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Repetto Gallery
jean dubuffet
Jean Dubuffet (Le Havre 1901-1985 Paris) Topographie, January 1959 Oil on paper collage applied on paper [assemblage d’empreintes (huile noire)] 47 x 59 cm Certificate of authenticity by Galerie de l’Ile-de-France, Paris Provenance: Galerie de l’Ile-de-France, Paris; private collection, Italy Literature: Max Loreau (Ed.), Catalogue des travaux de Jean Dubuffet. Fascicule XIX : Célébration du sol II, texturologies, topographies, Weber éditeur, Paris, n° 173
unforget Decorative Arts
fulvio bianconi
Fulvio Bianconi (Padua 1915-1996 Milan) 'Sirena' vase model 4201 Designed in 1950, manufactured by Venini Murano, Italy Blown glass in amber color, iridescent, decoration in white glass called lattimo H 30.5 x W 20 x D 10 cm Acid signed on the reverse on 4 lines 'venini murano MADE IN ITALY' Provenance: Sotheby's London, Design, 16 October 2018, lot 88 Literature: Marc Heiremans, Art Glass from Murano 1910-1970, Stuttgart, 1993, p. 270, fig. 223 Franco Deboni, VENINI GLASS: Its history, artists and techniques, Volume I, Turin, 2007, n.p. for a drawing of the model in the Venini ‘Red’ catalogue; Franco Deboni, VENINI GLASS: Catalogue 1921-2007, Volume II, Turin, 2007, pl. 193; Marino Barovier, ed., FULVIO BIANCONI AT VENINI, exh. cat., Le Stanze del Vetro, San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, 2015, p. 16 for a sketch from the Venini ‘Black’ notebook, p. 25 possibly illustrates the present lot, pp. 130, 144, 156 In 1950, Bianconi created a series of glass sculptures, some representing marine subjects (mermaids and fish) in a playful manner, and others exploring the theme of the female body. Several of these pieces were successfully exhibited at the major traveling exhibition Italy at Work, organized in the United States between 1950 and 1953. Many of these sculptures are characterized by a technique of applying 'lattimo' threads that stand out on a transparent surface. Other sculptures feature Phoenician decorations which, like 'lattimo' decorations, are also used on vases with soft baselines.
Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud
jacq orlande sinapi
Jacq Orlande Sinapi (Marseille, 1911-1989) Bison, circa 1940 Bronze with nuanced brown patina Cast by Leblanc-Barbedienne and bearing the foundry's stamp H 50 x W 57 x D 21 cm Signed ‘Jacq Orlande Sinapi’ Only two pieces known to date Provenance: private collection, France
MassModernDesign
pierre weckx lougne chair brazil 1950s
Low lounge chair designed by Pierre Weckx and manufactured in Brazil 1950s. This low lounge chair is an expressive example of Brazilian modernism, revealing Pierre Weckx’s refined understanding of structure, material, and repose. Designed in the 1950s, the chair embodies a period in which Brazilian designers began to reinterpret international modernist ideas through local materials, craftsmanship, and climate driven lifestyles. The low, reclining posture reflects a relaxed approach to seating, prioritising the body at rest while maintaining a sculptural presence within the interior. The frame is executed in solid caviuna wood, a dense and richly grained Brazilian hardwood prized for its durability and warm tonal depth. Weckx uses the material with confidence, shaping the structure into a continuous, angled silhouette that feels both grounded and fluid. The extended rear legs and subtly inclined seat create a dynamic profile that is visually light despite the solidity of the wood. The armrests are integrated seamlessly, reinforcing the sense of cohesion between form and function. A system of rope supports the original golden toned cowhide cushion, allowing the seat and back to respond gently to the body. This construction not only enhances comfort but also introduces a tactile contrast between the smooth wood, the tensioned rope, and the supple cowhide. The cushion, with its natural patina, contributes significantly to the character of the piece and speaks to its authenticity. This chair has been published several times in Casa e Jardim, underscoring its importance within the canon of mid century Brazilian design. Preserved in fully original condition, it stands as a rare and compelling example of Pierre Weckx’s work, where craftsmanship, material honesty, and an effortless sense of leisure converge into a timeless modern object.
Galerie des Modernes
max ernst
Max Ernst (Brühl 1891-1976 Paris) Fleur de coquillage, circa 1932 Gouache on paper 23 x 30.7 cm Signed lower right 'max ernst' Certificate of authenticity by Mr. Werner Spies dated 29 November 2007 Provenance: Edward Weston collection, Carmel Highlands; Galerie Tarica, Paris; Galerie Heyram-Mabel Semmler, Paris; Galerie des Modernes, Paris; private collection, France
Barbara Bassi
afro, berrocal, bury, cesar
Afro: Bracelet in yellow gold 18 kt, red coral, diamonds and rubies, unique piece 1960's Miguel Berrocal: Microdavid - 1969/71 - Pendant/sculpture in bronze - Signed and numbered 17388 - cm. 6,5 x 2 Pol Bury: Ring hexagonal in silver - 2005 - Signed and numbered 3/8 - Silver 925 - gr. 20 ca - cm. 3 x 3,5 César: Brooch/pendant in yellow and white gold 18 kt - 1980's - Signed and numbered 1/4 PA - gr. 19 - cm. 5,3 x 4,5
Univers du Bronze
Emile-Antoine Bourdelle (France, 1861-1929) Beethoven à la colonne aux yeux fermés (1901) Studio plaster as 'à bon creux' H 62.4 x W 32 x D 28.3 cm Signed in relief 'Bourdelle' in the mould. Artist example detailled on the front in autograph writing '"Moi, je suis Bacchus... le nectar délicieux, Beethoven", dedicated on the base on the left " A Mlle Henriette Charasson, très sympathiquement, E.A.Bourdelle", example reworked by him (with letters from the sculptor to the patron). Cast in 1910
De Wit Fine Tapestries
victor vasarely
Victor Vasarely (Hungary 1906-1997 Paris) WA-4, circa 1970 Wool 156 x 156 cm Signed lower right corner Aubusson, atelier Pinton (Monogram lower left corner) Edition 1/6 The WA-4 tapestry consists of a large square divided into four squares, on top of which a fifth square is placed, itself divided into four squares. The inside of each of these squares is filled with rhombuses whose colour change from dark blue to purple and then to light beige. These rhombi are arranged on backgrounds of varying colours, ranging from charcoal grey to purple and pink, then from aqua green to pale pink and dark green. The different colour areas are clearly distinct from one another when viewed up close on the tapestry's very fine fabric. But when you step back and view the tapestry from a distance, the planes and shapes seem to interact with each other, and the colours appear to move. The optical effects are particularly striking here. Our gaze is captured by the illusion of movement created by the brain. Vasarely experimented with this fascinating relationship between vision and perception in his paintings, which he then transposed into various media, including glass, ceramics, metal, goldsmithing and tapestry. Vasarely relied on science, because he believed it was the only common language available to humanity. He developed a pictorial system based on the logic of algorithms and binary codes, a square background, coloured and filled with simple geometric shapes. A champion of geometric abstraction, he is best known as the inventor of op-kinetic art (the adjective kinetic derives from the Greek word κίνησις (kinesis), meaning “movement”). Op art or optical art was revealed to the general public by the sensational exhibition ‘Le Mouvement’ (1955), which Vasarely initiated at the Denise René gallery in Paris. In this exhibition he brought together younger artists such as Bury, Jacobsen, Soto and Tinguely alongside the leading figures of Marcel Duchamp and Alexander Calder. Alongside his work as a painter, Vasarely devoted a significant portion of his activity to transposing his art into other media. He promoted the reproduction of his works as tapestries, as he saw this as an opportunity for recreation, in contrast to the concept of a unique work. He envisioned a concept of art for all, based on a new aesthetic, leading to ‘the polychrome city of happiness’. He thought of his tapestries as prototypes, hand-woven in limited numbers and displayed in the comfortable homes of art lovers. He painted around a hundred tapestry cartoons, woven in various workshops. Furthermore, he played a pioneering role by inviting other artists to try their hand at this art form, including Léger, Jean Arp, Agam, Atlan, Dewasne and Josef Albers. This textile experimentation was the result of Vasarely's encounter with François Tabard, an Aubusson tapestry entrepreneur, and Denise René, an avant-garde gallery owner. According to the artist, kinetic art, often described as cold, is compatible with tapestry insofar as it results from a "technique that allows for flat areas to retain warmth. There is none of the monotony of flat areas applied with a brush to a surface." With Tabard, Vasarely developed a systematic method of creating cartoons, allowing infinite chromatic combinations to be obtained. Denise René was the publisher of these tapestries (1952-1970). From 1966 onwards, the national tapestry manufacturers of the Gobelins and Beauvais wove Vasarely's designs. Shortly afterwards, another industrialist from Aubusson, Olivier Pinton, began weaving Vasarely's designs. More than thirty cartoons were finely woven, including WA-4, created around 1970.
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Edouard Simoens Gallery
christo and jeanne-claude
Christo (Bulgaria 1935-2020 New York) and Jeanne-Claude (Casablanca 1935-2009 New York) The Pont Neuf Wrapped (Project for Paris), 1985 Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, and technical data 144 x 165 cm (overall) Provenance: Wolfgang Volz collection; private collection Literature: Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Water Projects, Silvana 2016, p. 167
Stéphane Renard Fine Art
Workshop of Benedetto da Maiano (Maiano 1442-1497 Florence) Bas-relief of the Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist as a child Polychrome and gilded stucco in its original carved and gilded wooden frame H 76 x W 64 x D 13 cm (framed) Provenance: Coat of arms with the alliance arms of two Florentine families: the Compagni (on the left) and the Tornaquinci (on the right) We can estimate that around thirty copies of this bas-relief were probably made, half of which are in public collections (including the Bode Museum in Berlin (Germany – Inv. 1581), the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (United Kingdom – two copies), the Bargello and Stefano Bardini Museums in Florence (Italy), and the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg (Russia) but this one is the only one bearing the coat of arms of its commissioners.
Vagabond Antiques
Monumental carved marble Sundial Portugal, Oporto region, mid-18th century H 357 x W 130 x D 62 cm Portugal has a rich tradition of country houses and manors indigenously known as solares or quintas. Some were modelled on the great 18th century gardens of Le Notre and other landscape architects in France. Under King João, himself a great patron of the arts, began the great 18th century period of Portuguese baroque. The previous austere architectural style, albeit heavily influenced by Renaissance Italy, was replaced with exuberance. With great profits from its colonies and especially gold and precious stones from Minas Gerais and the Sertão of São Paulo in Brazil, it was the golden era of Portuguese architecture and ornament. From it there emerged a new artistic language. Named the Joanine, in honour of the King, it was an architectural style that transformed quintas not only in Portugal but also in the nation’s Atlantic provinces and overseas colonies. This spectacular sundial, monumental in scale, incorporates many architectural elements synonymous with the baroque architecture of the mid-18th century. It was a highly creative Italian who created a form of this style of architecture perfectly suited to Northern Portugal. Born in 1691 and trained in Sienna, Nicolau Nasoni arrived in Oporto in 1725. Having established his reputation by modernising the city’s cathedral, he was commissioned by Jeronimo de Tavora e Noronha to build the Church of Clerigos, one of Oporto’s great 18th century churches. Commissions for other churches and quintas followed, the most famous of which being the grand solar de Mateus, known all over the world for the rose wine that bears its name. The architectural composition of this sundial probably owes more to the façade of the Cas dos Porto Carreiro. Similar works was commissioned by Antonio de Vasconcelos Carvalho e Menezes, a wealthy Portuguese noble who made part of his wealth in Brazil, it was constructed by a Spanish architect but heavily influenced by Nasoni’s work. The volute scrolls and the foliate elements as well as the stylised lambrequins all echo Nasoni’s designs for the gilt woodwork of Oporto churches.
De Jonckheere
lucas van valckenborch
Lucas van Valckenborch (Leuven 1535/6-1597 Frankfurt am Main) The Kermesse of St. George, 1595 Oil on panel 22.5 x 38.5 cm Signed and dated 1595 LVV on the fountain Provenance: collection of Charles Theodore of Bavaria (1724-1799), Elector of the Palatinate and Bavaria, Munich, inv. n° 138 (according to a label in brown ink on the back dating from 1799, n° 138); collection of Maximilian de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg (1835-1852) (fragmentary label); Almas Gallery, Munich, 1941; private collection, South Germany Literature: Pantheon, September 1941, supplement V, repr.; Bernt, Walter, Die niederländischen Maler des 17. Jahrhunderts, Munich, 1948, n° 865 (1960 edition, n° 1216, repr.); Wied, Alexander, Lucas und Marten van Valckenborch. Das Gesamtwerk mit kritischem Oeuvrekatalog, Freren, Luca Verlag, 1990, pp. 176-77, n° 81, repr. Lucas van Valckenborch was undoubtedly introduced to painting by his father Laureys van Valckenborch, before being accepted as a master of the Mechelen painters' guild in 1564. Following the religious persecution inflicted by the Duke of Alba's troops on supporters of the Reformation, he fled the city in 1567 to take refuge in Liège, then in Aachen from 1570 to 1573, where he was reunited with his brother Marten and Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527-1609). He settled temporarily in Antwerp from 1575 to 1577. He was then employed in Brussels by Matthias, the then Governor-General of the Netherlands. In 1581, he accompanied the latter to Austria, staying in Vienna and Prague, as well as in Linz and Nuremberg. As of 1593, he shared his workshop in Frankfurt am Main with his brother Marten; he was granted citizenship on 10 January, 1594, encouraged by Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553-1595). He worked actively in the family workshop until his death in 1597. Considered one of the greatest landscape painters of the 16th century, Lucas van Valckenborch's concept of landscape was derived from Joachim Patinir and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. His very detailed portrayals of the seasons, village kermesses, romantic scenes and townscapes, stand out owing to the meticulous care employed in their execution and the precise structure of the planes leading to the horizon. His panoramic landscapes are a careful observation of the Meuse valley; his anecdotal scenes are painted with the delicacy of a miniaturist, while his landscapes are presented with topographical accuracy. At the end of his life, his deep landscapes with their luminous, refined nuances, bear witness to a creative approach that sought to go beyond the Bruegelian concept, which was never surpassed by his contemporaries.
Galerie la Ménagerie
jacques froment-meurice
Jacques Froment-Meurice (Paris 1864-1946 Maisons-Lafitte) Bucking donkey, circa 1904 Model from 'Les gestes d'Ânes' Bronze A. A Hébrard foundry H 14.5 x W 18 x D 9 cm Signed on the base Provenance: collection New York, USA Literature: A strong love of all animals, but particularly of domestic breeds, especially donkeys, is evident in the character that Froment-Meurice captures in all his intimate portraits. Cast by Hebrard, they are always of the highest quality, Edward Horswell, Sculpture of Les Animaliers, 1900-1950, Scala Arts and Heritage Publishers Ltd, 2019, p. 136
Grusenmeyer-Woliner
Hariti, the Buddhist protectress of children Ancient region of Gandhara, Swat Valley, 3rd-4th century AD Grey schist stone H 125 cm Provenance: European private collection, before 1990 (by reputation); an important private collection, Japan, by 1990 Literature: I. Kurita. Gandharan Art, vol. II, Tokyo, 1990, p. 169, fig. 493; M. Akira. Gandharan Art and Bamiyan Site, Tokyo, 2006, p. 114, n° 86 Hariti, the Buddhist protectress of children Imbued with an aura of maternal guardianship, Hariti was originally a yakshi who devoured children to sustain her own large family. Converted by the Buddha into their protector, she is depicted in Graeco-Buddhist art of the ancient Gandhara region surrounded by children. Perhaps the most prominent female deity in Gandhara, Hariti embodies fertility, wealth, and maternal care. She assumes a commanding stance, offering protection to mothers and infants. Draped in a clinging tunic that reveals a robust, fecund body, she is accompanied by children at her feet and shoulders, while a fifth child once hung from her left breast, of which only fragments remain. Her distinctive headdress represents the fortified walls of a city, a motif also associated with Tyche/Fortuna, the Greco-Roman guardian of cities, thereby reflecting the syncretism of Buddhist and Greco-Roman iconography. A wealth-bestowing goddess, she is richly adorned with jewellery - a necklace, collar, substantial earrings, and a pair of coiled serpentine armlets, a favoured motif in Graeco-style ornamentation. The present large-scale figure is exceptionally rare in private hands and was published in the seminal Japanese study on Gandhara art, widely known within collectors’ circles as the Kurita, which adds significantly to its prestige and desirability.
Herwig Simons Fine Arts
Large Siena marble models from the Roman Forum Rome, circa 1800 H 87 cm Provenance: former noble collection, The Netherlands Fine and unusual large grand tour Siena marble models of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, and the Temple of Vespasian, from the Roman forum. Made as souvenirs for visitors on the Grand Tour in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Gallery Sofie Van de Velde
wassily kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky (Moscow 1866-1944 Neuilly-sur-Seine) Kleine Welten, 1922 The Little Worlds consists of twelve prints, including six colour lithographs, four etchings (drypoint), and two woodcuts on Japanese paper, accompanied by a title page and a colophon page Each print is signed and numbered on the colophon page 30/30 (12 prints) 36.4 x 27.8 cm (sheet size) Produced in 1922, this is one of 30 deluxe copies on Japanese paper, published by Propyläen Verlag, Berlin, and printed at the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar Literature: Hans Konrad Roethel, 'Kandinsky: Das Graphische Werk', Dumont, Cologne, 1970, ill. pp. 164-175; Helmut Friedel et Annegret Hoberg, Kandinsky. 'Das druckgraphische Werk, Complete Prints, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau', Munich, 2008-2009, ill. pp. 225-23
Martos Gallery
keith haring
Keith Haring (USA, Pennsylvania 1958-1990 New York) Untitled, May 23, 1981 Marker on plastic 53.3 x 57.3 cm Provenance: Ellen Meyer collection, acquired directly from the artist; New York; Christie’s Auction, 1 May 1991, lot 313; private collection, Italy; Martos Gallery, New York Exhibition: Keith Haring: Surface to Air, Martos Gallery, New York, 6 May–25 July 2025
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.