This section will be available this Autumn.
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.
Lemaire
Japanese and Chinese porcelain potpourri Kangxi and Edo periods, circa 1760-1770 Porcelain mounted in gilt-bronze H 23 x Ø 16 cm The piece is composed of two distinct sections. The circular Japanese porcelain base is decorated with a vegetal motif and set within a finely chased gilt-bronze mount, from which rise three small feet. Above, three Chinese biscuit porcelain dogs support a globular potpourri vessel, surmounted by a flower-form finial in porcelain. This work is typical of the marchands-merciers active in Paris during the second half of the 18th century.
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
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?)
La Galerie URBAN
Maurice Denis (Granville 1870-1943 Saint-Germain-en-Laye) Bucolique d’Automne or L’Heureux Verger Pouldu, 1906 Oil on canvas 82 x 117 cm Signed and dated lower left 'MAVRICE DENIS 1906' This work is accompanied by the certificate of authenticity and it will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist under n° 906.0016 Provenance: Baron Eberhard von Bodenhausen, Berlin (acquired from the artist, 1906-1908); Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (1908-1919); Miss Edwards (1919); Brooklyn Museum, New York (1927); Galerie Philippe Reichenbach, Paris; Walter P. Chrysler Jr., New York (1960); Stuart Pivar, New York (2004-2021); private collection, Switzerland Exhibitions: Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, Grand Palais, 15 April-30 June 1906, p. 19, n° 389 (ill.); Fünfzehnten Ausstellung der Berliner Secession, Berlin, spring 1908, n° 46; Internationale Kunstschau, Vienna, Gebäude der Secession, May-October 1909, n° 15; Nus, Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, 17-28 May 1910, n° 30; Ausstellung Französischer Kunst des 18., 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts, Leipzig, Leipziger Kunstverein, October-November 1910, n° 55; Internationale Kunstausstellung der Münchener Secession, Munich, Kgl. Kunstausstellungsgebäude am Königsplatz, 16 May-31 October 1911, n° 36; Exposition d'Art contemporain, Paris, Galerie Manzi-Joyant, 12-31 October 1912, n° 44; Ausstellung französischer Kunst, Zurich, Zürcher Kunsthaus, 16 February-26 March 1913, n° 93; A XIX. Szàzad nagy francia mesterei, Budapest, Ernst-Muzeum, September 1913, n° 78; Le Paysage du Midi, Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, 8-16 June 1914, n° 26; Exposition de peinture, série C, Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, 19-30 June 1916, n° 13; French Paintings 1789-1929 from the collection of Walter P. Chrysler Jr., Dayton Art Institute, 25 March-22 May 1960, p. 102, n° 94 (ill.)
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.
Galeria Jordi Pascual
Fernand Léger (Argentan 1881-1955 Gif-sur-Yvette) Paysage animé, 1937 Oil on canvas 92.1 x 60 cm Provenance: Galerie Simon, Paris; Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris; Kunsthalle Bern; Marlborough Gallery, London; Saidenberg Gallery, New York; Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, New York; Nierendorf Gallery, New York; Samuel Berger, New York; private collection Literature: Cooper, Douglas, Fernand Léger et le nouvel espace, Lund Humphries / Éditions des Trois Collines, 1949, p. 130; Bauquier, Georges, Fernand Léger: Catalogue raisonné 1932-1937, 1996, pp. 238-39, fig. 938 Exhibitions: San Francisco Museum of Art, Art of Our Time, 1935-1945, 1945, cat. p. 33, fig. 39; Marlborough Gallery, London, Selected European Masters of the 19th and 20th Centuries, 1973, cat. pp. 78-79, fig. 39; Stad Mechelen, Cultureel Centrum, Belgium, Fernand Léger, 1979, fig. 60; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Caracas, Fernand Léger, 1982, cat. p. 74, fig. 46; Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, Fernand Léger: The Later Years, 1987-1988, cat. p. 19, fig. 21; Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart. Fernand Léger: Zeichnungen, Bilder, Zyklen, 1930-1955, 1988, cat. p. 190, fig. 21; Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, Léger: America’s Culture, 1998, cat. fig. 18; Fundació Joan Miró, Fernand Léger, 2002, cat. p. 129; Marlborough Fine Art, London, Jacques Lipchitz and the School of Paris, 2023
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.
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)
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.
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 Cento Anni
Philippe Wolfers (Brussels, 1858-1929) La source, 1908 White marble and green marble for the base H 60 cm Signed 'Ph. Wolfers' Provenance: Wolfers' family Literature: Werner Adriaenssens and Raf Steel, The Wolfers Dynasty, pp. 154 and 392, n° 223 Exhibitions: Brussels, 1908; Brussels, 1928; Ghent, 1979
LUDORFF
Serge Poliakoff (Moscow 1900-1969 Paris) Composition abstraite, circa 1956 Oil on canvas 130 x 89 cm Signed lower left The authenticity of this work is confirmed by Alexis Poliakoff and is registered in the Archives Serge Poliakoff, Paris, under n° 95604 Provenance: Etta & Otto Stangl collection, Munich (1971); on permanent loan to Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung, Munich (1971-2001); Stangl collection estate, Munich (2001-2003); Sotheby's, London (auction 6 Februrary 2003, lot 21); Galerie Bernard Cats, Brussels; Willy d'Huysser Gallery, Brussels (2003); private collection Belgium; Frans Jacob Fine Art, Amsterdam; Galerie Interart, Geneva (2016); Galerie Pascal Lansberg, Paris (2024); private collection Hesse Literature: Alexis Poliakoff, 'Serge Poliakoff-Catalogue Raisonné', vol. II, 1955-1958, Paris 2010, n° 56-63; Connaissance des Arts (Hg.), 'Connaissance des Arts', n° 609, October 2003, p. 137; Marchiori, Giuseppe (Hg.), 'Serge Poliakoff. témoignages et textes critiques, Les Presses de la Connaissance', Paris, 1976, p. 62 Exhibitions: 'Documenta III', 27 June-5 October 1964, Kassel; 'Serge Poliakoff-Rétrospective', traveling exhibition: Kestner-Gesellschaft, Städtische Kunsthalle Bremen, Museum am Ostwall, Overbeck-Gesellschaft, Haus der Städtische Kunstsammlungen Bonn, Württembergischer Kunstverein, Städtisches Museum Trier, 1963-1964; Kunstverein für das Rheinland, 'Serge Poliakoff', 14 November-14 December 1958, Düsseldorf; Kunstverein Hamburg, 'Serge Poliakoff', 12 April-18 May 1958, Hamburg; Moderne Galerie Otto Stangl, 'Serge Poliakoff', 9 August-20 September 1957, Munich
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.
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 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'.
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.
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
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.
Harold t’Kint de Roodenbeke
Jane Graverol (Brussels 1905-1984 Fontainebleau) Femme Libérée, 1949 Oil on canvas 60 x 73 cm Signed and dated 'Jane Graverol 1949' Provenance: collection of his friend and artist Tom Gutt Literature: Xavier Canonne, Le surréalisme en Belgique: 1924-2000, Fonds Mercator, 2006; Le surréalisme en Belgique, Bozar Books, Fonds Mercator, 2024 Exhibitions: Le surréalisme en Belgique, Musée de Mons, March-August 2007; Histoire de ne pas rire, Bozar, Brussels, February-June 2024, ill. p. 221 Created in 1949, the year Jane Graverol met René Magritte, this work is an important example of the artist’s exploration of female identity and confinement. Graverol depicts herself inside a cage. The image reflects on women’s position in the mid-20th century, when social expectations strongly limited women’s independence. Yet, the open door suggests the possibility of emancipation and a desire to break away from prescribed roles. The painting was also repeatedly selected by the press to illustrate coverage of the Bozar exhibition. This artwork embodies something larger: the tension between the restrictions of an era and a woman’s desire to claim a space of her own. Full press references available on request.
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)