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LUDORFF
Gerhard Richter (Dresden, 1932) Fuji 839-108, 1996 Oil on alucobond 29 x 37 cm Signed and numbered '839-108' on the reverse Certificate of authenticity issued by Hubertus Butin, Berlin 2010 Provenance: Galerie Hubertus Melsheimer, Cologne (2011); Galerie Ludorff, Dusseldorf (2013); private collection, Hesse (on permanent loan to the Mönchehaus Museum Goslar) Literature: Galerie Ludorff, 'Neuerwerbungen Frühjahr 2024', Dusseldorf 2024, p. 100; Galerie Ludorff, 'Gerhard Richter', Dusseldorf 2013, p. 51; Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (ed.), 'Gerhard Richter mit dem Catalogue Raisonné 1993-2004', Dusseldorf 2005, n° 839-108; Hubertus Butin/Stefan Gronert, 'Gerhard Richter. Editionen 1965-2004. Catalogue Raisonné', Ostfildern-Ruit 2004, n° 89 Exhibitions: Galerie Ludorff, 'Neuerwerbungen Frühjahr 2024', Dusseldorf 2024; Galerie Ludorff, 'Gerhard Richter. Abstrakte Bilder', Dusseldorf 2013 Gerhard Richter has been exploring abstraction in depth since the late 1960s. In the late 1990s, he developed the ‘Fuji’ series. As part of this series, Richter no longer applies paint to canvas, but to Alucobond, an aluminium composite panel. This highly durable panel with a smooth surface allows for the creation of particularly delicate colour structures. Richter applies the three colours that form the basis of the painting - a vibrant red, a rich green and a warm yellow-orange - to the substrate in three horizontal bands. Using a squeegee, a painting tool resembling a narrow plastic strip, the artist applies the white oil paint and draws it across the coloured surface in thin layers from the top to the bottom edge of the picture. The white paint blends with the tones of the background. This technique creates a highly complex, delicate structure on the panel, characterised by great painterly subtlety. Viewed from top to bottom, red, green and white alternate with one another. The orange, also used by Richter, is now only partially visible in the right-hand half of the composition. As the application of paint with a squeegee can only be controlled to a limited extent, the principle of chance comes into play. The title ‘Fuji’ allows for interpretation on two different levels, namely, ‘[…] the conical volcano on the island of Honshu, which, as Japan’s sacred mountain, is the country’s national symbol, and the Japanese film and photography manufacturer of the same name, whose products are also widely available in Germany. As a photographer, Richter sometimes uses Fuji film; furthermore, in 1991 he spent two weeks travelling through Japan, during which he saw the famous mountain. Some of the paintings, with their streaky, at times almost graphic structural elements, do indeed bear a distant resemblance to old-master Japanese or Chinese landscape depictions.' The background to the creation of the ‘Fuji’ paintings lies in the approach made to the artist by Helmut Friedel, director of the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus. Richter’s ‘Atlas’ - a collection of photographs, sketches, documents and reference materials by the artist - was to be acquired for the Lenbachhaus collection. To finance the purchase, Richter agreed to paint a series of oil paintings for the museum. The proceeds from the sale of these ‘Fuji’ paintings played a key role in enabling the museum to acquire the ‘Atlas’ collection of documents. Much like the works in the ‘Green-Blue-Red’ series, the appearance of each individual painting in the ‘Fuji Edition’ varies considerably, as they were painted in portrait rather than landscape format. Furthermore, the varying degrees to which the base colours had dried by the time the white layer was applied result in the colours blending in ever-changing ways. Whilst some ‘Fujis’, with their extremely delicate colour blends, invite the viewer to discover their detailed textures, others, in stark contrast, exude a particularly strong sense of self-assurance. Although the ‘Fujis’ comprise a series of 110 works conceived along the same lines, each one is unique and wonderfully illustrates the principle of Gerhard Richter’s abstract painting, which treads the fine line between conceptual work and the principle of chance.
Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter
Johann Lötz Witwe, Klostermühle and Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (attributed to) Table Lamp, around 1900 Metal with hammered décor, square-shaped lampshade, twelve square-shaped glasses, in blue and violet, with melted splashes in silver-yellow, iricised, by Johann Lötz Witwe, Klostermühle, single light, electrification renewed H 55 cm, D 25 cm Gustave Serrurier-Bovy was one of the most acclaimed architects and designers of Belgian art nouveau, next to Victor Horta or Henry van de Velde. After a trip to London in 1884, he was strongly influenced by the British Arts and Crafts movement, as well as by William Morris and John Ruskin. His asymmetrical and organic furniture and lighting designs alternated between curvilinear, plant-inspired motifs and a highly functional, almost industrial simplicity that is considered a precursor to modern industrial design. As with objects designed by Josef Hoffmann or Adolf Loos, this lamp combines an architectural composition with functional finesse and a uniquely modern aesthetic. Around 1900 Lötz Witwe maintained an extensive international distribution network of sample warehouses - including one located directly in Brussels. While Serrurier-Bovy provided the structural designs (often made of wood or metal), Lötz Witwe contributed the brilliance of color and materials. This makes the lamp a good example for the international exchange happening in the design world from the late 19th century onwards and the extension of art nouveau ideas. Lamps in this style with the original glass inlays are extremely rare on the market. Works by Serrurier-Bovy are on display at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other places.
Brun Fine Art
James Cox (London 1723-1800 Watford) and Charles Magniac (Bedford 1786-1824 Paris) Coffer, circa 1760 Gilt bronze and glass painted in imitation of agate, pearls and precious stones 15.8 x 24.5 x 19 cm Engraved 'C3' on the inside front edge Expertise by Enrico Colle Literature: E. Colle, Enrico Colle, Brueghel: the Spirit of Collecting. Paintings. Sculptures. Wonders., Milan, 2026, pp. 294-299 Exhibitions: Brun Fine Art and De Jonckheere, Brueghel: the Spirit of Collecting. Paintings. Sculptures. Wonders., Milan, 2026
Dei Bardi Art
Kneeling donor figure South Netherlandish, second half of the 16th century Limestone 67 x 22 x 37 cm Provenance: ancient collector's label on the reverse This rare limestone portrait of a Renaissance donor, kneeling in prayer and remarkably well preserved. Carved in the Southern Netherlands in the second half of the 16th century, the figure combines exceptional quality of execution with a richly detailed costume. The woman wears a huik, the characteristic outer garment of the women of the Low Countries, over a ruff with figure-of-eight pleats. This combination places the work in the last decades of the 16th century, c. 1560-1590. Beneath, a bodice with a central busk and cuffs incised with fine ornament complete an ensemble rendered with great precision. Familiar from painted portraits, such dress is only rarely preserved in such detail in sculpture. The face, with its heavy eyelids and marked features, favours a faithful likeness over an idealized type and lends the figure a quiet gravity and a strong sense of individual presence. The sculptor worked the piece fully in the round, and the crispness of the ruff, the incised cuffs, the hands and the drapery points to an important private commission, most likely from a family of considerable means and standing. The figure bears witness to those families who, in the Renaissance, could commission skilled sculptors to perpetuate their memory. Such images also conveyed the power of their patrons. This secular tradition, so different in spirit from religious sculpture, helped shape the stylistic evolution of Renaissance art. An old collector’s label on the reverse attests to the figure’s long history in collections.
Galerie Édouard Ambroselli
Artus Quellinus the Younger (Sint-Truiden 1625-1700 Antwerp) Virgin and Child, circa 1650-1665 Terracotta, stone H 81.2 x W 42.5 x D 34 cm Born into a dynasty of sculptors in the Southern Netherlands, Arthus Quellinus theYounger, became one of the leading artists of the region. He followed his cousin, Artus Quellinus the Elder, to work on the Amsterdam Town Hall, a landmark of European sculpture. Back in Antwerp, he ran a workshop that trained a successful generation of sculptors, and he exported his works across Europe. Our Virgin and Child, is a preparatory model for a larger statue. The Virgin’s elongated face and elaborate hairstyle, the Child’s plump belly and slender legs, and the crisp, flowing drapery are all hallmarks of the artist’s refined style. The throne is decorated with cherub heads and volutes that differ on each side, a way of offering the patron a choice between two decorative solutions. Spontaneous and intimate, this terracotta gives us the intimacy of a working model, a glimpse of the sculptor’s creative process.
Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter
Adolf Loos (Brünn 1870-1933 Kalksburg) Lady's Writing Desk, around 1903/04 Softwood, oil varnish, brass fittings, writing inlay with new leather H 106 (with top) x H 80 (without top) x W 113 x D 67.5 cm Manufactured by Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Vienna Company stamp on the underside: Friedrich Otto Schmidt / Wien / 1 Singerstrasse 16 / Schmidt Miksa / Budapest / 5. Lipotkorut 4 Provenance: Private collection, Vienna Literature: Burkhardt Rukschcio/Roland Schachel, Adolf Loos. Leben und Werk, 1982, Salzburg/Vienna, ill. p. 115, n° 117 cf. Exhibition catalogue ‘Adolf Loos. Private Spaces’, Barcelona Design Museum, 2017, ill. p. 134 Exhibitions: Paris, ‘Adolf Loos – Exposition Du Cinquantenaire’, 1983; Karlsruhe, ‘Gründerzeit, Adolf Loos: Jahrhundertwende: Rückblick und Ausblick im Spiegel der Wiener Architektur’, 1987 Questions of furnishing remained an important subject for the architect Adolf Loos (1870–1933) throughout his entire creative output. The World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1893 was the reason for a trip to the USA, which resulted in a three-year stay. The engagement with modern lifestyle and Anglo-Saxon interior design culture were formative experiences for the aspiring architect. Today, Loos is widely seen as one of the most avant-garde architects of his generation and his work is presented in national and international collections, from the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Of this particular writing desk only two pieces are known to exist. It perfectly exemplifies Loos’ strict no-ornament policy, always putting functionality before aesthetic, and his high standards concerning materials and craftmanship. To ensure the latter he would often employ the traditional Viennese furnishings company Friedrich Otto Schmidt and its master carpenters as manufacturers for his interior designs. This model was shown in three separate museum exhibitions, in Paris 1983, Karlsruhe 1987 and Barcelona 2017.
Caretto & Occhinegro
Jan Provoost (Mons 1465-1529 Bruges) Crucifixion with a view of the city of Bruges, circa 1512-1515 Oil on panel 31.5 x 25 cm Expertise by Peter van den Brink Active primarily in Bruges between the late 15th and early 16th centuries, Provoost centered his art on a formidable capacity for aesthetic synthesis, marked by highly intellectual nuances and an unmistakable solemn style capable of blending diverse influences, from Van Eyck to Antonello da Messina. A shining example of this is this small Calvary, where three modernly minimalist figures are arranged with skillful geometry against a meticulously detailed view of the city of Bruges stretching out behind them. While Provoost explored this subject in other versions, always incorporating detailed cities in the background, none features such a precise and topographical view of Bruges. Indeed, one can readily recognize the belfry of the Church of Our Lady, the now-lost architectural structure of the Jerusalem Chapel of Bruges (still intact at the time), and the tower of the city's town hall.
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.
Harold t’Kint de Roodenbeke
Pol Bury (La Louvière 1922-2005 Paris) L’étourdie, 1945 Oil on canvas 60 x 70 cm Signed lower right and dated 1945 This work is listed in the catalogue raisonné of the Pol Bury paintings under n° PO 46 Provenance: collection C. Matisse, La Louvière; sale Horta, Brussels, 12 October 2009, lot 208; private collection, Liège Literature: José Vovelle, 'Le surréalisme en Belgique', Brussels, André De Rache éditeur, 1972, p. 248, ill. p. 308; Viviane Baras-Flament, 'Pol Bury, 2014', bibliographical reference, 1974, ill. pl III; Philippe Roberts-Jones, Naissance et triomphe du surréalisme en Wallonie', 1975, ill. p. 297; Robert Hoozee, Piet Boyens, Inge Henneman, Monique Tahon-Vanroose, Helke Lauwaert, Serge Goyens de Heusch, Ronny Gobyn, 'L’art moderne en Belgique 1900-1945', Antwerp, Fonds Mercator, 1992, ill. p. 312; Rosemarie E. Pahlke, 'Pol Bury', Ghent, Crédit communal, 1994, pp. 102-103, cat 45-6, ill. p. 103; Histoire de ne pas rire, le surréalisme en Belgique, Bozar et Fonds Mercator, 2024, ill. p. 152 Exhibitions: Galerie Lou Cosyn, Brussels, Pol Bury, Juin 1946, n° 9; Musée des Beaux Arts de Liège, 'L’apport Wallon au surréalisme', October-November 1955, ill. n° 4; La Louvière, 'Introduction au surréalisme en Belgique, community hall, April-May 1969, n° 8; Kunstverein Hamburg, 'René Magritte et le surréalisme en Belgique', January-March 1982, n° 3, ill. p. 229; Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome, April-July 1982; Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, September-December 1982; Château de Waroux, Alleur, 'Pol Bury, du surréalisme aux ramollissements', April-June 2010; Château de Waroux, Alleur, 'De Dali à Magritte, l’aventure surréaliste', March-July 2011 Pol Bury, an artist and sculptor known worldwide for his kinetic works, began his career in the late 1930s. He met the poet Achille Chavée, who introduced him to the Hainaut Surrealist Group: ‘Rupture’. He also spent time with René Magritte, whom he admired. He contributed to the journal 'L’invention collective', launched by Raoul Ubac and René Magritte around 1940. His surrealist works, in the spirit of his mentor Magritte, were exhibited in 1945 at the International Exhibition of Surrealism at the Galerie des éditions la Boétie in Brussels. This work is one of the most iconic of his Surrealist period.
COLNAGHI
Robert Mapplethorpe (New York 1946-1989 Boston) Female torso, 1978 Silver gelatin photograph 50.8 x 40.6 cm Made in 1978, the photograph belongs to a life-long dialogue in Mapplethorpe’s work between photography and sculpture. The subject would later serve as the opening image of his 1989 volume Some Women, where its classical reference establishes a point of comparison for the contemporary women portrayed in the book. The photograph was produced in an edition of ten. Impressions of the image are held in major public collections, including the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The documented provenance of this impression begins with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation in New York, from which it passed into a private collection in Belgium.
BOON GALLERY
Kim Tschang Yeul (North Korea, Maengsan County 1929-2021 Seoul) Water Drop, 1983 Oil and sand on canvas 24 x 19 cm Signed on reverse Certificate of authenticity by the Kim Tschang Yeul estate, Paris, 2026 The Poetry of Transparency, Matter & Memory Kim Tschang-Yeul’s Water Drop (1983) is an iconic work of modern Korean art. It transforms a simple droplet into a meditation on existence, memory, and time. Set against a rough, earthy surface, the transparent drop appears luminous and delicate. Its subtle golden reflections contrast with the dense texture beneath it. This opposition evokes the tension between permanence and impermanence. Kim Tschang-Yeul (1929–2021) devoted nearly five decades to painting water drops. His artistic vision was shaped by the Japanese occupation and the Korean War. These experiences inspired reflections on suffering, remembrance, and reconciliation. For Kim, the droplet symbolized purification, inner peace, and spiritual renewal. The meticulous act of painting became a form of meditation. The textured background represents the material world, while water suggests fragility. Its reflections and shadows create a remarkable illusion of reality. The surrounding emptiness enhances the composition’s silence and contemplative power. Kim’s work resonates with Buddhist and Taoist ideas of emptiness and impermanence. It also explores the interconnectedness and transience of all existence. By 1983, he had gained international recognition, particularly in Paris. His art bridges Eastern philosophical traditions and Western pictorial techniques. Although related to Dansaekhwa, his water drops express a distinctive artistic identity. Today, his paintings remain emblematic of Korean modernism. Ultimately, Water Drop transforms a fleeting moment into a timeless meditation on beauty, memory, and transcendence.
Herwig Simons Fine Arts
Door lock with Christ and the Twelve Apostles 17th-century Provenance: former private collection, Belgium Finely crafted 17th-century door lock, featuring an elaborate openwork design depicting Christ and the Twelve Apostles. The lock retains its original key and the lock is in good working order. A fascinating example of 17th-century decorative ironwork, combining historical significance religious iconography, and intricate craftsmanship.
Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter
Dagobert Peche (Sankt Michael im Lungau 1887-1923 Mödling) Lamp, Design 1921 Manufactured by the Wiener Werkstätte, model number M 3494-M la 24 Brass, embossed, floral decoration, foot with beaded decoration, one flame, lamp shade renewed, new electrification H 87 cm - Ø 46 cm (lamp shade) Marks: WIENER / WERK / STÄTTE, monogram DP According to the MAK only two lamps were manufactured in the year 1923 Provenance: collection Schedlmayer Literature: cf. WW Archive, MAK Vienna, design sketch lamp base KI 12649-5-2, photo archive inventory n° WWF 98-116-1 as well as entry in the book of commissions of the Wiener Werkstätte model book WWKA 679; cf. Exhibition catalogue ‘Die Überwindung der Utilität. Dagobert Peche und die Wiener Werkstätte’, ed. by Peter Noever, MAK, Vienna 1998, ill. p. 221, n° 51; cf. Exhibition catalogue ‘Dagobert Peche and the Wiener Werkstätte’, ed. by Peter Noever, MAK, Vienna 1998, Neue Galerie, New York 2002, ill. p. 228, n° 45; Exhibition catalogue ‘Die Sammlung Schedlmayer. Die Entdeckung’, ed. by Ivan Ristic, Hans-Peter Wipplinger, Leopold Museum, Vienna 2021, ill. p. 72 Exhibition: Vienna, Leopoldmuseum, 'Die Sammlung Schedlmayer. Eine Entdeckung', 2021 Josef Hoffmann, one of the founders of the Wiener Werkstätte, hired the then 28 year old Dagobert Peche as a leading designer for the Wiener Werkstätte in 1915. With his finesse and elegance Peche fundamentally shaped the second decade of the Wiener Werkstätte, heading the Zurich branch of the Wiener Werkstätte from 1917 to 1919. Floral ornamentation and playful designs play a key role in his artistic works full of subtlety and imagination, which contrasted the strict geometric designs of Hoffmann and Koloman Moser. Before his untimely death he was involved in the opening of the ‘Wiener Werkstätte of America’ showroom on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. According to the records of the MAK, Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts, this table lamp was produced only twice, in 1923. It was part of the renowned Schedlmayer collection – a high-ranking collection bringing together prime examples of Austrian decorative arts and works of fine art from the first half of the 20th century. In 2021 this lamp was presented at the Leopold Museum’s exhibition 'The Schedlmayer collection. A discovery'.
Univers du Bronze
Rembrandt Bugatti (Milan 1884-1916 Paris) Deux antilopes Goudou or 'Deux Amis', circa 1911 Bronze, dark brown patina H 23.1 x L 43.2 x D 11.9 cm Signed 'R. Bugatti' Original cast and edition by 'A.-A. Hébrard cire perdue Paris' (seal and inscribed in the wax 'Fondu en 1925'), engraved '(13)' Edition cast in 1925 The years 1910–1911 were the most creative in Rembrandt Bugatti’s career. His art was flourishing, with his first major exhibition in Antwerp in 1910, followed by one organised by the foundryman Hébrard, for which the artist presented a magnificent collection of one hundred sculptures. The 'Deux antilopes goudou' were probably created in 1911, following a group of Trois antilopes goudou that Bugatti presented for the first time at the Salon d’Automne in 1911. From this group of three, the sculptor chose to retain only a pair of animals, adopting an even more sensitive approach, full of great tenderness, which the artist’s Impressionist touch renders here even more vibrant. To emphasise this intimate and ‘friendly’ character, Bugatti positions the antelopes – also known as Les deux amis – in a face-to-face interaction, with the head of one resting trustingly on the other’s large ear. The two heads come together harmoniously at the centre of the composition. At the same time, the sculptor modelled another, complementary group featuring similar antelopes, this time muzzle to muzzle, which he named 'Deux antilopes Goudou' or 'Caresse'. This cast, listed in the sculptor’s catalogue raisonné, bears the number '13', denoting the thirteenth cast produced from this model, and the casting date 'Fondu en 1925' – an extremely rare detail in Bugatti’s Oeuvre. The production run of these beautiful African antelopes was a great success for Hébrard, who cast thirty-two bronzes based on this subject. This bronze, with its deep brown patina, stands out from other known casts due to the high quality of the mould, which perfectly showcases the master’s characteristic and original treatment of the material.
Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery
Karel Appel (Amsterdam 1921-2006 Zurich) People, Birds and Sun, 1951 Gouache and pastel on paper, mounted on canvas 65 x 100 cm Signed and dated lower right Provenance: the estate of the artist; Galerie Max Hetzler, London Exhibition: Karel Appel-Cobra/Non Cobra, Galerie Max Hetzler, London, January-February 2024 This work by Karel Appel embodies the playful, instinctive visual language that makes his finest Cobra-period pieces so instantly recognizable. As the original version of the painting held in the Tate Gallery’s collection, this piece offers a glimpse into the evolution of a composition in which the imagination is given free rein. A child, a bird, a sun, and fantastical creatures appear alongside and intertwined with one another, without ever conforming to a traditional representation of reality. The figures are childlike and direct. Large eyes, erratic contours, and bold, spontaneous lines lend them an expressive presence. Appel does not paint what he sees, but rather he paints what he imagines and senses. The exuberant colors - yellow, red, green, blue, and black - collide, overlap, and amplify one another. The yellow plane infuses the composition with light and energy, while the dark lines provide structure to the various figures. This combination of childlike spontaneity and controlled painterly craft lies at the heart of Appel’s Cobra aesthetic.
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.
Desmet Fine Art
Odoardo Fantacchiotti (Rome 1809-1877 Florence) Musidora, Firenze, 1859 Inspired by James Thomson’s poem ‘Summer’, originally published in 1727 Marble H 167.6 x W 49 x D 49 cm Plinth: H 95.3 x D 63 cm (at base) Total height: 262.9 cm Signed 'Per commis del meritis / ... / Odoardo Fantachiotti / Scolpiva in Firenze / l'anno 1859 Art Loss Register: S00258863 Provenance: commissioned by August Belmont (1813-1890) USA; Randall family, Clarendon Court (Newport, USA) Literature: Ricordi fotografici degli artisti contemporanei in Toscana: ‘La Musidora’(Firenze-1858); V. Lia Bernini, G. Moradei, Odoardo Fantacchiotti scultore (1811-1877): atti delle giornate di studio nel bicentenario della nascita 1811-2011, (Toscana 2021), Volume 227, pp. 37-41 Two subsequent versions were made: the first in 1862 for Baron Belper, Edward Strutt (Israele collection); the second one in 1865 for the then King of Portugal, Luis I, now kept in the collections of Lisbon’s Palacio Nacional da Ajuda (inv. n°179). This sculpture is the first version of Fantacchiotti’s most acclaimed sculpture, Musidora, realised in 1859. Drawing inspiration from James Thomson’s poem ‘Summer’, the monumental marble depicts the moment in which the nymph, bathing in a secluded stream, realises that she has been observed by her admirer Damon. Engaging both with the legacy of Neoclassicism and the emerging sensibilities of Romanticism, Fantacchiotti stands as one of the representatives of mid-nineteenth century Florentine academic sculpture, receiving high praise by his contemporaries. This version was commissioned by August Belmont, a central figure of New York’s social elite, and founder and director of one of the country’s leading private banking firms, reflecting the American appetite for Italian marble sculpture, and the enduring influence of Florentine sculpture in the transatlantic taste.
Alexis Lartigue
Victor Vasarely (Pecs 1906-1997 Paris) Untitled, circa 1958, Oil on masonite 120 x 100 cm Signed lower center Provenance: private collection, USA; Christie’s sale, London; Lo Guidice Gallery, Chicago; Sotheby's sale, London; private collection, London; Christie’s sale, London; Galerie Zlotowski, Paris; private collection, Europe; Sotheby's sale, Paris; private collection, Switzerland Exhibition: Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Summer Loans, 1970
Waddington Custot
Jean Hélion (Couterne, Rives-d'Andaine 1904–1987 Paris) Homme au chapeau, 1943 Oil on canvas 58.1 x 43.1 cm Signed and dated on reverse ‘Hélion va 43’ This work is recorded in the online catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre peint de Jean Hélion, no. 876 (http://www.helion-cat-rais.com/moteur/pop.php?id=1216) Provenance: John Ashbery, New York (directly from the artist); Connaught Brown, London Exhibitions: ‘Jean Hélion’, Spencer A. Samuels & Co., Ltd, New York, 7 April–22 May 1976, catalogue no. 8 (repro. In b&w); ‘Works from the Collection of John Ashbery’, Kasmin Gallery, New York, 1 November–22 December 2018; ‘Regards croisés’, Waddington Custot, Paris, 11 June–26 September 2026
Axel Vervoordt
William Turnbull (Dundee 1922-2012 London) Young Torso, 1981 Bronze 49 x 28.5 x 3 cm Edition of 6, AP 1/1 Provenance: the estate of the artist Literature: Amanda A. Davidson, The Sculpture of William Turnbull, The Henry Moore Foundation in association with Lund Humphries, 2005, cat. n° 205, ill. p. 154 William Turnbull (1922–2012) was one of the most distinctive sculptors and painters of post-war Britain. Throughout his career, he explored the enduring power of ancient and archaic art, seeking an elemental visual language that connects the distant past with the present. In Young Torso, Turnbull revisits the archetypal figures and totemic forms that fascinated him from the 1950s onwards. The simplified silhouette evokes prehistoric figurines and ancient idols, yet belongs to no specific culture or belief system. Both familiar and mysterious, the sculpture seems to speak a universal language whose meaning remains elusive. The warm brown patina and irregular surface suggest weathered stone, while delicate incisions recall tattoos or fragments of an unknown symbolic language. These markings animate the figure, hinting at lost rituals and traditions. Reflecting Turnbull’s sensitivity to surface, line and colour, the textured bronze combines tactile richness with formal simplicity. Neither an imitation of an ancient artefact nor a purely abstract form, Young Torso occupies a space between recognition and mystery. Through the encounter between archaic references and modern expression, Turnbull evokes humanity’s enduring desire to create forms that transcend time and preserve traces of our existence.
Costermans
Louis XV writing table Paris, Louis XV period, circa 1750 Ormolu-mounted tulipwood, satinwood, amaranth, and red leather H 66 x W 55 x D 37 cm Stamped I·P·LATZ Jean-Pierre Latz (Cologne 1686-1754 Paris) was titled as favoured craftsman to the king This small folding table stands at the very top of the social hierarchy of objects: beneath its top, a sliding shelf reveals a writing desk upholstered in red leather, whilst a side drawer conceals an inkwell. This transformation mechanism is remarkably discreet, requiring the cabinetmaker to collaborate with a mechanic and a locksmith. On the top, a lyre adorned with a ribbon – a rare motif on small pieces of furniture from this period – reflects the era’s taste for the arts. It is reminiscent of the writing table commissioned for the Marquise de Pompadour, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This table is the work of Jean-Pierre Latz, who came to Paris from Cologne in 1719 and became the King’s favoured cabinetmaker. Inventive and daring, he cast and chiselled his own bronze fittings in defiance of the regulations, and counted Frederick II of Prussia, Augustus III of Poland and the eldest daughter of Louis XV amongst his clients. Furniture bearing his signature is rare.
Marty de Cambiaire
Denys Calvaert (Antwerp circa 1540-1619 Bologna) Holy Family with Saint Jerome and the Infant John the Baptist Oil on copper 50.4 cm x 39.6 cm Signed and dated CALVA ... T ... / ... CIT / 158 ? ... lower centre Provenance: Von Planta Family, Samedan, acquired in the 1920s according to the family tradition (although it could have been acquired earlier); London, Sotheby’s, 3 December 2014, lot 18; private collection, Brussels Flemish by birth, Calvaert settled in Bologna in 1562, where he became a leading artist and played a central role in training the foremost painters of the Bolognese school. Guido Reni, Francesco Albani and Domenichino were among his most celebrated pupils. A specialist in religious subjects, Calvaert excelled both in large altarpieces and in small, refined paintings for private devotion. This exquisite Holy Family, painted in the 1580s, belongs to the latter category. Conceived as a sacra conversazione, it invites meditation on Christ’s future sacrifice. In response to the scroll bearing the words “Ecce Agnus Dei”, which the young Saint John the Baptist fervently holds up, the Christ Child expresses gentle acceptance, raising his right hand in blessing and holding in his left an apple, a symbol of the redemptive purpose of the Passion to come. The Virgin and the two saints contemplate this symbolic dialogue in quiet adoration. Few works by Calvaert combine so successfully the elegance and refinement of Mannerism with the clarity of religious expression advocated by the Counter-Reformation. The poetic vista of landscape and architecture in the background lends depth to the composition and reflects Calvaert’s Flemish taste for an airy atmosphere and a sense of recession achieved through gradations of blue and green rather than geometry. It contributes to the gentleness, calm and balance that pervade the scene.
Epoque Fine Jewels
René Lalique (Ay 1860-1945 Paris) Art Nouveau dragonfly brooch Paris, circa 1903 18 k 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 18-karat 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.
Verdini Antiques
Enrico Podio (Active 1840-1890 between Rome and Venice) Micromosaic centre table, 1873 Polychrome micromosaic, patinated, cast and chased bronze H 100 x Ø 125 cm Signed and dated 'Enrico Podio fecit' and 'Venezia 1873' This exceptional table is one of the most ambitious expressions of nineteenth-century Venetian micromosaic. Its distinction lies in the rare combination of monumental scale, extraordinary technical refinement, documented authorship and a fully integrated sculptural bronze base. Micromosaic is more often associated with small cabinet objects. Here, Enrico Podio expands the technique to a table, transforming a traditionally intimate art into a commanding architectural statement. The head of Medusa is modelled through minute glass tesserae with subtle changes of flesh tone, shadow, hair and serpent scales. The optical blending approaches the effects of painting while remaining unmistakably mosaic. The inscriptions 'ENRICO PODIO FECIT' and 'VENEZIA 1873' give the work unusual documentary precision, securely identifying the maker, place and date and anchoring the table within the mature Venetian revival of mosaic art. The patinated, cast and chased bronze pedestal is conceived as an integral part of the design. Its classical heads, masks, architectural members and zoomorphic details create a powerful counterpoint to the brilliant colour of the micromosaic top. The synthesis of rarity, scale, technical mastery, documented authorship and visual impact places this table among the most impressive examples of nineteenth-century Italian decorative arts.
Galerie Uzal
Josuë Dupon (Ichtegem 1864-1935 Antwerp) Pair of groups 'Panther and Serpent', circa 1900 Bronze, rich brown patina and ivory on one Griotte marble and one faux-marble base H 114.5 x W 104 cm Signed ‘Josuë Dupon' and bears foundry mark 'F. van Aerschodt Fondeur' Provided with the CITES document for both sculptures
Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud
Raymond de Meester (Mechelen 1904-1995 Brussels) Yawning Leopard, circa 1928-1929 Bronze with a nuanced brown patina H 45.2 x W 41.6 x D 15.5 cm Signed ‘Rd de Meester de B’, titled ‘Yawning Leopard’ and dated ‘1928–29’ Batardy cast, edition of 3, numbered I/III, bearing the stamp ‘BATARDY CIRE PERDUE BRUXELLES’, and the inscriptions ‘Épreuve d’Artiste’ and ‘cire perdue’ Literature: Léonard Dieleman, Raymond de Meester de Betzenbroeck, Animal Sculptor, Gallery Dieleman, Brussels 1989, repr. n° 5; Xavier de Ghellinck Vaernewyck, ‘de Meester de Betzenbroeck’, Nouvelle Biographie Nationale, Part 6, Royal Academy of Belgium, Brussels, 2001, pp. 133–135 With this Yawning Leopard, Raymond de Meester, a leading figure of the Brussels School during the interwar period, once again demonstrates his exceptional ability to capture the anatomy and demeanour of animals with striking realism. While recalling Bugatti’s Reclining Lioness Yawning, which de Meester was probably inspired by, the feline is depicted here in a particularly original pose. An appealing and rare model, this sculpture was cast in an edition of only three examples. This example, numbered 1, is an artist’s proof, as confirmed by the engraved inscription, meaning that the artist personally oversaw its production. This is particularly evident in its beautiful, richly nuanced warm brown patina, to which the sculptor attached great importance, as well as in the high quality of the casting, executed by Batardy.
Van Herck-Eykelberg
Paul Delvaux (Antheit 1897-1994 Veurne) Hôtel de Ville, 1953 Watercolour and pen and ink on paper mounted on board 69.5 x 50.5 cm Signed and dated 'P. Delvaux 4.53' Provenance: Albert and Georges Niels, Brussels; Galerie Isy Brachot, Brussels; private collection, Belgium Literature: Jean Stengers, Bruxelles: Croissance d'une capitale, Anvers, 1979, ill. in colour on the cover Exhibitions: Brussels, Le Cercle Royal Gaulois, Bruxelles vu par les artistes, 1959, n° 46, listed (titled L'Hôtel de Ville); Brussels, Galerie Isy Brachot and Paris, Galerie Isy Brachot, Paul Delvaux: dessins, aquarelles et encres de Chine, 1987-88, n° 48, ill. in colour (titled L'Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles)