TEFAF The European Fine Art Foundation

Celebrating with this edition its 25^th anniversary, the TEFAF Art and Antiques Fair was held March 16 through 25, 2012 in Maastricht.

TEFAF has brought together collectors, conservationists, and experts from more than 50 countries. This year the fair hosted 265 experts from 19 countries, exhibited more than 30,000 artworks, antiques, and design items spanning from pre-history to our times, all with a total value of over €3 billion.

Among visitors to the fair this year were 238 museums from around the world and 72,000 individuals. Forty-four percent of these visitors came from outside The Netherlands, with a sizable increase in the number of buyers arriving from Russia, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Eighty-five percent of visitors describe themselves as private buyers, and more than twenty-one percent of those were visiting TEFAF for the first time.

Given the fair's wealth of artistic and historical material, twenty nine specialized committees, comprised of 175 international experts, examined each item to confirm its quality, authenticity, and good condition. TEFAF Antiques is the fair's largest section, with 102 exhibitors, followed by TEFAF Paintings with 59, and TEFAF Modern with 51.

Alongside the exhibition of artworks, TEFAF has published a book reviewing the event's history and gathering interview with museum-based conservationists and with private collectors who have acquired works at the fair.

The history of Maastricht and the history of TEFAF are closely intertwined, and after 25 years the city and the fair have a solid relationship, beneficial for both. To thank Maastricht for its hospitality over the years, The European Fine Art Foundation, which helms the fair, has made an important financial donation to the city's museum, the Museum aan het Vrijthof," becoming the institution's main sponsor

The 2013 edition of TEFAF Maastricht will be held March 15 through 24. For more information, visit http://www.tefaf.com/