The word comes from a custom of the painting Salons: the day before opening, artists would come to varnish their canvases in front of their close circle and their first buyers. What remains of it is the opening night, where the works are seen before anyone else and where the gallerist introduces artists to collectors. Today the term covers very different realities of access. The gallery vernissage remains the most open, usually by invitation from the gallery. The fair vernissage is the most tightly filtered in the market: at Frieze London, the first day, Wednesday 14 October 2026, is reserved for invited guests only, and Thursday from 11 am to 1 pm remains reserved for members and guests before general admission. Auction houses offer the most accessible version: the pre-sale exhibition. At Sotheby's Paris, 76 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the exhibition preceding the Modernités evening sale on Friday 23 October 2026 at 5 pm is free to enter; only those who wish to bid must register on sothebys.com. The same spirit prevails at Christie's in Geneva: the public exhibition before the Magnificent Jewels sale on 10 November 2026 is traditionally free and open to all, with no invitation or registration. For anyone who wants to get close to the art world, the pre-sale vernissage is the simplest door: you see masterpieces without an invitation card, before they enter private collections.