How to Behave at a Private View in an Art Gallery

An invitation to a private view is one of the more charming things to land on the doormat. It promises good company, a glass of something and a first look at new work before the public arrives. It also carries a quiet set of expectations, and the guests who are asked back are usually the ones who understand them.

A private view is a party, but it is a party with a purpose. The gallery is hoping to introduce an artist, sell work and build a circle of people who care about both. A thoughtful guest helps with all three simply by behaving well.

Before You Go

Reply to the invitation if it asks you to, and do so promptly. Galleries plan numbers for drinks, staff and sometimes security, and an unanswered invitation makes that harder. If the card says the invitation admits one, do not arrive with a friend in tow. If it says plus one, by all means bring someone, but choose a companion who will enjoy the evening rather than endure it.

It is worth a few minutes of homework. Look up the artist, read the short exhibition text if the gallery has published one, and note the title of the show. You need not become an expert, but knowing whether you are about to see landscapes or installations will spare you an awkward first remark.

Arriving and Dressing

Private views tend to run for two or three hours, usually in the early evening, and guests drift in throughout. Arriving thirty minutes or so after the stated start is perfectly acceptable. Arriving in the final ten minutes, when staff are clearing glasses, is less so.

Dress codes are rarely printed, which leaves many guests unsure. Smart casual is the safe answer: a good jacket, a well cut dress or tailored trousers, and shoes you can stand in for an hour on a concrete floor. Avoid anything that rustles, jangles or sweeps. Large bags and wide brimmed hats are a hazard in a crowded room full of work that cannot be replaced.

Looking at the Work

It is easy to forget, with a glass in hand and friends to greet, that the art is the reason for the evening. Make a point of walking the whole show, ideally before the room fills. Give each piece a moment of real attention and read the labels, which often carry titles, materials and prices.

Keep a respectful distance. Never touch a work unless you are explicitly invited to, and that includes frames, plinths and anything that looks sturdy. Hold your drink close to your body and well away from canvases and sculpture. If you must point, do so from a distance, and never with a glass.

Photographs are now common at openings, but ask before taking them if there is no clear guidance, avoid flash, and do not block the view of others while you frame a shot. If you share images afterwards, credit the artist and the gallery by name.

Talking to the Artist and the Gallery

If the artist is present, it is entirely proper to introduce yourself, offer congratulations and say something specific about a piece you enjoyed. Keep it brief. Everyone in the room would like a moment of their time, and a warm two minute exchange is remembered more fondly than a lengthy critique.

Be kind in your comments, in the room and on the way home. Private views are small worlds, and the person beside you may be the artist's mother, collector or dealer. If a piece leaves you cold, discuss it later and well out of earshot.

Gallery staff are there to help, and asking about a work does not oblige you to buy it. If you are genuinely interested, ask for the price list or a quiet word. A red dot on a label means the piece has been sold, so do not ask whether it might be released to you.

Drinks and Departing

The drinks are a courtesy, not the main event. One or two glasses is gracious. Treating the bar as a free evening out is not, and gallery staff notice. If canapés are passed, take one at a time and keep napkins and sticks with you until you find a tray.

When you leave, find the person who invited you, or failing that a member of the gallery team, and thank them. A short note or message the following day is a lovely touch, particularly if you were introduced to the artist.

The best guests at a private view look properly at the work, speak generously, drink modestly and leave with a smile. Do that, and the invitations will keep arriving.