TEFAF Maastricht Concludes Amid Triumphant Sales

Name: WHITE Digital Agency
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Mar 21, 2025 Maastricht

Picture by Jitske Nap, Courtesy of TEFAF

TEFAF Maastricht 2025 has successfully concluded its 38^th edition, reporting robust sales across all collecting categories and reaffirming its status as the world’s premier fair for art, antiques and design. Over 50,000 visitors, including international collectors, connoisseurs and institutions, converged on Maastricht to acquire the finest works spanning over 7,000 years of art history.

Cementing its reputation as the foremost annual gathering of the global museum community, TEFAF invited close to 500 institutions to scrutinize the aisles for prospective acquisitions, many of which were accompanied by patrons and collectors. Attendees included representatives from prestigious institutions including: The Art Institute of Chicago; Château de Chantilly; Cleveland Museum of Art; Fine Art Museums of San Francisco; Hong Kong Palace Museum; Louvre; Louvre Abu Dhabi; Metropolitan Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum of Modern Art, Paris; New Museum, New York; Musée d’Orsay; National Gallery, London; National Gallery of Canada; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Suermondt Ludwig Museum; Rijksmuseum; Toledo Museum of Art; Van Gogh Museum, and Zayed National Museum, among many others.

THEMES AND TRENDS

Art Deco Centenary

Marking a century since the landmark “arts décoratifs” exhibition in Paris, Art Deco was celebrated through immersive presentations by exhibitors such as Galerie Marcelpoil, Morentz and Galerie Marcilhac, which recreated room settings capturing the movement’s spirit.

New Discoveries

This year’s fair showcased several remarkable rediscoveries including an early work by Gustav Klimt, unseen since 1928, presented by W&K – Wienerroither & Kohlbacher. Trinity Fine Art unveiled a Titian masterpiece: Madonna & Child with St Mary Magdalene, which had been hidden from public view for over 200 years. First time exhibitor, Patrick Bourne & Co showed a portrait of Sarah Bernhardt by Bastien-Lepage, gifted by the artist to the actress and only shown in public once since. Out of sight for over a century, LeTondeur de Chiens by Jan Stobbaert, at the booth of Thomas Deprez Fine Art, is a seminal work in the development of Belgian impressionism.

Female Artists

Interest in female artists continued to thrive with over 500 works presented at the fair. Highlights included pieces by Dame Elizabeth Frink (MacConnal Mason), Louise Bourgeois (Galerie Zlotowski), Marie Bracquemond (Galerie Pauline Pavec), Mary Beale (Weiss Gallery), Rosalba Carriera (Matteo Salamon and Rob Smeets Gallery), Lavinia Fontana (Fondantico di Tiziana Sassoli) and Emily Kam Kngwarreye (D’Lan Contemporary) attracting significant attention or finding new homes.

Haute Joaillerie

Exquisite craftsmanship was on display in haute joaillerie with first-time exhibitors Margot McKinney, Buccellati, Santi and Feng Jjoining renowned names such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Anna Hu and Hemmerle, presenting dazzling collections of rare gemstones and exceptional design.

Reimagining Philanthropy: The Great Wealth Transfer

In its second year, the TEFAF Summit explored new philanthropic models, highlighting the estimated $60 trillion wealth transfer from the baby boomer generation over the next 25 years, with one third projected to benefit the cultural sector. Discussions centered on strategies for attracting younger donors and enhancing societal impact.

EXHIBITOR SUCCESS AND MAJOR SALES

Exhibitors reported sales across all categories, with acquisitions by both institutional and private collectors. Notable transactions included:*note to editors – earlier sales are outlined in the press release of 17 March here

Paintings

M.S. Rau (US) sold Still Life with Two Sacks and a Bottle by Vincent van Gogh to a private collector, which had an asking price of $4.75 million.

Galeria Caylus (Spain) sold a 17^th century Still Life with a Basket of Apples and a Glass of Wine by Pedro de Camprobin y Passano to a European private collection for around €120,000. A further sale of Noble Tennis Players in Elegant Company by Jacob Grimmer sold to a Belgian private collector with an asking price of €250,000.

Stoppenbach & Delestre (UK) announced the sale of a work by Emile Bernard to a US collector as well as a number of sales to several European private collections.

Charles Beddington (UK) sold Venice: The Molo from the Bacino di San Marco on Ascension Day attributed to Bernardo Canal, to a US private collector for a six-figure sum.

Amongst numerous sales Colnaghi (UK) sold the 17^th century Still Life of Figs with Hazelnuts by the female artist, Giovanna Garzoni and a marble bust of Marcus Aurelius attributed to Giovanni Battista della Porta.

Bottegantica (Italy) showed three different Italian art movements: Belle Époque; Divisionism; and Futurism. Among its sales were two works by the 19^th century artist, Giovanni Segantini to two private European collections.

Modern & Contemporary Art

Connaught Brown (UK) sold The Beach and the Villas by Gustave Caillbotte to the National Museum of Sweden, which will be the first work by the artist to be in a Scandinavian collection.

Galerie Ludorff (Germany) sold Colomierstraße in Wannsee by Max Liebermann to a US museum with an asking price of €850,000, in addition to a work by Keith Haring which was sold to a US private collector with an asking price of €450,000.

Hidde van Seggelen (Germany) sold an historical work by Joseph Beuys, dated 1979 and later renamed by Beuys in 1984, to an important European collector. The Museum Voorlinden acquired a work by Klaas Kloosterboer, whilst pieces by Jan van de Pavert, Damian Taylor, Robert Holyhead and Andy Holden are destined for collections in Switzerland, Ireland, France and the Czech Republic.

A Lighthouse Called Kanata (Japan) sold 28 works including Myomu (Key to a Dream) by Kan Yasuda to a Hong Kong collector with an asking price of €150,000; Seed by Satoru Ozaki sold to a Spanish private collector with an asking price of €150,000. Further sold works included pieces by Niyoko Ikuta, Massaaki Yonemoto, Chico Takei and Kentaro Sato for between €70,000 and €120,000, acquired by collectors from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Tokyo.

Beck & Eggeling (Germany) made multiple sales including works by Pablo Picasso, Heinz Mack, Edouardo Chillida and George Rickey to European private collectors.

Borzo Gallery (Netherlands) sold works by 20^th century Dutch icons including several by Ben Akkerman, Carel Visser and Jan Schoonhoven to a prominent Swiss collector, a Dutch institution and a collection in New York.

Antiques

Artur Ramon Art (Spain) sold one of the finest tapestries to have ever been seen at TEFAF within the first few minutes of the fair’s opening. It had an asking price of €800,000 and was purchased by a Dutch institution. Additionally, the gallery sold a Predella for €200,000 and two Albarallos from Manises, each for around €40,000.

Daniel Crouch (UK) sold on every day of the fair including books, maps and pocket globes. Significant sales included a Wall Map of Leiden and a Map of Rotterdam during the Dutch Golden Age.
Adrian Sassoon (UK) sold a monumental vase, Blue: Midnight Lantern 2023 by Felicity Aylieff which is 2.45m in height and weighs 630kg. It had an asking price of €110,000 and is thought to be the largest ever piece of porcelain to be sold at the fair.

Flore (Belgium) presented a striking moss-covered grotto featuring a rare collection of French Renaissance ceramics by followers of Bernard Palissy with asking prices of between €20,000 and €30,000. Two major US museums acquired four pieces and with a further six sold to private collectors from Europe and the US and negotiations are ongoing with several institutions.

Walter Padovani (Italy) sold The Cumaean Sybil + Salmoé by Bianca Boni for approximately €20,000 that featured in TEFAF’s Insider’s Collecting Guide and sold to a new collector.

Koopman Rare Art (UK) sold a set of 12 magnificent silver-gilt dinner plates commissioned through the Florentine goldsmiths, the Scheggi Brothers for the Borghese Palace, which were acquired by a descendent of the Borghese family.

Alessandra Di Castro (Italy) sold an Angel Head in biscuit porcelain from Alessandro Algardi by Giovanni Volpato to a private collector.

Aronson Antiquairs (Netherlands) reported an exceptional fair. Among the pieces sold were two works to European private collectors including a Garniture, along with three floral still life sculptures by Anna Volkova, one of which is destined for China.

Tóth Ikonen (Netherlands) a 17^th century icon Saint Nicholas of Mozhaisk which featured in the Insider’s Collecting Guide, sold to a first-time buyer.

Kunstkammer Georg Laue (Germany) sold an extremely rare 17^th century erotic trick glass from Nuremberg to a private museum in Portugal.

Design & Decorative Arts

Sarah Myerscough Gallery (UK) sold Christopher Kurtz’s Sheets Desk to a British private collector.

Galerie Maria Wettergren (Paris) exhibited in the Focus section of the fair where booths present works by a single artist. The gallery sold the majority of its pieces by the Norwegian female artist, Gjertrud Hals, to collectors from China, the US, the Netherlands and France.

Caterina Tognon (Italy) sold Primavera, a hyper-realistic glass composition by Lilla Tabasso, destined for an important collection of contemporary art.

Works on Paper

As the fair concluded W&K – Wienerroither & Kohlbacker (Austria) was in negotiations with two private collectors and two museums, all vying to acquire its rediscovered masterpiece Portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona by Gustav Klimt, which had an asking price of €15 million.

Colnaghi Elliot Master Drawings (UK) made 13 sales including two to European institutions with prices up to €350,000.

Stéphane Clavreuil Rare Books (Paris) sold a miniature travel library comprising 19 books published between 1582 and 1606, preserved in their contemporary travel case, which was acquired by a private collector with an asking price of €100,000.

Stephen Ongpin Fine Art (UK) sold a large pastel work by the Italian-British artist, Lavinia Harrington, a TEFAF début for a young artist who recently graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art. The piece was acquired by an Asian private client.

James Butterwick (UK) presented a booth of works by Ukranian artists, selling six pieces by Yakov Chernikhov to an interior designer based in Lisbon. A further work by Oleksandr Bohomazov was acquired by a British private collector.

Agnews Works on Paper (Belgium) sold every day of the fair, in total around 20 pieces including Rodin’s, The Sun Goes Down, acquired by a private collector.

Kunsthandlung Helmut H. Rumbler (Germany) sold The Three Trees, a 17^th century etching and engraving by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn to a private collector.

Ancient and African Art

Serge Schoffel - Art Premier (Belgium) sold a 19^th century Royal Olifant Horn, Kingdom of Bamum, Cameroon to a private collector, which had a high six-figure asking price.

Charles Ede (UK) showed a selection of fine and ancient art alongside each other, selling 20 works priced at up to €300,000. Clients included two international institutions and European buyers.

David Aaron (UK) sold Ushabti of Amun-meku to a US private collector for a six-figure sum.

TEFAF Showcase Prize 2025, Presented by J.P. Morgan

A highlight of the fair was the TEFAF Showcase Prize, awarded to Paris-based Galerie Raphael Durazzo, who made an exceptional presentation of graphic works by Hilla Rebay, a pioneering figure in abstract art whose influence on the American art scene is now gaining recognition.

TESTIMONIALS

Bertrand Gautier from Talabardon & Gautier reflected: "It’s been a wonderful and successful week. We’ve sold pieces every day of the fair, made connections with new private collectors, and received reservations from major museums in Europe and the US."

First-time exhibitor, Margot McKinney, shared: “Being part of TEFAF has been an incredible opportunity to engage with a diverse coterie of highly knowledgeable visitors. The fair’s reputation for excellence is unparalleled. I have sold important gem stone pieces and received serious interest in several of my masterpieces."

Manon van den Beuken, Director of TEFAF Maastricht, emphasized: "TEFAF Maastricht is more than an art fair - it is a global meeting point where art history, commerce and scholarship intersect. This year’s achievements reaffirm our commitment to fostering excellence and expanding cultural dialogue among collectors, institutions and galleries worldwide."

The next iteration of TEFAF will open in New York from May 9-13, 2025 (May 8 by invitation). TEFAF Maastricht returns in 2026 from March 14-19 (March 12 and 13 by invitation).

www.tefaf.com

ENDS

ABOUT TEFAF

TEFAF is a not-for-profit foundation that champions expertise, excellence, and diversity in the global art community. This is evidenced by the exhibitors selected for its two fairs, which occur annually in Maastricht and New York. TEFAF is an expert guide for private and institutional collectors, inspiring art lovers and buyers everywhere.

ABOUT TEFAF MAASTRICHT

TEFAF Maastricht is widely regarded as the world’s premier fair for fine art, antiques, and design, covering 7,000 years of art history, from ancient to contemporary. Featuring over 270 prestigious dealers from some 22 countries, TEFAF Maastricht is a showcase for the finest artworks currently on the market. Alongside the traditional areas of Old Master paintings, antiques, and classical antiquities that cover approximately half of the fair, you can also find modern and contemporary art, photography, jewelry, 20th-century design, and works on paper.

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