TEFAF Maastricht announces first Cultural Heritage Summit and restoration of two Italian works

From March 9 to 14, 2024 (March 7 and 8 by invitation only), the art, antiques and design fair TEFAF Maastricht, organized by the European Fine Art Foundation, returns to the spaces of the Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre (MECC) and announces the first TEFAF Summit, in association with the Dutch Commission for UNESCO, and an exhibition realized through partnership with Venetian Heritage and the Italian Ministry of Culture.

TEFAF Summit

The TEFAF Summit, an annual event hosted at TEFAF Maastricht in partnership with the Dutch Commission for UNESCO, will be held on Monday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will delve into the topic of heritage and its challenges in the world of culture, from assisting cultural heritage in conflict situations to climate change, tourism and other economic factors, as perceived by the title Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in a Changing World.

The Summit will bring together scholars, experts and influential stakeholders from various sectors (cultural heritage, arts, academia, governmental and nongovernmental institutions), with the aim of developing constructive dialogues on crucial issues related to cultural heritage. The TEFAF Summit thus aims to serve as a “platform” to develop meaningful reflection and to raise awareness and promote concrete solutions to safeguard our planet’s cultural treasures and priceless heritage.

The opening lecture will be delivered by Massimo Osanna, Director General Museums of the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the various partner organizations will explore various topics: the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO will explore the unifying power of culture in promoting peace; Cultural Emergency Response will emphasize intangible heritage and the people-centered nature of cultural heritage in crisis situations; the World Monuments Fund will hold a conversation on collaboration between the various organizations involved, ending with the closing discussion that will focus on the importance of collaboration and joint efforts between both public and private stakeholders for the sustainable preservation of cultural heritage.

The Summit is supported by AXA XL, TEFAF’s main partner.

The exhibition in partnership with Venetian Heritage

Thanks to the partnership with Venetian Heritage, TEFAF Venetian Heritage ’s special exhibition for the Ca’ d’Oro Museum is scheduled to promote the permanent collection of the Giorgio Franchetti Gallery at Ca’ d’Oro in Venice and its restoration and renovation project. Three representative works of art were selected for TEFAF: the iconic double marble portrait by Tullio Lombardo, a bronze relief by Riccio depicting the Elemosina di san Martino, and a small panel by Jan van Eyck and workshop depicting the Crucifixion.

Venetian Heritage is working with the Italian Ministry of Culture to fund important restoration work at the Ca’ d’Oro. The intent is to make the works of art in the permanent collection accessible to all and more visible, transforming the museum into a more dynamic and up-to-date space.

TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund

The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has also announced the recipients of this year’s TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund (TMRF): an annual grant aimed at supporting the international art community’s work to preserve artistic and cultural heritage. They are the National Gallery of Ireland and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. TEFAF’s contribution to the National Gallery of Ireland will make possible the restoration of a work that has been part of the museum collection for more than a century: The Crossing of the Red Sea (1521) by Ludovico Mazzolino (Ferrara, c. 1480 - 1528). The painting is now very fragile and cannot be exhibited safely; in fact, it has considerable discoloration of the pictorial layer as well as a surface layer of dirt. The work will therefore require intensive restoration. Thanks to TEFAF’s support, the National Gallery of Ireland will work with scholars of the Ferrarese painter’s work to better understand his artistic practice so that this masterpiece can be restored to its best advantage.

“Ludovico Mazzolino was a prominent painter in 16th-century Italy, working for the Este court in Ferrara and later in Bologna,” explained Carolina Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland. “The Red Sea Passage is internationally recognized as an important and rare example of his work. It has been part of the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection since 1914, acquired only 50 years after our founding. Unfortunately, due to the fragility of the panel, we have not been able to exhibit it for many decades. We are delighted to receive this donation from the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund, because it will enable us to undertake essential restoration work and return it to our galleries for the enjoyment of our visitors.”

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, has received a TEFAF grant to restore Venus with Nymph and Satyr (1600), a marble sculpture by Pietro Francavilla (Cambrai, c. 1548-Paris, 1616). It was commissioned for the gardens of Villa Zanobi Bracci in Florence, but in 1750 it was sold to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and kept in the royal estates of Kew and Windsor. In the early 20th century, the sculpture emerged on the market, and in 1925 it was transported to the Fogg Museum at Harvard for installation in the Renaissance courtyard. However, because of the erotic theme, the sculpture was not displayed and was instead purchased by Everett Austin Jr, the then director of the Wadsworth Atheneum. The sculpture has been damaged and undergone numerous restorations throughout its history, so the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art wants to restore its charm and historical significance.

“Pietro Francavilla’s Venus with Nymph and Satyr is perhaps the greatest Mannerist sculpture in the United States,” said Matthew Hargraves, director of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. “It has been the centerpiece of our historic modernist Avery Memorial building since 1934. We are incredibly grateful for this donation from the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund to preserve the great Francavilla marble. This project will bring this beautiful sculpture back to life and return it to the center of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art as a symbol of the renewal of our beloved museum.”

Hidde van Seggelen, chair of TEFAF’s Executive Committee, expressed his enthusiasm for the two restoration projects indicated by the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund: “This fund will help prevent further deterioration of these two important works of art by restoring them to their original state. The preservation of a sculptural masterpiece and a painting by one of the great artists of the Italian Renaissance highlights the essential role played by the TMRF in strengthening TEFAF’s commitment to the research and conservation of our shared and diverse artistic heritage.”

TEFAF Maastricht announces first Cultural Heritage Summit and restoration of two Italian works

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