The red carpet has been rolled out and London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea has been transformed. Standing tall in the centre of the city, Masterpiece London welcomes the encapsulated elite for an exceptional art experience. Much like Plato’s Athenian Academy, its pillars entice guests to expand the art world but also, to unapologetically expand their collections. Guests simultaneously immerse themselves in the world of art and the art of the world.

Masterpiece London is an international art fair where guests may buy, or simply view, a vast range of artworks from antiquity to modern day. Mediums span from paintings and drawings to furniture and design to watches and jewellery. This is exactly what makes the event so special and so unmissable; Masterpiece throws out the rigid and the conventional by mixing up stands from different cultures, ages, and disciplines. There isn’t just some of the most expensive art or some of the best art in the world, there is innovative art and undiscovered art.

Beginning in 2010 makes the fair just over a decade old. But its setting is over three centuries old. Located between Ranelagh Gardens and the King’s Road, Royal Hospital Chelsea has a mighty 66-acres to surround the 1681 building. Designed by Christopher Wren under King Charles II’s authorisation, the building’s original purpose was to look after soldiers who had returned from war. This sense of grandeur carries through as Masterpiece proudly parades pieces from over 6,000 years of international art history.

Perfectly placed at the last week of June means men dare to wear lighter suits with flamboyance and women sport summer season dresses with confidence. But sunny British weather and the opportunity to showcase the latest runway outfits aren’t the only reasons why art-loving jetsetters travel from all around the world to this fair. Guests come to glut off the arts, the intellects, and the art world society.

Eyes dart from Chinese contemporary paintings at the 3812 Gallery to Roman, Egyptian, and Islamic antiquities at the David Aaron. Guests can wander from European pottery at W. Agnew & Company Ltd to Asian Furniture at Anthony Outred. And after viewing contemporary wildlife drawings at Jonathon Cooper, awaits medieval manuscripts and historic jewellery at Les Enluminures. All of this, and that’s just a brushstroke of what’s on show.

Philip Hewar-Jaboor, the Chairman of the Fair, takes pleasure out of this melange as he awes on the fact that artworks are ‘arranged in such an astonishingly stimulating way’. The philosophy of ‘cross-collecting’ is to allow the rejuvenation of classics as well as the elegant elevation of modern works into timeless sophistication. Set side-by-side, the rich range of colours in artworks are mirrored by the rainbow rays of light that burst out of diamond embedded jewellery. Guests walk beyond the delicate Van Cleef and Arpels cabinets to the sturdy Borman sculptures and loop back round to fragility at Shapero Rare Books.

The annual focal point, Masterpiece Presents, is always at the entrance of the fair. And it’s guaranteed not just to be the talk of the day, but the talk of the summer season. Whether at Wimbledon, Henley or Cowes, it’s always easy to know who’s been to Masterpiece through a reference to the fair’s opening feature. In 2019, this was Dame Phyllida Barlow as she worked in conjunction with Hauser & Wirth to astound entering guests with a vibrant and panoramic supersized sculptural installation that alluded to her 1990’s ‘pom-pom’ works. This bold piece of artwork precisely reflects the fashionable and flair-filled atmosphere of the fair.

There’s an undeniable human pressure for direction and stability, but at Masterpiece this is refreshingly removed as guests lose themselves in the eclectic art world. With over 200 exhibitors dotted around a point of guidance is never too far away. Circles of collectors, curators and creatives can be found marvelling at the wealth of works. And for some more formalised discussions, guests can listen to experts as they lecture on a huge range of topics such as Modernism in India to The Rise and Fall of the English Country House Museum. Workshops are also spread across the day and likely to propel the passion of art-loving jetsettersmaking it almost impossible to leave empty-handed.

A glass of champagne in hand is hard to resist when appreciating paintings, antiques, and interior design. But it’s even harder when there’s a Perrier-Jouët Champagne Terrace on your doorstep. As well as quenching thirst, guests can rest their legs and pause their purchases over lunch. Masterpiece has a selection of the city’s finest dining including Le Caprice, Scott’s and The Ivy. Attracting Royals such as Princess Diana and Princess Margaret, as well as A-list celebrities like Mick Jagger and Elizabeth Taylor, Le Caprice promises exceptional food from steak tartare to Dover sole.

Over at Scott’s, oysters come by the dozen and are sourced from all around the country be it Jersey Rocks, Isle of Barra, or the Queen’s favourite of Morecambe Bay. And finally, with a restaurant in any major city, The Ivy’s creations are as beautiful as they are delicious, be it the chocolate bombe or the crème brûlée.

Housing the crème de la crème of the arts, the intellects, and the art world society makes Masterpiece London an event like none other. It isn’t just another event to be added to the London summer social calendar. It’s an event to top it.