The 2024 edition of TEFAF Maastricht has opened with a significant focus on rediscovered female Old Masters, highlighted by the third annual 'Map of Women Artists' which now features over 670 works. Major dealers like Lullo Pampoulides and Koetser Gallery are showcasing high-value pieces by Artemisia Gentileschi, Virginia da Vezzo, and Michaelina Wautier, drawing immediate attention from institutional leaders including Metropolitan Museum of Art director Max Hollein.
This trend reflects a broader market correction as collectors and museums seek to fill historical voids in their collections. Following record-breaking auction results for female artists, the fair serves as a critical venue for reattributed works and 'newer-to-the-canon' names, offering museums the necessary time for board approvals and provenance research that fast-paced auctions do not allow.