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Hoffmans Antiques
A Gustavian console table Stockholm, circa 1790 Gilt wood, Carrara marble H 83.5 x W 110 x D 54 cm This console table belongs to a small yet exclusive group of furniture of the highest class, preserved mainly within the royal collections. The model relates to drawings by Louis Masreliez (Paris 1748-1810 Sweden). The table was likely made by his brother, Jean-Baptiste (Stockholm, 1753-1801), or possibly by Pehr Ljung (Stockholm, 1743-1819). The decoration is masterfully carved in wood with exceptional precision. A vine motif runs along the apron, while the frieze above the front legs is adorned with palmette leaves and volutes. The table rests on six tapering, fluted legs and is crowned with a Carrara marble top.
Galerie de la Présidence
geer van velde
Geer van Velde (The Netherlands, Lisse 1898-1977 Cachan, France) Composition - atelier, circa 1951 Oil on canvas 134 x 148 cm Signed lower right with initials This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Geer van Velde - Painted Work, currently in preparation by Pierre François Moget, son of Piet Moget Provenance: Galerie Hautefeuille, Paris; private collection, Brussels
Virginie Devillez Fine Art
pierre-louis flouquet
Pierre-Louis Flouquet (Paris 1900-1967 Brussels) Féminités, circa 1923-1925 Oil on canvas 125 x 87 cm Signed lower right 'flouquet' Provenance: Galerie Patrick Derom, Brussels; private collection, Brussels; private collection, Brussels (by descent to the present owner) Literature: Serge Goyens de Heusch, Pierre-Louis Flouquet. 1900-1967, Brussels, Fondation pour l’Art belge, 1993, (ill. p. 56) Exhibitions: Brussels, Galerie Patrick Derom, The Avant-garde of the 1920s in Belgium, 1992, cat. n° 12 (ill.); Drogenbos, FeliXart Museum, L’Équerre / 7 Arts 1923, scenographic reconstruction of the fair stand of the publishing house L’Équerre, 2008-2011, no catalogue published Born in Paris, Pierre-Louis Flouquet was nine years old when his family moved to Brussels. Mainly self-taught, he received a brief artistic education at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he met, among others, Victor Servranckx and René Magritte. The latter soon shared a studio with Flouquet, who began producing geometric works that represented a true synthesis of Cubism and Futurism. Throughout the 1920s, Flouquet exhibited frequently on the international stage - in Paris, Madrid, New York, Chicago, Buenos Aires, and Berlin, at the Galerie Der Sturm. For the gallery’s eponymous magazine, Flouquet even designed a large number of covers. During this period, he developed an art that evolved primarily through distinct series: Paysage plastique, Féminités, Composition, Formes, and Construction. The large-scale painting Féminités belongs to the series of the same name, begun in 1922, which explores geometric variations on the morphology of the female body. The rigor and purity that Flouquet infused into these anthropomorphic stylizations - further emphasized by his distinctive sense of composition - reveal his fascination with the formal perfection of the new technological creations of the modern age. Yet, in Flouquet’s work, as in that of Fernand Léger, such faith in mechanical forms does not lead to a total rejection of figuration, but rather to a search for plastic correspondences between the human and the machine. The composition Féminités is particularly harmonious, achieving a balance between line and color, enhanced by a marble-like background that lends warmth to the work.
Objects With Narratives
ben storms
Ben Storms (Ghent, 1983) Crushed cast glass coffee table, 2024 Cast Glass H 35 x W 150 x D 112 cm Provenance: the artist's studio Ben Storms’ recently developed method, which extends his already acclaimed In Hale series. The result is an idiosyncratic, sculptural entity that makes the applied force palpable, yet pauses and thus withdraws from it.
Galeria Bessa Pereira
Carlo Hauner (Brescia 1927-1996 Salina) & Martin Eisler (Vienna 1913-1977 São Paulo) Coffee table, 1960s Jacarandá wood and glass H 46 cm - Ø 89 cm Origin: Brasil Provenance: private collection, Rio de Janeiro; Galeria Bessa Pereira collection, 2025 Literature: Vicente, A., & Vasconcellos, M. (Comps.), Móvel moderno brasileiro (1st edition), São Paulo: Olhares, 2017, p. 231
Grusenmeyer-Woliner
flute stopper Wunear Biwat (Mundugumor), Yuat River, late 19th - early 20th century Papua New Guinea Wood, feathers, shell H. 64 cm ( 85 cm including the base) Provenance: Charles Ratton; Kamer Gallery, acquired in 1966 by Emiel Veranneman; Emiel Veranneman; Thence by descent Literature: Rotary Club Sint-Niklaas, Oude Kunst uit Afrika en Oceanie, Exhibition catalogue, Sint-Niklaas, May 5-20, 1979, n° 31; Veranneman Emiel, Visie & Passie, 2002, pp. 72-73 Exhibition: Oude Kunst uit Afrika en Oceanië, Ex-Libriscentrum, Sint-Niklaas, 5–20 May 1979, Rotary Club Sint-Niklaas
Willow Gallery
henri le sidaner
la neige
Henri Le Sidaner (Mauritius, Port Louis 1862-1939 Versailles) La Neige, 1899 Oil on canvas 66 x 75 cm Signed, dated and inscribed ‘Le Sidaner Bruges 1899’ Provenance: James Fulton, Paisley; Paisley Art Institute, Paisley, a bequest from the above in 1933 Literature: W. Philip Mayes, Illustrated Catalogue of Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture in the Collections of Paisley Corporation and Paisley Art Institute, Paisley, 1948, n° A189au., p. 49 (titled 'The Red House'); Y. Farinaux-le Sidaner, Le Sidaner: L'oeuvre peint et gravé, Milan, 1989, ill. p. 70, n° 86
Alexis Lartigue
jean-paul riopelle
Jean-Paul Riopelle (Montreal 1923-2002 Saint-Antoine-de-l'Isle-aux-Grues) Untitled, 1955 Watercolour and ink on paper 64 x 49 cm Signed lower right 'Riopelle 55' Provenance: Claude Duthuit private collection Literature: Catalogue raisonné Jean Paul Riopelle, tome 2, 1954-1959, p. 368
Galerie Perrin
oskar bergman
Oskar Bergman (Stockholm 1879-1963 Saltsjöbaden) The Lagan from Laholm, 1925 Watercolour and gouache on paper 19 x 30.5 cm Signed and dated lower right: Oskar Bergman, Lagan Fran Lahollni, April 1925 Provenance: private collection There are artists who throw themselves wholeheartedly into the various currents during the course of their lives, following the frenetic rhythm of fashions, becoming the icons of an historical moment or a particular group. Others, conversely, take a vow of fidelity to their nature, far removed from the ephemeral unfolding of art, working and meditating as if in a kind of reclusion on a subject to which they devote their entire work. Oskar Bergman belongs to the latter category. His long and prolific career was nothing more than a variation on the theme of landscape, interpreted in a highly personal style that is instantly recognisable, the result of his self-taught training and few outside influences.
Galerie Oscar De Vos
frits van den berghe
Frits Van den Berghe (Ghent, 1883-1939) Ooidonk alley, 1923 Oil on canvas 48.5 x 55 cm Signed lower right: FVBerghe Provenance: Galerie Campo, Antwerp Literature: Boyens, P., Frits Van den Berghe 1883-1939 (1999), 396, n° 309 (ill.); Servaes, W., V. Van Doorne & R. Van Lerberghe, 1924 Honderd jaar later, exh. cat. (2024), 56-57 (ill. & cover) Exhibition: 2024, Sint-Martens-Latem, Latemse Kunstkring/ Gemeentehuis, 1924 Honderd jaar later, s.n. Ooidonk Alley belongs to the key works of Van den Berghe’s short but decisive stay in Bachte-Maria-Leerne (1922–1923). He lived there at the entrance of the quadruple beech-lined avenue leading directly to Ooidonk Castle. That place was an actual re-grounding – a breakthrough towards a new way of painting that no longer records, but constructs. Here, the Lys landscape is no longer seen ‘from the outside’, but becomes an inner building site. The trunks become cylindrical volumes, the soft bend of the road becomes a carrier of rhythm. The colour language definitively abandons the sombre earth tones of his Ostend years: a new clarity emerges, a ‘new spring’, in which light assumes a plastic role. Ooidonk Alley is thus a document of the moment in which Van den Berghe finds his modernity: pure form, condensed space, a landscape as architecture. This work shows how, at the end of 1922–1923, Van den Berghe redefined the Lys region: as an ordered space of line, colour and spirit – rather than a piece of nature.
Van Pruissen Asian Art
yoshitsugu
Hattori Taira Yoshitsugu Yagami School Tsuba with 'Thousand Monkeys' Carved iron Japan, late 18th century Ø 7.1 cm Signed 'Yoshitsugu' An iron tsuba intricately carved in openwork (nikubori ji-sukashi) with a lively multitude of monkeys, including the famous Three Wise Monkeys. Their eyes and the rim are accented in gold using nunome-zōgan. The maker, Hattori Taira Yoshitsugu, was a pupil of Yagami school founder Noda Mitsuhiro and teacher of Onitake Toshiyoshi. The Yagami school, active in Nagasaki in the late 18th century, is renowned for its 'Thousand Monkeys' motif, as also seen in a comparable example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. n° 91.1.751).
Galerie Capazza
Goudji (Georgia, Bordjomi 1941) Oryx à la robe diaprée, 2025 Silver 1st title, serpentine, pyrite, crystal, Armour stone H 49 x W 38 x D 10 cm Provenance: the artist's studio Exhibition: Goudji, L'or du temps, 5 July-28 September 2025, Galerie Capazza (France) This oryx, with its serpentine goatee and crystal-adorned tail, is an African antelope. It sports horns and a coat draped in Armour stone, and wears a silver bell around its pyrite neck, ready to ring. 'When viewing Goudji's works, one is overcome by a disturbing feeling, that of being faced with original, powerful, dazzling masterpieces that delicately resonate with so many symbols that shape our visual culture and our common heritage, from Persia to Athens, from Babylon to Rome, from the Tigris to the Danube, winged griffins of malachite and lapis lazuli, birds with bold and daring beaks, reassuring ex-votos, kantharoi and cups worthy of banquets of the gods. Modest, always secretive, born into goldsmithing because he ardently wanted to be, constantly devoted to his craft, constantly exploring forms, constantly telling stories, Goudji has definitely entered into history.' by Olivier Gabet, 2025 (General Curator of Heritage and Art Historian - Director of the Department of Decorative Arts at the Louvre Museum)
Galerie Bernard De Leye
Stag hanap Germany, Melchior Mair, circa 1582-1583 Augsbourg Hall mark Bears the crest of Hans Moser, lord of Pötzleinsdorf from 1571 to 1583 Provenance: Hans Moser, Pötzleinsdorf (near Vienna), 1582-1583; collection Otto Wessner Saint-Gallen, until 1921; sale 'Galerie Fischer', Lucerne, 1922; private collection Switzerland until 2024 Comparative works: Stag hanap, identical to this model, with hallmark from Vienna, after 1582, goldsmith marked with a hunting horn, Waddesdon Bequest, British Museum inv. WB138; Stag hanap, gilded silver, Augsbourg hallmark, 1576-1586, Melchior Bair, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Galerie Alexis Pentcheff
pierre bonnard
Pierre Bonnard (Fontenay-aux-Roses 1867-1947 Le Cannet) Promenade à Paris, circa 1911 Oil on canvas 40 x 60 cm Estate stamp lower left Provenance: collection of Pierre and Marie-Françoise Vernon Literature: Dauberville Jean et Henry, Bonnard, Vol. IV, Paris, Bernheim-Jeune, 1974, repr. p. 312 under n° 01992 Exhibitions: Pierre Bonnard, A. Tooth & Sons, London, 17 June-12 July 1969, repr. in exh. cat. n° 8; Matisse e Bonnard. Viva la pittura!, Rome, 2006, repr. in exh. cat. (ed. Skira) p. 340 under n° 125; Bonnard, Le Cannet, une évidence, Musée Bonnard, Le Cannet, 2020, repr. in exh. cat. p. 42 The creation of this work by Pierre Bonnard reminds us that the artist was also a photographer, experimenting with daring compositions. Though his painting captures the fleeting moment, it shares little with the tentative realism of early photography. Made entirely of color and sensation, it constructs a fragile world of subtle harmony. Just before embracing the South - before letting the Mediterranean light burst into color across his canvases - Bonnard explored a quieter, more muted sensuality in the early 1910s, while working in a studio in Paris, not far from the avenue depicted here. The “very Japanese Nabi,” as his friends from the group of his youth liked to call him, knew how to let color whisper on the canvas, how to conjure the intimacy of a letter. On one side of the painting, cool tones — blues and violets placed side by side - contrast with the russet hues of this autumnal Parisian avenue, bringing to the foreground, beneath a hat bathed in light like a reinvented halo, the lowered face of a woman reading. Her eyes are hidden, absorbed in the text. Though she has removed her gloves, she surely no longer feels the sharp chill of that November afternoon… Elegant silhouettes glide through the landscape; yet they endure — along with this hat-wearing heroine - on our retinas and in our memories, as companions to a shared intimacy, lasting only the time it takes to read a love letter. Unseen on the art market since the 1960s, this painting has been shown in several museum exhibitions, the most recent in 2020 at the Musée du Cannet, dedicated to the artist.
Van Pruissen Asian Art
nagai ikka
Nagai Ikka (Japan, 1869–1940) Pair of six-panel folding screens with crows, 1930s Ink on paper H 137 x W 268 cm (each) Signed in the bottom corner Provenance: private collection, Japan Nagai Ikka (also known by the art names Zuiunan and Hanpo) was born in 1869 in Suibara, Niigata Prefecture, during the early Meiji period. He trained under leading masters of the Maruyama and Shijō schools, including Suzuki Shōnen, Nakano Kimei, and Hirafuku Hoan, and later absorbed stylistic influences from Kawanabe Kyōsai. This grounding in careful observation and naturalistic rendering provided the foundation for a personal style that balanced precision with expressive freedom. He began painting crow paintings after helping Ernest Francisco Fenollosa create 'One Hundred Crows', a painting he had commissioned from Kyosai. The late Meiji and Taishō periods were marked by profound change in Japanese art, as artists navigated between traditional aesthetics and the growing influence of Western naturalism. Ikka embraced this dialogue, drawing on classical ink painting techniques whilst expanding his horizons abroad. From 1903 to 1908, he lived in the United States, exhibiting at international events such as the Portland Expo, where he won a silver medal, and later at the Italian Expo. His crow paintings, admired both in Japan and overseas, earned him the affectionate nickname 'Doctor of Crows' from statesman Ōkuma Shigenobu. The crow (karasu) has a long symbolic tradition in Japanese culture, appearing in classical poetry, Buddhist imagery, and Shintō cosmology, most famously as Yatagarasu, the mythical three-legged crow. Ikka revitalised this motif, transforming it from a minor decorative element into the central subject of bold, dynamic compositions. This pair of six-panel folding screens demonstrates his command of movement and atmosphere. Painted in ink with sparing touches of colour, the crows appear in varied postures—perched, in flight, or interacting—creating a rhythm that guides the viewer’s eye across the expansive surface. Bold, calligraphic brushstrokes define wings and feathers, while softer washes evoke wind, mist, and shifting light. The result is a scene that is both naturalistic and poetic, combining the restraint of traditional ink painting with a striking modern vitality. Ikka’s crows are not static symbols but living presences, conveying alertness, intelligence, and social energy. His lifelong study of corvid behavior, informed by travels across Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and the United States, gave his work an observational depth rare among his contemporaries. At the same time, his art reflects a broader ambition: to elevate the ordinary into the emblematic, merging natural accuracy with expressive force. Today, Ikka’s crow paintings are prized by collectors and studied as important examples of Meiji-period nihonga, where fidelity to nature combines with enduring Japanese aesthetic ideals. These folding screens stand as a testament to his originality and his ability to transform a humble subject into a powerful symbol of vitality and freedom.
Chambre professionnelle belge de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (CLAM)
miquel barceló – josé bergamín la solitude sonore du toreo paris : éditions du solstice, 2015
Folio (40 x 38 cm), Coptic binding, original publisher's printed wrappers, publisher’s chemise and slipcase. An artist’s book presenting multiple challenges, resulting in an exceptional work. Text by José Bergamín, translated from Spanish by Florence Delay, who also wrote the preface. 8 full-page engravings by Miquel Barceló. Edition limited to 140 copies. One of 20 artist’s copies on papier vélin BFK Rives des papeteries Antalis, signed by the artist. With an additional signed suite of the 8 engravings on papier Hahnemühle. "A print is a major undertaking, involving fifteen different stages. There are fewer hours of work in a large painting than in a small print; it demands willpower, precision, and hours upon hours of concentration" Miquel Barceló. Painter, sculptor, and ceramist, Miquel Barceló has shown from the beginning a keen curiosity for printmaking techniques. He has experimented with them at various stages of his career, both alone and in collaboration with renowned printers, and continues to practice in a dedicated space in his studio. Ingert - Antiquarian Bookseller
Van Herck-Eykelberg
Asger Jorn (Denmark, Jutland 1914-1973 Aarhus) The girl and the bird, 1940 Oil on canvas 44 x 69 cm Signed and dated lower right Literature: Guy Atkins, Jorn in Scandinavia 1930-1953, London, 1968, n° 156, ill. p. 333 Exhibitions: 13 kunstnere i telt, Bellevue, Copenhagen, 17 May-8 June 1941, cat. n° 61; Jorn, Arken Museum for Moderne Kunst, Ishøj, Denmark, 14 September 2002-19 January 2003, Cobra Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 7 February-27 April 2003 and Kunsthalle zu Kiel, Germany, 17 May-10 August 2003, cat. n° 8, ill. cat. p. 56 (in colour); Jorn-Picasso. Myter og Møder. Myths & Meetings', Museum Jorn, Silkeborg, 7 September-8 December 2013, cat. n° 6, ill. cat. p. 72 (in colour); Cobra Museum voor Moderne kunst, Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 2013
Patrick Derom Gallery
günther förg
Günther Förg (Füssen 1952-2013 Freiburg) Untitled, 2003 Acrylic on canvas 140.5 x 160.5 cm Signed and dated upper right ‘Förg 03’ This work is registered in the archives of the Günther Förg Estate under number WVF.03.B.0242 Provenance: Alcalá Subastas, Madrid, 12 May 2011; private collection, Madrid; private collection; sale Christie’s Amsterdam, 8 April 2014, lot n° 74; private collection, Belgium Exhibition: 2003-2004, Galerie Heinrich Ehrhardt, Madrid, 18 November 2003-30 January 2004, Günther Förg
Barbara Bassi
Arman (Nice 1928-2005 New York) Musical instruments bracelet, circa 1990 Diamonds and 18 kt yellow gold Unique piece signed and dedicated by Arman 'Arman for Janadine' Sonia Delaunay (Ukraine, Hradyz'k 1885-1979 Paris) Flamenco, 1979 Silver metal and enamel Limited edition Provenance: private collection, USA Literature: Cover of catalogue 'Bijoux d'artistes de Calder à Koons' by Diane Venet (Flammarion), Musée d'Art Décoratif, Paris, 2018
Galerie Alexis Pentcheff
Regency period frame France, 18th century Carved oak, gilded with gold leaf 112.5 x 146 cm (sight size) Provenance: Montanari collection Sand-textured background decorated with acanthus scrolls, small flowers, drops, shells, and padded cartouches. Openwork acanthus leaves overflowing with playful movement in the corners.
Gilden's Art Gallery
Andy Warhol (Pittsburgh 1928-1987 New York) Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup Box, 1986 Acrylic and ink on canvas 50.8 x 50.8 cm Signed in felt tip pen 'Andy Warhol' and dated '86' [1986] on the upper canvas overlap, verso Stamped by the Andy Warhol Authentication Board and numbered in ballpoint pen A104.056, on the lower canvas overlap, verso Provenance: Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles; private collection, Arizona; Van de Weghe Fine Art, New York; Demisch Danant, New York; private collection, Atlanta; Sotheby’s New York, May 13th, 2010, lot 191; private collection, Hong Kong; Christie’s Shanghai, September 21st, 2019, lot 310; private collection, Asia Literature: exh. cat. (1986), Warhol. Campbell’s Soup Boxes 1986, Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles, reference n° 153, pp. 19, 30, ill. in colour
Claes Gallery
Reliquary Figure 'Mbulu-ngulu' Kota Kota-Obamba People Gabon, presumed late 19th-early 20th century Wood, copper and brass H 43 cm Provenance: private collection, Los Angeles, until 1979; private collection, Geneva Literature: L’Art Kota. Les figures de reliquaire, Chaffin, Meudon, 1979, pp. 234-235, fig. 133 (written height: 43.5 cm)
Claes Gallery
Dan 'deangle' Mask Ivory Coast, Dan people Presumed early 20th century Wood and pigment H 25 cm Provenance: Hubert Goldet (1945–2000), Paris, until 1972; Lucien Van de Velde (1933-), Antwerp, from 1972 to 1975; René (1901-1998) & Odette (1925–2012) Delenne, Brussels Literature: Arts d’Afrique Noire 34, 1988, p. 49; Utotombo, Kunst uit Zwart-Afrika in Belgisch privé-bezit, de Heusch, Brussels, 1988, p. 148, fig. 59; A ‘Harley Mask’ at the Cleveland Museum of Art: More on Masks among the Mano and Dan Peoples, Petridis, African Arts, Vol. 45, n° 1, 2012, p. 31, fig. 8; Trésors de Côte d’Ivoire, Neyt, Fonds Mercator, Brussels, 2014, p. 44-45, fig. 18 (indication: H. 26 cm); The Language of Beauty in African Art, Petridis, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2022, p. 207, fig. 164 Exhibitions: Utotombo. Kunst uit Zwart-Afrika in Belgisch privé-bezit, Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, 25 March-5 June 1988; The Language of Beauty in African Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 20 January 2022-27 March 2023 Originating from the northwest of Côte d’Ivoire, near the borders of Liberia and Guinea, the Dan are an agricultural people who primarily cultivate rice and cassava. Their way of life, complemented by hunting, fishing, and gathering, is rooted in a patrilineal society without a central authority, structured around clans led by chiefs chosen for their prestige, bravery, or agricultural success. Relations between clans, often marked by rivalries, gave rise to a rigorous social organization: young warriors ensured the group’s defense, while chiefs reinforced their influence through feasts and gifts. Local power rested on a balance between the chief, the council of elders, and the male associations, which upheld discipline, guided the initiation of young men, and preserved community cohesion. The Dan distinguish between two worlds: that of the village - a humanized and social space - and that of the forest, the realm of spirits and natural forces. It is within this duality that their art takes root, renowned for its independence and for the diversity of its styles from one village to another. In their pursuit of formal perfection, Dan artists express through their works an ideal of beauty that is both spiritual and harmonious. A symbol of this aesthetic quest, the Dan 'deangle' mask is characterized by its regular oval shape, polished surface, narrow eyes, short nose, and full, slightly parted lips. The raised scarifications emphasize the geometry and graphic strength of the composition. Of an elegance imbued with softness and femininity, it embodies the Dan ideal of beauty. Used within the Leopard secret society (go), associated with the pacifying spirit zlan, this mask served as an intermediary between young initiates and the village community. First exhibited and published for the general public in 1988, this exceptional work was most recently presented (in 2022) at the Chicago Museum. The mask’s deep gaze, highlighted by a fine band across the eyes, captures the viewer’s attention. Its patina, with warm brown reflections, and its concave form lend it a presence that is both powerful and serene.
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.