For David Messum, the founder of Messum’s, David Messum Fine Art, the glittering words of Alfred Tennyson have been a personal mantra for many years.
“All experience is an arch wherethro’ gleams that
untravell'd world.”
In David Messum’s illustrious career handling paintings, starting out in the auction houses as a young man, dealing in fine art as taken on the role of that gleaming, untravelled world.
Discovering more of it has been his lifelong commitment.
It is thanks to this wanderlust attitude to life, that David discovered the works of artists in the West Country and exhibited his first curated exhibition in London called ‘The Devonshire Scene’. David accompanied the exhibition with a fully researched and illustrated catalogue and this laid the foundations for all future exhibitions held by David Messum Fine Art, from then in 1973, to the current day.
Messum’s continued to grow from strength to strength. David grew the Contemporary programme, alongside exhibitions of British Impressionist and Newlyn School painters. Contemporary and Modern British artists are now a key part of the breath of works that the gallery exhibits throughout the year in St. James's. From Rose Hilton and Nancy Delouis, to David Tress and Alan Cotton, there is an incredible selection of artworks to explore at messums.com and to view in the Bury Street, St. James's, London gallery.
Alongside David’s love of art and his incredible eye for quality, it’s his nurturing of talent and the special relationships he fosters with artists that sets David Messum Fine Art, apart.
David’s innate ability to spot talent and give the artist freedom to express their creative vision, as well as his warmth and sparkling wit, has drawn a pool of talent to David Messum Fine Art over the years. A taste of David’s wonderful relationship with the artists and sculptors he has worked with and continues to work with, can be enjoyed through the Messum’s Films.
David has discovered and worked with an illustrious number of artists and sculptors and many of these relationships and creative journeys with David Messum Fine Art have been captured on Film.