25 JANUARY 1 FEBRUARY 2026

BRUSSELS EXPO | HEYSEL

Artworks

This section will be available this Autumn.

Galleries
Galleries Galerie AB - Agnès Aittouarès Franck Anelli Fine Art Ars Antiqua d'Arschot & Cie Art et Patrimoine - Laurence Lenne Arte-Fact Fine Art Artimo Fine Arts Galerie Ary Jan Galerie BA - Berthet Aittouarès HELENE BAILLY MARCILHAC Véronique Bamps Barbara Bassi Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Galerie de la Béraudière Galerie Berès Bernier/Eliades Galeria Bessa Pereira Galerie BG Arts Boon Gallery Galerie Alexis Bordes Bernard Bouisset Galerie Boulakia Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud Brame & Lorenceau Cabinet of Curiosities - Honourable Silver Objects Galerie Capazza Giammarco Cappuzzo Fine Art Carlucci Gallery Galerie Jean-François Cazeau Galerie Cento Anni Chambre professionnelle belge de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (CLAM) Citadelles & Mazenod CKS Gallery Claes Gallery Collectors Gallery COLNAGHI Costermans Dalton Somaré De Brock De Jonckheere Galerie Bernard De Leye Galerie Oscar De Vos De Wit Fine Tapestries De Zutter Art Gallery Dei Bardi Art Thomas Deprez Fine Arts Patrick Derom Gallery Desmet Fine Arts Virginie Devillez Fine Art DIE GALERIE Douwes Fine Art b.v. Epoque Fine Jewels Finch & Co Galerie Flak A&R Fleury Galerie La Forest Divonne Galerie Christophe Gaillard Galerie des Modernes Gilden's Art Gallery Grusenmeyer-Woliner Galerie Hadjer Galerie Haesaerts-le Grelle Philippe Heim Heutink Ikonen Galerie Hioco Hoffmans Antiques Huberty & Breyne Galerie Hurtebize rodolphe janssen Francis Janssens van der Maelen Kunsthaus Kende Harold t’Kint de Roodenbeke Florian Kolhammer Hartford Fine Art - Lampronti Gallery Alexis Lartigue Lemaire Galerie Lowet de Wotrenge Francis Maere Fine Arts Maison D'Art Maisonjaune Studio Martins&Montero Martos Gallery MARUANI MERCIER MassModernDesign Galerie Mathivet Mearini Fine Art Galerie Greta Meert Meessen Galerie la Ménagerie Mulier Mulier Gallery Jan Muller Antiques Klaas Muller NARDI VENEZIA Nosbaum Reding Dr. Nöth kunsthandel Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris/Brussels Objects With Narratives Galeria Jordi Pascual Galerie La Patinoire Royale Bach Pauline's Jewellery Box Pelgrims de Bigard Galerie Alexis Pentcheff Christophe Perlès Galerie Perrin Guy Pieters Gallery Gallery de Potter d’Indoye Galerie de la Présidence Pron Van Pruissen Asian Art QG Gallery Maison Rapin Almine Rech Stéphane Renard Fine Art Repetto Gallery robertaebasta Romigioli Antichità Laurent Schaubroeck Serge Schoffel - Art Premier Segoura Fine Art Edouard Simoens Gallery Herwig Simons Fine Arts Stern Pissarro Gallery Stone Gallery Galerie Taménaga TASCHEN TEMPLON The old Treasury Galerie Patrice Trigano unforget Decorative Arts Univers du Bronze Vagabond Antiques Gallery Sofie Van de Velde Van Herck-Eykelberg Galerie Raf Van Severen Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery Maurice Verbaet Gallery Galerie von Vertes Axel Vervoordt Galerie Dina Vierny VKD Jewels Galerie Florence de Voldère N. Vrouyr Floris van Wanroij Fine Art Galerie Watteeu by Edouard & Andrea de Caters Victor Werner WHITFORD Willow Gallery
 

Galerie Berès

simon hantai

Simon Hantai (Hungary, Bia 1922-2008 Paris, France) Étude en noir et blanc pour Pierre Reverdy, circa 1969 Oil on canvas 96 x 75.5 cm Certificate of authenticity n° 2024-16 from the archives Simon Hantai on October 12th, 2024 Provenance: gifted by the artist to Peter Stuyvesant Foundation in 1969 Exhibition: Tilburg, Kultureel Centrum, Peter Stuyvesant collectie, 1979

 

Martos Gallery

keith haring

Keith Haring (USA, Pennsylvania 1958-1990 New York) Untitled, 1980 Sumi ink on paper 22.9 x 73.7 cm (unframed) 42 x 96.5 cm (framed) Provenance: private collection, Europe Exhibition: Keith Haring: Surface to Air, Martos Gallery, New York, 6 May-25 July 2025

 

Galerie Boulakia

Joan Miró (Barcelona 1893-1983 Palma) Des figures devant la lune, 1942 Pastel, gouache, wash, brush, ink, and pencil on paper 64.5 x 48.5 cm Signed 'Joan Miró' (lower right) Dated 'X Barcelone, 18-12-1942' and titled on reverse Certificate of authenticity from ADOM dated 13 July 2018 Provenance: Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York; Galleria Narciso, Turin Exhibitions: Traveling exhibition Japan, 1984, reproduced cat. n° 17; Ferrara, Palais des Diamants, Joan Miró, 1985, n° 81; Cherasco, Palazzo Salmatoris, Chagall, Miró, Magritte : La Poesia del Sogno, September-December 2005; Paris, Exhibition Jean Louis Prat-Galerie Lelong, Grand Palais, September-October 2018; Mons, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mons, Belgium, Exposition Joan Miro : L’essence des choses passées et présentes, October 2022-January 2023, repr. in cat. Literature: Jacques Dupin, Ariane Lelong-Mainaud, Joan Miro : catalogue raisonné, Volume II, 1931-1941, Editions Maeght-Lelong, Paris, 2000; Joan Miró exhibition catalogue, L'essence des choses passées et présentes, Editions BAM, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mons, Belgium, 2022

 

Hoffmans Antiques

Chandelier in the 'Retour d’Égypte' style Paris, early 19th century Attributed to Benjamin Ladouèpe-Dufougerias and the 'Manufacture de Cristaux de Montcenis' Ormoulu, patinated and fire-gilt bronze for twelve candles H 130 cm - Ø circa 80 cm Provenance: private European collection This magnificent chandelier exemplifies the short-lived yet influential 'Retour d’Égypte' style, which emerged in the wake of Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign (1798–1801). At its centre stands an amphora-shaped patinated urn, crowned with a flaming finial and surmounted by a pinecone. From the urn’s body spring twelve elegantly curved candle arms arranged in two tiers, richly ornamented with foliage motifs and set between four stylised Egyptian masks. The chandelier is suspended by four chains leading to an imposing corona adorned with leonine masks and voluted floral decoration. The style was largely shaped by the architects Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine, whose neoclassical designs laid the foundation for this decorative vocabulary. It endured only briefly before giving way to the Empire style with the establishment of Napoleon and the First French Empire. Provenance and Comparanda: A closely related chandelier for twelve lights, attributed to the Manufacture de Cristaux de la Reine, is preserved in the collections at Versailles, formerly installed in Marie-Antoinette’s inner cabinet at the Petit Trianon.

 

Galerie Mathivet

François-Xavier Lalanne (Agen 1927-2008 Ury) Lamp sculpture 'Grand Echassier', 1990 Glass, patinated copper and bronze H 68 x W 61 x D 35 cm Monogrammed FXL, numbered 60/900 Figini foundry stamp and Artcurial publisher's mark

 

Franck Anelli Fine Art

charles topino

Charles Topino (Arras, circa 1742-1803) Louis XVI period demi-lune commode, circa 1780 Oak, Parisian varnish, gilt-bronze mounts, Aleppo breccia marble top H 91 x W 131 x D 58 cm Stamped 'C. TOPINO' and 'JME', with a CD mark Provenance: private collection, Paris Literature: Forray-Carlier et M. Kopplin, Les Secrets de la Laque française: Le Vernis Martin, Paris, 2014 This demi-lune commode is decorated with chinoiserie motifs in gold on a green background,. It opens with two side doors and three drawers. The gold chinoiserie decoration on green varnish is quite rare, especially on Louis XVI furniture. The chinoiserie theme is executed here in a decorative style from the 1780s, with framed scenes surrounded by tied garlands. This exotic theme remained in vogue during the Louis XVI period, as evidenced by the lacquered Japanese furniture favoured by Marie-Antoinette, as well as the marquetry furniture by Roentgen. Jean Pillement (1728-1808) popularised chinoiserie designs through his 1776 book 'Œuvres de Fleurs, ornements, cartouches et figures et sujets chinois…etc.,' which spread throughout the courts of Europe. The green varnish décor is especially known for works by René Dubois, such as the small demi-lune commode housed at Waddesdon Manor in England (Inv. WI/23/2). René Dubois, however, was more inclined towards neoclassical scenes, a style that is well-documented in his stock from 1772, which lists around twenty pieces, thus helping to date his production. At this time, the workshop of the Frères Martin was still active, with Jean-Alexandre, the son of Robert Martin, having taken over his father’s workshop in 1767 and acquired that of his cousin Etienne-François in 1772, following his cousin's death the year before. It is clear that Jean-Alexandre benefited from the strong connections his family had with Parisian marchand-merciers and cabinetmakers, one of the most renowned of whom was Charles Topino. This production unfortunately did not survive the French Revolution, and this commode is one of the last examples of this inventive period. Charles Topino settled in Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine and counted aristocratic clients and marchand-ébénistes such as Delorme and Tuart amongst his customers. His pieces were described as 'à l'antique,' an expression referring to the neoclassical taste that dominated the late 18th century. His journal, covering the years 1771 to 1779, has survived, providing insight into the names of bronziers who supplied him, including Jean-Baptiste Dubuisson, a master founder since 1765, who created some of the finest bronze mounts of the period. It is known that the gilt bronze mounts adorning Topino’s furniture were cast by Viret, chased by Chamboin and Dubuisson, and gilded by Bécard, Gérard, and Vallet. Charles Topino produced several demi-lune commodes of this type, many decorated with marquetry and several with varnish decorations. Notable examples include: -A commode from the Prince Radziwill collection, sold at the Château d'Ermenonville auction, Ader study, March 8th, 1933 -A writing desk sold by Christie's London from the Rechnitzer collection, May 19th, 1955, illustrated in Connaissance des Arts n° 41, July 15th, 1955 -A writing desk decorated with European black and gold varnish in the Chinese style, sold at Paris’s Hôtel Drouot, Cornette de Saint-Cyr study, January 31st, 1994 -A writing desk with Coromandel lacquer decoration, from the Princess A. de Broglie collection, ill. in P. Verlet, Les ébénistes du XVIIIe siècle français, Connaissance des arts, Hachette, Paris, 1963, p. 268

 

Francis Maere Fine Arts

eugène dodeigne

Eugène Dodeigne (Belgium, Rouvreux 1923-2015 Bondues, France) Untitled, 1990 Oil on canvas 195 x 97 cm

 

VKD Jewels

Giampaolo Babetto (Italy, 1947) Pair of geometric earclips, circa 2009 24k yellow gold with niello and red pigment Each clip is composed of four square plates in brushed gold: one coated with red pigment and the other with niello Signed Babetto

 

Art et Patrimoine - Laurence Lenne

Potpourri vase in polychrome porcelain Tournai porcelain, second period, 1763-1775 H 36.5 cm Rare potpourri vase in soft-paste, polychrome Tournai porcelain. At its base, it depicts a gallant offering grapes to his lady Provenance: former du Bois de Roest collection Literature: a similar piece is published in Lucien Delplace, Considérations sur les porcelaines de Tournai, p. 25, plate 3; and in Soil de Moriamé & Delplace, La Manufacture Impériale et Royale de Porcelaine de Tournay, 1937, p. 341, n° 645, plate 79

 

DIE GALERIE

pierre alechinsky

Pierre Alechinsky (Brussels, 1927) Le Point du Jour, 1966 Oil on canvas 130 x 81 cm Signed lower right 'Alechinsky'; signed, dated and entitled verso Certificate by the artist from 19 March 2012 Provenance: Galerie Birch, Kopenhagen; DIE GALERIE, Frankfurt am Main Literature: Pierre Alechinsky, Galerie Birch, Kopenhagen 1966; CoBrA. Una grande avanguardia europea 1948-1951, exh. cat. Fondazione Roma Museo, Palazzo Cipolla, Rome 2015, p. 211 Exhibitions: Pierre Alechinsky, Galerie Birch, Kopenhagen 1966; CoBrA international – Momente einer Utopie, Museum für aktuelle Kunst, Sammlung Hurrle, Durbach, 2012-2013; CoBrA – Una grande avanguardia europea 1948-1951, Fondazione Roma Museo, Palazzo Cipolla, Rom, 2015-2016; 70 Years of CoBrA, DIE GALERIE, Frankfurt am Main, 2018; Pierre Alechinsky and his artist friends, DIE GALERIE, Frankfurt am Main, 2025

 

Galerie von Vertes

pierre soulages

Pierre Soulages (Rodez, 1919-2022) Peinture 92 x 130 cm, 4 mai 2004 Acrylic on canvas 92 x 130 cm Verso signed and titled ‘SOULAGES 92 x 130 cm 4 Mai 2004’ On the stretcher, signed and inscribed 'soulages' Provenance: collection Essl, Klosterneuburg, Austria (acquired directly from the artist); Christie's, Paris, 23 October 2023, lot 358; private collection, Switzerland Literature: Pierre Encrevé, Soulages: l'œuvre complet, Peintures, vol. IV: 1997-2013, Paris, 2015, n° 1272, p. 148 (ill.)

 

Kunsthaus Kende

Pair of George I Britannia silver tea caddies John Farnell, London, 1720 Engraved sterling silver H 12.5 cm 240.3 g and 237.4 g Provenance: private collection, North America The smooth, octagonal body merging into the correspondingly smooth shoulder. The lid finished with a twisted baluster. The base, which can be pulled out for filling, is only marked with a maker’s mark, the lid is unmarked. The bodies are hallmarked on the underside of the back. The contemporary coat of arms engraved on the front commemorates the marriage of a gentleman of the Dove family (who were based in East Burgholt in the county of Suffolk) and a lady of the Pierse family (whose family was based in Alston in the county of Warwickshire). An attractively preserved, early Britannia silver pair of tea caddies with a beautifully preserved, original surface.

 

Almine Rech

vivian springford

untitled

Vivian Springford (USA, Wisconsin 1913-2003 New York) Untitled, circa 1973 Acrylic on canvas 182.9 x 183.5 x 3.2 cm Provenance: estate of the artist Exhibition: Almine Rech, 'Gesture & Form: Women in Abstraction', May 3rd - June 15th, 2024, New York, Upper East Side Vivian Springford’s 'Untitled', circa 1973, encapsulates the American painter’s expressive, vibrant style. During the late 1960s, Springford had come into her own as an artist. She had developed a signature visual vocabulary and a technique of stain painting to go with it, working with thinned paint to create kaleidoscopic, gestural works.

 

Galeria Bessa Pereira

Abraham Palatnik (Brasil, Natal 1928-2020 Rio de Janeiro) Cupboard, 1950s Iron, wood and painted glass H 90 x W 150 x D 49 cm Origin: Brasil Provenance: private collection, Rio de Janeiro; Galeria Bessa Pereira collection Literature: Vicente, A., & Vasconcellos, M. (Comps.), Móvel moderno brasileiro (1st edition), São Paulo: Olhares, 2017, pp. 244-245; Vasconcellos, M., Móvel brasileiro moderno (1st edition), Rio de Janeiro: Aeroplano, 2012, p. 193

 

Kunsthaus Kende

Satoshi Hara (Japan, Yokohama, 1962) Flower vase with inlaid Chrysanthemum design (mujinagiku) Ishikawa, 2018 Gold, silver and iron H 18 cm - Ø 20 cm Provenance: artist’s estate Satoshi Hara, who was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1962, specialises in creating hammered metalworks embellished with intricate and labour-intensive decorations in gold and silver. This highly developed inlay technique makes the decorations appear as if they were drawn with a thin pen. The artist has created his own technique, which he calls ‘Nanako Zogan.’ With this technique, he is able to inlay patterns into the vessels using 0.3 mm-thick silver wires. Each individual line is created in five different steps. One piece of work contains an average of 50 metres of silver wire, meaning that the artist has to work with approximately 200 metres of silver wire throughout the various stages. There is no room for error in this highly complex and time-consuming process, since it is impossible to rectify any mistakes. The artist has been teaching metalworking at Kanazawa College of Art, Department of Craft, since 2003. His work can be found in numerous museums in Japan and abroad.

 

CKS Gallery

Salvador Dalí (Spain, Figueras 1904-1989) Nude ascending the staircase, 1973 Brown patina bronze sculpture H 212 × W 139 × D 117 cm - Height with the base: 297 cm Signed & numbered 'Dalí 2/8', Foundry mark 'Fratelli Bonvicini, Italie' on the shell Certificate of authenticity by M. Robert Descharnes and listed in the Descharnes Archives under the n° 0-264 Provenance: private collection

 

NARDI VENEZIA

nardi venezia

NARDI VENEZIA Ad Orientem, pair of earrings Pink gold and mother of pearl, set with diamonds and rubies Cherry blossoms, secret gardens… The 'Ad Orientem' jewels conjure up a world of alluring beauty, where East meets West in perfect harmony.

 

Herwig Simons Fine Arts

Wooden chef-d'oeuvre of the Compagnonnage France, 19th century Walnut, maple and mohogany wood H 185 cm Provenance: former private collection, France A fine, rare and large nineteenth-century wooden exhibition model, the chef d'oeuvre of a master carpenter of the Compagnonnage. These models were made to show the technical expertise and skill of the master carpenter. The Compagnonnage is an old French guild with roots in the 12th century. In the eighteenth century, they incorporated symbols and rituals, many of which were borrowed from Freemasonry to create an initiatory progression for its members.

 

Romigioli Antichità

giuseppe piamontini

Giuseppe Piamontini (Florence, 1664-1744) Small Faun playing with a Satyr, 1710 Carrara marble H 79 cm Signed and dated 1710 Provenance: private collection, Florence Literature: Sandro Bellesi, I marmi di Giuseppe Piamontini, ed. Polistampa 2008 Ideal pendant 'Eros and Anteros' at the Money Museum in Palazzo Pitti, Florence

 

Willow Gallery

Sam Francis (San Mateo 1923-1994 Santa Monica) Untitled (SF90-491), 1990 Acrylic on paper 63 x 56 cm 81 x 74 cm (framed) Signed and dated 'Sam Francis 1990' (on the reverse) Provenance: Phillip Kirkeby Collection, California (a gift from the artist); private collection, Spain (acquired from the above); private collection, (acquired from the above) Literature: D. Burchett-Lere (ed.), Sam Francis: Unique Works on Paper and Expanded Version of Canvas and Panel Paintings from the online Catalogue Raisonné Project, n° SF90-491 (ill.) Exhibition: California, San Rafael, Smith Anderson North, Sam Francis: The Spirit of the Shadow: Paintings and Etchings, 25 June-29 July 2009

 

Hoffmans Antiques

Pair of side cabinets Paris, circa 1800 Walnut, mahogany, and mahogany veneer with gilt-bronze mounts, grey Bardiglio marble tops H 88 x W 45 x D 44 cm In the manner of Luigi and Antonio Manfredini, Paris Provenance: private European collection This pair of neoclassical cabinets reflects the refined elegance of early 19th-century Parisian design. Each cabinet combines function with ornament, comprising drawers, a cupboard, and a concealed drawer. The gilt-bronze mounts feature central lion masks and Egyptian-inspired motifs, a reference to the vogue sparked by Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign. Topped with slabs of grey Bardiglio marble, the cabinets blend practicality and decorative sophistication.

 

Segoura Fine Art

eduard hildebrandt

Eduard Hildebrandt (Poland, Gdańsk 1818-1868 Berlin, Germany) Cormorants at Sunset over the Arctic, 1852 Oil on canvas 80 x 90 cm Signed and dated lower right Provenance: private collection, France

 

Galerie Mathivet

maurice dufrene

Maurice Dufrene (Paris 1876-1955 Nogent-sur-Marne) Lamp with dahlias, circa 1913 Gilt bronze and glass H 70 cm - ∅ 49 cm Signed M DUFRENE

 

A&R Fleury

Pierre Alechinsky (Brussels, 1927) Traité des excitants modernes, 1990 Acrylic and ink on paper mounted on canvas 136 x 75 cm Signed and dated 'Alechinsky 90' lower right

 

DIE GALERIE

andré masson

André Masson (Balagny-sur-Thérain 1896-1987 Paris) La victime, 1942 Gouache and sand on wood 37.8 x 32.8 cm Monogrammed and dated lower left Provenance: the artist’s studio; Galleria Studio Due Ci, Rome Literature: Masson: Massaker, Metamorphosen, Mythologien. exh. cat. Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern 1996, p. 39; André Masson. Un Combat, exh. cat. Musées de la Cour d'Or, Metz 1999, p. 39, 181; André Masson. La mémoire du monde, exh. cat. DIE GALERIE, Frankfurt am Main 2025, p. 43. Exhibitions: Masson: Massaker, Metamorphosen, Mythologien. Kunstmuseum Bern, 1996; André Masson. Un Combat, Musées de la Cour d'Or, Metz, 1999; André Masson. Zwischen Welten – Entremondes, Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz, Chemnitz, 2019-2020; André Masson. La mémoire du monde, DIE GALERIE, Frankfurt am Main, 2024-2025

 

Galerie de la Béraudière

jean fautrier

Jean Fautrier (Paris 1898-1964 Châtenay-Malabry) Les feuilles vertes, 1934 Oil on canvas 73 x 60 cm Signed lower left 'Fautrier' Provenance: Jean Paulhan collection, France; Dominique Aury collection, France; private collection, France (by descent); Tajan, Paris, November 23rd, 2022, lot 44; private collection, Belgium Literature: Marie-José Lefort, Catalogue Raisonné de l'oeuvre peint de Jean Fautrier, Norma éditions, 2023, p. 293, n° 478 (ill.); Palma Bucarelli, Jean Fautrier, Pittura e materia, édition Il Saggiatore, Milan, 1960, ill. n° 107 p. 306 Exhibitions: 1974, Paris, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Jean Paulhan à travers ses peintres, cat. n° 563, p. 218

 

Galerie BA - Berthet Aittouarès

mark tobey

Mark Tobey (USA, Centerville 1890-1976 Basel, Switzerland) Landscape, 1967 Tempera on paper 26.5 x 48.6 cm Signed and dated lower back, stamp on the back Certificate of authenticity by the Committee Mark Tobey dated 8 February 2007 Provenance: François Gaudard, pianist and friend of Mark Tobey

 

Galerie La Patinoire Royale Bach

thomas devaux

Thomas Devaux (Marcq-en-Barœul, 1980) Dichroic 5.62, 2023 Dichroic glass, pigment print, frame in aluminium with 22K gold leaf 150 x 125 cm Edition 2/3

 

Segoura Fine Art

charles-alexandre debacq

Charles-Alexandre Debacq (Paris, 1804-1850) The Temptation of Saint Anthony, 1831 Oil on canvas 106 x 79 cm Signed lower left Exhibition: Paris, Salon of 1831

 

Almine Rech

tom wesselmann

Tom Wesselmann (USA, Ohio 1931-2004 New York) 'Smoker Study (For Smoker #11)', 1972 Oil on canvas 29.2 x 29.2 cm 46.4 x 46.4 x 3.8 cm (framed) Examined by the WPI's Wesselmann committee on 13 December 2023, for inclusion in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné Provenance: estate of the artist Courtesy of the Estate of Tom Wesselmann and Almine Rech / Photo: Thomas Barratt Smoker Study (For Smoker #11), 1972 belongs to Tom Wesselmann’s Smoker series, which the artist began in 1967. Born out of a desire to isolate and further investigate the representation of lips and the act of smoking, the Smoker series also found its origin in advertising, and stands as testament to the major role Wesselmann occupied in the birth and development of the Pop aesthetic. Today, Wesselmann’s Smoker paintings are among his most renowned works. The series began with Smoker, 1 (Mouth, 12), 1967, which is now held in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Wesselmann found photography to be a useful medium to capture his models in poses he would later translate to larger scale works. On one occasion, his friend Peggy Sarno lit a cigarette during a modeling session. Wesselmann took some photographs of her as she inhaled, still posing in a reclined position. This moment inspired the Smoker series, which is characterised by the presence of vivid red lips juxtaposed with curling white smoke. Smoker Study (For Smoker #11) is both bold and intimate, capturing a single moment of pleasure in a complex and ambitious composition indicative of the artist’s experimentation with subject, form, and color. In mid-century America, cigarette advertisements were incredibly elaborate, among the most sophisticated forms of marketing. As well as standing as an example of Wesselmann’s fascination with popular culture and the female body, Smoker Study (For Smoker #11) also demonstrates the artist’s mastery of oil paint, attention to detail, and sophisticated compositional style. In the 1960s, Wesselmann had been developing his Great American Nudes series when he was inspired to focus on specific details of female figures. In an almost fetishistic act, he started isolating elements of the female figure, creating smaller preparatory pieces as well as larger scale works depicting hands, breasts, and lips. Out of this approach his Mouth paintings and Smoker Series, works such as Smoker Study (For Smoker #11) were born. Tom Wesselmann (1931–2004) was one of the leading American Pop artists of the mid-20th Century. Departing from Abstract Expressionism, he explored classical representations of the nude, still life, and landscape, while incorporating everyday objects and advertising ephemera. Wesselmann was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 23, 1931. He attended Hiram College in Ohio from 1949 to 1951 before entering the University of Cincinnati. In 1953, his studies were interrupted by a two-year enlistment in the army, during which time he began drawing cartoons. He returned to the university in 1954 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1956. During this time, he decided to pursue a career in cartooning and enrolled at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he was accepted into the Cooper Union and where his focus shifted dramatically to fine art.

 
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