TEFAF 2019: Maastricht Fair Reflects Mature European Collecting

The 2019 edition of TEFAF Maastricht, tailored to mature European collectors, saw the Modern section expand at the expense of Paintings (Old Masters), while antiquities and works on paper remained stable. Design and tribal art were merged into one area. Islamic art was nearly absent, and carpets were scarce. Chinese artifacts of all periods increased, and Japanese modern and contemporary art (Lee Ufan, Yayoi Kusama) was ubiquitous. Highlights included a unique 1834 painting by Louis Daguerre and Charles-Marie Bouton of the Camposanto di Pisa (Perrin), late 19th-century wooden arms from British Columbia (Galerie Meyer), monumental Kangxi vases from Palazzo Ala Ponzone (Alessandra Di Castro), and works by Canaletto, Bellotto, Boldini, Jacob Jordaens (Colnaghi), and Amedeo Modigliani (Hammer Galleries). Italian galleries like Tornabuoni and Mazzoleni showed many works by Lucio Fontana, Alighiero Boetti, and Arte Povera artists; the Zero group was less present. Victor Vasarely returned, George Condo was popular, and notable sculptures included those by Urs Fischer (Massimo De Carlo), Rosemarie Trockel (Spruth Magers), John Chamberlain (Karsten Greve), Barry X Ball (Fergus McCaffrey), and Ugo Rondinone (Kamel Mennour). Van der Weghe presented important pieces. The fair was impeccably organized but did not surprise, reflecting a mature collecting continent in difficulty. Its benchmark is now evening sales at Christie's and Sotheby's, which are faster and more aggressive.