This section will be available this Autumn.
De Wit Fine Tapestries
After David Teniers II The Fish Quay–Return of Fishermen Brussels, 1725-1750 Wool and silk 264 x 390 cm Celebrated for their lively depictions of rural life, sets of tapestries inspired by the famous peasant scenes of David Teniers II (1610–1690) formed some of the most popular tapestry series in late 17th- and early 18th-centuries. Their extraordinary appeal is reflected in the sheer number of workshops that produced them. In Brussels alone, seven ateliers wove this distinctly Flemish genre, while so-called Teniers tapestries were also produced in other European centres such as Amsterdam, Aubusson, Beauvais, Lille, London, Madrid, and Oudenaarde. Owing to this widespread production and the enduring commercial success of the genre, attributing individual designs can often be challenging. The present example, however, belongs to a distinguished series that laid the foundation for the genre and was designed by David Teniers II himself. Description The tapestry depicts a bustling quay where fishermen unload and sort their catch. On the left, a boat carrying five men arrives, still hauling in its nets, while one fisherman on the bow hands a line to a man standing at the end of the quay. In the foreground, a fisherman empties a barrel of fish and shellfish, while three men nearby appear to be negotiating. Further along the quay, another sorts his catch, two men converse, and a man leans casually on a donkey. Behind them, a figure with his back turned adds a touch of unvarnished realism. In the background, a bay stretches out, framed by a wooded coast to the left and a fortified structure to the right, complete with patrolling figures and a tall, three-tiered tower. Through the central passageway, two additional boats are visible. One hauling in its nets, the other lowering its mast. Attribution The Fish Quay was executed in the Brussels workshop of Hieronymus Le Clerc (1643-1722) or that of his associate Gaspar van der Borcht (1675-1742). Several editions of the scene are known, some bearing the signature of one of these associated tapissiers: Le Clerc or Van der Borcht’s Latinized form, A Castro. A now-lost edition formerly in Dresden bore Van der Borcht’s signature along with an extensive inscription identifying David Teniers II – the court painter to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (1614-1662) and Don John Joseph of Austria (1629-1679), governors of the Southern Netherlands from 1648 to 1656 and 1656 to 1658 respectively – as the designer. Teniers is also cited as the designer in a 1701 archival document recording that Le Clerc and Van der Borcht sold a six-part edition of the series, including a tapestry described as “un port de mer, où l’on pesche le poisson” (a seaport, where fish are caught). Dating the collaborative production of this particular example is difficult. The earliest known editions of the series were likely produced in the 1680s, with production continuing until Le Clerc’s death in 1722. The Fish Quay lacks the usual outer border, suggesting it was intended for mounting on wainscoting.
Gallery de Potter d’Indoye
georges jacob
Pair of bergères 'à la Reine' Georges Jacob (Cheny 1739-1814 Paris) France, Louis XVI period Carved and gilded wood H 100 x W 69 x D 61 cm Stamped Georges Jacob Provenance: Jacques Perrin, Paris, 1997 Pair of carved and gilded wood Bergères with rounded backs, decorated with acanthus leaves and an interlacing frieze. Tapered and caned legs with gadroons. The arched crest surmounts padded armrests, the frames carved with guilloche patterns and foliage, resting on turned fluted legs, stamped G. Jacob. Georges Jacob, received as master on the July 5th, 1765, is the most famous of all the 18th-century French menuisiers. Unlike his colleagues, Jacob founded his company from scratch in 1765 and moved his workshops to Rue Meslée in 1775. This is where the most brilliant period of his career took place and where the major royal commissions were produced. From 1773 he was solicited by the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, for which he continued to work until the Revolution. In addition to the Queen and, to a lesser extent, the King, his clientele included the main members of the royal family and its entourage. As ordinary carpenter to Monsieur, Count of Provence and brother of the King, the future Louis XVIII, he furnished most of his homes. He also worked for the Count of Artois, another brother of the King and future Charles X, Madame Élisabeth, sister of Louis XVI, the Prince of Condé, the Duke of Penthièvre, the Duke of Bavaria and Deux-Ponts Charles-Théodore, etc.
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.
Galerie Cento Anni
philippe wolfers
Philippe Wolfers (Brussels, 1858-1929) Fiançailles (Engagement), circa 1911 Bronze with brown patina and original marble base H 50.5 cm Signed Ph. Wolfers Lost-wax cast n° 1 Provenance: private collection, France Literature: La Dynastie Wolfers–de l’Art nouveau à l’Art déco, Werner Adriaenssens & Raf Steel, p. 396
Axel Vervoordt
Jef Verheyen (Belgium, Itegem 1932-1984 Apt, France) Untitled Matt lacquer on round board 100 x 100 cm - Ø 80 cm Provenance: private collection, Belgium; collection Axel Vervoordt, 2003; private collection, Belgium Exhibition: Jef Verheyen, Lux est Lex, Wijnegem, 2004, cat. n° 60, ill. p. 93
Univers du Bronze
roger godchaux
Roger Godchaux (Vendôme 1878-1958 Paris) Toomai des éléphants or Le Retour de chasse au tigre (1928 or earlier) Circa 1932 H 57.5 x W 70.5 x D 22.7 cm Lifetime bronze signed 'Roger Godchaux' and numbered '2/15' Old edition by 'Susse Frères Éditeurs Paris' (mark and seal), inscribed 'cire perdue'
Galerie Bernard De Leye
Enamel basin 'Adam and Eve Mourning the Death of Abel' L 47.5x W 38.7 cm Provenance: sale Tajan 17 juin 1977, n° 127; former collection of Henry Kravis, New York; gallery 'à la Façon de Venise', Paris; former private collection, Switzerland Most Limoges enamel pieces were created over a very short period, between 1540 and 1580, marking the peak of Limoges enameling art. They reflect the French Renaissance and the Fontainebleau School. These secular objects were cherished by court dignitaries and the wealthy bourgeoisie. Too precious and fragile to be used, they adorned the sideboards of reception rooms or the cabinets’ display shelves. Comparative pieces: Musée du Louvre, Paris, eight plates from 1540/1560 by Jean Miette in Limoges enamel; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, a closed cup and two plates, circa 1560 by Jean Miette in Limoges enamel; British Museum, London, three plates, circa 1570 by Jean Miette in Limoges enamel; State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersbourg, five plates, mid-16th century by Jean Miette in Limoges enamel
Galerie Lowet de Wotrenge
frans pourbus the elder (bruges 1545/46 - 1581 antwerp)
Frans Pourbus the Elder (Bruges 1545-1581 Antwerp) Portrait of Peeter van Panhuys, alderman and treasurer of Antwerp, 1562 Oil on oak panel 105 x 75 cm Dated upper left 'A°. 1562' and inscribed below the date ‘Aetat: 34’ Provenance: private collection, Belgium Literature: R. Willmott, Antwerp and the Golden Age: Culture, Conflict and Commerce, Unicorn, 2025 (ill.) In an era when wealth and power increasingly resided not in hereditary titles but in commerce and banking, Frans I Pourbus captured the self-assured gaze of the new elite. This striking portrait depicts Peeter van Panhuys - merchant, banker's agent, and future treasurer of Antwerp - at a pivotal moment in his rise through one of Europe's most dynamic commercial centers. The work's contemporary resonance is unmistakable. Van Panhuys embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that still defines global finance, yet his story also reflects our modern anxieties: barely two decades after this portrait was painted, religious conflict forced him to flee Antwerp as a refugee, abandoning everything he had built. His biography encapsulates the precariousness of prosperity in times of social upheaval - a theme that speaks powerfully to today's world of political instability and forced migration. Pourbus renders his subject with remarkable psychological acuity. The prominent gold chain and exquisitely detailed black doublet announce van Panhuys' status, while the crisp white ruff - painted with virtuosic precision - frames a face of penetrating intelligence. In his left hand, he holds a pair of gloves, a refined accessory that signals his gentlemanly aspirations and membership in Antwerp's sophisticated mercantile elite. Recently rediscovered from a Belgian private collection, the sitter's identity is confirmed through his appearance in Maerten de Vos's monumental family portrait at the Mauritshuis, where van Panhuys stands among the interconnected dynasties that dominated Antwerp's Golden Age. This painting invites us to reconsider the origins of our modern world - built not by kings and generals, but by ambitious merchants whose portraits demanded the same dignity once reserved for nobility.
Hoffmans Antiques
Chandelier in the 'Retour d’Égypte' style Paris, early 19th century Attributed to Benjamin Ladouèpe-Dufougerias and the 'Manufacture de Cristaux de Montcenis' Ormoulu, patinated and fire-gilt bronze for twelve candles H 130 cm - Ø circa 80 cm Provenance: private European collection This magnificent chandelier exemplifies the short-lived yet influential 'Retour d’Égypte' style, which emerged in the wake of Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign (1798–1801). At its centre stands an amphora-shaped patinated urn, crowned with a flaming finial and surmounted by a pinecone. From the urn’s body spring twelve elegantly curved candle arms arranged in two tiers, richly ornamented with foliage motifs and set between four stylised Egyptian masks. The chandelier is suspended by four chains leading to an imposing corona adorned with leonine masks and voluted floral decoration. The style was largely shaped by the architects Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine, whose neoclassical designs laid the foundation for this decorative vocabulary. It endured only briefly before giving way to the Empire style with the establishment of Napoleon and the First French Empire. Provenance and Comparanda: A closely related chandelier for twelve lights, attributed to the Manufacture de Cristaux de la Reine, is preserved in the collections at Versailles, formerly installed in Marie-Antoinette’s inner cabinet at the Petit Trianon.
Galerie BG Arts
René Lalique Vase 'Deux Anneaux Pigeons', 1919 Made in opalescent glass with grey patina H 33 cm Engraved signature Provenance: private collection, France Literature: Félix Marcilhac, René Lalique - Catalogue Raisonné de l'Œuvre de Verre, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2011, n° 880
TASCHEN
ralph gibson
Ralph Gibson (Los Angeles, 1939) Ralph Gibson. Photographs 1960-2024 The most comprehensive collection of this highly acclaimed and prolific American photographer's work offers the fruit of more than six decades of image-making. Available in two limited art editions of 100 copies, each accompanied by a gelatin silver print numbered and signed by Gibson.
Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery
Bram Bogart (Delft 1921-2012 Sint Truiden) Topgroen, August 1963 Mixed media on canvas laid on wooden panel 161 x 201 cm Signed, dated and titled on reverse Provenance: private collection, London In August 1963, Bram Bogart created a powerful and iconic work: Topgroen (August 1963). The painting – executed with homemade paint on a board/canvas made by the artist himself – measures approximately 161 x 201 cm and testifies to Bogart's radically innovative approach to matter and colour. The work Topgroen is at the heart of Bogart's most highly regarded period, in which he experimented with imposing layers of paint, sculptural reliefs and a colour palette that transcends the surface and becomes almost tangible. In this work, he combines powerful fields of colour with monumental texture: an intense red surface is directly framed by thick, almost architecturally shaped green and yellow accents. The paint is hardly imagination anymore, but matter – as if the paint itself is the object. Topgroen marks a turning point in Bogart's oeuvre: colour and volume become one, the painting resists classical painting through an enormous physical presence of the matter. The work invites tactile viewing: the depth of the paint layers, the shadow effects between reliefs, and the tension between surface and volume make it a masterpiece of material painting. Bogart thus confirms his pioneering role in European post-war abstraction.
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
robertaebasta
Alessandro Mendini (Milan, 1931-2019) 'Libreria scultura' prototype of modular bookcase/display for Swatch, Italy 1994 Lacquered wood, coloured, laminated, chromed and satin steel H 214 x W 250 x D 40 cm Unique piece Certificate of authenticity by Mrs Elisa Mendini and Mrs Fulvia Mendini Provenance: private collection, Italy
