Giovanni Biglino looks back at the inaugural Master Paintings Week on TheTamarind:
Interesting discoveries have also been made, for example Village Festival by David Teniers (1610-90), which recently emerged from a provincial collection in France. On the back was the magnificent wax seal of the famous Russian family of the Counts Couchelev-Besborodko. Further research has revealed that the painting originally belonged to Prince Alexander Besborodko, the celebrated successor of Potemkin as Catherine the Great’s chancellor.
Or a recently rediscovered painting by Canaletto (1697-1768) A Round Tower and other Buildings near a fortified Bridge for sale for a six-figure sum. Datable to 1722, this painting has not been seen in public since 1911 and has escaped mention in the literature on Canaletto. The existence of this Canaletto painting has long been suspected because of an engraving by Fabio Berardi (1728-1788) published by Giuseppe Wagner (1706-1786), inscribed ‘Anto Canaletto Pinx’, which corresponds closely to this painting. […]
Biglino also interviews William Flatmo of dealer Derek Johns about the shape of the Old Master market:
What about young collectors? Are they not attracted at all?
A small number of young collectors remain active in the market, however, the number is limited and a majority of these come from already established collector families. It is a challenge which needs further exploring.Are fairs like Maastricht still the crucial events for old masters?
Maastricht is THE event for dealers. While the sales weeks stimulate activity, the auctions are still what attracts the more attention during these days. At an important fair like Maastricht, the roles are reversed and collectors attend with a different state of mind. It is the only event where the dealers really manage to create a momentum and suspense resulting in quick decision making and often important sales.
Old Masters in the Spotlight (The Tamarind)
