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From a monumental Picasso worth more than £50m to the Head of an Angel and a female fertility idol from the first millennium BC, we discover the TEFAF directors' highly curated selection of masterpieces from this year's Fine Art and Antiques Fair in Maastricht.
BY WILL KORNER & MANON VAN DEN BEUKEN | HAPPENINGS | 10 MARCH 2025
Last year's TEFAF Maastricht © Loraine Bodewes. Courtesy of TEFAF.
Since opening in 1988, The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has produced some of the most exciting events in the global art and design calendar, drawing eminent dealers, collectors and passionate antiquarians to TEFAF Maastricht (April) and TEFAF New York (May). But with so many masterpieces to see, one is spoilt for choice, and this choice can often be overwhelming. Curation and focus is essential.
We asked Director of TEFAF Maastricht, Manon Van den Beuken, and Head of TEFAF Fairs, Will Korner, to each choose five notable highlights from this year's TEFAF Maastricht. Read on for some very special objects, and the reasons they chose them.
Manon Van den Beuken, Director of TEFAF Maastricht
Vanderven Oriental Art (Netherlands) - Chinese porcelain flower pyramid
Flower & Landscapes, China, Kangxi Period (1662-1722), c.1700 Porcelain flower pyramid, height: 61 cm. Courtesy of Vanderven Oriental Art.
Vanderven Oriental Art, a founding exhibitor at TEFAF, will be bringing an unusually large, rare Chinese porcelain flower pyramid this year. Examples such as these were undoubtedly considered exclusive luxury items when they arrived in Europe.
Flower pyramids - also referred to as tulip vases - were first made by the Delft potteries in the late 17th century. This Chinese flower pyramid was probably considered even rarer than its Delftware equivalent. Decorated in a bright underglaze blue, it is divided into three trapezoid tiers - the top one ending in a pointed pinnacle with a blue finial. Similar vases (all smaller) and with more European decoration on the base panels, are in the collections of the V&A and Kunstmuseum, The Hague, among others.
Landau Fine Art (Canada) - Pablo Picasso, Les Dormeurs, 1956
Pablo Picasso, Les Dormeurs, 1956, Oil on canvas. Courtesy of Landau Fine Art.
Les Dormeurs holds a distinguished place in Picasso’s legacy and the history of modern art. Created during his late prolific years, it explores the profound emotional and intellectual connection between artist and muse. The painting captures the essence of his bond with Jacqueline, blending the roles of observer and subject into a singular, unified presence.
The work has been exhibited in some of the most important cultural institutions worldwide, including the Louvre, Stedelijk Museum, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Tate, Centre Pompidou, and Musee Picasso. It featured in Picasso’s seminal 1971 Retrospective at the Louvre, one of the rare occasions when the Mona Lisa was relocated to make way for another piece. It was also chosen by Picasso’s esteemed and long-time dealer, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, to hang behind his desk.
Margot McKinney (Australia) - Marina Collier
Marina Collier: Gems of green beryl, aquamarine and green tourmaline, 25 rare baroque Australian South Sea pearls. Courtesy of Margot McKinney.
Making its debut at TEFAF Maastricht, this piece showcases extraordinarily large gems of green beryl, aquamarine and green tourmaline set against a backdrop of rare baroque Australian South Sea pearls. Inspired by the Great Barrier Reef, the gems have been arranged to evoke the shimmering waters of the Coral Sea. The pearls were harvested over several years from the seas of McKinney’s native Australia. As a first-time exhibitor at TEFAF, McKinney has created several new works for TEFAF, in addition to Marina Collier.
Alessandra Di Castro (Italy) - Giovanni Volpato, Head of an Angel after Alessandro Algardi
Giovanni Volpato, Head of an Angel after Alessandro Algardi circa 1790. Biscuit porcelain, height: 40cm. Photo courtesy of Fiorenzo Niccoli.
Although unsigned, this extraordinary biscuit porcelain can be attributed with certainty to the Roman workshop of Giovanni Volpato. Volpato created unique pieces on commission that were never produced in a series; this outstanding example is among them. The coloring of the paste, intended to evoke the patinas of ancient Roman statuary, recalls many of the pieces produced in Volpato’s workshop, examples of which are held in collections of esteemed cultural institutions including the MET.
The subject is derived not from classical antiquity but from the work of Alessandro Algardi, one of the most important Roman sculptors of the 17th century. It is after the head of the angel that appears in the group of San Filippo Neri and the Angel in 1640 in the Roman church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, one of Rome's great Baroque churches of Rome.
Richard Saltoun Gallery (UK) - Juliana Seraphim, Princess with a Hookah (Princesse au narguileh)
Juliana Seraphim, Princess with a Hookah (Princesse au narguileh), 1994. Oil on canvas 60 x 80 cm. Courtesy of Richard Saltoun Gallery.
Richard Saltoun is one of 10 galleries in TEFAF’s Focus section, presenting works by Seraphim (1934-2005, Palestine-Lebanon). Now in its second year, TEFAF Focus 2025 will showcase 10 solo artists' projects across four continents, dating from the 19th century, through Impressionism, to 20th and 21st-century art and design. A leading member of the Middle Eastern art scene since 1960s, Seraphim is known for her unique Surrealist style and iconography. She developed a unique visual vocabulary rooted in the perception of a ‘woman’s world’, with layers of dreamlike imagery.
Will Korner, Head of Fairs, TEFAF
Galleria Continua (Italy) - Ai Wei Wei Atlanta and Hippomenes (After Guido Reni) 2024
Ai Wei Wei Atalanta and Hippomenes (After Guido Reni) 2024 Toy bricks 190 x 266 cm. Image courtesy of Galleria Continua.
It is the perfect realization of TEFAF’s combination of both ‘old’ and ‘new’, with this work directly inspired by Guido Reni’s Atalanta and Hippomenes (1620 – 1625) now in the collection of the Museo Capodimonte in Naples. The work has even more context at the fair this year, as we have the Capodimonte displaying masterpieces from their collection as our annual special museum exhibition.
Galerie Pauline Pavec (France) - Marie Bracquemond, Paysage à la ruelle
Marie Bracquemond, Paysage à la ruelle 1870–1885. Courtesy of Galerie Pauline Pavec.
We are really looking forward to the second edition of TEFAF Focus, and the exciting young French gallery, Pauline Pavec, is exhibiting for a second time – this time with a dedicated booth to discover this overlooked female Impressionist.
Amir Mohtashemi (UK) - A Safavid Blue and White Charger
Amir Mohtashemi (UK), A Safavid Blue and White Charger 17th century. Fritware decorated in underglaze cobalt blue. Courtesy of Amir Mohtashemi.
East meets West at TEFAF Maastricht more and more these days, and this wonderful Safavid charger from UK-based gallery Amir Mohtashemi is, for me, a perfect meeting point.
Galerie Lefebvre (France and US)- Alberto Giacometti, “Feuille" bronze standing lamp
Alberto Giacometti, "Feuille" bronze standing lamp, 1936, Bronze with gold patina. Courtesy of Galerie Lefebvre.
I love this Alberto Giacometti lamp for its beautiful, balanced simplicity. The lines are fantastic but with a little flourish – this is definitely one I would love to have at home!
Galerie Kevorkian (France) - Monumental pinhead with female fertility idol and animals
Monumental pinhead with female fertility idol and animals, Western Iran, Luristan. Bronze, early 1st millennium BC. Courtesy of Galerie Kevorkian.
As an archaeologist originally, a highlight of TEFAF for me is always the Ancient Art section. In particular, I can’t wait to see this piece of early bronzework.
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TEFAF Maastricht, 2025
March 15 - 20, 2025, MECC Maastricht, MAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS
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