Agnews voted No.1 stand at TEFAF New York by Artnet

A shortage of fresh material has always been a systemic problem for the old master market, and at Tefaf dealers make a conscious effort to unveil discoveries.

One the most spectacular is a moving and finely preserved early 15th-century gold-ground painting of the crucifixion by Paolo Uccello being shown by the London dealers Thomas Agnew’s, priced at 5.5 million euros, about $6 million.

Paintings by this important Florentine artist are all but unheard-of on the open market. Acquired by Agnew’s from a private collection, the circa 1423 panel has been recently identified by scholars as an early work by Uccello painted in a medieval style before (as Giorgio Vasari put it) he “drove himself mad” with the study of perspective.

This slightly atypical work by one of the great names of Renaissance art will test the fair’s continuing ability to find buyers for top-level old masters.