One feature of the fair - the continued number of participants. Their 130 - half Belgian, half foreign, and the exhibition space is divided equally among all. Last time, fair is held in the Exhibition Center Tour & Taxis, who was named in honor of the Italian princes - the founders of the European postal service whose names are in Belgium, were transformed into Von Thurn und Taxis; its area of 12 thousand square meters. m. antique shops in the complex will be located along the three "lanes" - so that each participant was given equal attention to the public. The fair covers all historical periods - from antiquity and pre-Columbian America to modern art. Interestingly, the organizers are baked and the fact that all types and ages of art were presented in more or less equal proportions. "We are trying not to overload certain sectors, in particular the section of paintings of the XIX century, and to develop others - archeology, modern art," - said President Fairs Grete Zeberh. Sisyphean labor, but the organizers know better.

This year BRAFA participates Russia gallery - Ravenscourt Galleries. The gallery deals with Russian and French art of the twentieth century, regularly holds exhibitions in Moscow and managed last year to take part in Shanghai Shanghai Fine Jewellery and Art Fair, remaining, so our only gallery of old (not modern) art, participating in overseas trade fairs.

The booth will Ravenscourt Galleries exhibits works by Mikhail Larionov, Natalia Goncharova, Alexandra Exter, along with pictures of Fauvism and modernists Maurice Vlaminck, Albert Marquet, Bernard Buffet.

The theme is more or less internationalist modernism developing many Parisian galleries, participating in the fair. At the stand of Galerie Beres could see bright avant-garde painting of Alexandra Exter's "Composition: city" 1916-1917 period and the dark "brown song" Pierre Soulage 1919. Campo & Campo Antwerp shows Cubist painting "Lake Como" Ossip Zadkine.

Paris gallery pleasure flaunt the Impressionists and their predecessors. Tiny Type Mount Testaccio "Camille Corot neighbors at Galerie Eric Coatalem with erotic drawing" Two friends "by Gustav Klimt and still life of XVII century. In this manner - mixing not-so-distant time, but separated by a huge gap in terms of periods of art history - is now underway, many galleries. While there are those who focus on his subject. How, for example, some Parisian antique dealers of Hungarian origin, which exhibit extremely Parisian artists - also of Hungarian origin.

Galerie Cybele deals only with the art of ancient Egypt and the antiquity. Gallery will bring to the fair a bronze sculpture of an ibis and germanium with a marble head of Hermes. Swiss Phoenix Ancient Art, one of the most respected galleries of the world, selling antiques, shows the alabaster head of a child, like a little angel (I century BC. E.), And the stern of an ancient Greek bronze helmet (V century BC. E.).

At the fair, two dozen galleries, the arts of China and Japan varying degrees of antiquity, two respected second-hand bookshop. BRAFA invites and galleries involved in jewelry art. But this picture shows almost exclusively antique jewelry (unlike, for example, TEFAF, Biennale des Antiquaires or Fine Arts in Moscow Manege involving modern jewelry brand with new developments).

Alexandra Exter. "Composition: city", 1916-1917 years. Galerie Beres

During 13 days of BRAFA (from 19 to 31 January) it was visited by 35 thousand people, and at a private screening in the very first night was about a thousand visitors. Despite Napoleon's ambitions of organizers (in the future to compete TEFAF in Maastricht), while the Brussels fair differs not too expensive, more interior design things and more business-like atmosphere. But by the end of fairs around many works have appeared red dots, meaning that these works are reserved, and some stands of even partial change of the display. On the value of works sold by antique dealers do not like to talk, found out only a few figures.

Galleries, engaged in the sale of paintings by old masters, as well as furniture and decorative art from the Middle Ages until the XIX century, this year was noticeably less. Nevertheless, the participants were the largest in this area Brussels gallery De Jonckheere, well known in Moscow (repeatedly took part in the Moscow Fine Art Fair in the Manege) and Paris-Florence de Voldère. Last sold in 1510 BRAFA triptych depicting the Virgin Mary, who was in a private collection in the territory of East Germany, was confiscated by the Soviet authorities and temporarily placed in the Museum of Leipzig. In 1995, the triptych returned to former owners, who now put it up for sale in Florence de Voldère (cost of work not disclosed). Participated in the fair, another famous gallery specializing in old masters and medieval arts and crafts - London Joanna Booth. On its stand were sold to the XVII century tapestry manufactory "Aubusson" for € 13,5 thousand and Alsatian wooden sculpture of the Virgin of € 17 thousand

However, this year's BRAFA is dominated art of XX century, which, despite the crises and recessions, always in demand. Even during the gala dinner, the Parisian gallery Le Minotaure sold several works by the artist of Hungarian origin Fields Kallosa (€ 10-20 thousand), as well as several works of Ivan Puni from the famous series "Harlequins". Major Antwerp gallery Ronny Van de Velde is the first night, managed to sell for € 750 thousand work of James Ensor "The Seven Deadly Sins", the object of Marcel Duchamp «Boîte-en-valise» (€ 150 thousand) and a series of photographs "Mask" by Paul McCarthy (€ 70 thousand). According to the owner of the gallery, the fair was held for him very well: Belgian, French and German collectors purchased at the booth picture of Matisse, Miro, Rene Magritte and the Belgian Symbolist Fernand Knopf. Satisfied with the results and gallery Ludorff from Düsseldorf: its stand buyers have reserved two works by Max Ernst and the two abstractions of Serge Polyakov, as well as a portrait of Emil Nolde (€ 680 thousand). Cloth Pierre Soulage for € 1,2 млн was also booked at the stand of the Paris gallery Pascal Lansberg.

An unusual artifact - painted by James Ensor medical gown - was sold in the first evening on the bench Galleries t'Kint de Roodenbeke. This gown belonged to one of Brussels pharmacists. Once Ensor, someone visiting a friend of artists, suddenly wanted to pick up the brush. A new canvas was found, and gown had to ask in a neighboring pharmacy. As a thank Ensor covered his multi-colored ornaments and signed. Price wonders were not disclosed. "He bought a very well-known Belgian collector - said the gallery owner, Harold de Roodenbek - he does not like to flaunt their purchases.