Private view

For the Inside No. 9 episode, see Private View (Inside No. 9).

A private view is a special viewing of an exhibition by invitation only, often an art exhibition and normally a preview at the start of a public exhibition.^[1] In the United Kingdom, a private view is generally open to all visitors. Typically wine and light refreshments are served in the form of a reception. If the works on show are by a living artist, it is normal for them to attend the private view. Artworks on view are typically for sale.

A Private View at the Royal Academy, 1881 by William Powell Frith (1883)

Private View of the Old Masters Exhibition, Royal Academy, 1888 by Henry Jamyn Brooks (1889)

This type of exhibition set in a private setting is commonly referred to as the vernissage.