At Maastricht, an important new Van Dyck discovery
March 14 2012
Picture: Agnews
Much of the world's art trade has now decamped to a cavernous conference centre outside Maastricht, for The European Fine Art Fair (known as TEFAF). Every year, literally hundreds of dealers descend on the small Dutch town for what has been the leading art and antiques fair in Europe, if not the world. It's a highly impressive set up. Usually they're followed by just as many private jets, carrying collectors, advisers and, best of all, sheikhs. But last year sales were down, and there is talk of the fair losing some of its lustre (not least because London, which has always lacked an international antiques fair, is at last getting its act together with Masterpiece).
As ever, the trade will have some tantalising recent discoveries to present. A good example this year is from Agnews, who have an important grisaille by Van Dyck (above). It is a previously unknown first design for Van Dyck's most important English painting, The Great Peece [Royal Collection], showing Charles I, Henrietta Maria, Charles II and Mary, Princess Royal. You can zoom in on the grisaille here, and the finished picture here. Note how the figures differ in the final composition.
