Shipping fine art involves much more than wrapping up a painting and sending it off. Whether you're a gallery, an artist, or a collector, understanding the ins and outs of insurance coverage is essential to protecting your investment. In this blog, we’ll break down the differences between cargo insurance, liability insurance, and all-risk fine art insurance — and explain why we ask for artwork value when quoting your shipping costs.

1. The Difference Between Cargo Insurance and Fine Art Insurance

One of the most common points of confusion in fine art shipping is the difference between general cargo insurance and specialized fine art insurance.

• Cargo Insurance is a standard policy that covers general goods in transit. However, most cargo policies exclude coverage for high-value, delicate items like artwork, jewelry, or antiques.

• Liability Insurance protects against physical damage caused by the carrier’s actions — for example, if artwork is dropped or mishandled during loading.

• All-Risk, Wall-to-Wall Fine Art Insurance is specialized coverage that protects the full value of the artwork from the moment it is picked up to its final delivery — covering theft, breakage, accidents, and more, regardless of who is at fault.

Why does this matter?
If your artwork is valuable or irreplaceable, relying solely on cargo insurance (or none at all) is risky. Cargo policies generally don’t cover art, jewelry or precious metals, and liability coverage only applies to damage caused directly by the carrier. Only fine art insurance, particularly all-risk insurance, offers comprehensive protection.

2. Why Fine Art Shipping Requires Different Insurance

Fine art is not just another type of cargo. It is often fragile, high in value, and deeply personal. Shipping fine art comes with a unique set of risks that require specialized insurance coverage. Some of the most significant risks include:

• Fragility: Even well-packed art can be damaged by vibration, shifting, or slight mishandling.

• High Value: The market value of art is often high — and increasing — making comprehensive coverage a must.

• Special Handling: Sculptures, framed works, and mixed media often require custom solutions for transport.

3. The Role of Liability Insurance in Fine Art Shipping

At Arête Logistics, we carry liability insurance to protect both our clients and ourselves in the event that something goes wrong during transport. While cargo insurance won’t cover the artwork itself, liability insurance protects you against damage caused by our actions during handling, loading, unloading, and transport.

We carry both general liability and cargo insurance per federal commercial motor carrier guidelines. We do not charge extra for insurance — our liability is built into our pricing model. Our liability for loss or damage to artwork however is limited as we do not currently offer an all-risk, wall-to-wall fine art insurance policy. Please review our insurance liability and terms of service.

Clients are responsible for securing their own fine art insurance to protect the full value of their artwork during transit, storage, and handling. We strongly advise consulting your insurer about a marine transit rider or dedicated fine art policy, and we’re happy to provide documentation to support your coverage needs, and can help in securing all-risk fine art insurance under our policy for an additional cost.

4. Why We Ask for Artwork Value When Quoting

At Arête Logistics, we request the value of the artwork when providing a quote because the value plays a role in our liability and cargo premiums. When you request a shipping quote from us, we ask for the declared value of each artwork. Here’s why:

• Insurance Liability: Even though our policy excludes fine art, federal commercial carrier guidelines require a declared value to set a baseline for liability limits.

• Route Planning & Risk Assessment: Higher-value shipments may require alternate route planning, different handling or packing, and influence our internal risk protocols.

• Compliance & Documentation: Declared values also support state and federal compliance, including for sales tax nexus and claims documentation.

Although we don’t offer all-risk fine art insurance at this time, the value of the artwork is still an important factor in determining our shipping costs. It ensures that we are adequately covering our liability in the event of an unforeseen issue. If your artwork is worth $25,000, the premiums and costs associated with its shipping are much higher than for a $5,000 piece, which is why the value impacts your overall quote.

5. What’s Covered and What’s Not

To avoid any confusion, let’s clarify exactly what is covered under our liability and cargo insurance and what should be covered by fine art insurance:

• Our Liability and Cargo Insurance covers:

  • Accidents during handling (e.g., dropping a piece or damaging the artwork through poor handling)

  • Accidents during transport (e.g., vehicle accidents, natural disasters, etc.)

  • Loss or damage caused by our handling or shipping process

• All-Risk Fine Art Insurance covers:

  • The full value of the artwork in case of theft, loss, or damage during transit, depending on the specific policy.

  • Valuation of the artwork, ensuring that the cost of any damage is reflected by the artwork’s true market value.

While our liability insurance ensures that we are covered for mistakes or accidents on our end, all-risk fine art insurance protects the artwork itself — providing the coverage needed for high-value pieces.

6. How This Impacts Your Shipping Costs

We understand that pricing is a crucial factor in choosing a shipping provider. Insurance premiums (and limitations) directly influence our shipping rates. Because we don’t include all-risk insurance in our pricing, our quotes reflect only the cost of transportation, handling, and limited liability. This keeps costs lower — but shifts the responsibility of full-value coverage to you, the client.

That’s why it’s important to understand what kind of coverage you have, and whether it includes transit protection. Our goal is always to provide transparent pricing and ensure that the necessary protections are in place throughout the shipping process. We’re always happy to work with your insurer or help you understand your options.

Conclusion:

Understanding the ins and outs of insurance coverage is crucial when shipping fine art. While cargo insurance protects the transport process and liability insurance covers us during handling, all-risk fine art insurance is necessary for full protection of high-value artwork.

At Arête Logistics, we always recommend that our clients carry fine art insurance to ensure comprehensive coverage for their valuable pieces. However, we also take responsibility for providing safe, reliable, and secure shipping with the appropriate liability and cargo coverage.

If you have any questions about your fine art shipping needs, our policies, your responsibilities as a shipper, or how to prepare for a fine art shipment, we’re always here to help. Feel free to reach out. We’re here to ensure your artwork is protected every step of the way.