The European Fine Art Fair -TEFAF- Maastricht 2003 - Sales Beyond Expectations in the First Four Days.

Entertainment Editors

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2003

The sixteenth European Fine Art Fair opened on Thursday March 13 with a glittering vernissage. Despite a poor economic outlook, impending war and ten percent less visitors (around 25,000 in the first four days) the sales were far beyond expectations. Noortman, Maastricht, sold various paintings on the opening night, amongst which an early work of Monet. Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam, started the fair selling his top piece: an extremely rare garniture of brown Dutch Delftware. The near life-size marble Roman torso of Dionysus at Royal-Athena Galleries, New York, also went to a collector. TEFAF runs until March 23, 2003 at the MECC (Maastricht Congress Center), Maastricht.

Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Many exhibitors reported good business in this section. Maastricht dealer, Noortman made a number of sales over the first weekend, including La Route de Prunay a Bougival, oil on canvas, signed and dated 1874 by Alfred Sisley and La Chapelle de Notre-Dame de Grace, Honfleur, oil on canvas, signed and dated 1864, by Claude Monet. Dover Street Gallery, London, also sold well including a still life by Giorgio Morandi, dated 1953, to a French private collector. The Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen bought Retour de Chasse, oil on canvas, by Carle Vernet (1758-1836) from Bernheimer-Colnaghi, London and Munich. An interior scene by Pierre David Le Camus (1790-1854), oil on canvas was sold to an American private collector for around $120,000 by John Mitchell & Sons, London, whereas a beautiful coastal scene of Simon de Vlieger, offered by David Koetser Gallery, Zurich, went to a Dutch collector.

Modern Art

The Modern Art section at TEFAF Maastricht is one that, in recent years, has provided some very strong sales. Waddington Galleries, London, sold a large Damien Hirst butterfly painting. Waddington's other sales included small Mother and Child bronze by Henry Moore to a private American collector and two Turnbull sculptures. A large scale untitled bronze by Abraham David Christian on the stand of new dealers, Beck & Eggeling, Dusseldorf, also sold. London specialist, Richard Nagy sold three works by Egon Schiele including one of Melanie Schiele, his sister, 1908, and was delighted by the amount of serious interest in a series of drawings of Berlin from 1920s by Georg Grosz, while Thomas Munich sold various watercolors by Emil Nolde with a total value of 500,000 euros to a single European collector. These sales reflect the growing interest in German Expressionism among European buyers.

Antiques & Works of Art

Robert Bowman, London, was delighted to sell Le Baiser (The Kiss) by Auguste Rodin to a European private collector for a sum in the region of 380,000 euros. Leading Belgian dealer, Axel Vervoordt, 's-Gravenwezel, sold his best piece on the opening weekend, a 3rd-2nd century B.C. statue of Venus in white marble. Oriental specialist, Ben Janssens, London, sold twenty-two pieces on the opening evening including four pottery jars with impressed designs, China, Western Zhou dynasty, 10th-9th century BC, for 20,000 euros to a Canadian private dealer. A collection of eight warriors' spears from Melanesia and Polynesia made from wood, fiber and pigment sold to a private Dutch collector from the stand of Parisian dealer, Anthony Meyer-Oceanic Art. Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam was pleased to report the sale of an extremely rare, early 18th-century, brown Dutch Delftware garniture, three vases with covers and two beakers.

Classical Antiquities & Egyptian Works of Art

An American private collector bought a Roman marble near life-size nude torso of Dionysus from 1st-2nd century A.D., formerly in the collection of the Earl of Lonsdale, from leading New York specialist, Royal-Athena Galleries. London specialist, Charles Ede, reported many sales including his catalogue piece, a marble bust of a young boy, Roman Antonine period c. 135 A.D. to an American museum, whereas Kunsthandel Mieke Zilverberg, Amsterdam, sold thirteen pieces to an Asian collector, amongst which an Egyptian golden funeral diadem.

In the Illuminated Manuscripts, Rare Books and Maps section the Biblia Latina, a complete illuminated vellum copy of the fourth edition of the Vulgate Bible, 1462, on the stand of Heribert Tenschert, Ramsen and Rotthalmunster, brought many serious enquiries, while in the Haute Joaillerie du Monde section, Gianmaria Buccellati, Milan, reported many sales and Graff, London, reported enormous interest in their 'Star of America' diamond, on sale for $20 million.

Chubb is lead sponsor of TEFAF

Since 2001 the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has been the principal sponsor of TEFAF Maastricht. Chubb is a leading global insurance organization, providing premier personal and commercial insurance. Masterpiece is Chubb's specialist program for prestigious homes, valuables, jewelry, fine art and antiques.

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