Works on paper by Picasso, Goya and Rembrandt are feared to have been destroyed in a fire that devastated a Seattle gallery on Friday.
According to the Seattle Fire Department, someone likely set the fire in an alley behind the gallery to protect themselves from the cold and it subsequently spread to the three-story building. No one was injured, but Davidson Galleries manager Rebecca McDonald told CNN that several valuable pieces from her collection were damaged or destroyed.
"We hope that much of the work will be saved. We are triaging now," McDonald said, adding that it will take weeks to determine the extent of the damage. Davidson Galleries is known for selling works on paper, and planned to move most of its inventory from Seattle's Pioneer Square to a new space at nearby 85 Yesler Way. In preparation for the move, many precious pieces had been removed from storage, making them exceptionally vulnerable to disasters.
"I feel most sad for the contemporary artists who trusted us with their work," gallery owner Sam Davidson said in a statement. "Until I got there and saw it for myself, I didn't fully understand. It's very dramatic when you walk into the gallery. It's all so dark in there."
Gallery staff shared on Facebook that some artworks were damaged by smoke. "We are currently in the process of assessing the extent of the damage. However, it was not as extensive as we initially thought, and we are hopeful that we will be able to preserve the vast majority of our inventory," the post read.
According to CNN affiliate Kiro 7, many works in the collection were protected from smoke damage by rugs and mylar sheets, and firefighters who responded were praised by the gallery for their preservation efforts while putting out the fire.
“It’s the wonderful part of the arts community that comes together when there is a need,” Davidson said.
Source: ArtNews