The building at 12-13 Duke Street has been purchased by fellow dealer Fabrizio Moretti who plans to open a gallery on the premises.
The leases of the existing tenants came to an end and were not renewed. This forced Van Haeften, sculpture specialist Tomasso Brothers, Old Master dealer Derek Johns and Cartier dealer Harry Fane to all leave.
Van Haeften, who launched his gallery 40 years ago, is now running his business from a refurbished coach house next to his home in Ham, Richmond, in south-west London. Clients can visit by appointment only.
He has reduced his stock over the past 18 months from 225 paintings to around 60. He will keep the works in storage close to his home and only have artworks on show at the coach house gallery when clients visit. He said: “The world is changing. All the deals we did in the last year were done through friendships and relationships. They hadn’t visited the gallery. It is rare someone walks in off the street and says ‘That’s pretty, I will have it’.”
He added that his website is now the main portal for enquiries and he will continue to take a stand at fairs and will show at TEFAF Maastricht in March.
Derek Johns, who traded from Duke Street for more than 20 years, has relocated to 10 Bury Street. Tomasso Brothers, also operating from Bardon Hall in Leeds, is looking for a new London gallery.
