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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.”
Maisonjaune Studio
Piero Palange (Italy, 1931-1975) Werther Toffoloni (Udine 1930-2017) Pair of '536' armchairs Rattan, foam, mohair velvet H 70 cm - Ø 95 cm Palange studied industrial design at the University of the Arts in Milan and worked with several leading Italian design firms (Motina, Gervasoni, Germa). Toffoloni trained in architecture at the Univeristy of Rome, specialised in industrial design with a focus on ergonomics and functionality. These two Italian designers played an important role in shaping postwar industrial design.
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.
Galerie AB - Agnès Aittouarès
pablo picasso
Pablo Picasso (Malaga 1881-1973 Mougins) Two characters, séduction, 1953 Produced in Cannes on 16 December 1953 Ink on paper 20.9 x 26.4 cm Signed upper left and dated upper right Provenance: Scheffel Gallery, Bad Homburg, Germany; private collection, acquired from the Scheffel Gallery in 1989; private collection; private collection, Paris Literature: Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso. Œuvres de 1953 à 1955, vol. 16, Paris, 1965, n° 57, p. 20; Dore Ashton, Picasso on Art: A Selection of Views, New York, 1972, p. 125
Objects With Narratives
ben storms
Ben Storms (Ghent, 1983) Crushed room divider, 2024 H 195 x W 160 x D 45 cm Stainless steel, gold leaf Provenance: the artist's studio The purpose of this volume is deliberately ambiguous. The object is primarily sculptural, a monumental entity that redefines a space. Yet in doing so, it also reveals its potential function. In the way that the work structures a space, it turns out to be a divider that demarcates and defines compartments or areas. The starting point for this room divider and sculpture is essentially a provisional form. A composition of several sheets of metal welded together with air in between - think of Ben’s In Hale series, but in a different sense. The actual form is then created by subjecting this makeshift composition to external forces, crushing the surfaces until the volume finds its current state.
Florian Kolhammer
louis c. tiffany
Louis C. Tiffany (New York 1848-1933 New York) Jack-in-the-pulpit vase Tiffany, 1906 Yellow glass H 44 x 23.5 x 12.5 cm Marked 'L.C.T.' and '2210A' underneath Provenance: Christie's sale The 'Jack-in-the-pulpit' vases represent a special design category within the production of the Louis Comfort Tiffany company. These glasses were modeled after the Arisaema Triphyllum plant and are among the most iconic designs of this famous manufacturer. Our example shines in pure gold. It was made in 1906 and received as a wedding gift at the time.
Galeria Bessa Pereira
Sergio Rodrigues (Rio de Janeiro, 1927–2014) 'Kilin' chair, 1970s Solid wood, leather H 68 x W 68 x D 68 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, p. 302; Cals, S, Sergio Rodrigues, Rio de Janeiro: Icatu, 2000, p. 142
MassModernDesign
jorge zalszupin
Jorge Zalszupin (Warsaw 1922-2020 São Paulo) Guanabara table and Senior chairs, 1960 Rosewood, leather, velvet upholstery H 75 x W 400 x D 130 cm (table) Produced by l'Atelier, Brazil Provenance: private collection, São Paulo Literature: Jorge Zalszupin, Modern Design in Brazil Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos 2014, pp. 142-143
Galerie Lowet de Wotrenge
frans pourbus the elder (bruges 1545/46 - 1581 antwerp)
Frans Pourbus the Elder (Bruges 1545-1581 Antwerp) Portrait of Peeter van Panhuys, alderman and treasurer of Antwerp, 1562 Oil on oak panel 105 x 75 cm Dated upper left 'A°. 1562' and inscribed below the date ‘Aetat: 34’ Provenance: private collection, Belgium Literature: R. Willmott, Antwerp and the Golden Age: Culture, Conflict and Commerce, Unicorn, 2025 (ill.) In an era when wealth and power increasingly resided not in hereditary titles but in commerce and banking, Frans I Pourbus captured the self-assured gaze of the new elite. This striking portrait depicts Peeter van Panhuys - merchant, banker's agent, and future treasurer of Antwerp - at a pivotal moment in his rise through one of Europe's most dynamic commercial centers. The work's contemporary resonance is unmistakable. Van Panhuys embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that still defines global finance, yet his story also reflects our modern anxieties: barely two decades after this portrait was painted, religious conflict forced him to flee Antwerp as a refugee, abandoning everything he had built. His biography encapsulates the precariousness of prosperity in times of social upheaval - a theme that speaks powerfully to today's world of political instability and forced migration. Pourbus renders his subject with remarkable psychological acuity. The prominent gold chain and exquisitely detailed black doublet announce van Panhuys' status, while the crisp white ruff - painted with virtuosic precision - frames a face of penetrating intelligence. In his left hand, he holds a pair of gloves, a refined accessory that signals his gentlemanly aspirations and membership in Antwerp's sophisticated mercantile elite. Recently rediscovered from a Belgian private collection, the sitter's identity is confirmed through his appearance in Maerten de Vos's monumental family portrait at the Mauritshuis, where van Panhuys stands among the interconnected dynasties that dominated Antwerp's Golden Age. This painting invites us to reconsider the origins of our modern world - built not by kings and generals, but by ambitious merchants whose portraits demanded the same dignity once reserved for nobility.
Galerie Capazza
éric antoine
Éric Antoine (France, 1974) Tidy V, 2024 Ambrotype 40 x 40 cm Provenance: the artist's studio Exhibition: La Fabrique des Éléments, 4 October-7 December 2025, Galerie Capazza, France In the Cerveaux (Brains) series, from which Tidy V originates, layers of leaves and stacked documents tell stories of real or imaginary lives. The ambrotype, one of the earliest photographic processes using a camera obscura, is created using wet collodion applied to a glass plate, resulting in a unique piece. With a contemporary approach, Eric Antoine uses wet collodion for its precision, deep blacks and silvery density. His work is closely linked to his place of residence and his memories. In the landscapes of the Alsatian Vosges, he developed a fascination for trees, which he studies in anthropomorphic portraits. Through a stationary journey, Eric Antoine often returns to the same places to capture their slow evolution. His work is organised into series in which destinies are recounted using layered still lifes, drowned flowers and accumulations of objects/symbols. These photographs without subjects challengethe very essence of this medium: light, optics, chemistry. The question of the materiality of the image remains at the heart of the artist's research. Far from any nostalgia, the wet collodion process here is an emancipatory discipline. In an almost sculptural approach, Eric Antoine delivers true photograph-objects, shimmering and silvery.
Stern Pissarro Gallery
maurice estève
Maurice Estève (Culan, 1904-2001) Untitled, circa 1953-1955 Gouache, watercolour and charcoal on paper 52.6 x 69.3 cm Signed lower left 'Estève' This work is registered in the archives of Mrs Monique Prudhomme-Estève under n° A.78 Provenance: private collection, UK This vibrant work by Maurice Estève dates from a pivotal moment in his career, when he was refining the style that would come to define his mature practice. A master of watercolor, this medium allowed him to develop a visual language characterized by subtle transparencies and rich chromatic nuances. The work features the bold colors and interlocking geometric forms that have made his oeuvre renowned, and its appealing format and quality make it a particularly attractive choice.
Gallery de Potter d’Indoye
georges jacob
Pair of bergères 'à la Reine' Georges Jacob (Cheny 1739-1814 Paris) France, Louis XVI period Carved and gilded wood H 100 x W 69 x D 61 cm Stamped Georges Jacob Provenance: Jacques Perrin, Paris, 1997 Pair of carved and gilded wood Bergères with rounded backs, decorated with acanthus leaves and an interlacing frieze. Tapered and caned legs with gadroons. The arched crest surmounts padded armrests, the frames carved with guilloche patterns and foliage, resting on turned fluted legs, stamped G. Jacob. Georges Jacob, received as master on the July 5th, 1765, is the most famous of all the 18th-century French menuisiers. Unlike his colleagues, Jacob founded his company from scratch in 1765 and moved his workshops to Rue Meslée in 1775. This is where the most brilliant period of his career took place and where the major royal commissions were produced. From 1773 he was solicited by the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, for which he continued to work until the Revolution. In addition to the Queen and, to a lesser extent, the King, his clientele included the main members of the royal family and its entourage. As ordinary carpenter to Monsieur, Count of Provence and brother of the King, the future Louis XVIII, he furnished most of his homes. He also worked for the Count of Artois, another brother of the King and future Charles X, Madame Élisabeth, sister of Louis XVI, the Prince of Condé, the Duke of Penthièvre, the Duke of Bavaria and Deux-Ponts Charles-Théodore, etc.
Douwes Fine Art b.v.
rembrandt van rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam) Self-Portrait in a Cap, Wide-Eyed and Open-Mouthed, 1630 Etching and drypoint on laid paper 5.4 x 4.6 cm Signed in monogram and dated lower centre: RHL 1630 Plate not in existence – with Nowell-Usticke (1967): RRR – a very rare little plate Provenance: private collection, Germany; private collection, The Netherlands Literature: Bartsch 320; Hind 32; The New Hollstein Dutch n° 69: Second state (of II) This is a small masterpiece of Rembrandt's early etchings. The expression of this physiognomic study made by his etching needle could not be more livelike as the facial expression (perhaps "astonishment") is in perfect harmony with the round shape of the face. Rembrandt knows exactly how to hit every tonal gradation with fine, arching strokes. Of all the self-portraits in which Rembrandt depicts emotions, this one is probably the most engaging. He looks startled here, with pursed lips and wide-open eyes. You see him slightly from below, so that he seems to be recoiling. The etching is clearly executed and clever, with the contours of the shoulders and the cap fading into the edges. During his lifetime, Rembrandt's extraordinary skills as a printmaker were the main source of his international fame. Unlike his oil paintings, prints travelled light and were relatively cheap. For this reason, they soon became very popular with collectors not only within but also beyond the borders of the Netherlands. Rembrandt's etchings are remarkable for their high number of self-portraits (over 30 out of about 290). These are particularly collectible, perhaps due to the smaller number of states as well as the artist's compelling and powerful presence. Unlike his stately religious scenes, or regal, posed portraits of others, which exhibit his careful and calculating brilliance as an etcher, Rembrandt's self-portraits reveal him as an artist and a man. In them he assumes the role of the experimenting artist, approaching the most difficult of subjects - himself. These self-portraits are often described as ethereal and wistful for their notable contrasting areas of high and low etched space. A very fine impression of this famous small portrait in the second (final) state, printing clearly, just beginning to show a little wear on the tip of the nose, with narrow margins.
Chambre professionnelle belge de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (CLAM)
Hieronymus Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch, circa 1450-1516) Parable of the two blind men, circa 1540-1570 Engraving by Pieter van der Heyden (circa 1530-1572) Published by Hieronymus Cock (Antwerp, 1518-1570) 22.2 x 22.5 cm References: New Hollstein Dutch 20 1(5), first state Lex Antiqua, Antiquarian printseller
