TEFAF 2026: The Rise of the "Old Mistresses" in the Art

Par Gabriel Goldberg 20 March 2026 3 min read

When walking the aisles of TEFAF Maastricht, arguably the world's most prestigious art and antiques fair, one has been accustomed to the heavy, patriarchal weight of art history. For centuries, the market has been dictated by the "Old Masters," a term so ingrained in our cultural lexicon that its gendered nature is rarely questioned. But last week at the fair in the Netherlands, the most palpable energy wasn't radiating from the usual artists' names. It was radiating from a profound shift in perspective. We are witnessing a trend that has been expanding for some time, and which has now firmly cemented itself at the very pinnacle of the art market : a fierce, deliberate interest in female artists, their works, and female subjects. Whether it is portraits, or self-portraits of women, or portraits of female artists painted by their male contemporaries, or still lives, or the perceived male preserve of history painting, the feminine world of art is no longer a niche curatorial exercise. It is here to stay. A powerful work by Artemisia Gentileschi on display at TEFAF Maastricht 2026. The "Old Mistresses" of the Canvas At TEFAF this year, there was a distinct emphasis, and a justified amount of hype, surrounding a number of works by female artists from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The field is called Old Masters, but perhaps it is time we correct the terminology. They are not Masters; they are Mistresses. A meticulously composed still life by Clara Peeters, presented at…