Press Release
STRONG SALES DEFY TALK OF MARKET DOWNTURN
TEFAF Maastricht 2008
7-16 March 2008
Jackson Pollock, The Magic Flame, c. 1946, sold at TEFAF
Maastricht, Saturday 8th March 2008 – The Private Preview of The European Fine Art
Fair set the tone for this year’s Fair with a record 9,435 visitors attending the event, an
increase of 10% on 2007. This invitation only event was not just a social gathering; a
number of exhibitors, particularly in antiquities and the modern art section, reported
their busiest ever opening to the Fair. Trading continued at a brisk pace throughout the
opening day (Friday 7th March) and the first weekend. The visitors figure for the first
three days was 25,000 visitors, an increase of around 7%. TEFAF Maastricht continues
until Sunday 16th March at the MECC (Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre),
Maastricht.
This year the Fair swapped its traditional tulips for a spectacular display of 175,000
anemones, accounting for 70% of the world’s production during the first half of March.
Maastricht/Aachen airport confirmed that by midday Saturday (8 March 2008) 136
private planes had landed, the largest of which was a privately registered Boeing 727.
Ben Janssens, Chairman of the Fair, said that given the unstable economic climate,
many dealers felt apprehensive before the Fair but felt reassured by the strong
response of collectors to TEFAF.
Old Master Paintings
The traditional paintings section at TEFAF Maastricht is considered the strongest in the
world, attracting both serious private and institutional collectors from around the globe.
An oil on panel a winter landscape with figures on the ice near a windmill by Hendrick
Avercamp (1585-1634), which had been in the same private collection since around
1950 and had an asking price of around €1.6 million was sold to an American collector
by Koetser Gallery, Zürich. Johnny van Haeften, London sold a number of paintings
including a picture by Jan van Goyen depicting a Stormy landscape with a lightning bolt
over Haarlemmermeer and a Winter Landscape with the Massacre of the Innocent by
Jan Breughel the Younger. A painting depicting a wedding procession by Pieter
Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638) was sold by De Jonckheere, Paris. David Tunick,
New York sold a drawing of an Alpine Landscape in black chalk, pen and brown ink, and
watercolour by Lambert Doomer to the National Museum, Stockholm.
Modern Art
International dealers, Hauser & Wirth, Zürich and London had an excellent opening to
the Fair. Amongst their sales was an untitled painting, 1996, by Willem de Kooning
(1904-1997), which sold for around 5 million US dollars to a private collector and a rare
oil on canvas painting entitled The Magic Flame, c. 1946, by Jackson Pollock which has
an asking price of 8 million US dollars. Anthony Meier/Schönewald sold an oil on canvas
painting, Abstraktes Bild (#866-3), 2000 by Gerhard Richter. Galerie Thomas, Munich
reported an excellent Fair; their sales included a painting by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
entitled Two Women in the Forest, the other side of which is Garden in Dresden to a
European private collector.
Antiques & Works of Art
The antiques and works of art section at TEFAF Maastricht is the largest individual
section and one of the most widely admired. Sales were reported in all areas.
Kunsthandel Peter Mühlbauer, Pocking sold a set of four Régence giltwood fauteuils à la
reine et à chassis covered in original gros et petit point needlework, attributed to JeanBaptiste I. Tilliard (1686-1766). Kunstkammer Georg Laue, Munich, made a special
exhibition of a group of 45 Kunstkammer objects from 16th-18th century and early sales
included an ivory, cabinet from the circle of Melchior Baumgartner, Augsburg c. 1650.
The cabinet is made from ivory; ebony; mahogany; tin; agate and cornelian with
enamelling and copper, silver and brass inlay.
Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art, ‘s-Hertogenbosch had a wonderful opening day
selling forty-four objects including an unusually large fat lady, China Tang Dynasty
(618-907), which was among twelve objects sold to one collector. Oriental specialist,
Ben Janssens, London also had a very good opening: his sales included a Japanese
lacquered wood armour box, karabitsu, 19th century Edo period for €50,000 to a
Russian collector living in New York.
A World Time Watch designed by Andy Warhol, himself an enthusiastic watch collector,
for the Swiss firm Movado in 1997 showing five views of New York and five different
dials enabling five different times was sold to an English collector for €20,000 by London
watch specialist, Somlo Antiques. A silver tea service by Josef Hoffman, made for Adolf
and Suzanne Stoclet was sold to an American collector by Yves Macaux, Brussels.
Blumka Gallery, New York sold an extremely rare bronze aquamanile in the shape of a
falconer, probably Hildesheim, from the first part of 13th century, which was sold to a
European collector.
Antiquities
Charles Ede, the London antiquities specialist’s Fair got off to a good start with the sale
of a Cycladic idol, 2200 BC within the first minute for a substantial six-figure sum. He
went on to make seventeen further sales during the day including that of a large
Egyptian wood model of a river craft with elegant lines, Middle Kingdom c.2000-1800
BC for €135,000. Rupert Wace Ancient Art, London also reported a strong start to the
Fair: his major sales included an important marble portrait bust of Faustina the Younger
(125-175 AD), wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius or Bruttia Crispina (164-193), wife of
Emperor Commodus with an asking price of €225,000, which sold to an Italian collector.
A Roman marble female torso, Aphrodite Anadyomene, from 1st century AD was sold to
a European collector by Gordian Weber Kunsthandel, Cologne.
Illuminated Manuscripts, Rare Books and Maps
One of the highlights of this section, a book of hours with miniature illustrations by
Simon Bening, c. 1510-25, made originally for Isabella of Portugal, wife of Charles V
was sold to a German private collector by Dr. Jörn Günther Antiquariat, Hamburg
TEFAF Showcase
The TEFAF Showcase is a new initiative at the Fair in 2008, the aim of which is to give
younger dealers the invaluable experience of being part of a major international fine art
event, and at the same time to give TEFAF’s visitors and existing participants an
impression of some of the most exciting emerging galleries and dealers of today. Patric
Didier Claes a tribal dealer from Brussels was delighted with his TEFAF debut, selling
twelve of the fourteen pieces on his stand at the Private Preview and the opening day.
AXA Art, principal sponsor of TEFAF
Art insurer AXA Art will show vulnerable artworks to stress the importance of preventive
conservation and safety for collections. In February 2008 AXA Art will introduce an
online blog for collectors looking for advice on art protection.
Note for editors:
Go to www.tefaf.com under PRESS for press releases and high resolution images.
For visitor numbers please call the TEFAF press office: +31 43 3838 558 (10am to
7pm).
For more information please contact:
U.K.
Cawdell Douglas
Diana Cawdell/Will Bennett
10-11 Lower John Street
London W1F 9EB, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7439 2822
Fax: +44 (0)20 7287 5488
E-mail: press@cawdelldouglas.co.uk
Other countries
The European Fine Art Foundation
Denise Hermanns/Titia Vellenga
Broekwal 64
5268 HD Helvoirt, Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)411-645090
Fax: +31 (0)411-645091
E-mail: press@tefaf.com
U.S.A. / Canada
NBTC
Barbara Veldkamp
355 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: +1 (0)212-370 7360 X 19
Fax: +1 (0)212 370 9507
E-mail: bveldkamp@holland.com
SWEDEN / NORWAY / FINLAND
Birgitta Lemmel
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 84
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 644 31 94, +32 (0)498
12 22 60, +46 (0)705 74 47 30,
Fax: +32 (0)2 644 08 92
E-mail: birgitta.lemmel@nobel.se