The art and design social calendar starts in New York every Fall with Anna and Brian Haughton’s International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show exhibiting some of the most exciting works of art for sale today.  So it was a great pleasure to have attended the ever-so-fancy opening party last night.

Strolling the corridors I found myself air kissing old friends, new friends, good clients and bad; all there in good spirits for the opportunity of taking a first-peek at the goods (those for sale of course!) and to raise funds and awareness for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Now a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell the juicy gossip of the night, so I will remain mum (I know … how boring of me).  But what I will share, are some of my favorite picks of the Fair.

From Lillian Nassau, New York (above).  This Tiffany Studios Magnolia and Wisteria four panel, leaded glass window was simply WOW!  Although its terribly reminiscent of one my great-grandmother had in her home surrounded with pink furniture (I know, quite ugly to our 21^stcentury eyes), I can see this one dressing up a modern interior with a lovely Oscar Niemeyer chaise longue, front and center, with a fantastical vine sculpture pendant lighting from Jeff Zimmerman overhead.  Delicious J

Bernd Goeckler Antiques, New York, brought a rosewood, art deco André Sornay desk that truly rocked.  Pair it with Benjamin Hubert’s Maritime Chair or Finn Juhl’s NV53 chair and you’re ready to go!

A FABULOUS painting by John Singer Sargent depicts a backstage performance of puppets.  The facial expressions of the handlers, the fluidity of the brush and the shadows of the puppets is simply remarkable.  From Trinity House Gallery, London and New York.

Todd Merrill Studio, New York, brought an awesome porcelain installation by American artist Beth Katleman representing a 3-D rendering of traditional Toile de Jouy wallpaper.  On closer inspection, instead of having Chinese dancers around a pagoda (one scenario in the traditional wall paper), the installation shows kitschy figures from popular culture.

Galerie Lefebvre, Paris, showed a cluster of 5 smoking hot, midcentury wall sconces by Georges Jouve.  They could easily serve as a lighting installation in an entrance hall, placing them low and high to make a modern, cool design statement.

Last, and certainly not least, one of my favorite pieces of the entire show was this sexy Roman torso of Aphrodite – the goddess of love.  Her contrapposto posture reflects the influence of the Greek Hellenistic sculptures of the goddess, which were wildly popular and emulated well into the Roman times. On offer by Ariadne Galleries, New York.