This section will be available this Autumn.
Waddington Custot
Barry Flanagan (Prestatyn 1941-2009 Santa Eulària des Riu) Large Troubador, 2004 Bronze, cast 2019 185 x 140 x 114 cm Edition of 8 + 3 AP (AP 2) Stamped with the artist’s monogram, casting date and edition number ‘f-/19 AP 2/3’ and foundry mark Provenance: Plubronze Limited (the Estate of Barry Flanagan) Literature: Paintings, Sculpture and Works on Paper, Waddington Galleries, London, 2004, n° 29 (rep. in colour p. 63) (1/8 catalogued); Barry Flanagan, Clare Preston (ed.), Jo Melvin, Teresa Gleadowe, Mel Gooding and Bruce McLean, Waddington Custot in association with The Estate of Barry Flanagan, London, 2017 (repro. in colour pl 137) Exhibitions: ‘Barry Flanagan: Sculpture 1965–2005’, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, in collaboration with Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, 28 June-24 September 2006, catalogue p. 160 (rep. in colour) (3/8 exhibited); ‘Barry Flanagan: Sculpture’, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, 23 February-31 March 2007 (3/8 exhibited); ‘Barry Flanagan: Sculptures 2001-2008’, Waddington Galleries, London, 30 April-23 May 2008, catalogue n° 7 (rep. in colour p.[23]; detail pp.[18–19]) (4/8 exhibited); ‘Beyond Limits’, Chatsworth House, Bakewell, Derbyshire, 7 September-28 October 2012 (AP 1/3 exhibited); ‘Barry Flanagan’, IKON, Birmingham, 18 September-24 November 2019 (rep. in colour in catalogue on p. 2-3, 5, 88) (another edition exhibited outside); ‘Mayfair Sculpture Trail’, London, 1-31 October 2020, catalogue n° 8 (rep. in colour p. 41) (AP 2/3exhibited)
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.
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.
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.
Univers du Bronze
Auguste Rodin (Paris 1840-1917 Meudon) Saint John the Baptist preaching, cast in 1899 Bronze, richly dark brown patina H 19.6 x W 12.5 x D 5.3 cm Reduction n° 3 (1/10 of original size) Signed Rodin and marked 'Thiebaut frères, Fumière et Gavignot Successeurs' Edition of 4 (in this size) Provenance: Knoedler and Co collection; sale Sotheby’s New York (6 October 1989) Lifetime cast signed 'Rodin', old cast and edition by Thiébaut with the engraved mark 'Thiebaut frères, Fumière et Gavignot Successeurs' (purchase of the funds and Thiébaut rights by Fumière et Gavignot in 1898). This example is probably the first, maybe the second of an edition of 4 cast in 1899 (prime account from 4 February to 9 December 1899), stamped '200' under the base (sale price 200 frs?) and engraved '4' (number of casts?) Rodin began work on his Saint John the Baptist in 1878, while conceiving La Porte de l’Enfer, the monumental project from which some of his most celebrated sculptures would emerge, including Le Penseur, Le Baiser and Ugolino. The inspiration came from his encounter with an Italian model, César Pignatelli, known as Bevilacqua, whose powerful physique and expressive features immediately struck the sculptor. Rodin recognised in him the image of Saint John the Baptist: a man of nature, a visionary and a prophet. This encounter marked the beginning of a collaboration lasting over twenty years, during which Pignatelli became one of Rodin’s favourite models. The original plaster was conceived larger than life, exceeding two metres in height, and exhibited at the Salon in 1880. The following year, the bronze version was presented and subsequently acquired by the French State. In 1898, Rodin signed an edition contract with Fumières et Cie, leading to the production of three reduced versions measuring 80, 50 and 20 cm. The present Saint John the Baptist belongs to the rarest, third-scale version, of which only four examples were produced: two in 1899 and two in 1903. Its simple engraved foundry inscription, rather than a stamp, suggests that it may be the earliest cast. Through the exceptional finesse of its modelling and chiselling, the sculpture recalls the splendour of Renaissance bronzes. Depicted nude and stripped of his traditional attributes, Saint John embodies the prophet’s asceticism. His raised finger evokes his preaching in the desert, while Rodin’s powerful interpretation and striking musculature give the figure an unprecedented expressive force. A seminal work of modern sculpture, Saint John the Baptist profoundly influenced later generations of artists, notably Alberto Giacometti, whose studio contained numerous books, postcards and photographs documenting his fascination with Rodin’s masterpiece.
Grusenmeyer-Woliner
Power figure (Nkisi) Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kongo, Mayombe region, late 19th century Wood, seeds, beads, metal, glass, and plant fibers (raffia) H 24.5 cm H 29.5 cm (including base) Provenance: Mathias Komor Gallery, New York, USA, 1960s; Elliot Picket (by 1974); Aaron and Joyce Furman, New-York, USA; Daniel Hourdé, Paris; Galerie Alain de Monbrison, Paris Publication: Picket, Elliot, 'L’art Africain congloméré', Arts d’Afrique noire, n° 10, Summer 1974, n° 19, p. 33 Standing just 24.5 cm tall, this exceptional female nkisi from the Mayombe region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo possesses a presence far greater than its size suggests. Its piercing, wide-open eyes, finely modelled features and harmonious proportions reveal the remarkable quality of the carving, while the striking accumulation of black seeds surrounding the body adds to the intensity of its beautifully balanced composition. In Kongo tradition, nkisi figures were created to protect, heal and mediate between the visible and invisible worlds. Activated by a nganga, a ritual specialist and healer, they embodied spiritual forces believed to influence human life. This female figure, with her hands holding her breasts, evokes fertility, motherhood and the continuity of the lineage, while also fulfilling a protective function. At the centre of her abdomen, a mirror conceals a ritual cavity containing bilongo, a potent combination of plant, mineral and animal substances. The mirror establishes a symbolic connection with the spirit world, while the small cowrie shell adorning her forehead evokes prosperity and fertility. What makes this sculpture particularly compelling is the exceptional preservation of its ritual attributes. The abdominal receptacle, its mirror and ritual contents have survived, offering valuable insight into the figure's original spiritual function. Its richly layered, time-worn patina, thick and encrusted in places, bears witness to its ritual history. Equally fascinating are the numerous glossy black seeds, probably from a tropical vine of the Dioclea genus, which have survived along with the cords securing them. Combining sculptural refinement, spiritual significance and a rich assemblage of preserved ritual elements, this intimate yet commanding figure stands as a remarkable testament to the artistic traditions of the Mayombe region.
Stern Pissarro Gallery
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Limoges 1841-1919 Cagnes-sur-Mer) Coco mangeant sa soupe, 1905 Oil on canvas 46.3 x 37.9 cm Signed lower right 'Renoir' Provenance: Ambroise Vollard, Paris; private collection, Zurich, circa 1930; Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego, March 1942 (on loan from a private collection); Dalzell Hatfield Galleries, Los Angeles, 1943-1949; Van Diemen-Lilienfeld Galleries, New York, 1953; Chapin and Mary Alexander Riley, Malibu/Worcester, acquired in 1953; Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts (inventory n° 1991.238) (one third gifted in 1992 and a second third gifted in 1997) Literature: Principales acquisitions des musées en 1992, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1993, p. 65; Guy-Patrice Dauberville and Michel Dauberville, Renoir: Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. IV, 1903-1910, n° 3415, p. 435 Exhibitions: Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Vincent van Gogh en zijn Tijdgenooten, 1930, n° 269; San Diego, Fine Arts Gallery, 1942; Los Angeles, Dalzell Hatfield Galleries, Renoir (1841-1919), 1943, n° 5; Los Angeles, Dalzell Hatfield Galleries, A Superb Exhibition: Modern French Masters, 1949, p. 5 (travelled to New York, Barbizon Plaza Hotel); Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Renoir: Intimidad, 18 October 2016-22 January 2017, p. 149 (travelled to Bilbao, Museo de Gellas Artes de Bilbao, 7 February-15 May 2017) Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Coco mangeant sa soupe (1905) is an intimate portrait of the artist’s youngest son, Claude, known as Coco, aged four, painted at Cagnes-sur-Mer in the South of France. Built from soft, flowing brushstrokes in warm oranges, pinks and reds, it shows Renoir’s late style at its most affectionate. The painting was exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, in Vincent van Gogh en zijn Tijdgenooten (1930) and at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Renoir: Intimidad (2016–17). Its provenance includes Ambroise Vollard and the Worcester Art Museum. A tender, closely observed portrayal of family life, it offers an intimate glimpse into the final chapter of Renoir’s career.
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
Galerie Jean-François Cazeau
Yayoi Kusama (Matsumoto 1929-2026 Tokyo) Uchu/Universe, 1994 Acrylic on canvas 91 x 73 cm Signed, titled and dated in Japanese on the reverse 'Yayoi Kusama 1994' This work is registered in the Archives of Yayoi Kusama Studio as n° 1518 Provenance: Ota Fine Art, Tokyo; private collection Sotheby’s London, 2022, lot 318; acquired by the current owner at Sotheby’s London; private collection, France
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'.
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.
Galerie Flak
U’u Club Marquesas Islands, Polynesia, 18th or 19th century Carved wood and fibers H 138.5 cm Provenance: David Petty collection, London; Pierre-Richard Royer collection, Paris; Alexandre Bernand collection, Paris; private collection, acquired from the above in September 2016 Exhibition: TEFAF 2024, Maastricht, Serge Schoffel, catalogue T3, p. 28
Galerie Tiago
Rectangular lacquered wooden suzuribako (writing box) Japan, Edo period (1603-1868) Wood, lacquer, silver, gold, hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, kirigane, gyōbu-nashiji, tsumemaki nashiji H 4.7 x W 27 x D 23.5 cm Decorated in gold lacquer with a continuous design depicting a pavilion set in a karst landscape dotted with pine and maple trees. Complete with an inkstone, a silver water dropper, a blade and a set of brushes.
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)
MassModernDesign
Jorge Zalszupin (Warschau 1922-2020 São Paulo) L'Atelier, Brazil 1959 Bergere chair Hardwood, fabric H 92 x W 83 x D 93 cm This exceptional Bergère armchair perfectly embodies the essence of Jorge Zalszupin’s design philosophy. A masterful interplay of organic forms, contrasting materials and outstanding craftsmanship, the chair combines beautifully sculpted wooden armrests with refined upholstery and luxurious textures in a remarkably harmonious composition. The contrast between the warm brown suede, textured ivory fabric and richly grained wood highlights Zalszupin’s sophisticated approach to materials and his great attention to detail. Every curve, joint and transition has been carefully considered, reflecting the fine woodworking skills and uncompromising standards of quality that defined his workshop, L’Atelier. More than simply a comfortable armchair, this rare 1959 design is a sculptural expression of Brazilian modernism, bringing together elegance, innovation and traditional craftsmanship in a single, harmonious creation. It remains in excellent condition, a rare occurrence for a piece of this age.
Laurent Schaubroeck
Paul Evans (USA, Newtown 1931-1987 Nantucket Island) and Phillip Lloyd Powell (USA, Germantown 1919-2008 New Hope) Monumental wall unit, circa 1960 Steel, wood, gold leaf H 282 x W 236 x D 51 cm Unique piece Provenance: Martin Brooks, Doylestown Wall-mounted cabinet by Paul Evans and Phillip Lloyd Powell, two key figures in American postwar design. This one of a kind piece combines carved wood, torch-cut and enameled metal, and gold leaf. Features four floating shelves and a two-door lower cabinet with concealed storage. Rare in both scale and collaboration.
Franck Anelli Fine Art
Secretary Charles Topino (1742-1803), master in 1773 Transition period Oak, Breccia marble top, bronze and marquetry in rosewood, amaranth, holly, sycamore, lemonwood, stained woods and tobacco wood H 139 x W 92 x D 38 cm Stamped TOPINO and bearing the Jurande hallmark Transition period secretary in wardrobe stamped Charles TOPINO (1742-1803) and Jurande hallmark. Rectangular in shape, the front uprights with cut sides, the front legs arched, the hind legs straight, the oak frame, it opens with a drawer, two leaves and a flap revealing a compartmentalized interior of seven drawers and four compartments. Top of breccia marble from Aleppo. Inlaid decoration in rosewood, amaranth, holly, sycamore, lemon tree, stained wood, tobacco wood, drawing lattices on the uprights and the upper drawer, those of the latter, embellished with flowers, and trompe-l'oeil on the front and on the sides, a decoration of garlands of oval cartouches of stylised acanthus leaves uniting the panels of the toilet seat and the leaves, each also presenting, in the upper part, a leafy garland that can be found on the side panels. The latter are decorated with two gadrooned urns close to the flowered vases of the leaves. The toilet seat has a trompe-l'oeil perspective decoration, an orangery whose open shutters give a glimpse of a wooded landscape in the distance, a perspective accentuated by the checkerboard paving, also present on the leaves. Eight boxes of fruit trees are spread around a table on which are placed two flowered vases and under which is a watering can. The interior reveals six side drawers in three rows, inlaid with a floral vase pattern, as well as a central drawer. Stamped TOPINO and hallmark of Jurande Charles TOPINO received master in 1773 The art of marquetry The bronzes are discreet on our desk and this is intended to give pride of place to marquetry, qualified as wooden painting. If it is possible and tempting - rightly to link a cabinetmaker to his marquetry and this is regularly the case for Topino whose utensil marquetry inspired by the borders of Chinese Coromandel lacquer screens of the time is a characteristic of the artist - it turns out that the models circulated and that inlaid panels could be used by the same circle of cabinetmakers. If the vases, potiches, flowers, utensils reproduced, invented, associated, allow us to recognize Topino's art, it should be noted that the framing motif made up of oval reserves with quartefeuilles and spandrels can be found on secretaries, a chest of drawers and a dressing table stamped Jacques Bircklé. By this same cabinetmaker, a secretary also presents the same vases present on our furniture. Very similar marquetry panels. both in their compositions and in their frames can be found on a chest of drawers attributed to Jacques Bircklé, illustrated in the book by Pierre Kjellberg, who also defines the paving pattern as Bircklé's 'almost exclusiveness'. our secretary thus witnessed the circulation of drawn or engraved models.
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.
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.
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.
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 Raf Van Severen
Jean Brusselmans (Brussels 1884-1953 Dilbeek) Decor for Erwartung, 1936 Mixed media on paper 60 x 90 cm Label at the back; Erwartung; Decor pour 'Erwartung', d’Arnold Schoenberg, 1936; Décor pour le 4e acte Literature: Paul Haesaerts, Jean Brusselmans, 1939, p. 67; Robert L. Delevoy, Jean Brusselmans: CR établi par Mme G. Brys-Schatan, 1972, 421.IV In 1936, the French-language premiere of the monodrama Erwartung by Arnold Schoenberg was organized in the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels. And it was Jean Brusselmans who was commissioned with the design of the sets. In “Decor for Erwartung” we see the study for the 4th scene of the drama. During this scene the female protagonist, who is desperately on search for her lover, encounters a road in the middle of the forest. To her horror, she can only discover his lifeless body by the edge of a lonely house. Brusselmans’ typical painting style, where he grabs back to simplicity and clearly alienated figures, remarkably makes it easier to visualize how the sets must have looked during the actual play. It gives the viewer an endless source of imagination. Together with the history behind the work it makes an absolute masterpiece of “Decor for Erwartung’.
Dalton Somaré
Chokwe chair Angola, late 19th century Wood, metal, and leather H 68 x W 31 x D 38 cm Provenance: collection of Joyce and Donald Doyle, diamond mine directors for the Compagnie de la Forminière in the Belgian Congo in the 1920s. The majority of their collection was donated to the Princeton University Art Museum. Thence by descent to their daughter Suzanne "Sue" Miers, née Doyle (1922–2016), Africanist historian and professor at Ohio University. Thence by descent to her children Charles Miers and Caroline Farrington, New York Literature: Narrative Wisdom and African Arts (Exhibition catalogue), St. Louis Art Museum, 19 October-16 February, 2025, pp. 74, 75, 81 Exhibition: Narrative Wisdom and African Arts, St. Louis Art Museum, 19 October-16 February, 2025 This leather-seated chair belongs to a tradition of Chokwe seats of authority, commonly described as ngundja. Its refined decoration transforms a functional furnishing into a visual expression of chiefly prestige. Such seats formed part of a wider repertoire of objects associated with leadership, alongside ceremonial weapons, staffs and elaborately carved pipes. The combination of a backrest, a leather-covered seat and metal tacks reflects the adaptation of European furniture encountered through trade from the seventeenth century onward. Chokwe artists reworked these features within their own sculptural language, making the chair an expression of local political and spiritual values. At the centre of the back is a sculpted female face, which must be identified as Pwo. Pwo honours female ancestors and has particular significance within a society that traces descent through women. Her imagery also belongs to the wider world of masquerade and initiation. The lower stretchers carry small sculptural groups as musicians playing handheld drums and a slit drum, and a mounted pombeiro, or long-distance trader. It must be noted the unusual prominence of a female subject in these carved scenes. These scenes can be read within the broader Chokwe tradition of presenting ritual and everyday activities as aspects of the social world entrusted to a leader. Extremely sophisticated geometric carving and rows of metal studs enrich the back and supports, contrasting with the leather seat and the varied tones of the wood. The combination of carved figures, the monumentality of the composition and the rigour of the geometric decoration in high relief lend this sculpture the dignity and authority of a true throne.
Galerie Perrin
Odilon Redon (Bordeaux 1840-1916 Paris) Femme de profil, circa 1901-1905 Oil on paper mounted on panel 52 x 49.7 cm (unframed) 71 x 68 cm (framed) Signed lower right 'Odilon Redon' This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné currently in preparation by the Wildenstein Plattner Institute Provenance: collection Roger Imbert Few images sum up Odilon Redon’s late manner as completely as this small panel. A woman’s profile, her head wrapped in a coif, rises from the heart of a flower as though she were its pistil; around her, reds, oranges and a pale, luminous ground dissolve the boundary between figure and bloom. Painted in oil on paper around 1901–1905, it belongs to the decisive decade in which Redon, after two decades of the charcoal noirs, turned to colour and transformed the hallucinatory visions of his youth into images of serene metamorphosis. The profile is Redon’s most personal format. Seen from the side and half-concealed, his faces never quite give themselves away: “At the centre of my work,” he wrote, “there is a small door that opens onto a mystery.” Here that door opens onto two motifs that run through his finest works of the period: the head within the flower, as in Fleur illuminée (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, c. 1900), and the coif that reappears on male and female faces alike up to Moine lisant of 1914 (Kunst Museum Winterthur). Oil on paper, a support Redon used for some of his most intimate late pictures, gave him the velvety, floating surface of his pastels together with the depth of painting. The painting entered the collection of the Paris dealer Roger Imbert in 1930 alongside two Redons from the collection of Robert de Domecy, the patron for whom the artist painted the decorative panels now at the Musée d’Orsay, a provenance that places it in the circle of Redon’s closest early supporters. It will be included in the digital catalogue raisonné in preparation at the Wildenstein Plattner Institute. Coming to light as Redon’s colour works are being reassessed by major exhibitions in Winterthur, Gifu, Tokyo and at the Getty, Femme de profil offers what rarely reaches the market: a signed, intimately scaled Symbolist Redon in colour, in which the dream has become a flower.