Reviewing TEFAF 2013 we can easily say that again it was a feast for those interested in fine arts. For those who share the love of drawings it had much to offer as well. This year 70.000 visitors came to see the latest wonders of the art world.
It is good to see that drawings form a considerable part of the art market this year at TEFAF. Of course there was TEFAF paper with its prints, drawings and photo’s, which will be mentioned later on. But also in the regular sections there were so many great examples of quality drawings. It is impossible to be complete, but nevertheless some really caught the eye.
Galerie Bérès from Paris showed a study of Two Crucified Thieves by Eugene Delacroix, a striking sketch in bistre. The masters of modern art were represented by various art dealers. Galerie Thomas from Munich presented a Nude with a Cat by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. And Richard Nagy surprised us with series of erotic nudes by Gustav Klimt along with some drawings of childeren by Egon Schiele.
TEFAF PAPER
As said there also was the section for paper where more art dealers specialized in drawings had their base for about a week. Day and Faber came up with a very nice series of old master drawings, among them a rare study of a tree by Fra Bartolommeo, also an Annunciation by Samuel van Hoogstraaten and a sheet with detailed figure studies by Géricault. Stephen Ongpin presented his Manet sheet of Cherries and Plums among several other extaordinary drawings. David Tunick stunned with his selection works, where the bright blue of Rosetti’s Lancelot and Guinevere study in ink immediately caught the eye of many passer by. One gets so many ideas and insights going to TEFAF, sometimes seeing rarities. Tunick’s drawing by Amedée Ozenfant was one of those examples.
The Berlin galerie Nicolaas Teeuwisse issued the catalogue of selected works XIII. In the prologue titled Tabula Rasa Teeuwisse writes about the high quality of drawings sold in the 1970′s and 80′s, with lots of opportunities and potential for buyers. Nowadays things are quite different and have become more complicated. A fine example is given by the sheet The Death of Saint Peter by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. It was sold in 1977 at Christie’s auction of Important Old Master Drawings. This indeed ‘energetic’ and early study sheet dated around 1760 has similarities with Tiepolo’s etchings The Death of Saint Stephen and The Martyrdom of Saint Johann Nepomuk. Old master drawings are within reach for those who look out for them. This fine sheet for example was offered for the price of €16 000. It is a nice example of the many insights one gets visiting TEFAF, where it so easy to compare and have a closer look at the many different sheets that were brought together.
Complementing all galeries we unfortunately failed to mention in this short review, we look forward to next year’s edition.