Corals, Opals, Marble, Glass: TEFAF

The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht in the Netherlands is the art extravaganza of the year. More than 270 dealers and thousands of collectors and connoisseurs gather to sell and buy, and the goods aren’t chopped liver. The art is all museum-quality, vetted by curator specialists, and fresh to the market. Last week I wrote about some of the highlights. Today, I’ll focus mostly on art that’s not oil on canvas. Creativity comes in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Call these objects idiosyncrasies, but each is nonpareil, even the one with the broken nose.

Every art lover should get to TEFAF in Maastricht at least once, even if, like me, you don’t happen to have a seven-, eight-, or nine-figure checking account balance but a number closer to zero. It’s not only for the quality of the art and elegant European style. No one attends, à la Met Gala, dressed like a tree, a gangster, or a taffeta space shuttle.

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

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The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht in the Netherlands is the art extravaganza of the year. More than 270 dealers and thousands of collectors and connoisseurs gather to sell and buy, and the goods aren’t chopped liver. The art is all museum-quality, vetted by curator specialists, and fresh to the market. Last week I wrote about some of the highlights. Today, I’ll focus mostly on art that’s not oil on canvas. Creativity comes in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Call these objects idiosyncrasies, but each is nonpareil, even the one with the broken nose.

Every art lover should get to TEFAF in Maastricht at least once, even if, like me, you don’t happen to have a seven-, eight-, or nine-figure checking account balance but a number closer to zero. It’s not only for the quality of the art and elegant European style. No one attends, à la Met Gala, dressed like a tree, a gangster, or a taffeta space shuttle.