If there were a big bang for the universe of art, the explosion would have occurred inside TEFAF Maastricht. The annual art fair showcases 7,000 years of art history while fusing a collection of the world’s greatest masterpieces of fine arts and antiques. From early Rembrandt to a ring crafted by Salvador Dalí, TEFAF Maastricht invites attendees to travel through the timeline of art history.

Located in the historical town of Maastricht in the Netherlands, the European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) Maastricht occurs every year in the middle of March at the Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Center (MEEC). With an annual average of 70,000 visitors, the 10-day fair has gained global recognition for its broad range of exhibitions which features works from 280 reputable art dealers from 22 different countries. TEFAF Maastricht showcases masterpieces across different categories of fine arts and antiques: from Old Masters, Haute Joaillerie and antiques, to contemporary paintings and sculptures, 20th-century design, and works on paper. The art fair, which is exclusively organized by world-renowned art dealers, is largely praised for its focus on authenticity, which is ensured by a well-established vetting team. While many art fairs are made to entertain pairs of eyes hunting for the next great artist, TEFAF Maastricht exposes the world’s greatest masterpieces of fine arts and antiques. Some of the pieces that have been featured in TEFAF Maastricht’s exhibitions include Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” and a portrait by revered Diego Velazquez.

Established in 1988, TEFAF Maastricht emerged from the union between two predecessor specialized art fairs: Pictura, which opened its doors as “Europe’s first fine arts fair” in 1975, and Antiqua Maastricht, a specialized antique fair which debuted in 1978. Moreover, the TEFAF Art Market Report makes the fair a quintessential contributor to the global art market. The program of independent research about the art market published annually since 2002, provides knowledge about under-researched and evolving areas of the global art market. As a result of TEFAF Maastricht’s immense success, the fair expanded to the United States in 2016. TEFAF New York, happens every May in the global art center in New York City and focuses on Contemporary Art and Design.

The themed exhibitions at TEFAF Maastricht are a piece of art by themselves. In one moment, all your eyes know to do is to drown at the sight of 18th-century sculptures and paintings, which are perfectly illuminated to contrast the dark navy walls and black floor you stand on. With just a few steps, you cross a portal into another era of art history. Now, you are contemplating a piece of modern art that seems to pop out of the white walls and floors of a room illuminated with different colored lights. The fair’s elaborate themed exhibitions allow attendees to further appreciate the different eras of art history and travel in time. The themed exhibition rooms foster a deeper understanding and connection with the pieces of fine arts and antiques as well as the context in which the pieces were created. An example as such is the 2019 exhibition of the Jean Michel Renard gallery “Le Salon de Musique,” a themed presentation of antique musical instruments, including a harp that belonged to queen victoria’s daughter. The exhibition mimicked a Victorian music salon allowing visitors, who could freely walk inside the exhibition, to be transported to the time the instruments in the display were produced.

 

 TEFAF Maastricht has become a haven for art collectors because of its devotion to the authenticity of the exhibited pieces. To ensure that art enthusiasts are confident of buying pieces, TEFAF has a vetting team of about 190 scholars and vetters from more than 15 countries. Each year before the fair opens, the vetting committee thoroughly analyzes the pieces of fine arts and antiques concerning their condition, authenticity, and attribution to guarantee that each piece is worthy of display. To further ensure the authenticity of its pieces, exhibits at TEFAF are checked against the Art Loss Register (ALR), the world’s largest privately managed database of missing, stolen, and looted antiques and works of art. Notable art sales at TEFAF include Van Gogh’s “Peasant Woman in front of a Farmhouse” (July 1885), sold in 2020 by the London-based Gallery Dickinson for around 12-15 million Euros. 

TEFAF Maastricht introduces attendees to a bulk of the world’s greatest pieces of fine arts and antiques. While taking a journey through the different eras of art history, attendees can confidently be assured that each exhibited piece is authentic and worthy of the breathtaking themed exhibitions. In this explosion of culture, the history of art is condensed and scattered across different rooms; all one needs to do is step back and appreciate it.