The company is all about art and history: art with history, painted heritage. Célesta Fine Art operates solely on the Internet, the concept of exhibiting at the larger Northern European art fairs has been abandoned recently. The website is the shop to the world. Previously hidden gems originating from books and treasured in private collections are now for everybody to see and buy.

When Célesta Fine Art started in 1994 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, it was for some time the only firm in the world specializing solely in illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Gothic Revival. Before establishing the firm, I worked independently as a scholar and art historian on Western medieval book illumination. Therefore, items from my stock are always accompanied by full descriptions and recent literature.

I do not take apart manuscripts out of principle. Single leaves and cuttings I offer for sale may have been removed centuries ago; since the day they left their place between the other pages of the manuscript they must have been regarded with awe as single art treasures, esteemed for their craftmanship and old age. Many of these works of art, although fragments, are silent witnesses of the magnificent manuscripts they once were part of and should be dealt with respectfully as our European medieval heritage.

The book illumination in stock originates from high-ranking workshops from all over Europe; all works are painted on parchment and are in excellent condition (unless otherwise stated). Medieval items date mainly from the 11th to the 16th century. Besides book illuminations from the Middle Ages, miniatures from the Gothic Revival period are offered for sale.

Professional advice, commitment and scholarly expertise are top priority. If you need any suggestions for your home decoration or have a request for appraisal, just send an e-mail. Customers who are interested in buying or selling an object are kindly requested to contact me first by telephone +31-20-6617422 or e-mail dorinearti@cs.com.