Gabrielle Peacock

Gabrielle Peacock’s passion for the arts seems like destiny; her father is “a creative director for advertising and an artist and children's book illustrator, my mom- an interior designer, ex -curator and writer of architectural history books; my brother- an architect.”

Born and raised in Oakville, Ontario, Gabrielle grew up in a “regency house that my parents were restoring from the foundation up. Everything had to be architecturally and historically accurate!” Gabrielle calls her parents meticulous researchers who sought out antiques and finishings for the house everywhere the family traveled.

“They also collected art and had very eclectic taste: Group of Seven, Inuit, First Nations, COBRA artists, modern french- our house was a mini museum<’ she says. “They really imbued in me the fundamentals that would help shape my approach to the business and understanding my clients: that there are no rules to collecting; buy what you like; buy it when you see it. They taught me that collectors evolve in their tastes and that if you bought something ten years ago that no longer brings you pleasure- sell it and buy something else; that it is okay to hang contemporary prints over Georgian sideboards or 19th century genre paintings beside mid-century modern chairs, and most importantly-no matter how much or little money you have-buy the very best you can afford (and then a little bit more!!)”

After graduating from Western and completing a course at Sotheby's Educational Institute in London, Gabrielle knew she wanted to work in the commercial side of the arts.

“I had worked for the McMichael Canadian Collection, Spadina House Museum and a commercial gallery in Yorkville, but it was not until I was hired by Ritchie's Auctioneers in 1990 that I really knew that I had found my niche. The auction business has changed dramatically in the last 15 years- as is the case of most businesses- with the advent of the Internet. The art-world was a relatively small group of people that has been globally united by instant access to images/information and the ability to communicate through email,” Gabrielle says. “As an appraiser, I am able to obtain auction results and images from sale from London to Lisbon immediately and use them as comparisons in my own cataloging and research. Up until about 10 years ago, most of us were reliant on price guides published annually without pictures. The cost of purchasing enough catalogues to reference these price guides was unthinkable. Today- almost every major (and minor) auction house has a website which allows the potential buyer to download a catalogue for free with colour images. Specialized web sites allow the collector to search all catalogues worldwide for that one obscure artist you happen to collect and link directly with the auctioneers website- see the lot and place a bid or communicate with specialist.

“Fifteen years ago smaller auction houses like Ritchie's were the best kept secret of a few European and British dealers that had discovered there were good paintings to be found in Canada. Today, anyone with a computer can find out what we are selling and when. It has certainly made it harder for the trade to find bargains- in fact- those days are gone. Sellers now recognize they can achieve world market prices for their European pictures in Canada. In fact, in our last sale of International Pictures, over 75% of the paintings sold to buyers outside of Canada. I truly believe in not longer matters the location of where you sell most objects. The buyers will find it. The internet has also introduced the privates to the accessibility of the auction market. In part, we (smaller auction houses) owe a huge debt to the likes of Sotheby's New York, who brilliantly re-positioned themselves in the early 80's by making auctions and auction catalogues user friendly, marketing auctions to a younger generation, eradicating the notion that you had to be a multimillionaire to step foot in one of their auction rooms and, most importantly, educating the public about how to buy, what to collect, how the auction process works. The trickle down effect of this consumer education and new public perception has been perhaps the second most powerful influence on the market in the last two decades.

Gabrielle has participated in two Roadshow tours and says that what she enjoys the most about the experience is the camaraderie.

“In this business we tend not to have the opportunity to interact with our peers a great deal. The Roadshow crew is also incredible to work with and somehow manage to take 25 appraisers who have little to no TV experience and walk us through what needs to be done in an enjoyable and stress-free way.

”Taking your skills and experience on the road really has a way of sharpening your instincts. Seeing hundreds of paintings and prints in a single day can be quite overwhelming. Invariably, you hope you can provide a great experience for everyone who participates. The appraising work is very collaborative amongst the experts and if someone is unsure or wants a second set of eyes (as is normal in this highly subjective business of ours), there are so many knowledgeable and highly specialized people to call on. Most people watching the show think we probably travel with lots of books, work with full internet access and have plenty time to prep before taping our segment. The reality is it is a very hectic day just trying to keep the line-ups of people moving, many who have been waiting hours to get to the tables. When something special comes your way- you really feel the need to get it on camera. For me, it rarely is about the dollar value; it’s more often about the painting’s connection to the place we are in or the sitter or scene depicted. I think that is at the core of the Roadshow's success. Viewers get a real sense of the history of our country, our diverse ancestry, each city’s uniqueness. St.John's was a real thrill for me- and I think most of the appraisers on the trip felt the same way. Many of us had never been to Newfoundland before and I think we were all overwhelmed by the beauty and drama of our surroundings. I really wanted to find paintings for the viewers that would convey that experience to them.”

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