24 - UARY 31 JANUARYRUARY 2027

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Artworks

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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 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

 

Véronique Bamps

castelleni .

Castellani Choker fringed with gold vine leaves and clusters of white grapes in glass paste Archaeological-style necklace, circa 1870

 

De Brock

Julian Opie (London, 1958) Beach Head 17, 2018 Paint on overlaid aluminium panel 190 x 156 cm

 

Galerie Cento Anni

andré lanskoy

André Lanskoy (Moscow 1903-1976 Paris) Un cas suspect, 1964 Oil on canvas 97 x 146 cm Signed and dated 'Lanskoy 64' Provenance: Galerie de Seine; private collection, Paris Certificate of authenticity from the Comité Lanskoy dated 4 April 2025 This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné currently in preparation

 

Galerie Berès

louis marcoussis

Louis Marcoussis (Poland, Warsaw 1883-1921 Cusset, France) Nature morte au flacon d'opaline, circa 1927 Oil on canvas 73 x 100 cm Signed lower right 'Marcoussis' Certificate of authenticity n° 1200H143 by Solange Milet on 4 December 2000 Literature: Les Cahiers d'Art, 1927, n° 7-8, p. 5

 

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

 

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

 

VKD Jewels

Angela Cummings (Austria, Klagenfurt 1944) Set of earrings and matching brooch, USA, circa 1980 18K yellow gold, mother of pearl and rock crystal Signed Angela Cummings, marked 18k

 

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.

 

Francis Janssens van der Maelen

Silver box in jade Paris, Art Deco Sterling silver, jade W 35 cm - 4400 gr (total weight) Bears retailer's stamp, Boin-Taburet and maker's mark, Henry & Fils Boin-Taburet were formed in 1873 and quickly established themselves as one of Paris's most noteworthy makers & retailers, winning a Gold medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle. Arguably their most distinctive work married silver and silver-gilt with other materials including porcelain, marble, and in the case of this stunning Art Deco tureen, jade. Jade was seemingly a less often used material - the only other piece found with a similarly carved jade element was a box that fetched an incredible amount at auction in 2012.

 

Galerie de la Béraudière

joan miró

Joan Miró (Barcelona 1893-1983 Palma de Majorque) Femme, oiseaux, 1976 Oil, gouache and oil stick on scratched board 65.1 x 50.2 cm Signed lower right 'Miró' Signed, dated and titled on the reverse:  MIRÓ., 20/IV/76., Femme, oiseaux Provenance: estate of Joan Miró; Sotheby's, Madrid, 42 works by Joan Miró, 9 December 1986, lot 4 (in aid of the Fundaciò Pilar i Joan Miró, Palma de Mallorca); Quitana Fine Arts, New York; Ramis Barquet Gallery, Mexico City; private collection; Christie's, New York, 9 November 2000, lot 460; Waddington Galleries, London; private collection, Portugal (acquired from the above in 2004); Phillips, New York, 8 November 2015, lot 14; private collection, Europe Literature: Jacques Dupin, Ariane Lelong, Joan Miró, Catalogue raisonné. Paintings, vol. VI: 1976-1981, Paris, Gallery Lelong and the Miró Succession, 2004, ill. n° 1737, p. 49 Exhibitions: 2018, Brussels, Galerie de la Béraudière, Calder, Miró et leurs rencontres parisiennes; 2017, Brussels, Galerie de la Béraudière, La figure animalière; 2016, Brussels, Galerie de la Béraudière, Chefs-d'oeuvre de la galerie et Surréalisme In Woman, Birds, Joan Miró unfolds a free and vibrant universe, where colour and line become forces in motion. Against a deep black background, reds, yellows and whites burst forth with an almost musical intensity. The artist condenses the essence of his language into this work: the spontaneity of gesture, the simplicity of form and the poetry of symbolism. The woman and the bird, emblematic motifs in his work, merge into a space that is both controlled and spontaneous. Created at the end of his life, this composition expresses the supreme freedom of an artist at the height of his powers.

 

Véronique Bamps

rené boivin

René Boivin (Paris, 1864-1917) Gadroons featuring a pear-shaped diamond, surrounded by two pear-shaped diamonds Yellow gold ring, circa 1980

 

Cabinet of Curiosities - Honourable Silver Objects

Cartier brooch Platinum, diamond, turquoise and onyx France, circa 1915 Signed and numbered Provenance: private collection, New York Exceptional Cartier brooch with an ingenious fastening mechanism.

 

Galerie de la Béraudière

germaine richier

Germaine Richier (France, 1902-1959) Le Couple, 1956 Natural bronze Fonderie Susse, Paris Lost wax cast (except for the base and arms, sand casted) H 139 x W 74.5 x D 74.5 cm Signed and numbered on the terrasse: G. Richier, 3/6 Edition 3/6 out of 11 (1/6 - 6/6 + HC1-HC2-HC3 + EA + 0/6) Posthumous cast: 1963 Provenance: Galerie Creuzevault, Paris; private collection, France; Galerie Cazeau-Béraudière, Paris; private collection, France; private collection, Belgium Literature: Jean-Louis Prat et Françoise Guiter, Germaine Richier, Rétrospective, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Fondation Maeght, 1996, p. 172, ill. (another cast); Maîtres des XIXe et XXe siècles, Galerie H. Odermatt-Ph. Cazeau, Paris, 1989, repr. n° 46; Eddie Wolfram et William Packer, London, art and artist, Londres, juillet 1973, n° 8, pp. 46-49; Germaine Richier, Galerie Creuzevault, Paris, 1966 Exhibitions: 2022, Brussels, Galerie de la Béraudière, Germaine Richier et la couleur (this cast); 1996, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Maeght Fondation, Germaine Richier, Retrospective (another cast); 1957, Paris, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, XIIIe Salon de Mai, n° 27, ill. (another cast); 1956, Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Germaine Richier, n° 13, referred as 'Figures' (another cast); Jean Cassou, Richier, Editions du Temps, Paris, 1961; René de Solier, Germaine Richier, in Les Cahiers d'art, Paris, June 1953, n° 28, pp. 123-129 With Le Couple, Germaine Richier reached a point of fulfilment in her exploration of the human figure and its metamorphoses. The two figures, united by a skilful interplay of triangles and balances, seem caught in a silent movement where tension becomes harmony. The rigour of the construction is combined with an organic, almost primitive energy that animates the bronze with a vibrant presence. Le Couple embodies this rare alliance between construction and emotion, where the bronze material seems to be animated by a vital breath.

 

Hoffmans Antiques

A Gustavian console table Stockholm, circa 1790 Gilt wood, Carrara marble H 83.5 x W 110 x D 54 cm This console table belongs to a small yet exclusive group of furniture of the highest class, preserved mainly within the royal collections. The model relates to drawings by Louis Masreliez (Paris 1748-1810 Sweden). The table was likely made by his brother, Jean-Baptiste (Stockholm, 1753-1801), or possibly by Pehr Ljung (Stockholm, 1743-1819). The decoration is masterfully carved in wood with exceptional precision. A vine motif runs along the apron, while the frieze above the front legs is adorned with palmette leaves and volutes. The table rests on six tapering, fluted legs and is crowned with a Carrara marble top.

 

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

 

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.

 

Finch & Co

Ivory crucifix figure of Christ South Netherlandish, circa 1690-1700 Rosewood cross, carved ivory, silver halo, giltwood Small chips to fabric of hanging Perizonium, old smooth creamy patina H 109 x W 41.5 x D 22 cm (cross) H 40 x W 24 x D 6 cm (Christ) Belgium CITES: 2025/BE00989/CE Provenance: Finch and Co, circa 2005; English private collection; Irish collection Comparative reference: a similar example in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum inv. n° A.73-1920 A finely carved ivory figure of Christ mounted on a rosewood cross, adorned with a silver halo and a sacred motto. The cross is embellished with giltwood details and set on its original scallop-shaped rosewood base. At Christ’s feet rests an ivory skull and crossbones, symbolising Golgotha. His legs remain uncrossed, with hands and feet affixed by iron nails. In this image of the Passion, Christ is shown alive, his eyes open looking upwards to his right, his teeth visible with his mouth open in his call to God. Imagery based on the Passion of Christ became increasingly popular from the 13th century. The mix of emotions which well up in the devout upon looking at such a human image, a blend of guilt and gratitude, sorrow and sympathy, is a very powerful combination. The Carthusian monk, Ludolph of Saxony (died 1378) expressed this attraction, without seeking to explain it, in his ‘Life of Christ’: ‘I know not for sure…. how it is that you are sweeter in the heart of one who loves you in the form of flesh than as the word…. It is sweeter to view you as dying before the Jews on the tree, than as holding sway over the angels in Heaven, to see you as a man bearing every aspect of human nature to the end, than as God manifesting divine nature, to see you as the dying Redeemer than as the invisible Creator.’

 

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

 

Galeria Jordi Pascual

Victor Brauner (Romania, Piatra Neamt 1903-1966 Paris, France) Frémissement, 1956 Oil on canvas 54.5 x 46 cm Signed and dated lower right This work is accompanied by a photo-certificate of authenticity issued by Samy Kinge, Paris, in 2025 Provenance: Galleria Lorenzelli, Bergamo; private collection, Italy

 

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

 

Douwes Fine Art b.v.

henri fantin-latour

Henri Fantin-Latour (Grenoble 1836-1904 Buré) Vase de Pivoines, 1902 Oil on canvas 41 x 37 cm Signed lower left 'Fantin' The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Sylvie Brame Provenance: Tempelaere, Paris; Tavernier, Paris; Colnaghi, London; Galerie Brame, Paris, 1978; Sotheby's London, 1978, lot 205; private collection, Europe; Sotheby’s London, 1989, lot 2; private collection, Europe; Sotheby’s London, 1996, lot 24; Noortman Master Paintings, Maastricht, bought at TEFAF 2004; private collection, Belgium; Douwes Fine Art, Amsterdam Literature: Mme Fantin-Latour, Catalogue de l'oeuvre complet de Fantin-Latour, Paris, 1911, n° 1937, p. 206

 

Bernier/Eliades

berta fischer

Berta Fischer (Germany, 1973) Gragama, 2024 Acrylic glass H 320 x W 80 x D 50 cm

 

QG Gallery

giorgio griffa

Giorgio Griffa (Turin, 1936) Campo viola campo rosa, 1990 Acrylic on jute 116 x 82 cm

 

Philippe Heim

Jean-Jacques Darbaud (France, 1943) Homme Danakil, 2000 Bronze, nuanced brown patina Founder's mark: Fonte Fuentes Barcelone H 70 x W 50 x D 50 cm Signed ‘Darbaud’, and numbered 1/8

 

Galerie la Ménagerie

roch vandromme

Roch Vandromme (Rosendaël, 1953) Sleeping goose, 1985 Bronze 62 x 72 x 32 cm Signed 'R. Vandromme' Edition of 8 + 4 AP

 

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

 

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

 

Thomas Deprez Fine Arts

jean delville

Jean Delville (Leuven 1867-1953 Brussels) Aveugle, 1888 Oil on canvas 65 x 81 cm Signed and dated l.l.: 'Jean Delville / 1888' Relined, with a fair amount of retouching Provenance: private collection, Brussels, since three generations. Exhibitions: Salon de Gand, XXXIVe Exposition Triennale, Ghent, 1889, cat. n° 166, as: 'Aveugle'; L'Essor, XIIIe exposition annuelle, Brussels, 1889, cat. n° 4, as: 'Aveugle' PRESS F.N., 'Chronique Artistique', dans: Journal de Bruxelles, 24/03/1889, p. 5 (Supplément au Journal de Bruxelles du 24 mars 1889): 'L'Aveugle, la femme si visiblement plongée en des pensées lourdes et étroites, qui se chauffe [...]'

 

Franck Anelli Fine Art

claude corneille de lyon

Claude Corneille de Lyon (The Netherlands, The Hague 1500-1575 Lyon, France) Portrait of a wealthy merchant wearing a fur-lined coat and gold chain, circa 1560 Oil on panel 15 x 18 cm Certificate from Dr. Alexandra Zvereva This painting will be included in the supplement to the artist's forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné This unpublished small portrait fits naturally into the later works of one of the most illustrious portraitists of the French Renaissance. Referred to in contemporary documents by the name of his hometown, La Haye, he later became known simply as 'Corneille' until André Félibien, who believed him to be from the banks of the Rhône, added the name 'Lyon' in the index of his Entretiens. Born and trained in the Netherlands, probably in Flanders, the artist settled in Lyon as early as 1533. There, he succeeded Jean Perréal, the portraitist of Charles VIII and Louis XII, renowned for his intimate portraits with coloured backgrounds. By the mid-1530s, Corneille had gained such fame that he found himself painting the courtiers accompanying the king to Lyon, as well as the Sons and Daughters of France. However, unlike Perréal, his career was not that of a royal artist following the court. He never left Lyon, and his titles of "painter to the Dauphin" and later "painter and ordinary valet to the king" were purely honorary, primarily granting him the privileges of royal officers. The prominent citizens of Lyon, wealthy French and foreign merchants, high-ranking royal officers, well-to-do bourgeois, and magistrates made up the bulk of his clientele. Corneille created small-scale portraits for them, painted in just a few sitting sessions directly onto panels. Intended for family and close associates, these works had no official circulation and existed in only one unique copy, unlike portraits of the nobility, of which Corneille often made replicas that were widely circulated. The subject of this portrait is not a nobleman, despite his evident wealth. His attire is simple, a dark brown-black without any ornamentation, slashing, or jewels. The white ruff of his shirt is not starched. His high cap, fashionable in the 1550s-1560s, lacks a plume, a privilege reserved for the nobility, as it was associated with the feathers adorning knights' helmets. However, the man does possess a certain fortune, as evidenced by his fur-lined cloak of marten with wide lapels and a large gold chain with three rows of links, favoured by the Flemish. The medallion on the chain is cropped by the frame. This is almost certainly a prosperous merchant, eager to demonstrate his success and preserve the memory of his features for his family. The absence of any inscription on the reverse, giving the name of the subject, makes identification impossible, since no replica or engraving exists. Despite previous restorations, particularly to the face and background, the distinctive characteristics of Corneille’s art are clearly visible here, such as the rough sketching of the ear, the sloping shoulders that make the head appear slightly disproportionate to the torso, the treatment of the hair with individual strands, the brilliant irises crossed by an oblique ray of light, and the broader brushstrokes in the clothing.

 
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