Acquisitions

We buy European fine art.

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.

Late mediaeval limestone Madonna
Polychromed head of Christ

What we acquire

Categories of active interest.

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.

Old Master paintings & drawings (pre-1800)

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.

19th & 20th-century paintings and works on paper

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.

European sculpture — mediaeval to modern

Carved wood, stone and bronze sculpture from the late Middle Ages through to the 20th century — devotional figures, portrait busts, animalier bronzes and modern figurative work.

Prints, rare books & illuminated manuscripts

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 acquire across Europe.

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.

  • In-person viewings: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany
  • Photograph-based offers: all of Europe
  • Insured collection and transit arranged on our side
  • All correspondence handled confidentially

How it works

From first photograph to settled offer.

  1. 01

    Submit

    Send photographs (front, back, signature, marks, damages) and what you know of the work — origin, family history, prior valuations.

  2. 02

    Assessment

    We research the attribution, study comparanda and assess condition. You receive a personal reply, usually within a few working days.

  3. 03

    Offer & viewing

    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.

  4. 04

    Settlement

    Payment is made on the day of collection or, for distance purchases, on receipt and verification of the work. Discretion throughout.

Submit a work

Tell us what you have.

Use the form below to send photographs and the history of the piece. Everything is treated in confidence, with no obligation on your side.

City and country — so we know whether an in-person viewing is feasible.

Dimensions, materials, what is known of its origin, family history, prior attributions or restorations.

Please include:front · back · any signature, monogram or mark · close-ups of damages or restorations · a scale reference if possible.

Note: photographs are attached via your mail client. If files are large, send a download link in the message instead.