L' Antiquaire & The Connoisseur, Inc.

          The Connoisseur Inc. was established in 1935 by Countess Ruth Costantino, the first woman fine art dealer in America.  She helped form some of the great twentieth century private collections of French furniture, and was the White House's principal purveyor of French eighteenth century furniture.  Her daughter, Helen Fioratti, a graduate of the Parsons School of Design founded L’Antiquaire in 1965 with her late husband Nereo Fioratti. The two companies merged in 1983, after Madame Costantino’s death to form L’Antiquaire & The Connoisseur Inc. 
The gallery deals in European works of art, antiques and paintings from antiquity to the end of the eighteenth century.  
         Under Mrs. Fioratti's direction, the gallery has continued to supply works of art to museums across America and Europe. She has designed interiors in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East.  Mrs. Fioratti has worked on architectural restorations, and restored a 10th century village near Siena.  
         Mrs. Fioratti serves on the board of the Antique Dealers League of America, is president of L’Antiquaire & The Connoisseur, is a member of Accademica della Cucina Italiana, and a member of the Decorator’s Club and the ASID. Mrs. Fioratti’s daughter, Arianna Fioratti Loreto (Harvard BA, Princeton MA-ABT PHD) is the third generation of women involved in the business.
        Mrs. Fioratti is the co-author and illustrator of French Antiques (1961; 1990), and author and illustrator of The History of Italian Furniture, Il Mobile Italiano (2004). She lectures on decorative arts and is a contributor to several magazines.
The gallery’s exhibitions and related catalogs, include The Enlightened Eye: (1996), The Aesthetic Pursuit (1998), Tempting Pandora: European Boxes, 1200-1800 (2000), European Master Drawings (2001), and In Noah’s Footsteps: Animals in the Fine and Decorative Arts, 3000 B.C.E.-1850 (2004), The Masterful Hand: European Drawings from the 15th through the early 19th century (2005), Reflections of Splendor, European Mirrors from 1500-1800 (2007), and Illuminating Their World: European Chandeliers from 1500-1800 (2007).  The gallery has exhibited at many international art fairs, including Palazzo Albergati in Bologna, Biennale Antiquariato in Florence, Grosvenor House in London, TEFAF Maastricht, TEFAF Basel, Monte Carlo, The Milan International Fine Art & Antiques Show, The Winter Antiques Show in New York, The Connoisseur’s Antique Show, Antiques Chicago, the Fall Antiques Show San Francisco, and the Palm Beach International Fine Art & Antique Fair.