Amsterdam 17 November 2017. The 31st PAN Amsterdam, the fair for art, antiques and design opens tomorrow in the RAI Amsterdam. A hundred and ten exhibitors represent the cream of the Dutch art market. Kunsthandel Bies (stand 43) is bringing ‘Still Life of Roses in a Vase’ a painting by the nineteenth-century artist Margaretha Roosenboom, which has come on to the market for the first time.  
Bijl-& Van Urk (stand 81) presents the impressive painting The Triumph of Galatea, c. 1660/1670, by Erasmus Quellinus. This pupil and assistant of Rubens is known for his mythological scenes. Midmod (stand 66) has a neon lamp by Gerrit Rietveld with an interesting history. Rietveld gave this lamp as a wedding present and in the early nineteen-fifties it hung in three De Stijl exhibitions in Amsterdam, New York and Venice. Kunsthandel P. de Boer (stand 121) has a full installation of trompes l’oeil from four centuries. This historic form of visual deception from the seventeenth to the twentieth century has been put together on a wooden wall. Two studies by the painter and architect Jacob van Kampen can be seen at the stand of a newcomer to the fair, TAK Master Paintings (stand 152). ‘Study Sheet with Parts of the Face’, c. 1645, came from a sketchbook, and one of the mouths is probably a preliminary study for a painting in the ‘Orange Room’ of Huis ten Bosch.

 

Art through all Ages and Styles
PAN Amsterdam offers 8,000 years of art, antiques and design. A Haçilar plate dating from 600 BC at Kunsthandel Mieke Zilverberg (stand 130), is the oldest work in the fair. Zilverberg has also brought the sarcophagus of the grandfather of the famous pharaoh Tutankhamun, which stems from 1400 BC. Two silver chestnut vases by Diederik Lodewijk Bennewitz, 1824, in the shape of a hot air balloon can be seen at A. Aardewerk Antiquair Juwelier (stand 122). The vases were made to hold candied chestnuts and these pairs are rare. Newcomer to the fair, Feng-Chun Ma Chinese & Japanese Art Consultancy (stand 48) has an eighteenth/nineteenth-century Imperial Phoenix. Carved from one piece of coral measuring 27 centimetres it was probably made for the Chinese Imperial court. Daatselaar Fine Art and Antiques (stand 37) is offering three bowls made of eggshell china decorated with figures, flowers and landscape scenes, 1573-1619. This set came from a private collection and has not been on the market for decades. Tom Okker Art (stand 6) is showing work by famous Dutch artists.  The gallery has the expressive painting ‘Quatre têtes’ by Karel Appel, with an asking price of €220,000. Dürst Britt & Mayhew (stand 42) has an antique Egyptian mirror which the artist Pieter Paul Pothoven had treated with equipment from TNO. He converted the antique object and restored its function.

 

Modern and Contemporary Art at PAN
There are also works by famous names in the world of modern and contemporary art at PAN. The Italian gallery Kanaldidarte (stand 14) has various works on paper by top international artists including Lucio Fontana and Cy Twombly. A work by Jan Schoonhoven, the leader of the Nul movement is on sale at De Rijk Fine Art (stand 154). An unusual feature of the work ‘Reliëf R 87-1’ (1987) is that there is a copy of the design drawing on the back. Contemporary sculptures by Laura Ford (1961) can be seen at the Axel Pairon Gallery (stand 10). Ford, who in her search for fantasy sometimes unnerves people, is a pupil of Anish Kapoor and her work was previously on show in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and at the Venice Biennale. Studio Job made a mobile for Rademakers Gallery (stand 3) especially for PAN. The artwork, consisting of a globe and various bananas, is a playful reference to Alexander Calder’s famous installations. Jan Van Hoof Galerie (stand 13) is showing the minimalist and fanciful light sculptures by the internationally renowned artist Jan van Munster. Prize-winning work by young and talented artists can also be seen at PAN. The paintings by Niek Hendrix, winner of the 2017 royal painting prize can be seen at Galerie Roger Katwijk (stand 69).

 

Jewellery and Ornaments
Classical and contemporary jewellery has traditionally been an important discipline at the fair. Steltman Juwelier (stand 47) is showing ‘The Golden edition van het geheim van de meester’ (The Gold Edition of the Secret of the Master). This book is covered in 23 carat gold leaf, and finished with 18 carat gold appliqués with pearls and has an asking price of €49,000. Kunsthandel Inez Stodel (stand 21) has a bracelet with two 18 carat gold leopard heads, with black enamel spots and ruby eyes. The Duchess of Windsor had an identical piece in her collection. Nineteen-nineties jewellery by the designer Gijs Bakker can be seen at Galerie Rob Koudijs (stand 124) at one of the long-standing exhibitors Marjan Sterk Antique Jewellery (stand 2). Sterk has Bakker ‘s ‘Bracelet with Holes’; it came from the same series as his famous chair, which features in various Dutch museum collections. Work by his son Aldo Bakker can also be seen at Galerie Vivid (stand 35).

 

Design and Style 
This year Frides Laméris Kunst- en Antiekhandel (stand 1) has brought rare sixteenth-century glass to the fair. A filigree plate made of glass rods, a Venetian technique, is extremely rare and the only known example on the market. Kunstconsult 20th Century Art|Objects (stand 4) is showing a Gobelin tapestry made for an ocean liner. It was designed in 1927 and made for the passenger vessel MS Christiaan Huygens, which sailed between Amsterdam and Batavia. Morentz (Stand 74) has a unique presentation of high-end design. Among the highlights is a unique desk by Wim den Boon.

 

Special Presentations
PAN Amsterdam commissioned exhibition maker Piet de Jonge to interpret the heart of the fair in a presentation. Together with the designers of the scenery of Zomergasten 2017, he made a hotel lobby titled Hotel Panorama where he showcases 83 artworks from thirty exhibitors. De galerie van Piet Hein Eek (stand 85) is appearing at the fair for the second time. In his presentation he shows the power and energy of the workshops in Eindhoven and Amsterdam. The highlights are the two ‘Tile Chests’ he made with his wife. Jimmy Nelson brings visitors to the fair into his world. For the first time he introduces the general public to the cultures he met on his travels by means of a virtual reality installation. He made the films on his travels, which were the preparation for his second book of photographs.

 

PAN Podium
PAN Amsterdam works with cultural trendsetters at PAN Podium. On the first day the fair is open to the public (Sunday 19 November) the Rembrandt Society will begin with a colourful programme of lectures. During the fair there will be programmes by the Rijksmuseum, the Amsterdam Museum, Museum de Fundatie, Quote, the Rembrandt Society and the KVHOK (The Royal Society of Dealers in Old Art in the Netherlands). On Sunday 26 November, Igor Gruppman, the concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, will play his Stradivarius. For the full programme see pan.nl/panpodium

 

A Word of Thanks
PAN Amsterdam would like to thank its lead sponsor Oyens & Van Eeghen and sponsors Paardekooper, Laurent-Perrier and the Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds for their generous support.