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The London market enters its ‘masters’ phase in earnest this week with a series of dealer-led events that herald the main Old Master auctions next week. On Thursday, ‘Masterpiece’, a fair for 150 dealers in disciplines from Old Masters and antiquities to classic cars and modern art, opens in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital. On Friday, ‘Master Paintings Week’, an initiative by 23 central London dealers, specialising predominantly in Old Master paintings begins, as does ‘Master Drawings’, a forum for dealers in Old Master and modern drawings.

An exquisite 17th Century antique map of the Champagne region by William Blaeu could be yours to admire as you enjoy 2 Jeroboams of Champagne de Bruyne Cuvée Absolue Brut NV. Generously donated by Daniel Crouch Rare Books and Roland de Bruyne.

Outside of the Gauguin prints, the highlight of the Sotheby’s prints auction was the set of woodcut star charts by Albert Durer (1471-1528) previewed in ATG no. 1981. Offered together they sold at £300,000, against a £120,000-180,000 estimate, to dealer Daniel Crouch.

What a year this has been for antiquarian books and maps specialist Daniel Crouch. Just last September he made his debut as an independent dealer at the Haughtons’ New York fair, but I was really surprised to see him sharing a stand with Antiquariaat FORUM, the Dutch book and print dealers, in the TEFAF Paper section at Maastricht.

De Barbari’s Map of Venice Sold for Seven Figure Sum.

A Paul Gauguin print sells for $924,466 setting a new auction record for the artist. The print, called ‘Crouching Tahitian Woman Seen From The Back’, went for four times the pre-sale estimate.

A new generation of specialist art dealers is making its mark, capitalising on lower rents and gaps in the market. Clive Aslet meets the rising stars.

With the world’s super-wealthy flitting between multiple homes, and sometimes even multiple yachts, one aspect of collecting is thriving. Anything to do with travel is growing, apparently: from antique maps, atlases and globes to vintage trunks, binoculars, travel books and photographs.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts Minnesota. Jacopo de Barbari, map of Venice, 1500. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has purchased a rare edition of Jacopo de Barbari’s 1500 map of Venice from UK book dealer Daniel Crouch for £lm. The three-metre-wide map which was in the Massèna (Duc de Rivoli) collection, is one of only 14 examples.

This year’s 20/21 Art Fair at the Royal College of Art February 17-20 justifies the ‘International’ now included in the title by having assembled art from at least 10 countries, as well as ‘Britain’. Unlike the same organisers’ Works on Paper fair in the autumn, this event is not limited by medium, and offers modern and contemporary photographs, ceramics and sculpture beside oil paintings, drawings, watercolours and prints.

Jacopo de Barbari’s map of Venice has recently been sold by Daniel Crouch Rare Books to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for a seven figure sum.

Some weeks ago, I wrote a name to note for 2011 was rare maps and atlases dealer Daniel Crouch, who set up on his own last autumn. Following a London debut exhibition in December he has made his first sale to a museum, with The Minneapolis Institute of Arts paying around £1m for Jacopo de Barbari’s 1500 map of Venice. A delighted Daniel, at present Oxford-based but seeking a London gallery, said: “We are extremely pleased to execute this type of transaction when we have only recently launched.”