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→ Trend No. 2 — The Kunstkammer Revival |
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→ Trend No. 2 — The Kunstkammer Revival
→ Trend No. 3 — Works at the Cutting Edge
- Women artists continue to gain ground as collectors and institutions reassess historically overlooked figures and place greater value on their work.
- Kunstkammer-style collecting is resurging, with buyers drawn to collections that unite art, science, history and natural wonders.
- Late 19th- and early 20th-century works remain especially strong, reflecting continued demand for objects made during moments of major artistic and cultural change.
- Across all categories, collectors are prioritizing depth and meaning, seeking works with historical importance, intellectual substance and compelling narratives.
In just a few days, serious art collectors, dealers and institutions will all converge at the biggest event of the year: The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht. In its 39th year, the fair is the art world’s most authoritative annual temperature check on what dealers are offering, and what collectors want.
Trend No. 1 — Women Artists: A Market Correction Long Overdue
For decades, women artists were systematically excluded from the canon; not for lack of genius, but because of a lack of access.
Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Artemisia Gentileschi. Circa 1615-1617. Oil on panel. Recently sold at Christie’s, New York, for $5.69 million.
In January 2026, a rare self-portrait by Italian Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi sold at Christie’s in New York for $5.69 million, setting a new record for the artist.
Trend No. 2 — The Kunstkammer Revival: Collecting as Curiosity
Before there were museums, there were kunstkammern (cabinets of curiosity).
Citrine Crystal Cluster. A wonderful example of naturalia that could be found in a Kunstkammer. M.S. Rau.
That worldview is back, and it’s shaping how the most sophisticated collectors and institutions think about their collections.
Trend No. 3 — Works at the Cutting Edge of Their Moment: The Late 19th and Early 20th Century
There are periods in history when it feels as if everything moved all at once, when the questions artists asked were the same as those of scientists, philosophers and politicians.
Autoportrait sur fond bleu by Léon Spilliaert. 1907. Indian Ink, coloured pencil, pastel, coloured chalk on paper mounted on canvas.
The works produced in this window—roughly 1870 to 1914—carry a charge that is inseparable from the turbulence of that moment.
The Throughline: Collecting as an Act of Worldview
Every trend examined ahead of this year’s TEFAF points toward the same underlying shift.
Belle-Île by Claude Monet. 1886. Oil on canvas. M.S. Rau. On exhibit at TEFAF 2026.
Our gallery has spent over a century, through four generations, seeking out the finest pieces that reward sustained attention, with histories that reveal themselves the longer one looks.
Works Cited
Benzine, Vittoria. “Who Are the 10 Most Expensive Women Artists at Auction?” Artnet, December 2, 2025.
“Global Institutions Secure Key Acquisitions at TEFAF 2025.” TEFAF, October 6, 2025.
Koeppe, Wolfram, et. al. Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019.
Reyburn, Scott. “TEFAF Maastricht, Known for Old Art, Faces the Future.” The New York Times, March 5, 2026.
