The European Fine Arts Fair (TEFAF), 2005: An Open Museum
Titia Vellenga
Jan Lievens, "A Philosopher", Signed with monogram lower left, Oil on panel, 91 x 71 cm. Recently acquired from a private collection in France. The painting has been in this collection since 1925. Drs. Rudi Ekkart dates the painting to circa 1629, when the artist was living in Leiden. Image courtesy of Salomon Lillian.
The European Fine Arts Fair (TEFAF) is now regarded as one of the most, if not the most influential art and antiques event in the world. Several factors have contributed to this. The exhibitors are very international. There are some 200 leading art and antiques dealers from fourteen countries. Although the fair takes place in Maastricht in The Netherlands, only 20% of its exhibitors is Dutch. 33 modern art dealers from nine countries show one of the greatest cross sections of 20th century European and American art. TEFAF Maastricht offers an unequalled variety and depth of cross cultural periods and disciplines. Many of the objects are of museum quality. Each year collectors and art professionals are surprised to find "hidden treasures".
Perhaps most distinctive about TEFAF is that quality is assured by means of a strict vetting system, in which the objects on show are vetted beforehand by nineteen specialist vetting committees, made up of some 130 international experts, who assess them in terms of quality, authenticity and provenance. If a work of art does not meet the exacting standards of quality that TEFAF sets, it is removed from the fair and stored in a locked area that is only accessible to the exhibitors again once the fair is over. This strict vetting procedure gives buyers the greatest possible guarantee that they are buying top-quality art and antiques. TEFAF was the first to introduce this severe vetting procedure. In the meantime, many fairs have followed our example, but TEFAF’s vetting is still considered to be the most strict. Besides, all modern and contemporary art is vetted too, a procedure that is not at all common at other general or specialized art fairs.
TEFAF, in 2000, was the first fair to introduce The Art Loss Register. The ALR checks whether an object appears on the list of stolen art. Any stolen objects will immediately be removed from the fair. The ambience is spacious, elegant and lavishly decorated with flowers, and there are numerous open areas with various catering facilities.
TEFAF is like a huge museum in which everything is for sale. The fair is split into three sections representing every conceivable form of art and antiques. The first section is dedicated to Paintings, Drawings and Prints (13th to 19th century). Also represented are Antiques & Works of Art, within which you will find and all kinds of decorative arts as well as clusters of: Classical Antiquities, Egyptian Works of Art and archeology; Illuminated Manuscripts, Rare Books and Maps; La Haute Joaillerie du Monde. And finally there is a section devoted to Modern Art (20th century and contemporary art).
It is estimated that around 70% of the Old Masters available for sale on the market at any time can be seen at TEFAF. It is this fact on which the fair’s reputation was originally based. The total floor space is 27,000 m2 (290,000 sq ft). With 89 exhibitors, the Antiques & Works of Art section is the largest. It includes furniture from the 16th to the 20th century, medieval to modern sculptures, textiles, Oriental art, antique jewellery, ethnic and pre-Columbian art, European, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, ceramics, glass and silver and more.
In 2004 the fair attracted some 75,000 visitors. Of these, over 40% came from outside the Netherlands. Countries like Japan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the USA, Israel and all the countries of the European Union were represented. The buyers include not only major collectors and famous international museums, but also people who are just starting to collect, regional museums, art consultants, interior designers and art dealers. Above all, the fair is an experience. It is immensely enjoyable for all those people who love art but do not have either the budget or the desire to buy it for themselves. For them, too, TEFAF is a veritable voyage of discovery in the world of art and antiques.
