TEFAF: REMBRANDT FOR SALE
[BIZ: Helvoirt, January 14] Modern & contemporary art American artist Helen Frankenthaler worked for six years (from 1982 to 1988) on her masterpiece Gateway, a colored intaglio print that she worked into twelve different three-leaf bronze folding screens. It is the only time that she combined painting, printing and sculpture. The National Gallery in Washington and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra each have an example. David Tunick (New York) is offering a Gateway screen for sale at TEFAF. Painting, Drawings and Prints section Antiques & Objets d’Art Russian applied art Chinese applied art Classical Antiquities & Egyptian art
There will be a Rembrandt for sale at the Tefaf in the Mecc in Maastricht from March 10 through 19. This is a portrait of the apostle 'James the Major', Rembrandt's last religious painting (1661). It has been in private ownership in the US for the last 60 years and is being sold by the Salander-O’Reilly Galleries, New York. The portrait is estimated to be worth between EUR 35-40m. There is also a painting of a ‘Man in a red doublet’ (1633) for sale by Noortman in Maastricht, estimated value EUR 27m (source of prices: Dagblad de Limburger).
TEFAF Maastricht the renowned international art and antiques fair, is strengthening the array of modern and contemporary art, antique jewelry and Old Masters on offer. Asian and Russian art will also receive a significant boost. From March 10 to 19, 2006 a total of 215 galleries, art and antique dealers are taking part, 26 of whom are new.
Several new contemporary dealers are joining TEFAF in 2006, further strengthening the contemporary art in the Modern section. Newcomers to the Fair, Gagosian Gallery (London/New York) is bringing a Rachel Whiteread sculpture and works by Twombly and Warhol while Richard Gray Gallery (Chicago) is offering a sculpture by Claes Oldenburg of an ashtray with seven butts from 1968. Also new to the Fair, Pace Wildenstein (New York) is bringing a very recent Oldenburg, Beached Lutes – Version Two, 2005, three lutes of decorated muslin which was made in collaboration with Coosje van Bruggen, his artistic partner since 1978. Sperone Westwater (New York) is bringing a 2005 work by Julian Schnabel, Sonanbul, executed in mixed media while Acquavella
Galleries (New York) is showing an important early still life by Georges Braque, La Table.
Moeller Fine Art (New York) are showing an erotic beach scene by Eric Fischl, The Day the Shah Ran By. Jablonka Galerie (Cologne) have an even more risqué Bathroom Scene from 2005 by the same artist.
This section of the Fair acts as a perennial draw for collectors from around the globe. French & Company (New York) is bringing a large painting by the Belgian symbolist Léon Fréderic, whose work rarely comes on to the market. Nature of Abundance was originally one of five panels, the other four being in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The Weiss Gallery (London) has a perfectly preserved portrait of Madeleine le Clerc du Tremblay by the French artist, Francois Clouet and Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts (New York) is offering an interesting portrait of Sir Joseph Duveen, the great art dealer, by the Swiss artist Count Adolfo Muller-Ury. This portrait adorns the cover of the recently published biography of Duveen. Noortman Master Paintings (Maastricht) is showing Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Bearded Man in a Red Doublet (1633), while Moretti (Florence) is bringing a small, striking 14th-century portrait by Paolo Veneziano of a bishop in his robes in colorful tempera on board. David Koetser Gallery (Zurich) and Haboldt & Co. (Paris) are each showing a still life by Adriaen Coorte; Five South Seas Shells and a Still-life of Strawberries in a Wan-Li Bowl on a Ledge.
Wildenstein & Co (New York), who is taking part in a fair for the first time in their history, are bringing a winter scene of the Gare Montparnasse in the snow, 1913,. by Albert Marquet
Luis Elvira (Oropesa del Mar) will be showing a unique 12th-century Catalan statue, Christ in Majesty, on which the original expressive polychrome has been preserved. Brimo de Laroussilhe (Paris) is showing a well-preserved 13th century reliquary decorated with paintings of Christ, Mary, John and Clare, the saint whose relics it originally contained. The chest comes from the collection of the great American collector Samuel Kress. Among their most interesting pieces, Albrecht Neuhaus (Würzburg) has an important example of 18th century chinoiserie; a secretaire painted with Chinese landscapes, figures and other depictions. The secretaire was probably made for Clemens August, the Elector of Cologne.
Newcomers to the Fair, Antoine Chenevière (London), will be bringing a range of Russian art and artifacts. One of their most important pieces is a mahogany commode dating from around 1790, decorated with marquetry and gilded bronze neo-classical decoration. The commode was made by the German architect and furniture maker Christian Meyer, who was working in St Petersburg. A La Vieille Russie (New York) has a rectangular presentation case in gold and grey-blue guilloché enamel, also from Saint Petersburg, designed around 1895 by Friedrich Koechli. The lid carries the crowned monogram of Tsar Nicolas II set in diamonds.
The Chinese Imari water butt in the collection of Luis Alegria (Oporto), is exceptional in its size (62.5 cm) and an extremely rare piece. The porcelain is decorated with peonies, chrysanthemums, dragons and scrollwork and a Buddhist lion sits enthroned on the lid. Equally rare is the bronze Tibeto-Chinese peacock on a dragon’s throne spreading its wings and flaunting its tail being offered by Marcel Nies Oriental Art (Antwerp). It dates from the 15th century and is 40 cm high. The Chinese dignitary (circa 1735) from Vanderven & Vanderven (’s-Hertogenbosch) is a striking piece because of its height (43.5 cm) and the conspicuous famille rose coloration. Jorge Welsh (Lisbon) is bringing a Chinese famille rose figure of a seated Hollander on a cask from the Qianlong period, made between 1760 and 1780 and inspired by Delft examples.
Galerie Harmakhis (Brussels) is showing a seated limestone Hem-Min (48 cm high) from the Ancient Empire of Egypt, (c. 2345-2195 B.C.). He worked as a site engineer in the army and also acted as expedition leader in the search for gold and precious stones in the Nile valley and in Nubia.
AXA Art, principal sponsor of TEFAF
The Thrill of Collecting - in 2006 AXA Art will celebrate the variety of collections that the Company protects with a display of curious and wonderful objects loaned by passionate collectors. The impact of water damage will also be explored - a concern at the forefront of the art world’s minds following Hurricane Katrina.
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