Colour Category System
Due to the nature of the picture collection at The National Gallery, it is possible to categorise paintings according to the actions necessary for de/installation. This has led us to group works into three categories for this purpose, which are as follows:
Standard Manual Lift or yellow move
The yellow move category encompasses the simplest moves we are required to undertake. The category includes all works that can be manually handled over small distances by two art handlers or can be installed without the need for additional equipment to elevate the painting into position. The category does not necessarily state the characteristics of the works it includes but generally it refers to paintings weighing under 60kgs. The size of the work is also not such a significant factor as quite large paintings can be included if it is determined they fall within the ease of handling required.
Medium Lift: or silver move
The silver move category covers most of the mid-range installations and moves that we undertake. This category probably accounts for around 20 to 25% of all moves that occur and requires the use of a minimum of three art handlers plus the designated equipment (as described here). For these moves, we set a limit of 150kgs in weight for the object being moved. Most of the works that fall into this category also tend to be large in area with a major dimension usually exceeding 2 metres.
Heavy Lift
or blue move|
The blue move category encompasses the largest and most logistically challenging objects within the National Gallery’s collection. The most common example of works found in this category are the group of large altarpieces dating from the early renaissance section of the main collection. These works are usually the heaviest pieces, being up to 500kgs in weight but are also very large objects in surface area with a complex construction.
Although there are exceptions to these categories, nearly every object in the collection can be group in one of these sections. Our approach to designing installation and transportation solutions is informed by this system.