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Rueb Modern and Contemporary Art
hans bellmer
Hans Bellmer (German artist, Poland, Katowice 1902-1975 Paris, France) Untitled, circa 1945 Pencil on paper 16 x 10 cm Signed Provenance: private collection, London; Art historian John Richardson, New York Literature: J. Reginato, John Richardson at home, New York 2021, ill. p. 92
Epoque Fine Jewels
van cleef & arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels Panther brooch, last quarter of the 20th century Onyx, emerald and diamond A stalking panther set throughout with brilliant cut diamonds, highlighted with onyx dots, marquise-shaped emerald eyes and an onyx nose, mounted in 18 karat yellow gold Signed Van Cleef & Arpels and numbered Provenance: from an important estate
Stone Gallery
Pallasite meteorite slice on metal base Weight: 3.030 gr. H 56 x W 32 x D 7 cm Provenance: from outer space, found in Seymchan, Russia Pallasites are a rare type of stony/iron meteorite, widely considered to be the most beautiful known otherworldly substance. Extraterrestrial olivine and peridot are suspended in the highly-polished iron-nickel matrix originating from an asteroid’s core. This complete slice of a Seymchan meteorite is delimited by the meteorite’s external surface. The combination of part iron and part iron with olivine crystals in this specimen are a superior example of a transitional pallasite. Modern cutting. Classified as a pallasite, it is composed of dark crystals of the silicate mineral olivine in a spongelike network of nickel-iron alloy. Meteorites are pieces of stone or iron that fell to Earth from outer space. They are often small chunks of planetoids, but sometimes can be pieces up to kilometres in diameter. Like the planets, the planetoids orbit around our Sun. While meteorites are among the rarest substances on Earth — all the world’s meteorites weigh less than the world’s annual output of gold — pallasites are rarer still as they represent less than 0.2% of all known meteorites. Pallasites formed at the core-mantle boundary of an asteroid when some of the mantle’s olivine, which is in proximity to the molten metallic core, crystallised. As a result of the asteroid having been shattered following a collision with another asteroid, inner sections of this asteroid became liberated with a bit of it having found its way to Earth. Gem-quality olivine or peridot (the August birthstone) is found in some pallasites — including the current offering. About Meteorites in general: A typical meteorite hits the surface of the Earth at a rate of approximately 100 metres per second (about 350 km per hour). Obviously even a small meteorite at such a speed may cause great damage. Depending on its size and where the meteorite falls, it might cause an impact crater with a depth of between a few centimetres and up to many metres deep.
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Galerie Hadjer
joan miró
Joan Miró (Barcelona 1893-1983 Palma de Mallorca) La femme au miroir Aubusson tapestry woven by the Pinton workshop / Mobilier National, France Wool Based on original tapestry cartoon from 1965 138 x 200 cm Edition 2/8 - Project with the Miro Foundation in 2024 Provenance: Atelier Pinton Aubusson-French National collection/Miro Foundation Literature: The Fabric of Modernity. Matisse, Lurçat, Miró and French tapestry, 2020 Exhibition: The Fabric of Modernity: Matisse, Lurçat, Miró... and French tapestries. Kunsthalle München, 6 December 2019-8 March 2020; Au fil du siècle, 1918-2018 Chefs-d'œuvre de la tapisserie, Galerie des Gobelins, 2018
DYS44 Lampronti Gallery
Artemisia Gentileschi (Rome 1593-1656 Naples) Bathsheba at her bath, circa 1636-1638 Oil on canvas 185.2 x 145.4 cm Provenance: private collection, UK; Matthiesen Gallery, London Literature: M. Nicolaci, catalogue entry 41, in Artemisia Gentileschi: Storia di una Passione, R. Contini and F. Solinas (eds.), exh. cat., Palazzo Reale, Milan, 2011-2012, p. 228; M. Nicolaci, catalogue entry 52, in Artemisia, 1593-1654, R.P. Ciardi, R. Contini, and F. Solinas (eds.), exh. cat., Fondation Dina Vierny-Musée Maillol, Paris, 2012, pp. 184-185; N. Spinosa, Grazia e Tenerezza in Posa: Bernardo Cavallino e il Suo Tempo, 1616-1656 (Rome, 2013), p. 403, ill. A3.a; R. Lattuada, "Unknown Paintings by Artemisia in Naples and New Insights into Her Daily Life and 'Bottega'," in Artemisia Gentileschi in a Changing Light, ed. S. Baker, London-Turnhout, 2015, pp. 203-205, figs. 34–39 Exhibitions: Artemisia Gentileschi: Storia di una passione, Palazzo Reale, Milan, 22 September 2011-29 January 2012, curated by R. Contini and F. Solinas; Artemisia, 1593–1654, Fondation Dina Vierny-Musée Maillol, Paris, 14 March-15 July 2012, curated by R. P. Ciardi, R. Contini, and F. Solinas; Artemisia, Vrouw & Macht, Rijksmuseum Twente, Enschede, 26 September 2021-23 January 2022
TEMPLON
françois rouan
François Rouan (Montpellier, 1943) Pavane IV, 2018-2019 Oil on braided canvases 200.5 x 170 cm - framed 206 x 175 cm Unique piece Provenance: the artist's studio Literature: Exhibition catalogue François Rouan, Odalisques et Pavanes, 2009-2020, TEMPLON, 2023 (illustrated p. 23), published by TEMPLON 2023
Claes Gallery
Songye Mask Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga Presumed period: late 19th-early 20th century Wood, pigments H 31.8 cm Provenance: acquired in situ by John Henry (aka Jack) Sandground in Ebombo, 1934; passed on to descendants; American private collection, Washington Amongst Songye masks, a general distinction was made in reference to the function of male and female masks. Male masks (bifwebebalume) were involved in rites of passage. On the other hand, female masks (bifwebe bakashi), which appeared on the occasion of the death or investiture of a chief and during lunar rites, were an integral part of the symbolic composition of these rituals, animating benevolent spiritual forces through dance. This mask is a female ‘kikashi’ mask, as indicated by the two-tone white and black, the absence of a sagittal crest and the flat nose. According to Plasmans, ‘the female kifwebe animates the vital forces through dance, calling upon the benevolent spirits of the forest. The woman, as the bearer of children and thus of good fortune, perpetuates the lineage and simultaneously also the magical essence of buci. In this way, female masks represent the continuity of life and cultural tradition. The presence of the passive female mask in the composition of bwadi society accentuates and completes the dialectical opposition of the active force of the male masks'.
Herwig Simons Fine Arts
Manierist Mascaron Italy, mid 16th century Istrian marble H 50 x W 40 cm An expressive Mascaron in Istrian marble of a lion's head holding a ring in his mouth. Istrian marble was widely used during the Renaissance, particularly in Venetian architecture, and its soft tones beautifully complement the intricate details of the lion's face and ring. This design is symbolic: lions represented strength, protection, and authority and gave the building grandeur, serving as a sculptural accent that elevates the aesthetic quality of the entrance or facade.
Kunsthaus Kende
Yoshiko Okamoto (Japan, Yamaguchi 1976) Hagiawase jardinière, 2014 Silver, copper, shakudo, shibuichi H 11.4 x W 26.8 x D 8.4 cm A navette-shaped form, with the wall subtly tapering towards the ends and the base sloping upwards, analogous to the ends. The upper rim terminates in a square moulding. The body is adorned with an abstract frieze of foliage in alternating colours at alternating heights, which is subdivided by a subtle linear decoration. The pattern has been obtained using the traditional Japanese hagiawase technique. A masterfully crafted jardinière or flower planter of outstanding quality, brilliant finesse and unobtrusive elegance. The Japanese artist-silversmith and designer Yoshiko Okamoto (born in 1976 in Yamaguchi) began his career as an illustrator in Yamaguchi Prefecture, her favourite themes being the four seasons and depictions of the beauty of Japanese nature. She took part in arts and crafts courses under the guidance of the metal artist and living national treasure Akira Yamamoto (also from Yamaguchi Prefecture) while still at school, which awakened her interest in traditional Japanese metalworking techniques. After leaving school, she became a master student of Yamamoto, learning the special techniques of hagiawase (hot soldering with metal forging) and kiribame-zogan (heat-welding of cut-out inlays). Her preferred subject has remained unchanged throughout her artistic career: the endless story of nature, woven from the four seasons, into which she incorporates her artistic perspectives, represented by masterful colour gradations of several layers of metal. The traditional Japanese forging technique known as hagiawase (Japanese for ‘brazing’) consists of joining together different types of metal sheets. This technique makes it possible to create metalwork with striped or patchwork patterns. After joining, the artist shapes the metal with a hammer. The work often consists of silver (white), different types of shibuichi (a copper-silver alloy that appears grey) and shakudo (a copper-gold alloy that appears black). The surface of shibuichi becomes light grey when silver is added, the addition of copper makes the colour appear progressively darker depending on the quantity, and the addition of gold makes it dark grey. These metal alloy plates are cut with a fine saw to produce the desired pattern. These plates are joined together with silver and then melted with a gas burner to bond the pieces together. Alternatively, hotter flames are used to bond the different metals together directly. Since it is not possible to produce the pattern exactly as designed each time, Yoshiko Okamoto performs this hagiawase process several times until she has produced the desired number of patterns. When the pattern plates are finished, she grinds the inside to smooth out the unevenness caused by the soldering. She then begins to mould the metal by driving it with a hammer. Once the basic shape has been created, the pattern of white dots is incorporated: for this purpose she drills holes with a drill of maximum 1 mm diameter, inserts a short-cut round wire made of pure silver into the hole and fixes the protruding part of the silver by hammering. The protruding part is then removed to make it level with the surface. This technique is known in Japanese as Kiribame-zogan. The surface is then hand-sanded using coarser abrasive media, the grain of which becomes progressively finer during the sanding process, ultimately resulting in a high lustre. Once all the sections have been completed, the inner surface of the piece is sanded again with coarse sandpaper and the edges of the individual parts are harmonised. The metal plates are then assembled to form the three-dimensional workpiece, fixed together with wire and the segments soldered together. Finally, the surface is preserved using the traditional Japanese patination technique Niiro.
Kunsthaus Kende
Ane Christensen (Copenhagen, 1972) Dented bowl Sterling silver London, 2000 H 10.3 x W circa 35 x D circa 30.1 cm Weight 966.2 gr. The body with a fully frosted surface, divided in the centre. A decorative, modern fruit bowl in sterling silver by one of Britain’s most important modern female designers and silversmiths. The silversmith and designer Ane Christensen, born in 1972 in Copenhagen, studied at the Royal College of Art, London and London Guildhall University, whilst also working as an assistant to Howard Fenn and Alfred Pain. Since 1999, she has worked as a professional artist silversmith in London. The incomparable formal language of her objects quickly brought her international renown as well as numerous exhibition participations and awards. Her artworks can be found in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the Koldinghus Museum, Kolding (Denmark) and in the Birmingham Museum Collection.
Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris/Brussels
Shirley Jaffe (USA, Elizabeth 1923-2016 Louveciennes, France) Untitled, circa 1955 Oil on canvas 174.5 x 101.5 x 4 cm Provenance: the Artist’s studio; Estate of Shirley Jaffe; Galerie Nathalie Obadia Dated circa 1955, Shirley Jaffe's Untitled is a work that is both remarkable and characteristic of this decisive decade, for its composition of bursts of small, independent brushstrokes that coalesce into irregular blocks. These shapes, composed of countless brushstrokes and sometimes evoking natural forms, are inserted into surfaces that are more modulated than before, and in which patches of local color appear. Fine glazes and dramatic shifts from light to dark contribute to the luminous transparency of her works from the 1950s, which seem flooded with a beautiful, roborative clarity. At the time, Shirley Jaffe was looking for “the moment in a painting that was unusual”. The important thing, for her, was to “bring the forms out of the background, while constantly tilting the balance”. In her works from this period, she often succeeded in giving the impression that shapes emanate naturally from the application of paint, and that compositions become unstable, sometimes radically so. This text appears in Raphaël Rubinstein's 2014 catalog Les Formes de la Dislocation. This work has never been exhibited. Courtesy of Shirley Jaffe Estate / ADAGP, Paris 2024 and Galerie Nathalie Obadia Paris/Brussels © Bertrand Huet / tutti image
Whitford Fine Art
reinhold koehler
Reinhold Koehler (Germany, 1919-1970) Thorax contrecollage, 1963-64 Dessin trouvé Décollage with ink, paper and smashed glass laid down on canvas 72.5 x 50 cm Signed and dated lower right and signed, dated, titled and inscribed verso The work is included in the Koehler Archives as RK 58 Provenance: private collection, Germany
Kunsthaus Kende
Classicist wine ewer Silver Ghent, 1780 Silversmith Joannes Paulus H 34 x Ø 11.4 cm (widest part) Weight 808.4 gr. Amphora-shaped body standing on a central baluster foot with a subtly curved spout and a lid following its shape. The circular body is adorned with classicist palmette decoration and a laurel wreath. The recessed shoulder is decorated with an acanthus frieze, completed by a beaded frieze at the top. The curved handle is connected to the laurel wreath at the bottom by a leaf-shaped spandrel and merges into the richly decorated socket at the top in the form of two leafy tendrils. This is a very elegant and generously proportioned classicist wine jug, outstandingly executed and presented in excellent, museum-quality condition. The original handle, presumably made of pear, is also completely undamaged. The visual decoration is in excellent condition throughout, and not overpolished in any areas. Due to the very representative design, as well as the details of the highest craftsmanship – note in particular the fine satin finish in the recesses of the acanthus leaves of the upper handle mount – a noble origin can definitely be attributed to this piece. The work of the Belgian silversmith Joannes Paulus can be traced back to between 1774 and 1784. The offer refers exclusively to the silver wine jug. Any other accessories shown serve solely to illustrate the proportions and are not included in the offer.
De Brock
ethan cook
Ethan Cook (USA, Texas 1983) Memory, Speak, 2024 Hand woven cotton canvas 157.5 x 228.6 cm Provenance: the artist's studio, Brooklyn, NY, USA; De Brock, Knokke, Belgium Literature: Ethan Cook, published by De Brock (2024) Exhibitions: Ethan Cook: Soup to Nuts, 12-15 September 2024, Lempertz, Brussels, Belgium; BRAFA Art Fair, 26 January-2 February 2025, Brussels Expo, Brussels, Belgium
Victor Werner
bert de leeuw
Bert De Leeuw (Antwerp, 1926-2007) Gedenksteen voor een Onbekende, 1955 Mixed media on canvas H 128 x W 96 cm Titled, signed and dated on reverse of canvas 'Gedenksteen voor een Onbekende 55' Literature: Bert De Leeuw, Monografie, Antwerpen, uitgeverij Pandora, 1997, ill. p. 51 Bert De Leeuw was a self-taught artist, excelling as a painter, draughtsman, sculptor, and engraver. He began his career in advertising but switched to art full-time in 1962. Known for his abstract and informal style, De Leeuw's early works used thick, textured materials to evoke interstellar spaces. He was a co-founder of the influential ‘G58’ artist group in Antwerp, which played a pivotal role in post-war abstract art. Over time, he transitioned from painting to sculpture, focusing on geometric forms and public art. De Leeuw exhibited internationally, including at the Paris and Tokyo Biennales, and won multiple awards, including a 2nd prize from 'De Beers' for jewellery design. He was later honoured as a 'Knight of the Order' by Leopold II.
Edouard Simoens Gallery
Antoni Tàpies (Barcelona, 1923-2012) Cap de gos, 1967 Acrylic, gouache and chalk on firm paper 48 x 63 cm Signed lower right: tàpies This work is registered in the Archives of the Comissio Tàpies under n° 1797 Provenance: Galerie Maeght, Paris; Galeria Dau al Set, Barcelona; Erker-Galerie, St. Gallen; private collection, Switzerland