by Lanfranco Quadrio, that Mr. C in London bought for his daughter in law, based in France. Mr C. had bought for himself a gorgeous pair of wings at the Affordable art fair.

This parcel contained a really nice etching by Roberto Stelluti. It went to an unknown collector in Amsterdam.

For heavyer items, this is what happens ....
Crates are taken by boat to the Tronchetto truck terminal and shipped worldwide...


And of course, you also get a copy of your invoice.

Paccocelere Internazionale
Paccocelere Internazionale (Internationale Express Courier) is the fastest way to send documents or parcels weighing up to 30 kilos providing home delivery in 220 countries. Parcels are shipped with a tracking number. Paccocelere Internazionale is the new express mail service offered by Poste Italiane enabling customers to send items abroad in the fastest possible way. This service allows to send documents and parcels weighing up to 30 kg to 220 countries in a fast, reliable and cheap way.

additional services
Items can be insured against damage, loss or tampering for up to 1.550 euro. The cost for this service is 5,68 euro.
Delivery of Paccocelere Internazionale is from Monday to Friday.
Average delivery times
• 2 working days after the day of for large towns and cities in EU.
• 2/3 working days after the day of posting, for large towns and cities in non EU countries.
• 3/4 working days, after the day of posting, for large towns and cities outside Europe.
Average delivery times in non EU countries and outside Europe is in compliance with local customs formalities. Prices vary according to destination and weight.

About FedEx
Benefits of using FedEx International Priority Service for your important international express shipments are:
• On-time delivery or your money back*
• Call Customer Service centres throughout the world
• Easy to use shipment paperwork
• Free packaging
• Effective & fast customs clearance systems
• Sophisticated real-time tracking information
• Free shipping software products**
• Proof of delivery on every invoice**