TEFAF Thematically divided into three sections: an old painting - the most distinguished part, which actually started fair, furniture and decorative arts in all its diversity, the art of XX century, appeared in the conservative TEFAF a few years ago. In contrast to public auction houses, gallery owners, as a rule, prefer not to advertise prices in the permanent exhibition of things. Nevertheless, some figures are known at the beginning of the fair, but she TEFAF is an important indicator of the antique market.
The names of many nations represented at the fair of old masters are included in all textbooks on the history of art. This year you can buy a work by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Adrian van Ostade, Jan Steen, Balthasar van der Asta, Ambrosius Bosschaert and many others. From the later period TEFAF also offers first names - works by Italian artists Veduta Giovanni Canaletto, the famous Venetian Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Spaniards, Jose de Ribera and Luis de Morales, French rococo painter François Boucher, a French romantic painter Eugene Delacroix.
Prices for these products may exceed several million euros. For example, the altarpiece Madonna and Child with Saints by Giovanni di Paolo (XV century) estimated galleries Moretti in 2.2 million euros. A portrait of George Washington Gilbert Stuart American hand is worth 5 million euros (gallery Hammer). But the most expensive painting in the old section of this year, likely will be "Madonna and Child with the young John the Baptist" of the great Sandro Botticelli. This piece once belonged to the largest antiquarian of his time, Lord Dyuvinu, then at least to the famous John D. Rockefeller. Today gallery Dickinson invites her for 11.1 million euros.
By the way, we are told European dealers, Russian buyers are interested in this section is not enough. Even before the crisis, they have attracted only the names of international fame such as Rembrandt, they knew little about the other old masters, prices are much lower. In general, despite the fact that the presence of Russian visitors to TEFAF barely perceptible, statistically fair, their number is growing from year to year.
Galleries, on the stands which occurs very Russian art at TEFAF a little, but still they are, in particular in the section of decorative art, manuscripts, books and antique jewelry. Here many years exposed the New York gallery A La Vieille Russie, making jewelery items including the firm of Carl Faberge. This year, for example, it sells a platinum pendant with diamonds and portraits of popular now, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (six months ago, auction house Sotheby's sold at specialized auctions of jewelry).
Amsterdam gallery Toth-Ikonen and Jan Morsink Ikonen offer Russian iconography, in particular, is very rare Novgorod icon of the early XVI century, depicting the patron saints Marina, Kirill Belozersky and George. In addition, the fair can find Russian antique furniture, which, for example, sells a London gallery Antoine Cheneviere, Russian silver, malachite. Gallery Ursus Rare Books has exposed a rare edition of works of Italian poet Metastasio, bound specifically to Catherine the Great and accompanied by a letter to Prince Potemkin, Catherine (200 thousand euros).
Russian things, of course, not the most expensive and popular in this section. The quality and value they can hardly be compared, for example, with rare editions of XVII century, "Natural History" Anselmusa de Booto (gallery Heribert Tenschert, 5 million euros), a Chinese lacquered cabinet XV century (gallery Littleton & Hennessy, 4,2 million euros ) or three-meter French medieval stained glass windows (Gallery Sam Fogg, 3 million euros).
More often, Russian names, which have become global brands, are found in the section of the Impressionists, modernist art and XX century. It often exhibit the work of Wassily Kandinsky, Natalia Goncharova, Marc Chagall, Alexei Yavlensky, Serge Polyakov, Chaim Soutine. Prices for their products far exceed the millions assessment, but still the most expensive works in Maastricht, as a rule, become European impressionists and modernists.
So, this year the Dickinson Gallery exhibits painting by Paul Gauguin's Two Tahitian Women ", created by the artist in 1902 for a year before his death, and belonged to the famed Marchand Ambroise Vollaru. This work in 2006 was sold at auction Sotheby's for 21.9 million dollars, and now estimated at 18 million euros. On the stand Galleries Hammer portrait of the seated girls brush Amedeo Modigliani for 12.75 million euros. A well-known Munich gallery Thomas offers to buy the product expressionist Edvard Munch's for 9.5 million euros.
At the moment Russia can not be a full participant in the global and European market process. The art market in the new Russia is too young and not yet formed. There is no legislative framework, including customs and taxation fields. There is a well-developed network of professional art dealers and auction houses offering a variety of art forms. Finally, the tastes of domestic consumers are just beginning to emerge, and in the first place they turn to the national art. Solving these problems and development of Russia's market - a question of time and work themselves antique dealers. To which the European experience and fairs such as TEFAF, should serve as a good guide.
Text: Julia Izyumova
http://www.vz.ru/culture/2010/3/12/383257.print.html