The Most Incredible Finds at The World-Famous Dutch Fair TEFAF Maastricht 2020
The Most Incredible Finds at The World-Famous Dutch Fair TEFAF Maastricht 2020
Despite the current public-health concerns about attending events with large groups of people, the 33rd annual TEFAF Maastricht art fair kicked off last week with an impressive showing. The world-famous fair, known for its fine art, antiques, and jewelry, hosted 280 exhibitors—including Hemmerle, Galerie Gmurzynska, Lisson Gallery, and Friedman Benda—in its charming Dutch environs and had no shortage of high-wattage pieces for sale, including Old Masters paintings, top-tier jewelry, museum-quality sculpture, and priceless (well, almost) antiquities. What were the most coveted pieces available for discerning buyers? Here's our take.
The Anglesey Tiara
This gold and diamond tiara (which can also be worn as a necklace) was reportedly made around 1890 and belonged to the eccentric aristocrat Henry Cyril Paget, the fifth Marquess of Anglesey. The piece, which was presented by the Hancocks London, features more than 100 carats of old diamonds and would be a fitting addition to a royal collection or one that aspires to be.
Peasant Woman in Front of a Farmhouse
This oil painting by Vincent van Gogh, which dates back to around 1885, was sold by London's Dickinson Gallery for a reported $17 million. It's an impressive sale, especially considering the piece is said to have been found in a junk shop for around $45.
Hemmerle Earrings
The family-run, Munich-based jewelry brand never fails to surprise and delight. These earrings, made in 2018 from conch pearl, melo pearl, sapphires, bronze, silver and white gold, are no exception. The brand's offerings also included a java bead and sapphire necklace and a stunning bracelet, but these earrings are a particular T&C favorite.
Three Dancers in Yellow Skirts
Just in time for a bit of Degas fever—sparked in part by "Degas at the Opéra," a just-opened exhibition at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art—this incredible oil painting (with some parts said to be finger-painted by the artist) from about 1891 was on offer from Hammer Galleries. While the official price was not published, rumors put it at more than $37 million.
Bhagat Ring
The jewelry designed by the Mumbai-based Bhagat has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Grand Palais—and it's no wonder why. The opulent, handmade pieces (of which there are fewer than 60 made each year) are uniformly unique and stunning. Case in point: this ring of sapphires and diamonds set in platinum.
Nus Masculins
London's Connaught Brown offered this 1942 Picasso oil painting, which sold for nearly double its estimated price at a Sotheby's sale in 2014. The piece is thought to depict the artist during the different phases of his own life and has previously been exhibited at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and Paris's Grand Palais.
Fuji
Gerhard Richter isn't only the toast of New York (where the retrospective "Painting After All" just opened at the Met Breuer), but he's also a hit in Maastricht. The Düsseldorf-based gallery Beck & Eggeling showed this 1996 oil painting by Richter, which could be the perfect piece to start your own collection.
The most coveted Old Masters paintings, top-tier jewelry, and priceless (well, almost) antiquities at the world-famous fair.