Contact

We welcome all enquiries. If you have a question about a specific artwork, it is helpful if you can please quote the 'stock number' listed towards the top of the product description (e.g. JG-347), in order to help identify the work.

Please see our Business Seller Information below for contact details.

Our gallery is exclusively online. Should you wish to view an artwork in person, please contact us to arrange an appointment (Monday to Friday, 9.30am–5.00pm). Please provide the 'stock number' (e.g. JG-347) of the artworks that you are interested in so that we can get them out of storage for you. As all artworks are kept in storage, please note that general browsing is not possible.

The Somerset & Wood Guarantee

It is our absolute priority that your buying experience at Somerset & Wood is of the highest quality. This extends from the accuracy of our listings and depth of research, to the diligence of our communication, and the care taken with our packing. We believe that these principles are as important for a low priced artwork as an expensive piece; we are committed to offering affordable art with high 'added value' and to keeping our prices as low as possible.

Included with your order you will receive:

Certificate of Authenticity (COA)

Supplying a COA when selling an artwork is a long-established convention. It is all the more pertinent in today’s online marketplace, where as a buyer you commit to purchase without the opportunity to view and scrutinise the work. By providing a COA with every artwork, backed by our knowledge and expertise, we are vouching that a work is of the stated age and authorship.

Accompanying Text for all Collection Works or Listed Artists

A printed copy of the accompanying collection text is provided with all artworks that form part of a larger collection, or for listed artists an artist biography is included. This provides 'the story behind the artwork', which can be kept for future reference and enhances the value of an individual piece. Please note that on the rare occasions that an artwork is not part of a collection and has no known artist biography, no text will be included.

Free Delivery Worldwide

We are pleased to offer Free Delivery Worldwide on every order, regardless of value or destination.

Quality Packaging

We have the expertise in handling and packing required to ensure your artwork is received in the condition in which it left us. We use high quality envelopes, board, card, tubes and boxes, to give the best possible protection in transit. We believe that receiving a beautifully presented parcel in the post is still one of life’s small pleasures, and we take pride in delivering this experience for our customers.

No Quibble Returns

We understand that when buying online you do not have the opportunity to scrutinise an artwork in person. We therefore offer complete assurance that you can return the artwork if it does not meet with expectation for any reason.

Colour

We take care to ensure that our descriptions and images are as accurate as possible. It is important to us that the artwork you receive meets your expectations from viewing it on screen. We produce our digital images through a colour managed workflow and colour-check the images on a calibrated screen. Please note that colours can appear slightly different depending on the calibration of the screen on which they are viewed. If there is a significant variation in colour between our image and the actual artwork we will state this in the listing. If you have any questions about colour do contact us and we will be happy to help.

Condition

Depending on paper type, some degree of ageing is to be expected and is part of the authenticity of the work. We take care to describe the condition of artworks as fully as possible in our descriptions and photographs. We list any significant condition issues, such as losses, tears, foxing, stains and age toning. For more subtle marks, irregularities or variations in tone, please consult the photographs provided as additional indication of condition. If you have any questions regarding the condition of a specific work, please contact us.

Framing

The vast majority of our stock is unframed. The framing status of an artwork is clearly stated in the artwork listing. If an artwork is sold framed, please note that we may take the glass out of the frame and ship it unglazed if there is a high risk that damage to the glass would cause damage to the artwork itself. We regret that we are not able to provide a framing or mounting service.

Copyright

We welcome requests to reproduce Somerset & Wood images. Please contact us to discuss permission providing the 'Stock number' of the artwork and details of where you wish to reproduce the image. All image reproductions must be accompanied by the photographic credit 'Image courtesy Somerset & Wood Fine Art Ltd.'

All text on this website is Copyright © Somerset & Wood Fine Art Ltd. All rights reserved. We ask that you do not copy, reproduce or use text in any way without prior permission. Any unauthorised copying will constitute an infringement of copyright. To request permission to quote text please contact us.

Valuations

We regret that we are not able to offer valuations.

Somerset & Wood was founded in 2015 near Bath, UK in the beautiful Cotswold market town of Bradford on Avon. Today the Gallery is run by founding owners Ayumi Ellingham and Olivia Nicholls. The Somerset & Wood project grew out of a desire to share our interests in art, history and design, and to champion the sometimes underrated field of British drawings and watercolours. We bring to the project combined professional arts backgrounds, in museums & galleries, art dealership and illustration. After completing a first class MA in English at the University of Cambridge and an MSc in History of Art with distinction at the University of Edinburgh, our Art Historian, Olivia Nicholls, worked for many years at the National Galleries of Scotland, and subsequently as an independent editor and art historian.

Our focus is affordable original British works on paper of the 19th and early 20th centuries–principally in watercolour, ink and graphite. Although our stock is antique, our gallery is exclusively online and provides an inclusive contemporary shopping experience, eschewing the often intimidating environment of more traditional galleries.

With over 2,500 artworks in stock, priced from under £50 to over £1,000, Somerset & Wood is a rich storehouse of 19th- and early 20th-century visual culture. Notable artists whose work we have handled include Louis-Philippe Boitard, Paul Sandby RA, Thomas Hearne, William Payne, Joshua Cristall POWS, Richard Westmacott RA, Nicolas-Martin Petit, Joseph Powell PNWS, David Cox OWS, William Turner of Oxford, Henry Barlow Carter, Paul Jacob Naftel RWS, Frank Brangwyn RA RWS RBA, Conrad H.R. Carelli, Winifred Sandys and Alice Des Clayes ARCA. At the same time, we recognise that value is as much about authentic personal connection as it is about the machinations of the art world. We have equal interest in researching and bringing lesser-known artists into prominence, in serving collectors of items of local historical interest and in reuniting family members with their ancestors' lost work.

We present our large volume of stock in carefully curated collections, which help provide context and tell the 'story behind the picture'. We believe in offering in-depth research and explanatory information, regardless of price. Somerset & Wood is, as a result, more than just an online shop; we are part gallery, part archive, part research project.

Come in for a browse and see for yourself. We hope you will come away with a piece of history, a piece of a story, something that feasts your eyes, pulls at your heartstrings or ignites your imagination.

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Our Customers & Clients

We are delighted that our pictures resonate with art-lovers worldwide. We welcome a diverse international client base, ranging from public collections, established collectors and dealers to novice art-buyers or those simply searching for something to look good on their wall.

We sell regularly to countries big and small across the globe—from the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India, China and Japan, to Luxembourg, Iceland, Finland, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Museums

Somerset & Wood also sells to museums and galleries throughout the UK. Our clients have included: The British Library; Historic England Archive; W.W. Spooner Charitable Trust in association with The Wordsworth Trust; Victoria Art Gallery Bath; Leicestershire County Council Museums; Alnwick Castle, Northumberland; Rozelle House and Maclaurin Galleries, Ayrshire.

Somerset & Wood Images

We welcome requests to reproduce Somerset & Wood images. Recently our images have been reproduced in the following publications:

• National Portrait Gallery 'Rowney guide' (updated online, 2019)
• Huw Lewis-Jones, 'Sea Journal', (Thames & Hudson, London 2019)
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 'A Return to the Grand Tour, Microcosmic Jewels from the Collection of Elizabeth Locke' (Richmond VA, 2019)
• The Scotsman (2018)
• Victorian Web www.victorianweb.org (2018)

We are pleased to offer Free Delivery Worldwide.

Please note that our Free Delivery is by standard service. Should you require expedited delivery, please select the Express Delivery option at checkout (UK) or for international orders, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange this for an extra fee.

Orders are dispatched Monday to Friday, excluding local and national holidays. You will receive a confirmation email once your order is dispatched.

All items are packed carefully and securely in high quality packaging. Most items ship flat in a cardboard envelope with stiffener. Occasionally items ship rolled in a tube.

If you have any questions regarding delivery of your order please contact us.

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Free Standard Delivery

Free Delivery is by standard service. This is Royal Mail 2nd Class (UK) or International Standard (Europe and Rest of World).

Estimated delivery times are as follows:

• Delivery in UK within 2-3 working days
• Delivery to Europe in 3 to 5 working days
• Delivery to rest of the world in 6 to 7 working days

Please note that delivery times may on occasions exceed these estimates. In our experience, it is extremely rare that items are lost in post but sometimes there are delays in the postal service which are beyond our control. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Oversized items may be shipped by courier.

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Free Premium Delivery for Orders above £250

We offer Free Premium Delivery on the following:

UK

Orders £250 and over are shipped by Royal Mail 2nd Class Signed For at no extra charge.

Orders £300 and over are shipped by Royal Mail Special Delivery at no extra charge. Please note that orders packed on Friday will arrive on Tuesday.

International Delivery

Orders £250 and over are shipped by Royal Mail International Tracked and Signed service (or alternatively International Signed or International Tracked subject to availability).

High value orders may be shipped by international courier depending on destination.

Please note:

We do not have the facility to issue tracking information automatically; should your order meet these thresholds, please contact us if you require tracking information.

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Express Delivery (UK only)

Express Delivery is available in the UK for an additional cost of £10. Orders will be sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery and are packed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Delivery will be 'Next Day by 1pm' respective to these packing days e.g. if you order on a Tuesday, delivery will be on Thursday. Orders must be placed by 10am on the packing day to ensure delivery next day.

Please note that currently Special Delivery is no longer guaranteed by 1pm the next working day. Special Delivery parcels are still prioritised with the aim to deliver by 1pm or before the end of day. Royal Mail may not be able to meet the customer promise of guaranteed next day delivery in all locations at all times.

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Delivery to Russia

Please note that due to courier service suspensions to Russia at this time there are size restrictions in place on what we can send to Russia. We may not be able to fulfil your order if, when packed, the combined height x width x depth dimensions of your parcel exceed 90cm. Please contact us in advance to discuss options if you require delivery to Russia and wish to purchase a picture of larger size.

We offer a No Quibble returns policy.

We understand that when buying online you do not have the opportunity to scrutinise an artwork in person. We therefore offer complete assurance that you can return the artwork if it does not meet with expectation for any reason.

To return an item

Please start a Return request within 30 days of receipt of goods. You do this by finding the item in your 'Purchase history' and selecting 'Return this item'.

Please return the item in its original packaging (or close equivalent) to ensure safe transit. We cannot be responsible for damage sustained during return transit.

Please see our Business Seller Information below for return address details.

On safe receipt of the item back to us, your refund will be issued via the payment method that was used for the original transaction.

Please note, return shipping costs will only be refunded if the reason for return is our error. Returns from outside of the EU may incur customs charges for which the sender will be liable, unless the reason for return is our error. Please write below the Customs Label 'Returned Goods' in order to minimise potential charges. Any customs charges will be deducted from the refunded amount.