Acquisitions
TenCate Art actively acquires European fine art of every period — from Old Master paintings, drawings and sculpture to 19th- and 20th-century paintings, watercolours, prints and works on paper by acknowledged masters — from private collections, heirs and fellow dealers across Europe.
Whether you have inherited a single work, are dispersing a family collection or are a colleague offering an individual piece, we make confidential, fair offers based on attribution, condition and current market comparanda. Send photographs and what you know — we read every submission personally.
Rare books & manuscripts
Printed books from the 15th to the 19th century, mediaeval and Renaissance manuscripts, books of hours, illuminated and printed leaves, fine bindings and illustrated works. Incomplete or imperfect copies of early printing are welcome — send photographs of the title page, colophon, binding and any damage.
What we acquire
Our interest spans the full arc of European fine art, from the 15th to the 20th century. Within each field we are selective, but we read every well-documented submission.
Panels, canvases and drawings of the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque — Netherlandish, German, Italian, Spanish and French schools. Religious, mythological, landscape and portrait subjects. Honest condition preferred over campaign restoration.
Paintings, watercolours, gouaches and drawings by acknowledged European masters — from Romanticism and Impressionism through Symbolism, Modernism and the post-war avant-garde. Signed works with clear provenance are of particular interest.
Carved wood, stone and bronze sculpture from the late Middle Ages through to the 20th century — devotional sculpture and Gothic figures, carved wood and stone, bronzes, and 19th- and 20th-century figurative work.
Old Master and modern prints, illustrated books, mediaeval and Renaissance manuscripts, books of hours, single leaves and miniatures — chosen for content, illustration or binding.
Reach
We purchase from private sellers, estates and trade colleagues throughout Europe. Within the Benelux and Germany we travel to view works in person when warranted; elsewhere we work from photographs and condition reports, and arrange insured collection on agreement.
How it works
01
Send photographs (front, back, signature, marks, damages) and what you know of the work — origin, family history, prior valuations.
02
We research the attribution, study comparanda and assess condition. You receive a personal reply, usually within a few working days.
03
If the work fits the cabinet we make a confidential offer. In the Benelux and Germany we can travel to view in person; elsewhere we arrange insured shipment.
04
Payment is made on the day of collection or, for distance purchases, on receipt and verification of the work. Discretion throughout.
Submit a work
Use the form below to send photographs and the history of the piece. Everything is treated in confidence, with no obligation on your side.
