Call it a cultural migration. Every March, lovers of art, antiques and jewels flock to the small Dutch town of Maastricht, situated close to the borders of Belgium and Germany. There are no direct flights from North America to this, the Netherlands' oldest city; you must change planes in Amsterdam or drive about two hours from there or Brussels. Yet this doesn't deter the droves of museum directors, curators, art historians and private collectors who gather here every year for The European Fine Art Fair, referred to as TEFAF by its organizers (insiders call it simply Maastricht).
Considered by many the biggest and best fair of its kind in the world, Maastricht showcases some 200 leading art and antiques dealers from the United States, South America and Europe. (By comparison, Paris's Biennale des Antiquaires has about 100 participants, London's Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair approximately 90 and New York's International Fine Art Fair about 60.) There's a celebratory vibe in the air at Maastricht as dealers unveil their choicest pieces, many of which are reserved for the occasion. "TEFAF is an extraordinary success story," says London-based Ben Janssens, a dealer in early Chinese art who has shown there since 1997. "There's a long waiting list. Most galleries want to participate in the fair, and few dealers ever drop out, because Maastricht is just so good for business."
If the ten-day art extravaganza that is present-day Maastricht is a far cry from the small, mostly regional picture show it started out as in 1975, one thing hasn't changed: the fair's fame was built on its strong Old Masters, and they continue to be a major strength. Last year more than fifty dealers, including such celebrated names as Johnny van Haeften, Robert Noortman and Didier Aaron, were in attendance. It is estimated that 70 percent of the finest Old Masters on the market can be seen at Maastricht.
And now there's also a breathtaking variety of splendid objects to keep them company. Where else can you find ten dealers in antique jewelry among eighty-eight exhibitors of antiques, as collectors could last year? There are specialists in tapestries, silver, ancient Asian ceramics, ethnographic art, 18th-century boiserie, bold 20th-century furniture and magical Renaissance objets d'art. Stunning armor, fabulous diamond creations and rare illuminated manuscripts are among the many other treasures on view. And modern art, with thirty-three exhibitors last year, is the fastest-growing category, thanks in part to the inspired efforts of London dealer and former TEFAF board member Leslie Waddington.
Touring Maastricht's nearly 300,000 square feet is like getting a top-notch art history lesson. (Perhaps mindful of the superlative displays, by the way, visitors always dress to impress.) Much of what is for sale at Maastricht is of museum quality too. Among last year's 75,000 visitors were representatives of 50 world-class art institutions, including the National Gallery, in London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York; and the Louvre, in Paris. "Curators and directors love Maastricht, because many dealers premiere their top items during this event," says Peter C. Sutton, executive director of the Bruce Museum, in Greenwich, Connecticut, who first came to Maastricht as a curator for Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. "Everything is conveniently clustered under one roof, and you can see, and buy, a lot in one day."
The exceptional quality, as well as the broad range of media, periods and styles and the wide selection within each, makes Maastricht a magnet not only for internationally prominent collectors but also for those just starting out. Here you can invest in a work of art with confidence, thanks to the fair's famous vetting committees, which together include more than 130 experts who carefully examine each item. "At some fairs the dealers do their own vetting, which, needless to say, is not always objective," says Sutton, who has served for many years on the Old Masters committee at Maastricht. "Here you've got the world's foremost museum directors, curators and conservators, who go over everything with a fine-tooth comb."
