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Douwes Fine Art b.v.
rembrandt van rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam) Self-Portrait in a Cap, Wide-Eyed and Open-Mouthed, 1630 Etching and drypoint on laid paper 5.4 x 4.6 cm Signed in monogram and dated lower centre: RHL 1630 Plate not in existence – with Nowell-Usticke (1967): RRR – a very rare little plate Provenance: private collection, Germany; private collection, The Netherlands Literature: Bartsch 320; Hind 32; The New Hollstein Dutch n° 69: Second state (of II) This is a small masterpiece of Rembrandt's early etchings. The expression of this physiognomic study made by his etching needle could not be more livelike as the facial expression (perhaps "astonishment") is in perfect harmony with the round shape of the face. Rembrandt knows exactly how to hit every tonal gradation with fine, arching strokes. Of all the self-portraits in which Rembrandt depicts emotions, this one is probably the most engaging. He looks startled here, with pursed lips and wide-open eyes. You see him slightly from below, so that he seems to be recoiling. The etching is clearly executed and clever, with the contours of the shoulders and the cap fading into the edges. During his lifetime, Rembrandt's extraordinary skills as a printmaker were the main source of his international fame. Unlike his oil paintings, prints travelled light and were relatively cheap. For this reason, they soon became very popular with collectors not only within but also beyond the borders of the Netherlands. Rembrandt's etchings are remarkable for their high number of self-portraits (over 30 out of about 290). These are particularly collectible, perhaps due to the smaller number of states as well as the artist's compelling and powerful presence. Unlike his stately religious scenes, or regal, posed portraits of others, which exhibit his careful and calculating brilliance as an etcher, Rembrandt's self-portraits reveal him as an artist and a man. In them he assumes the role of the experimenting artist, approaching the most difficult of subjects - himself. These self-portraits are often described as ethereal and wistful for their notable contrasting areas of high and low etched space. A very fine impression of this famous small portrait in the second (final) state, printing clearly, just beginning to show a little wear on the tip of the nose, with narrow margins.
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.
Guy Pieters Gallery
fernando botero
Fernando Botero (Medellin 1932-2023 Monaco) Man with walking stick, 1987 Bronze H 140 x W 48 x D 28 cm Provenance: Veranneman-Kruishoutem foundation, private collection, Belgium Literature: Galerie Beyeler-Basel, Botero (exh. cat.), Basel, 1988, ill. in colour of another cast from same edition; Marlborough Gallery, Botero: Recent Sculpture (exh. cat.), New York, 1990, n° 24, p. 49, ill. in colour of work from same edition; Vittorio Sgarbi, Botero, Dipinti, Sculture, Disegni, Milan, 1991, p. 103, ill. in colour of the monumental version; Botero al Forte Belvedere di Firenze (exh. cat.), Florence, 1991, p. 31, ill. of the monumental version
Stone Gallery
Woolly rhinoceros skull Approx. 50.000 years old 100 x 100 x 35 cm Origin: Siberia This woolly rhinoceros skull is approximately 50,000 years old, belonging to one of the most impressive mammals in the recent history of Northern Europe and Northern Asia. There were even people who lived alongside these giants between around 30,000 and 15,000 years ago! Stone gallery has previously conducted expeditions in various countries but recently acquired this skull through a swap with a local museum. Roy says, 'It is the best-preserved and most complete skull I’ve ever seen. Even the teeth are all original.' Researchers and students from Maastricht University have digitised mammoth and rhinoceros fossils from the Ice Age, including this skull. With this technique, it’s possible to bring these extinct species back to life in motion and conduct new studies. 'We’re investigating how strong the bone structure is. For this, we use Finite Element Analyses, a method commonly applied in the construction of buildings and bridges. The study explores the forces exerted on the bones, such as during chewing. This helps us predict how and what the animal ate, as well as how well it was adapted to its enormous size.' - Paleontologist Dr. Jesse Hennekam, Assistant Professor, Maastricht University -
Galerie Perrin
walter sauer
Walter Sauer (Brussels 1889-1927 Algiers) Pensive woman, circa 1925 Mixed media 78.5 x 61.3 cm Signed upper left 'WS Walter Sauer' Provenance: private collection A unique, elegant style characterises the art of Walter Sauer, an artist who, in his short lifetime, lit up the Belgian art scene in the first twenty years of the twentieth century. Sauer's hand has a sensitivity to form that is characteristic of decorators; reality, in his eyes, is stripped of that which is superfluous, showing the noble essence of form. This essentiality, combined with an absolutely personal technique, makes Sauer's works instantly recognisable. The figure of the woman is the leitmotif of the artist, who combines his vision of the model with a series of cultural references ranging from Japanese art to Western tradition.
TASCHEN
salvador dalí
Salvador Dalí (Spain, Figueras 1904-1989) Dalí. BABY SUMO This collector’s edition of 10,000 numbered copies presents Salvador Dalí’s work in unprecedented size and detail and is accompanied by a chronology following his path from Catalonia through Paris to Hollywood and back, with photos, sketches, and magazine pages.
Artimo Fine Arts
charles-auguste fraikin
Charles-Auguste Fraikin (Herentals 1817-1893 Brussels) Emerging from the Sea Bath White Carrara marble H 123 x W 37 x D 33 cm Provenance: Francis Meyer collection, Switzerland Literature: Fraikin, Charles-Auguste. Catalogue de la galerie. Musée Fraikin de Herenthals offert par l'artiste à sa ville natale l'an 1891. Herentals: Typ. L. Bongaerts-Verbeeck, 1891; Engelen & Marx. La sculpture en Belgique à partir de 1830. Tome III: Devreese-Hecq. Bruxelles : Éditions Ars 2006, pp. 1550-1557 With this work, Charles-Auguste Fraikin celebrates feminine beauty captured in the intimacy of a daily gesture: that modest and natural act of a young woman emerging from the water and wringing out her long hair. The sculptor excels here in the art of suggestion rather than revelation. The delicately fitted drapery clings to the body’s contours whilst gracefully concealing them, playing on the translucency of the marble and the softness of the volumes. The work bears witness to the dual influence of classical ideals and the romantic taste for a sensitive evocation of femininity. Through his treatment of surfaces - silken, clean, almost vibrant - Fraikin achieves a remarkable degree of refinement whilst preserving a clear narrative: that of a moment suspended in time, poised between genre scene and allegory. Emerging from the Sea Bath brilliantly illustrates Fraikin’s ability to combine modesty with sensuality, simplicity with virtuosity, in a sculpture that speaks both to the eye and to the imagination.
Herwig Simons Fine Arts
Wooden chef-d'oeuvre of the Compagnonnage France, 19th century Walnut, maple and mohogany wood H 185 cm Provenance: former private collection, France A fine, rare and large nineteenth-century wooden exhibition model, the chef-d'oeuvre of a master carpenter of the Compagnonnage. These models were made to show the technical expertise and skill of the master carpenter. The Compagnonnage is an old French guild with roots in the 12th century. In the eighteenth century, they incorporated symbols and rituals, many of which were borrowed from Freemasonry to create an initiatory progression for its members.
Grusenmeyer-Woliner
Portrait of a young boy Antonine Period, circa the end of the 2nd century Marble H 21 cm Provenance: Roger Peyrefitte (1907-2000) collection, Paris; sale of Roger Peyrefitte collection, Hôtel George V, Paris, 26 May 1977, lot n° 12; Art Market, 1978; Antiquities and Islamic Art, Sotheby’s, New York, 14 December 1993, lot n° 94; Dr. Anton Pestalozzi (1915-2007), Zurich, acquired from the previous owner; thence by descent Literature: Auction catalogue, Roger Peyrefitte Collection, Hôtel George V, Paris, May 26th, 1977, lot n° 12; Auction catalogue, Antiquities and Islamic Art, Sotheby’s, New York, December 14th, 1993, lot n° 94; I. Jucker, Skulpturen der Antiken-Sammlung Ennetwies, Mainz on the Rhine, 1995, Vol. 1, pp. 41-42, n° 24, pls. 49-50; K. Fittschen, Prinzenbildnisse Antoninischer Zeit, Mainz on the Rhine, 1999, p. 93, cat. n° 97
Galerie Bernard De Leye
Umbilicated dish and gadrooned basin in enameled copper Venise, circa 1500-1530 Ø 33 cm Provenance: collection Messel, Darmstadt; collection Ludwig and Anne Messel, London; collection Leonard and Maud Messel, London until 1953; Galerie Kugel, Paris; private collection, Switzerland Literature: Les cuivres émaillés dits Vénitiens, Corpus des œuvres en collections publiques et privées, Silvana Editoriale, 2018, Volume II, n° 34, p. 92 Twelve convex, curved white gadroons with blue highlights on a green background. This enamel production in Venice spans over a very short period within Venetian Decorative Arts. The basin is adorned with two rows of 24 concave, curved gadroons, then with scale-like motifs. The entirely blue reverse is richly decorated with gilded patterns.
Willow Gallery
Bernard Buffet (Paris 1928-1999 Tourtour) Chevalier d'Henri III, 1998 Oil on canvas 130 x 89 cm Signed and dated This painting is sold with a photo-certificate of authenticity from the Galerie Maurice Garnier, Paris Provenance: Galerie Maurice Garnier, Paris; private collection, Germany (acquired from the above 2000); sale, Christie's London, 21 June 2012; private collection, Hong Kong Literature: Y. Le Pichon & M. Garnier, Bernard Buffet, 1982-1999, vol. III, 2007, Switzerland, n° 1261 (ill. p. 552)
Brame & Lorenceau
julio gonzález
Julio González (Spain, Barcelona 1876-1942 Arcueil, France) Personnage au cornet, 1937 China ink and coloured pencil on paper 29 x 21 cm Signed and dated lower centre Provenance: private collection Literature: J. Gibert, Catalogue raisonné des dessins de Julio González, Projets pour sculptures personnages, Paris, 1975, vol. 9, p. 47 (ill.) Exhibition: New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Julio González, Drawings and Sculpture, February-April 1956, Minneapolis
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
Victor Werner
thierry van ryswyck
Thierry Van Ryswyck (Antwerp 1911-1958 Vallauris, France) Walking panther, 1929 Patinated plaster H 53 x W 133.5 cm x D 23 cm Name and address of the mould maker inscribed on the underside of the base: A. Hoefnagels, mouleur, Quai Cockerill 19, Anvers Signed and dated Th. Van Ryswyck 1929 Provenance: private collection
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