Tefaf New York: determination in the face of Trump’s tariff chaos

Tefaf New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory with 91 exhibitors from four continents, presenting 7,000 years of art amid uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump's recently announced tariff regime. The fair's director, Leanne Jagtiani, sent a letter to exhibitors acknowledging the "significant impacts" on the industry, assuring them of close communication with shippers and legal advisers, and advocating for the exclusion of artworks from potential EU reciprocal tariffs. While artworks are understood to be exempt, antiques and contemporary works in unconventional materials may be subject to the new tariffs, creating confusion among dealers and collectors.

Tefaf New York wish list: objects and treasures to suit every collector’s taste

Tefaf New York presents a curated wish list of objects and treasures catering to diverse collector tastes. Highlights include Lee Bontecou's monumental mixed-media sculpture 'Untitled (1980-2001)' shown by Ortuzar and Marc Selwyn Fine Art, a rare René Magritte collage from 1926 offered by Di Donna Galleries, an ancient Egyptian bronze Osiris statue from David Aaron, and an Aboriginal painting by Mantua Nangala from Salon 94. Each piece is accompanied by price estimates and provenance details, reflecting the fair's focus on high-quality, historically significant works.

'I wanted to catch the desperation': Dries Verhoeven on turning the Dutch pavilion into a bunker for the Venice Biennale

Artist Dries Verhoeven has transformed the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennale into a bunker-like space by covering its iconic glass-and-steel structure with metal shutters. Inside, visitors experience a gradually darkening environment and a raw vocal performance by 13 rotating performers, intended to evoke desperation and confusion about contemporary global crises. The work critiques the modernist ideals of openness and optimism embodied by the pavilion, designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1953.

rare greek funerary sculpture tefaf david aaron

A rare ancient Greek funerary sculpture, the Stele of Medeia (375-350 BCE), is being offered for sale at the TEFAF art fair by the London gallery David Aaron. The piece, priced at £450,000, depicts an unmarried young woman and retains significant original pigment. It has already attracted significant interest from a major US museum.

interest in asian art strong despite challenges art market

The autumn edition of Asia Week New York is underway, with auction houses reporting strong interest in Asian art despite broader economic challenges. Bonhams kicked off the week with sales totaling $7.3 million, including Chinese ceramics and snuff bottles, though it offered 47% fewer lots than last year. Top results included a blue-and-white jar selling for $1.75 million and a pair of famille rose dishes for $1.5 million. Christie’s sold a Vasudeo S. Gaitonde painting for $2.35 million and a Tyeb Mehta work for nearly $2 million. New US tariffs under the Trump administration have added uncertainty, particularly for cross-border consignments and purchases.

diana de rosa

A rediscovered Baroque painting by 17th-century Neapolitan artist Diana de Rosa, titled *Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist*, sold for £317,500 ($436,086) at Sotheby’s Old Masters and 19th Century Paintings sale in London on July 2, more than quadrupling its high estimate. The work, previously unknown to scholars, set a new auction record for the artist and was described by Sotheby’s specialist Elisabeth Lobkowicz as a powerful image comparable to Caravaggio’s treatment of the same subject.

tefaf restores black book of hours

TEFAF has selected the Black Book of Hours, a rare 15th-century illuminated manuscript from the Hispanic Society Museum and Library in New York, as the recipient of its 2025 Museum Restoration Fund. The manuscript, one of only seven known black vellum books of hours, will be displayed at TEFAF New York at the Park Avenue Armory before undergoing conservation treatment by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia. The work involves disbinding the 149-folio volume, high-resolution imaging, and addressing centuries of wear.

guy wildenstein resigns wildenstein gallery president

Guy Wildenstein has resigned as president of Wildenstein & Co., the prestigious art gallery founded by his family in 1875, after 35 years in the role. He is succeeded by his son David Wildenstein, who previously served as vice president overseeing investment and real estate, while his daughter Vanessa Wildenstein becomes vice president and director of the New York location. The announcement was made to the Art Newspaper, which first reported the news. Wildenstein, 80, was convicted of tax fraud in 2024 in a high-profile French case involving the concealment of masterworks to avoid inheritance taxes, receiving a four-year prison sentence with house arrest and a €1 million fine.

Our 6 Favorite Artworks from Women-Led Galleries Now

aicon lawsuit art dealing new york brothers dutta

Two New York art galleries run by dueling brothers are locked in a legal battle over the use of the name "Aicon." Projjal Dutta, representing Aicon Contemporary, filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court in October against his brother Prajit Dutta and director Harry Hutchison, who run Aicon Art and ArtsIndia.com. The suit alleges that the defendants have misleadingly used the names "Aicon Gallery" or simply "Aicon" instead of the agreed-upon "Aicon Art," causing confusion in the art market. The brothers previously operated the legacy Aicon Gallery together for 20 years before parting ways in 2019, but they still share the same address and phone number at 35 Great Jones Street.

Tefaf Maastricht: exhibitions to see beyond the fair

As the art world descends on the Netherlands for the TEFAF Maastricht fair, several major regional museums are launching significant exhibitions to capture the international audience. Key highlights include the Mauritshuis’s bird-themed survey co-curated by Simon Schama, the Rijksmuseum’s exploration of Ovid’s Metamorphoses featuring loans from the Galleria Borghese, and a massive Yayoi Kusama retrospective at Museum Ludwig in Cologne marking the institution's 50th anniversary.

con artist charged for fraudulent sale of courbet painting

American con artist Thomas Doyle, 68, has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly defrauding London gallery owner Patrick Matthiesen over a Gustave Courbet painting. Doyle claimed to manage a family trust with billions in assets and offered to broker the sale of Courbet's 1844 oil painting *Mother and Child on a Hammock* without commission. Instead, he delivered the work to his partner Shalva Sarukhanishvili, who sold it to Jill Newhouse Gallery for $115,000; the gallery then resold it to collector Jon Landau for $125,000. Matthiesen received no proceeds and filed a lawsuit against Doyle, Sarukhanishvili, Jill Newhouse Gallery, and Landau. Doyle has a prior fraud conviction involving a Corot painting and was described by a judge as a "career criminal."

matthiesen gallery lawsuit jill newhouse jon landau courbet

The Matthiesen Gallery in London has filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York alleging fraud, breach of contract, and other counts over a Gustave Courbet painting, *Mother and Child on a Hammock*. The gallery claims that Thomas Austin Doyle, a convicted con man, orchestrated a scheme to defraud director Patrick Matthiesen, selling the painting—valued at $650,000—through artist and dealer Shalva Sarukhanishvili to Jill Newhouse Gallery for $115,000, which then sold it to top collector Jon Landau for $125,000. The lawsuit also names Landau, who allegedly viewed the work multiple times at TEFAF fairs knowing its retail price, yet refuses to return it. Doyle has a long criminal history, including prior convictions for art fraud and theft.

lost gustav klimt portrait african prince tefaf maastricht

A long-lost Gustav Klimt portrait of an African prince, missing since World War II, has resurfaced and is now on view at TEFAF Maastricht with a €15 million ($16.4 million) price tag. The painting, titled *Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona* (1897), was brought to W&K – Wienerroither & Kohlbacher Gallery in 2023 in poor condition, but a stamp from Klimt's estate led to its identification by catalog raisonné author Alfred Weidinger, who had searched for it for two decades. The work depicts an Osu prince from present-day Ghana, created after Klimt attended an ethnographic exhibition at Vienna's Tiergarten am Schüttel where Osu people were put on display. The painting had been owned by Ernestine and Felix Klein, Jewish collectors who fled the Nazis, and is now being shown after a restitution settlement with Klein's heirs.

rediscovered klimt painting tefaf maastricht export debate

A rediscovered Gustav Klimt painting of a West African prince, shown at TEFAF Maastricht in March, has sparked a dispute over its export legality. The Hungarian publication HVG reported that the work was "smuggled" into Austria, while the Austrian outlet Der Standard countered that the Viennese gallery Wienerroither and Kohlbacher obtained the necessary export permit. The gallery denies any wrongdoing, calling HVG's claims an insinuation. The painting, made in 1897 and depicting Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, was priced at €15 million and appeared at TEFAF following a restitution settlement with the heirs of Jewish collector Ernestine Klein.

Repeat art fraudster arrested for stealing Courbet painting

London gallery owner Patrick Matthiesen consigned a Gustave Courbet painting, *Mother and Child on a Hammock* (1844), to the Nicholas Hall Gallery in New York for Tefaf Maastricht 2023, listed at $650,000. After it failed to sell, Matthiesen was contacted by a man calling himself Thomas Doyle (also A.J. Doyle), who claimed to be a former US Air Force pilot, government contractor, and art dealer with family ties to Doyle Auctions. Despite Doyle having 11 prior fraud convictions—including stealing a bronze Degas statue in 2007—Matthiesen was convinced by artworks Doyle sent for inspection, including works attributed to El Greco, Rubens, and a Michelangelo drawing. In 2024, Doyle borrowed the Courbet to show a potential buyer and never returned it. Doyle has now been arrested for the theft.

‘Sometimes you just have to go for it’: as others close, Ben Hunter expands his London gallery

London art dealer Ben Hunter is bucking the trend of gallery closures by expanding his gallery into a full townhouse at 44 Duke Street in St James’s, set to open this October. Hunter, who previously worked for Old Master dealer Derek Johns and sculpture specialist Robert Bowman, founded his gallery in 2018 and has gradually taken over more space in the building as other tenants left. The historic townhouse was originally where Jay Jopling launched White Cube in 1993. Hunter cites the need to match the ambition of his artists and seize opportunities as key reasons for the expansion, despite the challenging market.

A Painting by Gerard van Honthorst in Utrecht

Un tableau de Gerard van Honthorst à Utrecht

The Centraal Museum in Utrecht has acquired a painting by Gerard van Honthorst, titled *Extase de Marie-Madeleine* (c. 1618-1620), purchased from Cantore Galleria. The work was previewed at TEFAF Maastricht, where the museum also announced a major retrospective dedicated to the artist, titled "Gerard van Honthorst - En tout point différent de Rembrandt," which opened on April 25.

Thoroughly Modern Maastricht: why Tefaf is embracing the 20th century

TEFAF Maastricht is reinforcing its position as a premier destination for high-end collectors by increasingly integrating 20th-century secondary market material alongside its traditional Old Masters and antiquities. Despite a period of leadership instability—marked by the recent departure of managing director Dominique Savelkoul after less than a year—the fair remains a critical fixture for 276 exhibitors. This year's edition highlights a diverse range of objects spanning 7,000 years, from Neolithic pottery to contemporary photography and high jewelry worn by celebrities like Helen Mirren.

Treasure House Fair hopes to be the flagship summer event London desperately needs

Thomas Woodham-Smith and Harry Van der Hoorn are staging the third edition of the Treasure House Fair at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea, running until 1 July. The fair, which launched hastily in 2023 after the collapse of Masterpiece London, features 72 exhibitors spanning ancient to contemporary art, design, jewellery, antiques, and even a meteorite. Woodham-Smith reports a mood of optimism despite global turmoil, with strong ticket sales and a 40% share of new exhibitors, including many from outside the UK.

On Arte, the Fascinating Odyssey of a Lost Klimt Retraced in a Documentary

Sur Arte, la fascinante odyssée d’un Klimt disparu retracée dans un documentaire

A long-lost portrait by Gustav Klimt, depicting a young Black man, has been rediscovered and is the subject of a new documentary on Arte. The film, "Gustav Klimt and the Enigma of the Ghanaian Prince," details the painting's authentication and the investigation into the identity of its sitter, who was identified in 2024 as Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, a member of the Ga people who was in Vienna in the late 19th century.

art charles porch instagram art collecting

Charles Porch, VP of Global Partnerships for Instagram, moved from Venice Beach to a historic West Village brownstone in 2020. He enlisted sculptor-turned-designer Jed Lind to renovate the property, blending vintage furnishings with contemporary artworks collected from emerging artists. The home features pieces by Pierre Augustin Rose, Michael O’Connell, and artworks by Whitney Bedford, Robert Natkin, and Brett Cody Rogers. Porch later married Robert Denning, a philanthropist on the Met’s Board of Trustees, and the couple has since moved to a Chelsea space, combining their collections.

Rediscovered Rubens and a woolly mammoth head star at Brafa fair in Brussels

Brafa, Belgium's premier art and antiques fair, has expanded for its 71st edition, now featuring 147 exhibitors across three halls in the Brussels Expo convention centre. Highlights include a newly rediscovered Peter Paul Rubens painting, *Portrait of an Old Man* (around 1609), priced at over €1 million, and a 50,000-year-old woolly mammoth head from Siberia that sold for €45,000. The fair runs from 25 February to 1 March, with a strong focus on painting from Old Masters to Modern art, and a notable presence of Belgian and early 20th-century French artists.

tefaf managing director out dominique savelkoul

The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) and its managing director Dominique Savelkoul have parted ways after just over a year, making her the fourth managing director in six years (counting an interim). Savelkoul, a Belgian arts administrator who took up the post in September 2024, had never run an art fair before. TEFAF cited “differing views on the organisation’s future strategic direction” in a statement. Savelkoul succeeded Bart Drenth, who resigned in May 2023 after controversial social media posts. She previously held roles at the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Gallery in London, and Mu.Zee in Ostend.

A Painting by the Master of the Blue Jeans Joins a Museum in Ticino

Un tableau du Maître de la toile de jean rejoint un musée dans le Tessin

The Pinacoteca cantonale Giovanni Züst in Rancate, Switzerland, has acquired 'Woman Begging with Two Children,' a significant work by the anonymous 17th-century artist known as the Master of the Blue Jeans. The painting was notably featured in a landmark 2010 exhibition at Galerie Canesso that helped define the identity of this Lombard artist, famous for depicting lower-class subjects wearing indigo-dyed denim-like fabric.

Two New Italian Paintings for the Bemberg Collection in Toulouse

Deux nouveaux tableaux italiens pour la Collection Bemberg à Toulouse

The Collection Bemberg in Toulouse has acquired two new Italian paintings, including a still life by Bernardo Strozzi (1581-1644) purchased at the Maastricht art fair from Galerie Canesso. The work, a vibrant depiction of peonies and fruit, was previously sold at Sotheby's London in July 2013 and first published in 1985. The acquisition continues the museum's decade-long strategy of enriching its holdings with major works sourced from the art market, guided by its scientific council.

Long-Lost Skeleton of D’Artagnan, the Fourth Musketeer, Discovered in Dutch Church

Archaeologists have discovered skeletal remains beneath the floor of St. Peter and Paul Church in Maastricht, Netherlands, which are believed to be those of the 17th-century French soldier Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the historical figure who inspired the literary character D'Artagnan. The discovery was made during repair work, and artifacts found nearby—including a French coin and musket ball fragments—align with the historical record of D'Artagnan's death during the 1673 siege of Maastricht.

London's pre-contemporary art market gets boost from two new summer events

Two new summer events for pre-contemporary art are launching in London: Classic Art London (CAL), running from 23 June to 4 July, and Studiolo, a one-day showcase on 26 June. CAL fills the gap left by London Art Week, which ended in 2024, and features gallery exhibitions across Mayfair, St. James's, Cecil Court, and Belgravia, along with a talks programme at the Society of Antiquaries. Highlights include a rediscovered Titian, a solo show of Paul Nash landscapes, and a focus on Swedish Cubo-Futurist Gösta Adrian-Nilsson (GAN). Studiolo, held at Spencer House, presents art, antiquities, and sculpture.

A painting by Jean Cousin at TEFAF?

Un tableau de Jean Cousin à la TEFAF ?

A significant French Renaissance painting, "La Pentecôte" attributed to Jean Cousin the Elder, will be presented at the 2026 TEFAF Maastricht art fair by the gallery Caretto & Occhinegro. The 1558 oil on panel, once part of the Bob Jones University Museum collection, is expected to attract major attention from specialists and museums at the fair.

Not just dollars, euros and pounds: Tefaf speaker sets out art’s deep value for wellbeing

Professor Daisy Fancourt presented research at the Tefaf Summit in Maastricht, detailing the measurable health benefits of arts engagement. Her findings, drawn from longitudinal data and biological markers, show arts therapies can double symptom improvement for depression and regular cultural attendance can nearly halve depression risk over a decade.