Collectors whose private holdings rival those of world-class museums are constantly searching for their next discovery. One of Europe’s most admired and respected fine art fairs, BRAFA, opens the international art fair season each January in Brussels—often before the art world has fully settled into the new year.
A&R Fleury Gallery at BRAFA 2026 © Emmanuel Crooÿ
BRAFA’s international reputation is built on the exceptional quality and authenticity of the works on display. The fair is known for one of the art world’s most rigorous vetting processes, carried out in collaboration with the Art Loss Register, dozens of independent experts, and a dedicated scientific laboratory. The 71st edition of BRAFA brings together 147 world-class exhibitors, presenting rare treasures and outstanding artworks across dozens of collecting categories, from antiquity to contemporary art.
Costermans Gallery Still Life of Flowers in a Vase by Nicolaes van Verendael (ca. 1660)
Why Collectors Pay Close Attention to BRAFA
Beyond the museum-quality artworks, BRAFA is celebrated for its elegant scenography and highly styled booths. Collectors and visitors alike encounter unexpected inspiration through chic interior presentations that demonstrate how significant artworks can live beautifully within a home. Interior designers in particular look to BRAFA for ideas on integrating art collections into refined residential settings.
Among the most talked-about highlights of this year’s fair is a newly rediscovered sketch by Peter Paul Rubens, long believed to be lost and never before exhibited publicly. Portrait of an Old Man was rediscovered by Belgian Old Masters dealer and BRAFA chairman Klaas Muller. The sitter has been identified as a model frequently used by Rubens, notably in Saint Thomas Among the Apostles and as Melchior in The Adoration of the Magi.
De Wit Fine Tapestries
This year’s edition also features numerous Belgian galleries specializing in Old Masters, Flemish painting, and Art Nouveau, presenting precious antiques, ceramics, and elaborate clocks from these periods. Meanwhile, collectors of modern and contemporary art will find exceptional works by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Yves Klein, René Magritte, and Alexander Calder, spanning works on paper, canvas, textiles, sculpture, and design furniture.
Panorama shot of the one of the main aisles at BRAFA 2026 © Olivier Pirard
More than a fair, BRAFA reads like a visual history of civilization, tracing artistic evolution across centuries in an environment that is refined, welcoming, and educational. Visitors may arrive with a plan—but often leave inspired by something they never imagined they would fall in love with.
Images: Olivier Pirard, Emmanuel Crooÿ, Jan Liégois
