Photo © L’ÉCOLE Van Cleef & Arpels
Catherine Maudsley
Art Advisor, Curator, Art Historian
Catherine Maudsley Limited was established in 1994 to provide art advisory services, guidance and solutions to a discerning clientele worldwide, specifically tailored to each situation and collection. Catherine recognizes that each art collector and each art collection is unique. The scope of art advisory services is as broad as it is integrated, and services are provided with the utmost of discretion and confidentiality. From the initial strategic overview to establishing goals and formulating objectives, Catherine works hand-in-hand with art collectors each step of the way.
With over three decades of experience, Catherine has worked with art collectors and collections in a wide range of settings, including archiving, researching and collections management; art framing, lighting, display and presentation; art at auction; art finance; curating, exhibition creation, publications and art education; and museum art loans and donations.
Toronto-born Catherine Maudsley was educated in Toronto, Beijing, Hong Kong and Kyoto. After receiving many awards for outstanding undergraduate academic achievement, she then became a Connaught Research Scholar at the School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto; a Canada-China Scholar in the Art History Department, Central Academy of Arts, Beijing; and a Commonwealth Scholar in the Department of Fine Arts, University of Hong Kong.
In Toronto she was mentored by Professor Julia Ching, CM, RSC (1934-2001), world expert in Chinese thought, religion and Neo-Confucianism; in Beijing by Professor Jin Weinuo (1924-2018), art historian and China’s pre-eminent Buddhist art expert; in Kyoto by Dr. Anna Seidel (1939-1991) Sinologist extraordinaire; in Toronto and Hong Kong by Professor Shih Hsio-yen (1933-2001), art historian and arts administrator, formerly Curator of the Far Eastern Department at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Director of the National Gallery of Canada; and in Hong Kong Catherine was guided by Harold Wong (1943-2022), distinguished collector, connoisseur, advisor and artist.
Catherine lived in Asia for four decades before returning to Canada in 2021.
I have known Catherine as an art advisor for over six years and she is indeed a rarity in the art market. She truly works with the utmost discretion and confidentiality for her clients and their collections. She has an impeccable reputation in the market and is known for her academic yet commercial eye. She is truly a joy to work with and I continue to champion her work and her causes.
Featured Curatorial Projects
Catherine Maudsley is a polymath but with an especial focus on the art and culture of China and East Asia. She brings an exceptional diligence to every project that she undertakes, whether it be scrupulous research or representing the interests of the collectors and institutions with whom she works. I have been fortunate enough to work with Catherine on a number of projects, including specific and wider ranging panel discussions, where she never failed to scintillate, and collaborating on bringing to the market distinguished collections. Catherine always acts with the utmost integrity. Her enquiring mind stimulates discourse and discovery. She brings to every discussion a zeal and determination to get it right. It is no surprise that so many eminent bodies, institutions, foundations and individuals have chosen to work with her.
I’ve known Catherine Maudsley for almost 10 years, and I’ve known of her presence in the art world for a long time. She is an incredibly well-respected scholar of the Chinese contemporary ink tradition and modern literati painting. Her influence in the field includes her curatorial practice and lectures for institutions, organizations and galleries throughout the world, particularly in Asia where she has lived for four decades. She brings a fresh view of historical and modern masterworks to her audience, inspiring listeners, artists and scholars alike.
The exhibitions she has curated and co-curated contribute to the further discovery and discourse on masterworks, helping viewers to better understand their relevance to contemporary culture.
Catherine is a prolific public lecturer, bringing her knowledge of artists, exhibitions, art history, storytelling, and art criticism to institutions and the overarching art world. I’m convinced that wherever Catherine is, the people she encounters and impacts will be energized and inspired from her insightful guidance and participation.