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Martos Gallery
keith haring
Keith Haring (USA, Pennsylvania 1958-1990 New York) Untitled, May 23, 1981 Marker on plastic 53.3 x 57.3 cm Provenance: Ellen Meyer collection, acquired directly from the artist; New York; Christie’s Auction, 1 May 1991, lot 313; private collection, Italy; Martos Gallery, New York Exhibition: Keith Haring: Surface to Air, Martos Gallery, New York, 6 May–25 July 2025
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.
Jan Muller Antiques
cornelis kick
Cornelis Kick (Amsterdam, 1634-1681) Flowers in a glass vase Oil on canvas 62 x 49 cm 78 x 69 cm (framed) Authenticity and identification confirmed by Dr. Fred Meijer Provenance: Percey B. Meyer, London, 1953 (as Jacob van Walscapelle) Literature: Jan Kelch and Ingeborg Becker, Holländische Malerei aus Berliner Privatbesitz, Kaiser-Friedrich-Museums-Vereins und der Gemäldegalerie (Berlin, 1984), pp. 170-171 (as Jacob van Walscapelle); Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1952-53: Dutch pictures 1450-1750, catalogue p. 103, n° 563; Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen Berlin, 1984: Hollandische Malerei aus Berliner Privatsbesitz, pp. 170-171, pl. n° 84
De Jonckheere
lucas van valckenborch
Lucas van Valckenborch (Leuven 1535/6-1597 Frankfurt am Main) The Kermesse of St. George, 1595 Oil on panel 22.5 x 38.5 cm Signed and dated 1595 LVV on the fountain Provenance: collection of Charles Theodore of Bavaria (1724-1799), Elector of the Palatinate and Bavaria, Munich, inv. n° 138 (according to a label in brown ink on the back dating from 1799, n° 138); collection of Maximilian de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg (1835-1852) (fragmentary label); Almas Gallery, Munich, 1941; private collection, South Germany Literature: Pantheon, September 1941, supplement V, repr.; Bernt, Walter, Die niederländischen Maler des 17. Jahrhunderts, Munich, 1948, n° 865 (1960 edition, n° 1216, repr.); Wied, Alexander, Lucas und Marten van Valckenborch. Das Gesamtwerk mit kritischem Oeuvrekatalog, Freren, Luca Verlag, 1990, pp. 176-77, n° 81, repr. Lucas van Valckenborch was undoubtedly introduced to painting by his father Laureys van Valckenborch, before being accepted as a master of the Mechelen painters' guild in 1564. Following the religious persecution inflicted by the Duke of Alba's troops on supporters of the Reformation, he fled the city in 1567 to take refuge in Liège, then in Aachen from 1570 to 1573, where he was reunited with his brother Marten and Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527-1609). He settled temporarily in Antwerp from 1575 to 1577. He was then employed in Brussels by Matthias, the then Governor-General of the Netherlands. In 1581, he accompanied the latter to Austria, staying in Vienna and Prague, as well as in Linz and Nuremberg. As of 1593, he shared his workshop in Frankfurt am Main with his brother Marten; he was granted citizenship on 10 January, 1594, encouraged by Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553-1595). He worked actively in the family workshop until his death in 1597. Considered one of the greatest landscape painters of the 16th century, Lucas van Valckenborch's concept of landscape was derived from Joachim Patinir and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. His very detailed portrayals of the seasons, village kermesses, romantic scenes and townscapes, stand out owing to the meticulous care employed in their execution and the precise structure of the planes leading to the horizon. His panoramic landscapes are a careful observation of the Meuse valley; his anecdotal scenes are painted with the delicacy of a miniaturist, while his landscapes are presented with topographical accuracy. At the end of his life, his deep landscapes with their luminous, refined nuances, bear witness to a creative approach that sought to go beyond the Bruegelian concept, which was never surpassed by his contemporaries.
Thomas Deprez Fine Arts
jean delville
Jean Delville (Leuven 1867-1953 Brussels) Aveugle, 1888 Oil on canvas 65 x 81 cm Signed and dated l.l.: 'Jean Delville / 1888' Relined, with a fair amount of retouching Provenance: private collection, Brussels, since three generations. Exhibitions: Salon de Gand, XXXIVe Exposition Triennale, Ghent, 1889, cat. n° 166, as: 'Aveugle'; L'Essor, XIIIe exposition annuelle, Brussels, 1889, cat. n° 4, as: 'Aveugle' PRESS F.N., 'Chronique Artistique', dans: Journal de Bruxelles, 24/03/1889, p. 5 (Supplément au Journal de Bruxelles du 24 mars 1889): 'L'Aveugle, la femme si visiblement plongée en des pensées lourdes et étroites, qui se chauffe [...]'
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.
Galerie Flak
Hemba ancestor figure Singiti (commemorative portrait of a chief) Democratic Republic of Congo-Upper Congo River 19th century or early 20th century Carved wood H 86.5 cm Provenance: Mia van Bussel collection, Amsterdam; Kevin Conru collection, Brussels; Adrian Schlag collection, Brussels; Guilhem Montagut collection, Barcelona Literature: Lexikon der Afrikanischen Kunst, Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler, Munich, 1994, p. 242
unforget Decorative Arts
fulvio bianconi
Fulvio Bianconi (Padua 1915-1996 Milan) 'Sirena' vase model 4201 Designed in 1950, manufactured by Venini Murano, Italy Blown glass in amber color, iridescent, decoration in white glass called lattimo H 30.5 x W 20 x D 10 cm Acid signed on the reverse on 4 lines 'venini murano MADE IN ITALY' Provenance: Sotheby's London, Design, 16 October 2018, lot 88 Literature: Marc Heiremans, Art Glass from Murano 1910-1970, Stuttgart, 1993, p. 270, fig. 223 Franco Deboni, VENINI GLASS: Its history, artists and techniques, Volume I, Turin, 2007, n.p. for a drawing of the model in the Venini ‘Red’ catalogue; Franco Deboni, VENINI GLASS: Catalogue 1921-2007, Volume II, Turin, 2007, pl. 193; Marino Barovier, ed., FULVIO BIANCONI AT VENINI, exh. cat., Le Stanze del Vetro, San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, 2015, p. 16 for a sketch from the Venini ‘Black’ notebook, p. 25 possibly illustrates the present lot, pp. 130, 144, 156 In 1950, Bianconi created a series of glass sculptures, some representing marine subjects (mermaids and fish) in a playful manner, and others exploring the theme of the female body. Several of these pieces were successfully exhibited at the major traveling exhibition Italy at Work, organized in the United States between 1950 and 1953. Many of these sculptures are characterized by a technique of applying 'lattimo' threads that stand out on a transparent surface. Other sculptures feature Phoenician decorations which, like 'lattimo' decorations, are also used on vases with soft baselines.
De Zutter Art Gallery
christo
Christo (Bulgaria 1935-2020 New York) and Jeanne-Claude (Casablanca 1935-2009 New York) The Umbrellas, 1990 Diptych Collage and mixed media on panel 78.2 x 67.2 cm and 78.2 x 31.2 cm Provenance: artist's studio; private collection Literature: S. Philippi, ed., Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91, Cologne, 1998, pp. 694-695 (illustrated)
Floris van Wanroij Fine Art
rombout ‘pauli’ pauwels
Rombout ‘Pauli’ Pauwels (Mechelen circa 1625-1692 Ghent) The Virgin and Child Terracotta, sculpted on full round (contains restorations) H 52.5 x W 24 x D 23.5 cm Provenance: the Hulshoff Pol collection, Wassenaar, The Netherlands Literature: Neeffs, E. (1879), Histoire de la peinture et de la sculpture à Malines, Ghent, Vol. II, pp. 193-200; Nieuwdorp, H. (1977), De beeldhouwkunst in de eeuw van Rubens in de Zuidelijke Nederlanden en het prinsbisdom Luik, Brussels: KMKG, pp. 325-327 nrs. 294-298, p. 140, n° 103; Jacobs, A. & Vézilier, S. (2011), Fascination baroque: la sculpture baroque flamande dans les collections publiques françaises, Paris, pp. 116-121
Stern Pissarro Gallery
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Limoges 1841-1919 Cagnes-sur-Mer) Femme dans un paysage, 1917 Oil on canvas 25.3 x 39.7 cm Stamped lower right: Renoir Provenance: the artist's estate; Palais Galliera, Paris, 18 March 1964, (titled 'Gabrielle au jardin'); Hôtel George V, Paris, 10 December 1996, (titled 'Paysage'); private collection, Italy Literature: Marc Elder, L'Atelier de Renoir, vol. II, L'Atelier de Renoir (n.p.: MM. Bernheim-Jeune, Editeurs d'Art, 1931), n° 59 (ill. pl. 187, first state, titled as 'Paysage, bouquet'); Albert André, Marc Elder, and Messrs. Bernheim-Jeune, Renoir's Atelier / L'Atelier de Renoir, Rev. ed. (Paris: MM. Bernheim-Jeune, Éditeurs d'Art, Paris; San Francisco: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1989), n° 599, p. 243 (ill. pl. 187, first state, titled as 'Paysage, bouquet'); Guy-Patrice Dauberville and Michel Dauberville, Renoir: Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. V, 1911-1919 (Paris: Éditions Bernheim-Jeune, 2014), no. 3981, p. 204 (ill. p. 204, present state, as "Paysage du Midi") Exhibitions: Paris, Galerie Jean Charpentier, Beautés de la Provence, 17 December 1947-7 March 1948, n° 129 (titled as "Gabrielle au jardin," dated circa 1915) This work is accompanied by letter from the Wildenstein-Plattner Institute confirming the work will be included in the forthcoming Renoir digital catalogue raisonné.
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Galerie Capazza
georges jeanclos
Georges Jeanclos (Paris, 1933-1997) Kamakura, 1991 Terracotta H 30 x W 45 x D 40 cm Provenance: the artist's studio Exhibition: Georges Jeanclos, Élévation, Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, 25 November 2023-4 March 2024 The Kamakura series was inspired by Georges Jeanclos' trip to Japan, which took him to the country's ancient medieval capital, home to the oldest Japanese Zen gardens. Jeanclos was deeply moved by the beauty and serenity that emanated from these meditative and contemplative landscapes. Upon his return to Paris, these characters were born, sculptures of resilience, ‘monks in meditation, spectators of their inner gardens’ (Tzvetan Todorov). Georges Jeanclos (1933–1997) was one of the great French sculptors of the 20th century. His work was inspired by the traumatic events of the Second World War. To escape the roundups threatening Jews in France, his family had to hide in the woods; he himself, aged around ten, learned to live with the danger of death. In the aftermath of the Liberation, he saw the bodies of former collaborators hanging from lampposts; shortly afterwards, he discovered the skeletal beings who had survived the camps. Decades later, Jeanclos would respond to this formative experience: not by withdrawing into his own experiences, but by opening himself up to the universal, listening to all suffering, past and present; not by depicting horror, but by finding within himself the strength to create beauty. Jeanclos transforms the earth he works with into thin sheets, which he uses to form figures with similar faces, both children and adults, men and women. They are sleepers lying under a sheet of earth; beings enclosed in urns stamped with Hebrew letters taken from prayers for the dead; figures loaded onto boats bound for the other world; kamakuras, meditating monks. Later, he would add Pietàs, Adam and Eve in love, couples brushing against or embracing each other. Jeanclos' images reveal both the insignificance of our person and the indomitable strength of our love; by their mere existence, they help us to live. Tzvetan Todorov
Galerie BA - Berthet Aittouarès
henri michaux
Henri Michaux (Namur 1899-1984 Paris) Untitled, 1964 Ink on paper 75 x 105 cm Monogrammed on the lower right This work is registered in the Henri Michaux archives under the number HM5891 Provenance: Galerie Daniel Cordier, Paris; private collection, France Exhibition: Henri Michaux, Musée national d'Art Moderne, Paris, 1965
