This year's Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair, from 12 to 18 June, will feature quite a few highlights of Asian art, aside from European furniture, paintings, ceramics, glass, textiles, clocks, silver, jewellery, antiquarian books, manuscripts and maps. Several new exhibitors are taking part.
Two new collecting areas being introduced at this year's Fair will feature photography from Hamiltons Gallery and fine wine from Andrew Bruce & Bordeaux Index Fine Wines, the company which reputedly pioneered the purchase of wine as an investment.
Antiquities on show will include, at Jean-David Cahn, a rare Pheonician tridacna shell engraved with sphinxes dating from the seventh century BCE, one of only 36 known to exist. Rupert Wace Ancient Art will exhibit a sizeable wood and bronze striding Ibis, with a partially gilded wood body and incised bronze head and legs from the late Dynastic Period, 664-332 BCE.
In the Paintings and Drawings section, Lefevre Fine Art will present a retrospective devoted to Edward Burra (1905-1976), whose work has been attracting attention in the past decade. The Fine Art Society will make its debut with a show of Modern British painting and sculpture, including an oil-on-panel, Street in Tréboul, 1930 by Christopher Wood. Richard Green will show Pierre-August Renoir’s Chapeau au ruban rouge, 1895, depicting two children — one of his favourite subjects in the 1890s. Caroline Wiseman will show work by Bridget Riley, Terry Frost, Sandra Blow, John Hoyland and Albert Irvin.
Amongst Old Master paintings, Moretti Fine Art Ltd will show a painting by 15th-century Sienese painter, Giovanni di Paolo (c1397-1482) in it original frame entitled Madonna and Child enthroned between Saints Bartholomew, James the Great and two female artists. The picture exemplifies the exquisite late Gothic style in Sienese painting.
Flavia Ormond Fine Arts Ltd, exhibiting at the Fair for the first time, will show a pencil and watercolour drawing of Lady Ottoline Morrell, one of London’s most flamboyant hostesses, by Augustus John (1878-1961).
Asian highlights are likely to be announced later.
The Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair, 12-18 June 2008, Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1. Admission charges apply, www.grosvenorfair.co.uk
