The Andrew Edmunds Collection Goes on Sale at Frieze Masters

The Andrew Edmunds Collection will be offered for sale at Frieze Masters, anchored by an original, hand-colored impression of James Gillray's “The Plumb-pudding in danger.”

Frieze Masters, the London fair devoted to historical and modern art, will host the single-owner offering at its next edition. Materials released to press ahead of the fair show the Gillray caricature at the head of the lineup. The image positions Napoleon at right and British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger across a shared dining table, with a globe-shaped plum pudding between them.

What does the print show?

The Andrew Edmunds Collection example carries original hand-coloring, applied by a contemporary colorist working from Gillray's drawing. The print depicts Napoleon and Pitt at the same table, with a globe-shaped plum pudding between the two leaders. Within the Andrew Edmunds Collection, the Gillray functions as the lead lot, with the fair's promotional image reproducing the print at full-bleed. The work is a hand-colored example of the print identified in the source image as “The Plumb-pudding in danger.”

What is the Andrew Edmunds Collection?

The Andrew Edmunds Collection enters Frieze Masters as a single-owner grouping under Edmunds's name. Materials issued to press identify the Gillray as a centerpiece but do not enumerate the wider contents of the collection or trace individual provenance beyond its consignorship. Andrew Edmunds also identifies a Soho restaurant long associated with London's print-trade neighborhood. The fair's materials do not specify whether the collection takes its name from the establishment, its proprietor, or an unrelated private collector. The absence of a published catalogue leaves the scope of the offering open.

Why bring it to Frieze Masters?

The fair's curatorial remit stretches from antiquity through the 20th century, with strongest emphasis on historical European art. The Andrew Edmunds Collection extends that reach into British satirical printmaking — a category the fair has touched on but rarely anchored with a named collection. Bringing a single-owner group of caricature into the booth signals the fair's interest in absorbing sales categories once dominated by the auction houses. For a focused group of British prints, Frieze Masters offers a curated audience already invested in historical material.

What happens next?

The Andrew Edmunds Collection will be visible to buyers when Frieze Masters opens at its London venue. Pricing for individual works has not been disclosed in the materials released ahead of the fair. The Gillray, presented in original hand-color, will likely set the benchmark for the collection's reception across the booth. The fair's opening will bring clarity on scope, condition, and asking price — three points the advance materials leave unanswered.