A highlight from Elliott Fine Art is this 1897 Portrait of a Zulu by FD Oerder, which is offered for £60,000.
From famous makers to forgotten hands, a huge selection of historic artworks are on offer at Frieze Masters’ 10th anniversary edition.
The London event runs from October 12-16 in Regent’s Park alongside Contemporary giant Frieze London.
The atmosphere surrounding the fair is positive. Last year, it was one of the first major events to take place after more than a year of lockdowns, cancellations and reschedulings, and careful running coupled with good attendance garnered a warm feeling among the exhibitors.
This also the first staging for Masters since its debut within Frieze Seoul last month, attended by 18 exhibitors, who returned with encouraging reviews (see Dealers’ Diary, ATG No 2561). There is a sense that it could be on the rise.
The fair cultivates a serious atmosphere, leaning towards academic and modern works though supporting everything from ancient to Contemporary offerings.
Not just fine art
It is also battling its image as a fine art-first fair with its Standout section. Launched last year, this ‘reconsiders art objects often termed decorative or functional’.
Curated by Luke Syson of the Fitzwilliam Museum, the section features some heavy-hitting dealers: Peter Finer, Sam Fogg and Oscar Graf among others.
With the theme ‘Global Exchange’, highlights include Company School paintings from Amir Mohtashemi and Renaissance Maiolica by Raccanello & Leprince.
Meanwhile, the Spotlight section is curated by Camille Morineau of AWARE (Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions).
It features 26 solo presentations all featuring female artists of the 20th century.
The Gallery of Everything presents works by African-American artist Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900- 80), DAG shows paintings by selftaught Indian artist Madhvi Parekh (b.1942) and kó shows textile work of the 1960s-80s by Nigerian artist Nike Davies-Okundaye.
Elsewhere at the fair Michael Hoppen showcases the work of 20th century photographers that rose to prominence in post-war Japan, De Jonckeere stages a solo presentation of Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Richard Nagy creates a Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art) with pictures and furniture from the Viennese Secession, including works by Schiele and Klimt.
Rather than stage a focused show, others are showing a selection of stock with certain stand-out works.
Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books offers this book of hours for SwFr1.32m. The Crawford Hours was illuminated by the Prayerbook Master of c.1500 in Flanders.
Les Enluminures, for example, brings two significant rediscovered manuscripts: Ashburnham Songe du Vergier, a mid-15th century illuminated manuscript, and the Le Saunier Hours, a 15th century text from Lyons with two noteworthy donor portraits.
First-time exhibitor Martin Beisly Fine Art offers his usual selection of Pre-Raphaelite and Victorian paintings including works by Rossetti and Ford Madox Brown. Peter Harrington offers a pair of 14th century manuscript leaves containing seven chapters of Marco Polo’s Il Milione.
