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Pelgrims de Bigard
Herri met de Bles (Dinant or Bouvignes-sur-Meuse circa 1510-active in Antwerp between 1533 and 1566) Landscape with Abraham and Isaac on the Way to Sacrifice Oil on panel 63 x 90 cm Provenance : Lucas Acliros, Munich; sale Weinmuller, Munich 10 June 1959; private collection, Germany Literature: Weltkunst, 15 April 1959; Luc Serck, Henri Bles, thèse de doctorat UCL, 1990, cat. n° 7, pp. 297-299, ill. p. 299 The gallery is grateful to Dr. Luc Serck for confirming the authenticity of the painting.
Argento Gallery
Gerard van Honthorst (Utrecht, 1592–1656) and workshop Four portraits of officers, 1637-1639 Oil on canvas 76.5 x 63.7 cm each Each signed and dated: two 1637, one 1638 and one 1639 Provenance: Charles Marsham collection, 4th Earl of Romney, Mote Park; acquired in 1895 by Marcus Samuel, later 1st Viscount Bearsted; by descent to his son, Colonel Walter Horace Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted; Christie’s, London, 13 December 1929, lots 79, 80, 82 and 83; presumably inherited by his sister, Nellie Ionides, born Samuel; by descent in 1968 to her grandson, Toby Jessel, The Old Court House, Hampton Court; Sotheby’s, London, 30 April 2014, lots 725-728; private collection; Christie’s, London, 1 April 2026, lots 30-33 Literature: Upton House. The Bearsted Collection: Pictures, London: The National Trust, 1964, p. 41, n° 137; J.R. Judson and R.E.O. Ekkart, Gerrit van Honthorst, Doornspijk: Davaco, 1999, pp. 315-316, n° 475, 474, 478 and 479 Four unidentified military officers portrayed in armour with differently coloured sashes, each within a painted oval with a sculptural border. Originally belonging to a larger series, the portraits display Honthorst’s characteristic treatment of faces, fabrics and reflected light on metal. The identities of the officers and the original patron remain unknown.
Douwes Fine Art b.v.
Kees van Dongen (Rotterdam 1877-1968 Monte Carlo) La Rotonde, circa 1949 Unique watercolour over litho on paper 24 x 21.5 cm Signed lower right 'van Dongen.' Provenance: Kloppart collection; private collection, The Netherlands Literature: Roland Dorgelès, ‘Au beaux-temps de la Butte’, Paris, 1949
Vagabond Antiques
Giocondo Albertolli (Bedano 1742-1839 Milan) (Attributed to) Milan, late 18th century Wall lights Gilded metal H 72 x W 45 x D 37 cm These elegant gilt-metal wall sconces are attributed to the Milanese architect, designer and ornamentist Giocondo Albertolli, one of the leading figures of Italian Neo-classicism. Their design closely relates to the engraved ornament published in Albertolli's celebrated pattern books, particularly Ornamenti Diversi (Milan, 1782), which played a central role in disseminating the new classical taste throughout Lombardy and Northern Italy. The sconces display many of the motifs associated with Albertolli's ornamental vocabulary, including scrolling acanthus brances, finely fluted candle sockets and radiating drip pans. Their unusually tall proportions and boldly projecting arms give them a distinctly sculptural character, creating a sense of movement and depth rarely encountered in wall lights of the period. The open voluted arms, enriched with naturalistic foliage, closely resemble a number of Albertolli's published designs for girandoles and wall lights. Born in Bedano, near Lugano, Albertolli settled in Milan in 1774 at the invitation of the architect Giuseppe Piermarini. As Professor of Ornament at the Brera Academy he exerted a profound influence on the decorative arts of Northern Italy, providing designs for architecture, furniture, metalwork and interior decoration. His published engravings became an important source for craftsmen working in the Neoclassical style throughout the late eighteenth century. The present sconces are attributed to Giocondo Albertolli and were almost certainly produced by craftsmen working within the circle of artists and decorators associated with him in late eighteenth century Milan. Their refined design and high quality of execution reflect the sophisticated decorative arts tradition that flourished in Lombardy during the Neoclassical period.
Galerie Raf Van Severen
Elena Laverón (Spain, Ceuta, 1938) Pareja Sentada (Seating Couple), 1975 Cast bronze with dark patina H 170 x W 193 x D 116 cm Edition of 3 + 2 AP Literature: Antonio Abad, 'Elena Laverón, The flight of forms', 1987, p. 168; Juan Ibáñez Plaza (com.), 'de Elena Laverón', Roquetas de Mar (Almería), Ayuntamiento de Roquetas de Mar, 2008, p. 115; Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Telmo de Málaga, Anuario 2016 (n° 16), Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Telmo, 2016, p. 389; Tania Fernández de Toledo, Raya Fayad, Sotheby's France, 'UNESCO: La collection d'art', 2017, p. 431 Reference: in 1993, Pareja Sentada was installed at UNESCO's Bonvin building In 1936, the French-language premiere of Arnold Schoenberg’s monodrama Erwartung was staged at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, with Jean Brusselmans commissioned to design the sets. 'Decor for Erwartung' is a study for the fourth scene of the drama. In this scene, the female protagonist, desperately searching for her lover, comes across a road in the middle of a forest. To her horror, she discovers his lifeless body lying beside a lonely house. Brusselmans’ distinctive painting style, characterised by its return to simplicity and its deliberately alienated figures, makes it remarkably easy to imagine what the stage sets must have looked like during the actual performance. The work offers the viewer an endless source of imagination. Combined with the fascinating history behind its creation, these qualities make 'Decor for Erwartung' an absolute masterpiece.
Stéphane Renard Fine Art
Maerten de Vos (Antwerp, 1532-1603) The Four Elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire, 1579 Pen and brown ink wash on laid paper 10 x 13.8 cm (each drawing) The drawings of Earth, Water and Fire are signed and dated 1579 Provenance: private collection, Lyon, France These four previously unpublished drawings were used around 1585 to produce the series of four engravings by Johannes Sadeler (Hollstein 529-532). The success of this publication led, a few years later, to the production of a second, smaller series by Raphael Sadeler, Johannes’s brother (Hollstein Dutch and Flemish, Maerten de Vos, XLIV-XLVI, 1360-1364).
Labellov
Delvaux Lady Gipset, Brillant black edition Box calf leather, silk pink, hand-embroidered with sequins and semi-precious stones: rose quartz, tourmaline, red jasper, sodalite and amazonite H 36 x W 20.5 x D 35 cm Limited edition of 9 pieces worldwide Entirely embroidered by hand, requiring approximately 100 hours of craftsmanship
La Galerie URBAN
Maurice Denis (Granville 1870-1943 Saint-Germain-en-Laye) Bucolique d’Automne or L’Heureux Verger Pouldu, 1906 Oil on canvas 82 x 117 cm Signed and dated lower left 'MAVRICE DENIS 1906' This work is listed in the artist’s catalogue raisonné under n° 906.0016 Provenance: Baron Eberhard von Bodenhausen, Berlin (acquired from the artist, 1906-1908); Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (1908-1919); Miss Edwards (1919); Brooklyn Museum, New York (1927); Galerie Philippe Reichenbach, Paris; Walter P. Chrysler Jr., New York (1960); Stuart Pivar, New York (2004-2021); private collection, Switzerland; La Galerie URBAN, Paris Exhibitions: Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, Grand Palais, 15 April-30 June 1906, p. 19, n° 389 (ill.); Fünfzehnten Ausstellung der Berliner Secession, Berlin, spring 1908, n° 46; Internationale Kunstschau, Vienna, Gebäude der Secession, May-October 1909, n° 15; Nus, Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, 17-28 May 1910, n° 30; Ausstellung Französischer Kunst des 18., 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts, Leipzig, Leipziger Kunstverein, October-November 1910, n° 55; Internationale Kunstausstellung der Münchener Secession, Munich, Kgl. Kunstausstellungsgebäude am Königsplatz, 16 May-31 October 1911, n° 36; Exposition d'Art contemporain, Paris, Galerie Manzi-Joyant, 12-31 October 1912, n° 44; Ausstellung französischer Kunst, Zurich, Zürcher Kunsthaus, 16 February-26 March 1913, n° 93; A XIX. Szàzad nagy francia mesterei, Budapest, Ernst-Muzeum, September 1913, n° 78; Le Paysage du Midi, Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, 8-16 June 1914, n° 26; Exposition de peinture, série C, Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, 19-30 June 1916, n° 13; French Paintings 1789-1929 from the collection of Walter P. Chrysler Jr., Dayton Art Institute, 25 March-22 May 1960, p. 102, n° 94 (ill.) Painted in 1906, Bucolique d’Automne is one of the most eloquent expressions of Maurice Denis’s vision of a modern Golden Age. Set in an orchard at Le Pouldu, on the Breton coast so closely associated with the Nabis, the composition brings together a nursing mother, a reclining nude and a group of children gathering fallen apples beneath a laden tree. Beyond the foliage, a glimpse of the sea opens onto a landscape bathed in golden light. The painting belongs to Denis’s so-called ‘classical moment’, a period marked by increasingly rigorous compositions and a more luminous, vibrant palette, at times recalling the intensity of Matisse’s Fauvist colours. Here, ochres, vermilions and deep greens combine in a shimmering, almost mosaic-like interplay. The garden becomes an emblem of fertility and motherhood: the fruit-bearing tree echoes the nurturing female body, while the children reinforce the image of nature as a source of life and renewal. Modelled by Denis’s wife Marthe, the nude combines quiet sensuality with a vision of feminine beauty, lending the scene an atmosphere of serenity. First exhibited at the 1906 Salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, alongside Denis’s monumental Baigneuses au petit temple or Plage au bonnet rouge (Pouldu), now in Lausanne, Bucolique d’Automne subsequently featured in some of the most significant international exhibitions of its time: the 15th Exhibition of the Berlin Secession (1908), the Internationale Kunstschau in Vienna (1909), and the International Art Exhibition of the Munich Secession (1911). Its provenance is equally distinguished. Acquired directly from the artist in 1906 by Baron Eberhard von Bodenhausen, co-founder of the influential art journal PAN and a prominent collector of contemporary French painting, the work later passed through the galleries of Bernheim-Jeune and Philippe Reichenbach before entering the collection of Walter P. Chrysler Jr. A remarkable synthesis of Nabi modernity and classical idealism, Bucolique d’Automne marks a defining moment in Denis’s career, bringing together the decorative freedom of his early years and his enduring pursuit of compositional harmony and timeless beauty.
Epoque Fine Jewels
René Lalique (Ay 1860-1945 Paris) Art Nouveau dragonfly brooch Paris, circa 1903 18k yellow gold, 'plique-à-jour' enamel and polychrome enamel, old mine cut diamonds, citrine and pearls 11.6 x 4.4 cm Signed Lalique Accompanied by its original fitted case marked R. Lalique, 40, Cours-la-Reine, Paris, monogrammed 'E.A.' An important Art Nouveau dragonfly brooch by René Lalique, in 18k gold, designed as two opposing dragonflies with delicate wings of translucent plique-à-jour enamel, accented with old mine-cut diamonds. At the centre, the dragonflies clasp a cushion-shaped orange citrine, their bodies and legs enhanced with polychrome enamel. Graduated pearls trace the extremities of the wings, lending the composition a graceful sense of movement and lightness, characteristic of Lalique’s jewellery at the height of the Art Nouveau period.
Galerie Hurtebize
Henri Lebasque (Champigné 1865-1937 Le Cannet) Femme au chapeau fleuri dans un jardin, 1900 Oil on canvas 65 x 54.3 cm Signed lower right Certificate of authenticity issued by Denise Bazetoux Painted in 1900, this remarkable composition reflects Henri Lebasque’s artistic explorations at the turn of the 20th century. Fascinated by the paintings of Renoir and Pissarro, the artist was part of the Post-Impressionist movement. Through his interactions with Maximilien Luce and Paul Signac, he developed a technique with Pointillist elements, particularly evident in this work. In the heart of a lush garden, an elegant young woman, wearing a flowered hat and a light blue dress, is shown from behind, immersed in an intimate scene. The richness of the brushwork, composed of small, juxtaposed touches of color, brings the vegetation to life and seems to animate the figure under the shifting effects of light. The particularly vibrant color palette creates a dialogue between the luminous blues of the dress, the deep greens of the garden, the brilliant yellows of the foliage, and the delicate pinkish hues of the background. This painting brings together several of Lebasque’s favorite themes: the female figure, the intimacy of everyday life, and lush nature. Through its rich color palette and sensitivity to light, it illustrates a pivotal period in his artistic evolution, foreshadowing the luminous style imbued with a gentle zest for life that would make him famous.
Galerie Édouard Ambroselli
Georges Aubert (Paris, 1866-1961) and Odilon Redon (Bordeaux 1840-1916 Paris) The Shadow, circa 1896-1900 Carved, engraved and painted wood H 25 x W 18.5 x D 2 cm Provenance: Ambroise Vollard collection (1866-1939) Plate for The Shadow, illustration from Gustave Flaubert’s Tentation de Saint Antoine, Paris, Éditions Ambroise Vollard, 1938, p. 21
Gallery Sofie Van de Velde
Victor Servranckx (Diegem 1897-1965 Vilvoorde) Opus 20, (Calm Blocks Fallen from an Obscure Disaster), 1927 Oil on canvas 146 x 81 cm Signed and dated lower left Provenance: Félix Carlier, Watermael-Boisfort (purchased from Galerie Le Centaure, Brussels, 1929); Galerie J.-P. Alaerts, Brussels; London, Christie’s, 16 October 1990, lot n° 61 (ill.); Lokeren, De Vuyst, 6 October 2001, lot n° 489; private collection, Brussels; Galerie Ronny Van de Velde, Antwerp Literature: La Nation belge (Brussels), 12th year, n° 48, 17 February 1929, ill. p. 3; Le Peuple (Brussels), 5th year, n° 48, 17 February 1929, ill. p. 1 Exhibitions: Brussels, Palais des Beaux-Arts, 1929 (no catalogue); Brussels, Galerie Le Centaure, Exhibition De Boeck, Flouquet, Gailliard, Servranckx, 1929, n° 33; Brussels, Palais des Beaux-Arts, 1947, n° 45 '146 x 92 cm'; Brussels, Musée d’Ixelles/Museum van Elsene, Retrospective Le Centaure. Homage to Walter Schwarzenberg, 1963, n° 117; Brussels, Musée d’Ixelles/Museum van Elsene, 1965, n° 107; Hasselt, Provinciaal Begijnhof, 1970, n° 57 (ill.) Thanks to a photograph showing the artist during his solo exhibition at the Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels) in January 1929, we know that the painting was exhibited there. Félix Carlier acquired the work at the group exhibition (featuring works by De Boeck, Flouquet, Gailliard, and Servranckx) at Galerie Le Centaure in Brussels in 1929. As one of the leading pioneers of the abstract movement in Flanders, Servranckx explored the new possibilities of modern art with extraordinary intensity. Opus 20, (Calm Blocks Fallen from an Obscure Disaster), dating from 1927, can rightly be regarded as a pivotal work in his oeuvre. It represents a remarkable synthesis of geometric abstraction and the artist’s lyrical imagination, while also anticipating the emergence of Surrealism. Jacques Lipchitz (Lithuania, Druskininkai 1891-1973 Capri) Sitting figure, 1915 Bronze H 87 cm Signed 'JLipchitz' and numbered 2/7 (on base) Provenance: the estate of the artist; acquired from the above mentioned in 1989 by current owner Exhibition: Musée des Années 30, 'Lipchitz, Les Années Françaises de 1910 à 1940', 2005-2006, n° 10, pp. 16-17, ill. in colour
Univers du Bronze
Auguste Rodin (Paris 1840-1917 Meudon) Saint John the Baptist preaching, cast in 1899 Bronze, richly dark brown patina H 19.6 x W 12.5 x D 5.3 cm Reduction n° 3 (1/10 of original size) Signed Rodin and marked 'Thiebaut frères, Fumière et Gavignot Successeurs' Edition of 4 (in this size) Provenance: Knoedler and Co collection; sale Sotheby’s New York (6 October 1989) Lifetime cast signed 'Rodin', old cast and edition by Thiébaut with the engraved mark 'Thiebaut frères, Fumière et Gavignot Successeurs' (purchase of the funds and Thiébaut rights by Fumière et Gavignot in 1898). This example is probably the first, maybe the second of an edition of 4 cast in 1899 (prime account from 4 February to 9 December 1899), stamped '200' under the base (sale price 200 frs?) and engraved '4' (number of casts?) Rodin began work on his Saint John the Baptist in 1878, while conceiving La Porte de l’Enfer, the monumental project from which some of his most celebrated sculptures would emerge, including Le Penseur, Le Baiser and Ugolino. The inspiration came from his encounter with an Italian model, César Pignatelli, known as Bevilacqua, whose powerful physique and expressive features immediately struck the sculptor. Rodin recognised in him the image of Saint John the Baptist: a man of nature, a visionary and a prophet. This encounter marked the beginning of a collaboration lasting over twenty years, during which Pignatelli became one of Rodin’s favourite models. The original plaster was conceived larger than life, exceeding two metres in height, and exhibited at the Salon in 1880. The following year, the bronze version was presented and subsequently acquired by the French State. In 1898, Rodin signed an edition contract with Fumières et Cie, leading to the production of three reduced versions measuring 80, 50 and 20 cm. The present Saint John the Baptist belongs to the rarest, third-scale version, of which only four examples were produced: two in 1899 and two in 1903. Its simple engraved foundry inscription, rather than a stamp, suggests that it may be the earliest cast. Through the exceptional finesse of its modelling and chiselling, the sculpture recalls the splendour of Renaissance bronzes. Depicted nude and stripped of his traditional attributes, Saint John embodies the prophet’s asceticism. His raised finger evokes his preaching in the desert, while Rodin’s powerful interpretation and striking musculature give the figure an unprecedented expressive force. A seminal work of modern sculpture, Saint John the Baptist profoundly influenced later generations of artists, notably Alberto Giacometti, whose studio contained numerous books, postcards and photographs documenting his fascination with Rodin’s masterpiece.
Stéphane Renard Fine Art
Pierre Bonnard (Fontenay-aux-Roses 1867-1947 Le Cannet) Paysage, arbres fruitiers (1909) Oil on paper 47.7 x 63 cm Stamped with signature 'Bonnard' (Lugt 3886, lower left) Provenance: the artist's estate; private collection, Paris; anonymous sale, Koller Auktionen, Zurich, 2 December 2016, lot 3226; private collection, Europe Literature: J. & H. Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l’œuvre peint, vol. IV, 1940-1947 et Supplément, Paris, 1974, n° 1949, (ill.) p. 285
Desmet Fine Art
Pietro Simoni da Barga (Florence, active 1574-1588) (Attributed) A fallen man-A Titan Florence, circa 1570-1590 Bronze, All’Antica patina H 11 x W 20 x D 12 cm Art Loss Register: S00213873 Provenance: probably Cardinal Ferdinando de ’Medici, later Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany (1549-1609); Hugo Finaly (1844-1915); Madame Jenny Finaly (1850-1938); Villa Landau Finaly, Florence, by 1916; private collection, UK; private collection, The Netherlands Published: G. de Nicola, 'Notes on the Museo Nazionale of Florence-II', in: The Burlington Magazine, (December 1916, Vol. XXIX), pp. 368-69 In the second half of the 16th century, Cardinal Ferdinando de’ Medici was one of the most renowned collectors in Rome. He created one of the greatest collections of Antiquities for his villa on the Pincian hill in Rome. When certain highly acclaimed sculptures ended up in the papal collection or other important collections which he couldn’t acquire, he contented himself with having copies made. These weren’t full-size copies, but rather fine statuettes on a reduced scale, intended for his studiolo. His passion for antiquity is mirrored in the collection of small bronzes he had. He kept in his service an artist called Pietro da Barga; a sculptor known to us only by the references in cardinal Ferdinando’s inventory. One of the main characteristics of his bronzes is the green all’antica patina he used to resemble the surface of the newly discovered ancient Roman bronze statues. Not only did he make reduced copies of ancient roman sculpture, he also used famed Renaissance models like Giambologna’s Mars or Michelangelo’s standing Christ.
