5 Fascinating Details You Cannot Miss From TEFAF New York
Butterlies lithograph from TEFAF 2017
TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) has the most magnificent objects and art that you do not need. Antiquities as old as creation. Master artworks. Brilliant jewels. And porcelain that requires gloves to touch.
You want it all, but you can't afford to buy any of it. And if you live in an apartment as I do, you have no room for it, even if you could buy it. All that notwithstanding .... a girl must look! Treasures are afoot.
High end ogling (something we all can enjoy!) is an art form in and of itself.
Here are 5 fascinating details you cannot miss from TEFAF New York.
Madame de Pompadour's Cat at Tefaf
Madame de Pompadour's CatPompadour had so much stuff that she probably had 50 similar cats. But this kitty in Chinese porcelain resting on a Louis XV ormolu pillow is super cute.
An Ancient Temple of CorkThose Romans have always drunk a lot of red wine. So what to do with the corks? How about crafting a model of an ancient temple? That's what Antonio Chichi did back in 1790. Cheers.
Mesmerizing Mix of Old and NewSixties Op Art with the 15th century. Now that's a real mix of old plus new. Japanese artists tie the pieces together.
Risque Porcelain c. 1740How about that clown peeking under her skirt? Seems drawn straight from today's headlines. Certainly Meissen porcelain's most famous maker, Johann Joachim Kaendler, had an interesting imagination in 1740.
The Book of Hours took FOREVER to makeThe Book of Hours was created circa 1415 in London. So aptly named--it must have taken forever to make back then. Where did they get the time and the light to craft such precision?! And those colors.
If you have time for a more thorough review of TEFAF, do head over to my friend Stacey's blog, Quintessence. She covered the fair in two comprehensive posts! She snapped the cat. All other pictures are my own.
TEFAF New York-Painting by Gerard Van Spaendonck