How an Original Painting Is Packed and Shipped

An original painting is an awkward parcel. It is rigid, it is fragile in very specific ways, and there is only one of it. Here is what actually happens between an order and a painting on your wall, and what to watch for at your end.

Why a painting is not a normal parcel

A stretched canvas is strong across its face and vulnerable at its corners and edges. Pressure on the back can leave a permanent dent that shows from the front, and a sharp knock to a corner can distort the stretcher and slacken the whole thing. Framed work with glass adds a second problem, because broken glass moving around inside a package will damage whatever it is resting against.

How a canvas is packed

The sequence is fairly consistent across the trade. The painted surface is covered with a non-stick layer, usually glassine or acid free tissue, so nothing can adhere to the paint. Corner protectors go on next, because corners take the impact. The piece is then wrapped in bubble or foam with the bubble facing outward rather than against the painting.

That package goes inside a rigid outer, ideally a double wall box with a few centimetres of clearance filled with more padding, so the painting never touches the outside of the box. Anything large or heavy is better off in a purpose made art box or a crate.

Framed work with glass gets tape run across the glass first. If it breaks in transit the tape holds the pieces together instead of letting them slide about.

Work travelling from more than one country

The artists here are not all in the same place, so a painting may travel from Portugal, the UK or South Africa depending on who painted it. That affects both the time and the paperwork. Every order is confirmed personally before anything moves, partly so you know what to expect rather than being left watching a tracking number.

Buying across borders

If a painting is coming into the UK from outside it, there may be import VAT and a courier handling fee to settle before delivery. Works of art are treated differently from most goods and often attract a reduced rate, but the rules change and the only sensible advice is to check the current position on gov.uk before you commit.

Ask about insurance rather than assuming it is covered. Standard courier cover is usually low and frequently excludes artwork altogether.

What to do when it arrives

Look at the box before you sign for it. If there is visible damage, write that on the delivery record or refuse the parcel. A signature saying it was received in good condition makes any later claim much harder.

Unpack carefully, ideally onto a soft surface, and keep all the packaging until you are satisfied. If something has gone wrong, photographs of the damaged packaging next to the damaged painting are exactly what an insurer will ask for.

Then let it acclimatise for a day before hanging, particularly in winter. A painting that comes out of a cold van and straight onto a warm wall will move.