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From the Bello team

Notes on collecting and the marketplace.

What a condition report actually protects you from
Latest story

What a condition report actually protects you from

August 6, 2026 · 2 min read

“A condition report photographed on the day a work ships sounds like paperwork. In a dispute, it's the only thing standing between 'he said, she said' and an actual resolution.”

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More from the magazine
Impasto, and why some paintings are never touched up in the studio
April 24, 2022 · 1 min read

Impasto, and why some paintings are never touched up in the studio

Thick, textural paint applied outdoors in a single session leaves a record of exactly how it was made.

Starting a collection with a budget under $2,000
April 12, 2022 · 1 min read

Starting a collection with a budget under $2,000

A practical look at starting a collection with a budget under $2,000 — one of the more common questions new collectors run into.

What an insurance claim on a damaged artwork actually requires
March 26, 2022 · 1 min read

What an insurance claim on a damaged artwork actually requires

What an insurance claim on a damaged artwork actually requires — the logistics side of collecting that rarely gets discussed until something goes wrong.

Behind the work: "Tow"
March 3, 2022 · 1 min read

Behind the work: "Tow"

A hull being taken upriver at dusk, painted from the estuary at the end of the studio street. A closer look at how Sigrid Lunde built the piece, and what it's actually made of.

Unpacking a painting without panicking over nothing
February 14, 2022 · 1 min read

Unpacking a painting without panicking over nothing

Unpacking a painting without panicking over nothing — the logistics side of collecting that rarely gets discussed until something goes wrong.

Behind the work: "Late Harvest"
February 5, 2022 · 1 min read

Behind the work: "Late Harvest"

One session, outdoors, finished before the light went. Nothing was touched afterwards in the studio. A closer look at how Joris Maes built the piece, and what it's actually made of.

Customs and international shipping, without the surprises
January 20, 2022 · 1 min read

Customs and international shipping, without the surprises

Customs and international shipping, without the surprises — the logistics side of collecting that rarely gets discussed until something goes wrong.

Digital collecting: what you own when you buy a file
December 19, 2021 · 1 min read

Digital collecting: what you own when you buy a file

A practical look at digital collecting: what you own when you buy a file — one of the more common questions new collectors run into.

Behind the work: "Orchard, Late"
December 10, 2021 · 1 min read

Behind the work: "Orchard, Late"

Worked wet-into-wet over four months, so the surface reads as one continuous field rather than a set of marks. A closer look at how Camille Rouet built the piece, and what it's actually made of.

Behind the work: "The Vantage"
November 26, 2021 · 1 min read

Behind the work: "The Vantage"

One viewpoint, returned to across a year. The figure was the last thing added and the only thing painted from life. A closer look at how Joris Maes built the piece, and what it's actually made of.

What does '1 of 1' actually guarantee?
October 26, 2021 · 1 min read

What does '1 of 1' actually guarantee?

The strongest scarcity claim a listing can make, and how it's verified.

Watercolor's transparency, and why it needs different glazing
October 11, 2021 · 1 min read

Watercolor's transparency, and why it needs different glazing

The same quality that makes watercolor luminous is exactly what makes it fragile under the wrong light.