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
 

De Zutter Art Gallery

christo

Christo (Bulgaria 1935-2020 New York) and Jeanne-Claude (Casablanca 1935-2009 New York) The Umbrellas, 1990 Diptych Collage and mixed media on panel 78.2 x 67.2 cm and 78.2 x 31.2 cm Provenance: atelier of the artist; private collection Literature: S. Philippi, ed., Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91, Cologne, 1998, pp. 694-695 (illustrated)

 

Brame & Lorenceau

julio gonzález

Julio González (Spain, Barcelona 1876-1942 Arcueil, France) Personnage au cornet, 1937 China ink and coloured pencil on paper 29 x 21 cm Signed and dated lower centre Provenance: private collection Literature: J. Gibert, Catalogue raisonné des dessins de Julio González, Projets pour sculptures personnages, Paris, 1975, vol. 9, p. 47 (ill.) Exhibition: New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Julio González, Drawings and Sculpture, February-April 1956, Minneapolis

 

Thomas Deprez Fine Arts

franz binjé

Franz Binjé (Liège 1835-1900 Brussels) Le feu, circa 1894 Watercolour and gouache on paper 42 x 27.5 cm Signed l.l.: 'F. Binjé'. Provenance: private collection, Belgium Exhibitions: Exposition Universelle des Beaux-Arts, section Société Royale belge des Aquarellistes, Antwerp, World Fair, 1894, cat. nr. 699, as: 'Le feu'; Internationale Kunst-Ausstellung, Berlin, World Fair, 1896, Gemälde cat. nr. 228, as: 'Das Feuer. Aquarell.'

 

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

 

Chambre professionnelle belge de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (CLAM)

Heinrich Eggestein (Rosheim 1415/1420-1488) [Strassburg, not after 24 May 1466] […]. Biblia Latina 2 vols. Royal folio, with contemporary Augsburg binding Fifth edition of the Latin Bible and the first published by Heinrich Eggestein Librairie Lardanchet, Antiquarian bookseller

 

MARUANI MERCIER

von wolfe

Von Wolfe (London, 1966) Bound by Steam and Silence, 2025 Oil on canvas 180 x 180 cm

 

De Wit Fine Tapestries

After David Teniers II The Fish Quay–Return of Fishermen Brussels, 1725-1750 Wool and silk 264 x 390 cm

 

Dei Bardi Art

The Resurrection England, Nottingham, 15th century Alabaster
 H 31 x W 24 x D 4 cm Provenance: Hubert Wilm collection, 19th century, Munich; German Museum, Nuremberg, 1880–1920; Lempertz, Cologne, 1944; John and Johanna Bass collection, New York; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, 1963

 

Finch & Co

Turned standing cup and cover on knopped foot Germany, late Renaissance, first half 17th century Rhinoceros horn and ivory, old smooth patina, age cracks to foot H 33 cm - Ø 11 cm Belgium CITES: 2025/BE01678/CE Provenance: Finch and Co, item n° 77, catalogue n° 20, summer 2013; private collection Comparative literature: a cup and cover of similar shape engraved with the inscription ‘the exalted Roman Emperor Rudolf II’s goblet which protects against poison – the unconquerable Emperor’s hand shaped this ingenious goblet’ D 406.766 / 339 Royal Danish Kunstkammer, Copenhagen, National Museum A fine and large late Renaissance turned standing cup and cover on knopped foot of impressive size The Milanese master instructor of turning Giovanni Ambrogio Maggiore visited Bavaria on various occasions between 1574 and 1593 to teach the Duke Wilhelm this newly invented form of art, creating marvellous objects from natural substances. Maggiore also trained the artist Georg Wecker who went on to become Dresden’s ‘court turner for life’ to the elector Augustus of Saxony in 1578. Regarded at the time as a form of advanced mechanical technology, the art of turning in ivory, ebony and rhinoceros horn became a princely pastime for ‘Drechselnder souverän’. Rhinoceros horn objects were regarded as items of great rarity and prestige in Renaissance Europe, but they had been seen as objects of great value with inherent magical properties for well over one thousand years before this time in China, and by the early 17th century Chinese cups and vessels of carved rhino horn were being exported to Europe to meet the demand for exotic curiosities for the cabinets of wealthy collectors.

 

Mearini Fine Art

Pair of sidewalls from a wooden choir with the figures of Saints Andrew and Anthony the Abbot Woodcarver close to Jehan de Vitry's Geneva workshop Upper Savoy, circa 1450-1460 Walnut 275 x 50 cm (each) Provenance: private collection, Italy

 

Galerie Alexis Pentcheff

pierre bonnard

Pierre Bonnard (Fontenay-aux-Roses 1867-1947 Le Cannet) Promenade à Paris, circa 1911 Oil on canvas 40 x 60 cm Estate stamp lower left Provenance: collection of Pierre and Marie-Françoise Vernon Literature: Dauberville Jean et Henry, Bonnard, Vol. IV, Paris, Bernheim-Jeune, 1974, repr. p. 312 under n° 01992 Exhibitions: Pierre Bonnard, A. Tooth & Sons, London, 17 June-12 July 1969, repr. in exh. cat. n° 8; Matisse e Bonnard. Viva la pittura!, Rome, 2006, repr. in exh. cat. (ed. Skira) p. 340 under n° 125; Bonnard, Le Cannet, une évidence, Musée Bonnard, Le Cannet, 2020, repr. in exh. cat. p. 42 The creation of this work by Pierre Bonnard reminds us that the artist was also a photographer, experimenting with daring compositions. Though his painting captures the fleeting moment, it shares little with the tentative realism of early photography. Made entirely of color and sensation, it constructs a fragile world of subtle harmony. Just before embracing the South - before letting the Mediterranean light burst into color across his canvases - Bonnard explored a quieter, more muted sensuality in the early 1910s, while working in a studio in Paris, not far from the avenue depicted here. The “very Japanese Nabi,” as his friends from the group of his youth liked to call him, knew how to let color whisper on the canvas, how to conjure the intimacy of a letter. On one side of the painting, cool tones — blues and violets placed side by side - contrast with the russet hues of this autumnal Parisian avenue, bringing to the foreground, beneath a hat bathed in light like a reinvented halo, the lowered face of a woman reading. Her eyes are hidden, absorbed in the text. Though she has removed her gloves, she surely no longer feels the sharp chill of that November afternoon… Elegant silhouettes glide through the landscape; yet they endure — along with this hat-wearing heroine - on our retinas and in our memories, as companions to a shared intimacy, lasting only the time it takes to read a love letter. Unseen on the art market since the 1960s, this painting has been shown in several museum exhibitions, the most recent in 2020 at the Musée du Cannet, dedicated to the artist.

 

DIE GALERIE

johannes heisig

Johannes Heisig (Leipzig, 1953) Großes Stillleben, 2025 Oil on canvas 200 x 170 cm Monogrammed and dated lower right Provenance: the artist's studio Exhibition: Johannes Heisig - Weltgefühl, DIE GALERIE Frankfurt am Main, 2025

 

Maisonjaune Studio

Gabriella Crespi (Saronno 1922-2017 Milan) Daybed (house and garden collection), 1977 Wood, rattan and brass H 210 x W 140 x D 215 cm Signed Certificate of authenticity signed by the artist's daughter

 

Epoque Fine Jewels

rené lalique

René Lalique (Ay 1860-1945 Paris) Art Nouveau thistle necklace Paris, circa 1905 Gold, diamond, enamel and glass Signed: Lalique The piece is housed in its original case, marked ‘Lalique, Place Vendôme 24, Paris’ Provenance: private collection, France An impressive Art Nouveau gold, diamond, enamel and glass thistle flower necklace by René Lalique, consisting of six pentagonal plaques made from moulded amber-coloured glass, each adorned with two intertwined thistle flowers facing outward, topped by three yellow enamel rods. Flanking the plaques are long curved thorns, set with diamonds and accented with yellow and brown enamel. Between the thorns are small thistle flower motifs in moulded orange glass, enhanced with diamonds. This exceptional Art Nouveau choker necklace by René Lalique (circa 1905, Paris) exemplifies his revolutionary use of glass in fine jewelry. The piece features six molded amber glass plaques decorated with intertwined thistle flowers, enhanced by diamonds and yellow and brown enamel on gold. The thistle flower motif, emblem of Lorraine and the Dukes of Lorraine, symbolizes courage and protection, reflecting the regional heritage of Nancy, where the original owner was a notable social figure likely to have commissioned it directly from Lalique. Created during the period when Lalique moved his shop to 24 Place Vendôme, the necklace illustrates his transition from Art Nouveau to early Art Deco, blending naturalistic design with modern aesthetics. Its autumnal hues, sunlit enamel details, and radiant diamonds evoke both poetic beauty and symbolic depth. Lalique drew inspiration from wild flora rather than cultivated blooms, favoring authenticity and imperfection as expressions of nature’s truth. This necklace, long preserved in a French private collection and once known only through drawings (including one published by Sigrid Barten), is a rare surviving example of Lalique’s innovation. It demonstrates his mastery in merging craftsmanship, symbolism, and modernity, affirming his reputation as the “inventor of modern jewelry.”

 

Dr. Nöth kunsthandel

Oswald Achenbach (Düsseldorf, 1827-1905) Blessing of the Fishermen, 1880 Oil on canvas 89 x 135 cm Signed and dated lower right ‘Osw. Achenbach 1880’ Provenance: private collection, Germany

 

Galerie BG Arts

rené lalique

René Lalique (Aÿ 1860-1945 Paris) Vase 'Palestre', circa 1928 Molded frosted glass with grey patina, circa 1928 Engraved signature H 41 cm Provenance: private collection, France Literature: Félix Marcilhac, René Lalique - Catalogue Raisonné de l'Œuvre de Verre, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2011, n° 1012

 

Galerie Hurtebize

marc chagall

Marc Chagall (Belarus, Vitebsk 1887-1985 Saint-Paul de Vence, France) Maternité au grand soleil, circa 1967 Gouache, graphite and felt-tip on paper 40 x 32.3 cm Certificate of authenticity from the Comité Meret Meyer Provenance: private collection, France

 

The old Treasury

c. deambrogi

C. Deambrogi necklace 18k yellow gold, pearl, coral and enamel Alessandria, Italy, circa 1970

 

Pelgrims de Bigard

pieter brueghel the younger

Pieter Brueghel the Younger (Brussels 1564-1638 Antwerp) A village scene with a horse-drawn cart and a goose keeper Oil on panel 25 x 31 cm Signed lower left 'P. BREUGHEL' Provenance: collection Kaufmann, before 1934; Kunsthandel P. de Boer, Amsterdam, 1934; collection Van Hees, The Netherlands, until 1969; private collection, The Netherlands Literature: P. de Boer, De Helsche en de Fluweelen Brueghel en hun invloed op de kunst in de Nederlanden, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam 1934, ill. p. 9, p. 32, n° 32; Pantheon, Monatsschrift für Freunde und Sammler der Kunst, München, 1934, XIII, ill. p. 141; P. de Boer, Catalogus van oude schilderijen, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam, 1940, ill. n° 8; Singer Museum, Modernen van toen 1570-1630, Vlaamse schilderkunst en haar invloed, exhibition catalogue, Laren 1963, n° 53; Georges Marlier, Pierre Brueghel le Jeune, 1969, pp. 417-418, ill. n° 263; Klaus Ertz, Pieter Brueghel der Jüngere (1564-1637/38), die Gemälde mit kritischem Oeuvrekatalog, Lingen 2000, Vol. II, p. 821, ill. n° 667, p. 824, inv. n° E116 Exhibitions: Amsterdam, Kunsthandel P. de Boer, De Helsche en de Fluweelen Brueghel en hun invloed op de kunst in de Nederlanden, 10 February-26 March 1934, n° 32; Amsterdam, Kunsthandel P. de Boer, November-21 December 1940, n° 8; Laren (N.H.), Singer Museum, Modernen van toen 1570-1630, Vlaamse schilderkunst en haar invloed, 15 June-1 September 1963, n° 53

 

Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud

emile gilioli

Emile Gilioli (Paris, 1911-1977) Obélisque, circa 1960 Marble sculpture H 88 x W 25.5 x D 24 cm Signed 'Gilioli' Unique piece Provenance: the artist's studio Literature: Pierre Descarges, La logique de Gilioli, XXe siècle, Juin 1970, n° 34, p. 70; Ionel Jianou, Hélène Lasalle, Gilioli, Paris, 1971

 

Stéphane Renard Fine Art

rosalba carriera

Rosalba Carriera (Venice, 1673-1757) Portrait of Joseph Smith and Catherine Tofts as Thalia Tempera on ivory 8.79 x 11 cm This miniature has been the subject of a detailed study by Mrs. Bożena Anna Kowalczyk. In addition, the attribution of this miniature to Rosalba Carriera has been confirmed by Bernardina Sani, based upon digital photos.

 

Victor Werner

thierry van ryswyck

Thierry Van Ryswyck (Antwerp 1911-1958 Vallauris, France) Walking panther, 1929 Patinated plaster H 53 x W 133.5 cm x D 23 cm Name and address of the mould maker inscribed on the underside of the base: A. Hoefnagels, mouleur, Quai Cockerill 19, Anvers Signed and dated Th. Van Ryswyck 1929 Provenance: private collection

 

N. Vrouyr

Boro textile Patchwork of cotton rags Japan, mid-20th century 163 x 73 cm Provenance: Japan

 

Maisonjaune Studio

ingo maurer

Ingo Maurer (Germany, 1932-2019) Hana Chandelier (Uchiwa collection), 1970s Bamboo, Japanese paper Provenance: Japan The Hana chandelier belongs to Ingo Maurer’s Uchiwa collection, created in the 1970s. Handmade in Japan from bamboo and Japanese paper fans, it radiates lightness and poetry. Its sculptural presence blends tradition with refined modernity. Exceptionally rare today, it stands as one of Maurer’s most iconic creations.

 

Pron

fausto melotti

Fausto Melotti (Rovereto 1901-1986 Milan) Il meridiano delle campane, 1979 Brass H 97.5 x W 74 x D 38 cm Literature: Milan, Galleria Stendhal, Cascella Consagra Melotti, 1980; Padua, Stevenson Arte Contemporanea, Fausto Melotti. Sculture, tecniche miste e incisioni, 1982; Intra, Galleria Corsini, Fausto Melotti. Sculture e Acquarelli. Un'opera d'arte è un'oasi, 1982; Busto Arsizio, Galleria Il Punto Sette, Fausto Melotti, 1984; Parma, Galleria La Sanseverina, Fausto Melotti, 1986, pp. 29, 47, n° 29, ill. Exhibitions: Gianni Cavazzini, Poetiche sosprese di Fausto Melotti, in Gazzetta di Parma, May 23rd, 1986, ill.; Germano Celant, Melotti, Catalogo generale, Tomo secondo, Sculture 1973-1986 e Bassorilievi, Milan 1996, p. 512, 1979 n° 21, ill.

 

Huberty & Breyne

nicolas de crécy

Nicolas de Crécy (Lyon, 1966) Brouillard, vers plan glacier, 2024 Watercolour, acrylic and gouache on paper 80 x 120.5 cm

 

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

 

Dr. Nöth kunsthandel

peter leftwich

Peter Leftwich (Great Britain, 1913-?) Bawilele, 1937 Oil and tempera on canvas 102 x 77 cm Signed and dated lower right: Peter Leftwich 37 Verso inscribed on the canvas: No 2 'Bawilele' by Peter Leftwich and on the stretcher Provenance: Otto Rasmussen, Danish director of the East Asiatic Company Exhibition: Capetown, South African National Gallery: Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art 1937-38, n° 107

 

Van Pruissen Asian Art

nagai ikka

Nagai Ikka (Japan, 1869–1940) Pair of six-panel folding screens with crows, 1930s Ink on paper H 137 x W 268 cm (each) Signed in the bottom corner Provenance: private collection, Japan Nagai Ikka (also known by the art names Zuiunan and Hanpo) was born in 1869 in Suibara, Niigata Prefecture, during the early Meiji period. He trained under leading masters of the Maruyama and Shijō schools, including Suzuki Shōnen, Nakano Kimei, and Hirafuku Hoan, and later absorbed stylistic influences from Kawanabe Kyōsai. This grounding in careful observation and naturalistic rendering provided the foundation for a personal style that balanced precision with expressive freedom. He began painting crow paintings after helping Ernest Francisco Fenollosa create 'One Hundred Crows', a painting he had commissioned from Kyosai. The late Meiji and Taishō periods were marked by profound change in Japanese art, as artists navigated between traditional aesthetics and the growing influence of Western naturalism. Ikka embraced this dialogue, drawing on classical ink painting techniques whilst expanding his horizons abroad. From 1903 to 1908, he lived in the United States, exhibiting at international events such as the Portland Expo, where he won a silver medal, and later at the Italian Expo. His crow paintings, admired both in Japan and overseas, earned him the affectionate nickname 'Doctor of Crows' from statesman Ōkuma Shigenobu. The crow (karasu) has a long symbolic tradition in Japanese culture, appearing in classical poetry, Buddhist imagery, and Shintō cosmology, most famously as Yatagarasu, the mythical three-legged crow. Ikka revitalised this motif, transforming it from a minor decorative element into the central subject of bold, dynamic compositions. This pair of six-panel folding screens demonstrates his command of movement and atmosphere. Painted in ink with sparing touches of colour, the crows appear in varied postures—perched, in flight, or interacting—creating a rhythm that guides the viewer’s eye across the expansive surface. Bold, calligraphic brushstrokes define wings and feathers, while softer washes evoke wind, mist, and shifting light. The result is a scene that is both naturalistic and poetic, combining the restraint of traditional ink painting with a striking modern vitality. Ikka’s crows are not static symbols but living presences, conveying alertness, intelligence, and social energy. His lifelong study of corvid behavior, informed by travels across Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and the United States, gave his work an observational depth rare among his contemporaries. At the same time, his art reflects a broader ambition: to elevate the ordinary into the emblematic, merging natural accuracy with expressive force. Today, Ikka’s crow paintings are prized by collectors and studied as important examples of Meiji-period nihonga, where fidelity to nature combines with enduring Japanese aesthetic ideals. These folding screens stand as a testament to his originality and his ability to transform a humble subject into a powerful symbol of vitality and freedom.

 

MassModernDesign

max ingrand

Max Ingrand (Bressuire 1908-1969 Paris) Chandelier model 2128, 1960 Brass and glass. Produced by Fontana Arte H 93 x W 80 x D 28 cm Provenance: private collection, Torino Literature: Fontana Arte catalogue ca. 1960

 
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