By Johanna Menzel
The Dutch art fair TEFAF Maastricht, which was first held in 1988 and covers over 7000 years of art history, is held annually. With a two-day premiere for collectors only, TEFAF will open on 5 March 2020. Everyone who is active in the field of fine arts should visit TEFAF in Maastricht. It is an annual festival for thousands of curious visitors, art lovers, critics and collectors, who can be enchanted by more than 275 antique and art dealers from 20 countries. It is not for nothing that it bears the name “The world’s leading art and antiques fair”. It has developed into a competition to well-known art centres such as Paris and London and is aimed at wealthy collectors from all over the world.
History of TEFAF Maastricht
Maastricht is a historic city in the centre of Europe. During the Golden Age of the Netherlands in the 17th century, shipping and international trade brought prosperity and fame to the city. In 1975 an international art fair, Pictura, was opened here. Three years later an antique fair, Antiqua, was held. These two fairs merged, and the European art fair TEFAF was born. This link between the fine arts and the antique collection has become a highlight of Maastricht.
TEFAF´s unrivalled quality level
TEFAF Maastricht is a forum for the best works of art currently available on the market and is considered to be unsurpassed in its level of quality and in the methods it uses to determine and guarantee the authenticity of each painting and object offered. Participating dealers are admitted only after a rigorous selection process. Two days before the opening, the masterpieces brought along are checked for quality, condition and authenticity by one of the 150 internationally recognized experts. A number of objects that are classified as not authentic or of “poor quality” are regularly stored until the end of the fair. The inspection process has been tightened up again in 2019, with an even more independent inspection committee and stricter standards for exhibitors, so that TEFAF customers can purchase the masterpieces without any doubts about quality. In addition, TEFAF has joined the leading organisation for stolen art to ensure complete transparency towards collectors. Representatives from approximately 225 major museums such as the Louvre in Paris, the Prado in Madrid, the Frick Collection in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Getty Center in Los Angeles visit the fair regularly. Among the wealthy visitors to TEFAF, many of whom fly in on private jets, were Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani, Silvio Berlusconi, Calvin Klein, Brad Pitt and Kanye West.
Exhibited items
Among the masterpieces on display are medieval manuscripts, maps, coins, classical antiques, silver, jewellery, porcelain, furniture, modern art and other objects from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, England, Italy, Egypt, Asia, Africa and South America.
The fair is divided into the following sections:
– Paintings, drawings and prints
– Antiques and art objects (including sculptures)
– Articles of daily use and furniture
– Classical antiques and ancient Egyptian artefacts
– Manuscripts, rare books and maps
– Jewellery
– Modern Art
The traditional areas such as antiques and paintings by important old masters will make up about half of the fair. With its transparent organisation, TEFAF Maastricht is not only a trendsetter for the art market. It also offers a multicultural communication platform that is authentic and dynamic.
Highlights TEFAF Maastricht 2020
In its 33rd edition the TEFAF offers again this year some special features that you should definitely take a look at. Fly Aeolus has compiled some of the highlights for you:
- Hendrik van Balen: The Wedding Feast of Peleus and Tetis, ca. 1605, provided by the gallery Arnoldi-Livie (Stand 339)
- José Álvarez Cubero: Bust of Gioachino Rossini, ca. 1828, provided by sculpture dealer Joan Wijermars (Stand 150)
- The Anglesey Tiara: a Victorian tiara consisting of a staggered row of old European and old mine cut diamonds
- Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn: Adam and Eve, 1638, provided by art dealer Helmut H. Rumbler (Stand 726)
George Prior: A George III quarter-chiming organ table clock, 1780, provided by antique dealer Mentink&Roest (Stand 172)
- And many more!
Event location: MECC
The Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre (abbreviated MECC Maastricht) is a congress centre in Maastricht, located in the Randwyck district. The building complex was constructed between 1961 and 1988 and consists of various halls as well as offices and supply rooms. The two main halls A and B have an audience capacity of 1,700 and 2,500 seats. In addition to the TEFAF, other trade fairs and concerts are held, for example by Joe Cocker, Tina Turner or André Rieu. To better plan your stay, take a look at the exhibitor plan here.
Tickets
– Adults: 40 €
– Season ticket: 100 €
– Students/youth (12-18): 20 €.
– Children under 12 years have free admission
Tickets can be purchased directly on the TEFAF website, but also on arrival.
Guided Tours
Learn about the different styles of art, recognize different eras and discover the history behind the work of art. A guided tour by one of the professional guides will certainly enrich your visit to TEFAF. The following guided tours are offered:
Highlight Tour
Twice a day, from 7 to 15 March, there will be public guided tours. During a one-hour tour you will be shown this year’s highlights within the various art sections such as photography, Old Masters, design, etc. Each tour is limited to a maximum of 12 people and the price is €7.50 per person.
Interested? You can register at the information desk on the day of the tour itself. The starting times vary from day to day.
Private Guided Tour
Book a one-hour private tour with one of our professional art historians. The TEFAF offers various themed tours, such as Modern and Contemporary Art, Women in Art, Jewellery and more.
Groups can consist of a maximum of 12 people and the cost is €295. You can book a private tour here.
TEFAF New York
In addition to the annual TEFAF Maastricht Fair in March, TEFAF expanded into the United States in October 2016. It presents two more fairs – TEFAF New York Fall and TEFAF New York Spring – which take place in October and May respectively in the global art center New York City. TEFAF has therefore established itself as an important date in the New York art calendar and will be held this year in its fourth edition of TEFAF New York Spring. This fair focuses on modern and contemporary art and design. The TEFAF New York Fall, on the other hand, focuses on fine and decorative art from antiquity to 1920.
As a Fly Aeolus frequent flyer, you will not be bothered by announcements like “Tickets will be on sale soon”. Every year we give away exclusive day tickets for the TEFAF in Maastricht. Not a frequent flyer yet? Fly Aeolus can still bring you to TEFAF Maastricht 2020. Check out our price calculator to receive a non-binding offer. When hiring a private jet, you can save a lot of time by arriving at the airport of your choice just 15 minutes before take-off and you can avoid the stress at big airports.
For more events in Europe, have a look at our blog about top events in Europe!
If you have any further questions, please contact us at info@flyaeolus.com or give us a call: +32 (0)3 500 9082
We look forward to hearing from you!