This section will be available this Autumn.
Edouard Simoens Gallery
raoul de keyser
Raoul De Keyser (Deinze, 1930-2012) Untitled, 1967 Oil on canvas 120 x 150 cm Provenance: acquired from the artist; private collection Literature: 'Raoul De Keyser: early works. Catalogue of paintings 1964-1980', Publ. Walther König, Keulen 2024, n° RDK-67 ill. Exhibition: Beervelde 20 km: Roger Raveel, Lucassen, Raoul De Keyser, Elias Kaleidoskoop, Gent 1967; 'Raoul De Keyser', Gal. M.A.S., Deinze 1967
Pron
fausto melotti
Fausto Melotti (Rovereto 1901-1986 Milan) Il meridiano delle campane, 1979 Brass H 97.5 x W 74 x D 38 cm Literature: Milan, Galleria Stendhal, Cascella Consagra Melotti, 1980; Padua, Stevenson Arte Contemporanea, Fausto Melotti. Sculture, tecniche miste e incisioni, 1982; Intra, Galleria Corsini, Fausto Melotti. Sculture e Acquarelli. Un'opera d'arte è un'oasi, 1982; Busto Arsizio, Galleria Il Punto Sette, Fausto Melotti, 1984; Parma, Galleria La Sanseverina, Fausto Melotti, 1986, pp. 29, 47, n° 29, ill. Exhibitions: Gianni Cavazzini, Poetiche sosprese di Fausto Melotti, in Gazzetta di Parma, May 23rd, 1986, ill.; Germano Celant, Melotti, Catalogo generale, Tomo secondo, Sculture 1973-1986 e Bassorilievi, Milan 1996, p. 512, 1979 n° 21, ill.
Kunsthaus Kende
Pair of George I Britannia silver tea caddies John Farnell, London, 1720 Engraved sterling silver H 12.5 cm 240.3 g and 237.4 g Provenance: private collection, North America The smooth, octagonal body merging into the correspondingly smooth shoulder. The lid finished with a twisted baluster. The base, which can be pulled out for filling, is only marked with a maker’s mark, the lid is unmarked. The bodies are hallmarked on the underside of the back. The contemporary coat of arms engraved on the front commemorates the marriage of a gentleman of the Dove family (who were based in East Burgholt in the county of Suffolk) and a lady of the Pierse family (whose family was based in Alston in the county of Warwickshire). An attractively preserved, early Britannia silver pair of tea caddies with a beautifully preserved, original surface.
TASCHEN
marc newson
Marc Newson (Australia, Sydney 1963) America’s Cup This limited edition unfurls the story of America’s Cup and celebrates its skippers, owners, defenders, and challengers. Packed with previously untold tales and unseen photographs, it features a case designed by Marc Newson, crafted from cotton sailcloth, and a custom-made closure by Louis Vuitton, the official partner of the 37th America's Cup. Copies 1-175 come with a numbered carbon fiber bookstand also designed by Newson.
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N. Vrouyr
mekhitar garabedian
Mekhitar Garabedian (Syria, Aleppo 1977) I copied this in a hurry and wrote in large letters (carpet) Pile: wool and silk, warp and weft: cotton 120 x 120 cm Provenance: handmade in Nepal For the design of this carpet, and the edges of the image in particular, Mekhitar Garabedian has reinterpreted Armenian medieval miniatures. The decorative patterns were the monks’ preferred place to improvise and deviate from the norm. By appropriating various visual and textual sources, Garabedian explores the fragility of heritage. Biography Deploying a variety of media such as drawing, video, photography and installation, many of Mekhitar Garabedian’s works draw from his experience as an immigrant and play on the humour and poetic qualities he finds between languages, cultures and histories. Just as his personal diasporic history is layered, his work echoes with a multiplicity of references to literature, music, philosophy and visual arts. Mekhitar Garabedian (°1977) was born in Aleppo and lives and works in Antwerp. In 2022, he was commissioned by Middelheimmuseum/Kunst in de Stad to create a public sculpture in the Antwerp Stadspark. Previously he had solo exhibitions at BOZAR in Brussels, S.M.A.K. in Ghent, Beursschouwburg in Brussels, BE-Part in Waregem and KIOSK in Ghent. In 2015 he was invited to present several works at the Venice Biennale in the Armenian pavilion, which was awarded with the Golden Lion. Garabedian participated in group exhibitions that were held at the New Museum in New York, Hamburger Kunsthalle, WIELS in Brussels, 5th Thessaloniki Biennial, Marta Herford, Villa Empain in Brussels, Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Argos in Brussels, Haifa Biennial, BAM in Mons, M HKA in Antwerp, Drawing Room in London, Museum M in Leuven and Kunsthaus in Dresden, amongst many others.
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.
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.
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.
Galerie BA - Berthet Aittouarès
pierre tal coat
Pierre Tal Coat (Clohars-Carnoët 1905-1985 Saint-Pierre-de-Bailleul) Untitled, 1968-1969 Oil on paint tube lid H 18.5 x W 9.5 x D 4.5 cm This work is listed in Tal Coat's online catalogue raisonné under number XD-1969-017 Provenance: private collection Literature: Rodari Florian, Pierre Tal Coat Biographie commentée par les textes, edited by the Domaine de Kerguéhennec, Département du Morbihan, 2017; Marc Donnadieu, Anne de Staël, Pierre Tal Coat - Surgissement de la peinture, exhibition's catalogue, Galerie Berthet-Aittouarès, 2023 Exhibitions: Pierre Tal Coat - Surgissement de la peinture, Galerie Berthet-Aittouarès, Paris, 2023; Tal Coat - L'image est émergence, 21 bis Mirabeau, espace culturel départemental, Aix-en-Provence, 2025
De Brock
ethan cook
Ethan Cook (USA, Texas 1893) Untitled, 2014 Hand woven cotton canvas and industrial canvas, framed 193 x 193 cm Provenance: the artist's studio, Brooklyn, NY, USA; T293 Gallery, Rome, Italy; private collection, Europe; Phillips, London, 26 June 2018, lot 276; private collection, UK; Phillips, London, 5 December 2018, lot 71; De Brock, Knokke, Belgium (acquired at the above sale)
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.
d'Arschot & Cie
Perfume bottle and case Germany, circa 1620 Anonymous silversmith Chased, engraved, and partially gilded silver. Case in boiled leather. H 9 cm – Weight: 58 g This elegant perfume bottle stands out for the exceptional preservation of its original boiled leather case, a testament to the care taken in protecting and transporting such precious objects in the 17th century. The bottle features a finely engraved vegetal motif enlivened with small exotic birds, typical of the work of silversmiths from southern Germany during the first third of the century. At a time when the distillation of essences was still in its infancy, such bottles accompanied the daily life of the elite, allowing the frequent application of fleeting perfumes. This model, fitted with a screw cap ensuring perfect sealing, illustrates both the practical function and the symbolic value of perfume as a marker of social distinction.
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
De Wit Fine Tapestries
victor vasarely
Victor Vasarely (Hungary 1906-1997 Paris) WA-4, circa 1970 Wool 156 x 156 cm Signed lower right corner Aubusson, atelier Pinton (Monogram lower left corner) Edition 1/6 The WA-4 tapestry consists of a large square divided into four squares, on top of which a fifth square is placed, itself divided into four squares. The inside of each of these squares is filled with rhombuses whose colour change from dark blue to purple and then to light beige. These rhombi are arranged on backgrounds of varying colours, ranging from charcoal grey to purple and pink, then from aqua green to pale pink and dark green. The different colour areas are clearly distinct from one another when viewed up close on the tapestry's very fine fabric. But when you step back and view the tapestry from a distance, the planes and shapes seem to interact with each other, and the colours appear to move. The optical effects are particularly striking here. Our gaze is captured by the illusion of movement created by the brain. Vasarely experimented with this fascinating relationship between vision and perception in his paintings, which he then transposed into various media, including glass, ceramics, metal, goldsmithing and tapestry. Vasarely relied on science, because he believed it was the only common language available to humanity. He developed a pictorial system based on the logic of algorithms and binary codes, a square background, coloured and filled with simple geometric shapes. A champion of geometric abstraction, he is best known as the inventor of op-kinetic art (the adjective kinetic derives from the Greek word κίνησις (kinesis), meaning “movement”). Op art or optical art was revealed to the general public by the sensational exhibition ‘Le Mouvement’ (1955), which Vasarely initiated at the Denise René gallery in Paris. In this exhibition he brought together younger artists such as Bury, Jacobsen, Soto and Tinguely alongside the leading figures of Marcel Duchamp and Alexander Calder. Alongside his work as a painter, Vasarely devoted a significant portion of his activity to transposing his art into other media. He promoted the reproduction of his works as tapestries, as he saw this as an opportunity for recreation, in contrast to the concept of a unique work. He envisioned a concept of art for all, based on a new aesthetic, leading to ‘the polychrome city of happiness’. He thought of his tapestries as prototypes, hand-woven in limited numbers and displayed in the comfortable homes of art lovers. He painted around a hundred tapestry cartoons, woven in various workshops. Furthermore, he played a pioneering role by inviting other artists to try their hand at this art form, including Léger, Jean Arp, Agam, Atlan, Dewasne and Josef Albers. This textile experimentation was the result of Vasarely's encounter with François Tabard, an Aubusson tapestry entrepreneur, and Denise René, an avant-garde gallery owner. According to the artist, kinetic art, often described as cold, is compatible with tapestry insofar as it results from a "technique that allows for flat areas to retain warmth. There is none of the monotony of flat areas applied with a brush to a surface." With Tabard, Vasarely developed a systematic method of creating cartoons, allowing infinite chromatic combinations to be obtained. Denise René was the publisher of these tapestries (1952-1970). From 1966 onwards, the national tapestry manufacturers of the Gobelins and Beauvais wove Vasarely's designs. Shortly afterwards, another industrialist from Aubusson, Olivier Pinton, began weaving Vasarely's designs. More than thirty cartoons were finely woven, including WA-4, created around 1970.
Galerie Oscar De Vos
albijn van den abeele
Albijn Van den Abeele (Sint-Martens-Latem 1835-1918 Aldaar) Last rays of sunshine and rising moon, 1904 Oil on canvas 80.5 x 110.5 cm Signed lower right: Albijn Van den Abeele Provenance: A. Van den Abeele, Sint-Marten-Latem; P. De Rijckere, Ghent; R. Van den Abeele, Sint-Martens-Latem; E. Van den Abeele, Sint-Martens-Latem Literature: Boyens, P., Sint-Martens-Latem. Kunstenaarsdorp in Vlaanderen (1992), 176-177 (ill.); Boyens, P., In de voetsporen van de Latemse kunstenaars (2003), 76-77 (ill.); Devoghelaere, H., Albijn Van den Abeele (1935), 39, 45, no. 33; D'Haese, J. & H. Lampo, Albijn Van den Abeele en de schilders van de Leie (1973), cat. 28 (ill.); Haesaerts, P., Sint-Martens-Latem. Gezegend oord van de Vlaamse kunst (1965), 76 (ill.); Hoozee, R., Veertig kunstenaars rond Karel Van den Woestijne (1979), 43-44, cat. 58 (ill.); Pauwels, H., De eerste groep van Sint-Martens-Latem 1899-1914 (1980), 96, 148, cat. 5 (ill.); Pauwels, P.J.H. & V. Van Doorne, Leie. Rimpeloze eenvoud (2010), 35, 106, cat. 8 (ill.); Van den Abeele, R., Albijn Van den Abeele. De stamvader van de Latemse kunstenaars (1993), 98-99, 135-138, 211, cat. 117 (ill.); Van den Abeele, E. e.a., Albijn Van den Abeele (2019), 34 (ill.); Van Doorne, V. e.a., Retrospectieve tentoonstelling Albijn Van den Abeele (1835-1918) (1985), 98-99, 211, 226, cat. 117 (ill.); Van Doorne, V. e.a., Sint-Martens-Latem - Worpswede 1880-1914. Twee kunstenaarskolonies (1996), 13, 65, 72, cat. 5 (ill.); Van Lerberghe, J., Belgische kunst van 1890-heden (1966), 21, cat. 7 Exhibitions: 1924, Ghent, Kunstgalerij Brabantdam, Albijn van den Abeele, cat. 8; 1966, Utrecht, Centraal Museum, Belgische kunst van 1890 tot heden, cat. 7; 1973, Venlo, Cultureel Centrum, Albijn Van den Abeele en de schilders van de Leie, cat. 28; 1974, Sint-Martens-Latem, Latemse Galerij, Kunstenaars zien Latem, cat. 156; 1976, Brussels, Passage 44, Tentoonstelling Oost-Vlaanderen, s.n.; 1978, Antwerp, AMVC Letterenhuis, Karel Van de Woestyne, s.n.; 1979, Brussels, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Karel Van de Woestyne 1879-1929, cat. 183; 1979, Ghent, MSK, 40 Kunstenaars rond Karel Van de Woestyne, cat. 58; 1980, Ingelheim (Duitsland), Villa Schneider, Von Ensor bis Delvaux, cat. 9; 1985, Deinze, MuDeL, Retrospectieve tentoonstelling Albijn Van den Abeele (1835-1918), cat. 58; 2010, Deinze, MuDeL, Leie. Rimpeloze eenvoud, cat. 8; 2019, Sint-Martens-Latem, Gemeentehuis, Albijn Van den Abeele, s.n.
Finch & Co
Turned standing cup and cover on knopped foot Germany, late Renaissance, first half 17th century Rhinoceros horn and ivory, old smooth patina, age cracks to foot H 33 cm - Ø 11 cm Belgium CITES: 2025/BE01678/CE Provenance: Finch and Co, item n° 77, catalogue n° 20, summer 2013; private collection Comparative literature: a cup and cover of similar shape engraved with the inscription ‘the exalted Roman Emperor Rudolf II’s goblet which protects against poison – the unconquerable Emperor’s hand shaped this ingenious goblet’ D 406.766 / 339 Royal Danish Kunstkammer, Copenhagen, National Museum A fine and large late Renaissance turned standing cup and cover on knopped foot of impressive size The Milanese master instructor of turning Giovanni Ambrogio Maggiore visited Bavaria on various occasions between 1574 and 1593 to teach the Duke Wilhelm this newly invented form of art, creating marvellous objects from natural substances. Maggiore also trained the artist Georg Wecker who went on to become Dresden’s ‘court turner for life’ to the elector Augustus of Saxony in 1578. Regarded at the time as a form of advanced mechanical technology, the art of turning in ivory, ebony and rhinoceros horn became a princely pastime for ‘Drechselnder souverän’. Rhinoceros horn objects were regarded as items of great rarity and prestige in Renaissance Europe, but they had been seen as objects of great value with inherent magical properties for well over one thousand years before this time in China, and by the early 17th century Chinese cups and vessels of carved rhino horn were being exported to Europe to meet the demand for exotic curiosities for the cabinets of wealthy collectors.
Galerie BA - Berthet Aittouarès
mark tobey
Mark Tobey (USA, Centerville 1890-1976 Basel, Switzerland) Landscape, 1967 Tempera on paper 26.5 x 48.6 cm Signed and dated lower back, stamp on the back Certificate of authenticity by the Committee Mark Tobey dated 8 February 2007 Provenance: François Gaudard, pianist and friend of Mark Tobey
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.
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.
Almine Rech
tom wesselmann
Tom Wesselmann (USA, Ohio 1931-2004 New York) 'Smoker Study (For Smoker #11)', 1972 Oil on canvas 29.2 x 29.2 cm 46.4 x 46.4 x 3.8 cm (framed) Examined by the WPI's Wesselmann committee on 13 December 2023, for inclusion in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné Provenance: estate of the artist Courtesy of the Estate of Tom Wesselmann and Almine Rech / Photo: Thomas Barratt Smoker Study (For Smoker #11), 1972 belongs to Tom Wesselmann’s Smoker series, which the artist began in 1967. Born out of a desire to isolate and further investigate the representation of lips and the act of smoking, the Smoker series also found its origin in advertising, and stands as testament to the major role Wesselmann occupied in the birth and development of the Pop aesthetic. Today, Wesselmann’s Smoker paintings are among his most renowned works. The series began with Smoker, 1 (Mouth, 12), 1967, which is now held in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Wesselmann found photography to be a useful medium to capture his models in poses he would later translate to larger scale works. On one occasion, his friend Peggy Sarno lit a cigarette during a modeling session. Wesselmann took some photographs of her as she inhaled, still posing in a reclined position. This moment inspired the Smoker series, which is characterised by the presence of vivid red lips juxtaposed with curling white smoke. Smoker Study (For Smoker #11) is both bold and intimate, capturing a single moment of pleasure in a complex and ambitious composition indicative of the artist’s experimentation with subject, form, and color. In mid-century America, cigarette advertisements were incredibly elaborate, among the most sophisticated forms of marketing. As well as standing as an example of Wesselmann’s fascination with popular culture and the female body, Smoker Study (For Smoker #11) also demonstrates the artist’s mastery of oil paint, attention to detail, and sophisticated compositional style. In the 1960s, Wesselmann had been developing his Great American Nudes series when he was inspired to focus on specific details of female figures. In an almost fetishistic act, he started isolating elements of the female figure, creating smaller preparatory pieces as well as larger scale works depicting hands, breasts, and lips. Out of this approach his Mouth paintings and Smoker Series, works such as Smoker Study (For Smoker #11) were born. Tom Wesselmann (1931–2004) was one of the leading American Pop artists of the mid-20th Century. Departing from Abstract Expressionism, he explored classical representations of the nude, still life, and landscape, while incorporating everyday objects and advertising ephemera. Wesselmann was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 23, 1931. He attended Hiram College in Ohio from 1949 to 1951 before entering the University of Cincinnati. In 1953, his studies were interrupted by a two-year enlistment in the army, during which time he began drawing cartoons. He returned to the university in 1954 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1956. During this time, he decided to pursue a career in cartooning and enrolled at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he was accepted into the Cooper Union and where his focus shifted dramatically to fine art.
