Highlights Winter Exhibition 2022

Highlights Winter 2022 

S e l l i n g e x h i b i t i o n 

Fine Art & Decorative Arts 

Galerie St-John, Gent / st-john.be

“[…] Daarnaast heb ik een uitgesproken voorkeur voor einzelgängers, 

voor kunstenaars die door de mazen van het te strakke net van de 

kunstgeschiedenis vallen, voor buiten de schijnwerpers werkende artiesten die in 

hun maquis een eigenzinnige wereldje scheppen, 

voor kunstenaars die moeilijk voor de wagen van nieuwe bewegingen en tendensen 

kunnen worden gespannen, maar die achteraf veel boeiender blijken dan de 

representatieve kopstukken uit een of andere richting. Hiermee wil ik geen pleidooi 

houden voor een overjaarse, traditionalistische en louter behoudsgezinde kunst, 

wel voor eenzaten die terzijde van de zenuwachtige artificiële tempoversnellingen 

een moderne kunst voortbrachten en voortbrengen die onvermurwbaar 

voorbijgaat aan het kortstondige moment van de vernieuwende flits 

en die in de allereerste plaats tijdeloosheid beoogt.” 

R. Jooris, Uit mijn Plastisch Logboek - V in Revolver 141, jaargang 35/4 maart 2009, p. 62.

“[…] In addition, I have a strong preference for einzelgängers, 

for artists who fall through the cracks of art history, 

for artists working outside the limelight who create 

an idiosyncratic world in their maquis, 

for artists who cannot easily be forced to following 

the new movements and tendencies, but 

which in retrospect turn out to be much more fascinating 

than the representative kingpins from one ‘ism’ or another. 

With this I do not want to make a plea for an old-fashioned, traditionalist and 

purely conservative art, but for loners 

who, aside from the nervous artificial tempo accelerations, 

produced and continue to produce a modern art 

that adamantly ignores the short-lived moment 

of the innovative flash and that aims first and foremost 

for timelessness.” 

Free translation from the text by poet Roland Jooris, Uit mijn Plastisch Logboek - V in Revolver 

141, jaargang 35/4 – maart 2009, p. 62. 

We chose this wonderful text by Roland Jooris as an introduction to our 

online catalogue of the winter exhibition 2022. More than 240 pages of 

photographs and information, travelling through art history, showing 

discoveries we have made, with a special interest for the einzelgänger in art 

and life. Enjoy! 

Raf Steel & Emmy Steel

Jan Anteunis (Gent 1896 - 1973) 

The Dream, ca. 1926 

White marble on the original wooden base 

23 x 11,5 x 12 cm 

Signed at the side of the sculpture ‘Jan/Anteunis’. 

Bibliography: Exhibition Catalogue, 

Herinneringstentoonstelling van 

beeldhouwer Jan Anteunis naar 

aanleiding van 20 jaar overlijden, 

Deurle, Museum Leon De Smet, 1993, 

p. 10 (for a plaster cast) 

Marble sculptures by Anteunis are 

very rare. Especially early art deco 

sculptures like ‘Droom’ or ‘The 

Dream’ were mostly executed by 

the artist in patinated plaster. This 

sculpture sits on its original wooden 

base, designed by the artist.

Jan Anteunis (Gent 1896 - 1973) 

Dreaming, ca. 1926

Patinated plaster 

22 x 11,5 x 16 cm 

Signed and dated at the side of the 

sculpture ‘Jan/Anteunis 26’. 

Bibliography: Exhibition Catalogue, 

Herinneringstentoonstelling van 

beeldhouwer Jan Anteunis naar 

aanleiding van 20 jaar overlijden, Deurle, 

Museum Leon De Smet, 1993, p. 12 (another 

cast) 

One of the most prolific of Anteunis’ earlier 

casts is this elegant art deco figurine. It 

shows the sculptor’s preference for fusing 

sculpture and pedestal thus creating one 

sculpture. This evolution will continue well 

into the 1930’s and makes Anteunis one of 

the most original sculptors of his 

generation.

Albert Baertsoen (Gent 1866 - 1922) 

Cannon Street Bridge (Study I), 1918 

Oil on canvas 

92 x 61 cm 

Marked with the round ‘Atelier Albert 

Baertsoen’ stamp on the back of the 

canvas and on the back of the stretcher. 

Provenance: 

Atelier Albert Baertsoen, Galerie Georges Giroux, Bruxelles 

Galerie Georges Giroux, Bruxelles 

Private Collection, Bruxelles 

Vanderkindere, Brussels, 28/04/2010, lot no 65 

Art Market, Brussels 

Bibliography: 

Atelier Albert Baertsoen et tableaux modernes, Bruxelles, Galerie 

Georges Giroux, 07-08/03/1932, cat. no. 140. 

Vermeir R., Catalogue Raisonnée Albert Baertsoen, P.1918/02 (as’ 

whereabouts unknown’) 

Exhibitions : Exposition triennale de Gand. XLIIIe exposition – Salon de 1925, 

Rétrospective M. Albert Baertsoen, organisée par Monsieur 

Eugène Dopchie avec la collaboration de Mademoiselle Lucie 

Jacquart, 7/06 – 2/08/1925 (according to the Vermeir 

catalogue raisonnée, so probably cat. No 12 or 16 ?)

During his stay in London during the First World War, Baertsoen had become 

intrigued by the London bridges. Contrary to his friend Emile Claus, he did not paint 

the hustle and bustle on the bridges and quays of the Thames, but he was drawn 

to the massive constructions and wooden poles protecting the bridges from 

damage. 

As is often the case with the large oil studies by Baertsoen, this work is painted 

much looser then its large finished counterpart. In the top left corner we even see 

reminiscences of the grid Baertsoen used to make his composition. The free style 

of painting enhances this work with a liveliness whilst it seems to be a little clearer 

than the large work.

Paule Bisman (Namur 1897 – 1973) 

Kain 

Patinated bronze on a green marble base 

Height 52,5 cm (58 cm with base) 

Signed on the front at the bottom of the base ‘P. Bisman’ and justified ‘11/12’ 

Provenance: Private Collection 

Paule Bisman was active as a painter and as a sculptor. She studied at the Brussels 

Academy of Fine Arts between 1919 and 1927, with Herman Richir and Jean Delville 

(painting) and with sculptors Victor Rousseau and Paul Dubois. Bisman won the 

‘Prix de Rome’ for sculpture in 1927. After travelling extensively, she settled down in 

Woluwe-St-Lambert in 1930. Her sculpture is classical in nature and is recognisable 

for its depiction of expressive movements and sentiment. Although her best work 

was made before the Second World War, Bisman continued to paint and sculpt 

after the war. Demand for her older work continued, so the artist had limited 

editions cast of her most sought after models. This version of ‘Kain’ was probably 

cast after the war. Sculptures of Paule Bisman are to be found in the Royal 

collection of Belgium, in the collection of the city of Brussels and in Namur.

Jean Brusselmans (Brussel 1884 – Dilbeek 1953) 

Marine aux nuages gris (Marine grise), 1937 

Oil on canvas 

57,5 x 70,5 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right ‘Jean Brusselmans / 1937’ 

Provenance: 

Tony Herbert Collection (acquired directly from the artist) 

Private Collection 

Exhibitions: 

1955: Charleroi, Rétrospective Jean Brusselmans, Salle 

de la Bourse, Cercle Royal Artistique et Littéraire, cat. no. 88. 

1963: Stuttgart, Belgische Künstler von der Jahrhundertwende 

bis zur Gegenwart: Malerie – Graphik – Plastik, Württ. Kunstverein 

Kunstgebäude am Schlossplatz, Stuttgart, cat. no. 35 (as ‘See 

mit grauen Wolken’). 

1963: Luxemburg, Museum for Art and History (Collection Tony 

Herbert), cat. no. 11. 

Bibliography: 

Delevoy R.-L.; Brys-Schatan G., Jean Brusselmans – met 

beschrijvende catalogus, Brussel, Laconti NV, 1972, p. 257 cat. no. 

436, full page illustration 44 and illustration on p. 380. 

This seascape is to be considered as one of the best the artist made before 1940. 

Brusselmans paints the North Sea on a calm, overcast day, the flat horizon divides 

the sea and the clouds. Echoing the breaking of the waves in thick white layers of

paint in the freely painted white clouds, Brusselmans bestows the painting with 

vitality, whilst preserving the calming overall atmosphere of this seascape. 

Painting seascapes became one of Brusselsmans’ favourite subjects. Paul 

Haesaerts writes in 1939: 

“du spectacle immuable et divers de la mer du Nord 

Brusselmans tire des séries de Marines, strictes et 

sauvages, de toutes couleurs […] l’eau s’organise en 

vagues […] L’air énorme est grisé d’espace. » 

The artist named this painting ‘Seascape with grey clouds’, one could call it 

his ‘Symphony in grey’. It epitomises the North Sea and is almost minimal in 

its constructed simplicity.

Jan Burssens (Mechelen 1925 – Nevele 2002) 

Composition II, 1953 

Mixed media on board 

84,5 x 68 cm 

Signed bottom center ‘Jan Burssens’ 

Signed, dated and inscribed at the back ‘Jan Burssens 1953 / Veldstraat 29 

Mariakerke’ 

Exhibition: 

15 Hedendaagse Gentse kunstenaars, Leiden, Stedelijk Museum de 

Lakenhal, november 1953, cat. no. 1 

Provenance: Tony Herbert collection (acquired directly from the artist) 

Private collection 

In 1942 Jan Burssens took lessons at the Sint-Lucas schools for a few months and 

met Dan Van Severen. The following year he started at the Ghent Academy, where 

he studied ‘Still Life’ in Hubert Malfait’s class. The artist moved into a small studio at 

‘Het Pand’, a derelict convent, in Onderbergen and maintained good contacts with 

André and Karel Geirlandt, Jan Saverys and Paul Rogghé. Due to the war situation, 

lessons at the Academy were very irregular and it would take until 1945 before Jan 

could take a few more 'Living Model' lessons with Jan Mulder. 

Burssens was attracted to the rapid evolution in modern art and left for the 

Netherlands in 1946, where he came into contact with Karel Appel and Corneille 

and the poets Bertus Aafjes and Gerrit Achterberg. However, his military service 

interrupted the Dutch intermezzo. In 1947 Corneille stayed with the Burssens family 

in Melle for a while, so the Dutch contacts - also with Appel, who regularly stayed in 

Belgium - were maintained. Meanwhile, Jan and uncle Gaston Burssens conceived

the plan to start a farm in 

Sint-Idesbald, but Jan left a 

year later on a study trip to 

Italy. Belgium lost a farmer 

but gained an artist. 

A stay in Duinbergen 

definitively opened the 

eyes of the young painter. 

Not only did he radically 

change his style, Burssens 

began experimenting 

mixing sand, pebbles and 

shells in his paint to create certain colour effects and textures. The dripping 

technique also made its appearance. In 1950 Burssens went to live in the 

Veldstraat in Mariakerke. It was his first real studio and it immediately became an 

attraction for many painters, poets and artists belonging to the avant-garde 

milieu. In his painterly evolution Burssens distanced himself from figuration in order 

to arrive firstly at geometrically abstract works. However the artist quickly realised 

that in order to grow and build a personal oeuvre, the constraints of the geometric 

scheme was to limited. Burssens developed his version of abstraction 

expressionism and started with an abstraction which focussed on the treatment of 

paint matter. Works from the early 1950’s show paint mixed with sand to acquire an 

earthy and matte finish. Abstract colour fields are juxtaposed and the artist used a 

plethora of painting techniques in one painting. Slowly but surely, from the middle

of the 1950’s onwards, the abstract works begin to retain their original source of 

figurative inspiration.. 

This painting was one of the first works the collector Tony Herbert bought from the 

artist. Herbert saw in Burssens the leading figure of the new Flemish painting. He 

started to support the artist, which allowed Burssens to create without financial 

burdens. Herbert’s support and his unrelented praise for the artist was one of the 

reasons Burssens’ fame quickly spread into the Belgian artworld. His contributions 

to Documenta and both the Sao Paolo Venice Biennales made him one of the first 

Belgian artist who became an international star after WW II.

Vertical composition, 1956 

Mixed media on unalite board 

70 x 22,5 cm 

Signed and dated bottom left ‘Jan Burssens 56’ 

Provenance: Tony Herbert collection (acquired directly from the artist) 

private collection 

This vertical composition is typical of the vertical works Burssens made between 

1955 and 1957. The artist started painting on narrow irregular wooden floorboards 

around 1954, which in turn inspired the ‘Tower’ series of 1955, and a little later the 

‘Knights’ or upright figures which received great international acclaim. This painting 

shows an almost abstract composition, leaning more towards the ‘Tower’ series.

Georges Buysse (Gent 1864 - 1916) 

Georges Léon Ernest Buysse was born in Ghent on 2 February 1864. His father, 

Augustin Buysse (1832-1920) was one of the key figures of the Ghent textile industry. 

In 1887 Georges married Marthe Baertsoen, the daughter of his father’s partner. 

Although Georges Buysse took over the management of the company from his 

ailing father, his main passion turned out to be painting. He was supported in his 

art by his brother-in-law, Albert Baertsoen, who himself started a career as a 

painter. 

Between 1880 and 1884 Georges Buysse took drawing lessons with Louis Tytgadt, 

director of the Ghent Academy. He was also advised by Isidore Meyers. The 

influence of this teacher is clearly visible in the first works the young Buysse 

painted, which show a fairly dark use of colour. Through Albert Baertsoen, the 

young artist got to know renowned and influential artists such as Emile Claus and 

Jean Delvin. This ‘favourable’ artistic climate and the great talent of the young 

painter ensured that he was quickly included in the circle of Belgian luminists. He 

was also good friends with the French painters Henri Le Sidaner and Henri Duhem. 

Buysse’s palette evolved from dark to bright and the painter started painting 

typical impressionist subjects. 

Buysse only made his debut at the age of thirty at the Paris Salon of 1894. Several 

international exhibitions followed: in Paris, Venice, Barcelona, Vienna, London, United 

States, ... The first Belgian exhibition was not held until 1900, when he was invited by 

Octave Maus, works showed at the salon of ‘La Libre Esthétique’ in Brussels. 

Around this time, Georges Buysse had to deal with a lingering illness for the first 

time. His good friend Emile Claus convinced him to go on holiday to the south of 

France. Buysse stayed there for a few months and painted some magnificent 

works. Eventually the pair travelled to Bordighera in northern Italy in 1899.

Back in Belgium, Buysse’s health would deteriorate over the years. Fortunately, he 

had his own studio and sufficient subjects to paint at his castle domain ‘Ter Vaart’, 

completed in 1896 after a design by Paul Hankar. He often took the passing ships as 

a subject or painted views from his garden. 

In 1903 Georges Buysse had a first retrospective in his native city. At the exhibition in 

the ‘Cercle Artistique et Littéraire’, the painter showed no less than sixty-seven 

works. The exhibition was very well received by both public and critics. People 

especially praised the variety of the subjects and the luminosity of the canvases. In 

this context, the artist was compared to Emile Claus. However, with Buysse the 

emphasis was placed less on the divisionist technique and more on the creation of 

atmosphere. Fellow artist Charles Doudelet commented on the work of Buysse: 

« Le beau-frère de Baertsoen, George Buysse, [...] est pourtant un artiste de 

Grande valeur. Il se distingue de lui, par un luminisme large, épais, chaud, 

par de belles taches de couleur, et semble marquer le juste milieu entre le 

peintre de la joie, de la réjouissance flamande [= Emile Claus] et celui de la 

profonde douleur [= Albert 

Baertsoen]. » 

Meanwhile Buysse’s fame as a luminist spread far beyond the national borders. He 

became a founding member of the artists association ‘Vie et Lumière’ along with 

Emile Claus, James Ensor, Edmond Verstraeten, Georges Morren, Jenny Montigny 

and Anna De Weert, among others. He often sent works to (inter)national salons 

and his works can be admired in several national and international museums. For 

example, works by Georges Buysse can be found in the museums of Antwerp, 

Brussels, Ghent and Ixelles, at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the National Museum 

of Art of Catalonia in Barcelona.

With the outbreak of the First World War Buysse fled to England with Baertsoen and 

Claus, and stayed in London for a while. His illness worsened to such an extent that 

Georges decided to return to Belgium. He died on February 27, 1916, barely 52 years 

old. In 1922 Georges Buysse was remembered with a small retrospective at the 

Salon of Ghent. On the occasion of this exhibition, Karel Van De Woestijne wrote 

about the artist: 

“ ... Ook een Leie-schilder in den vollen zin van het woord, en een 

impressionist. Een talent met velerlei mogelijkheden, die avond en middag 

en morgen met even innige stemming kon bezingen, en steeds middelen 

aanwendde oprecht en eerlijk, zoodat zijn werk daar nu staat als een 

blijvend geheel, trillend-levendig van onvervalschte aandoening, maar 

rustig-stemmig steeds...” 

a Treelined road 

Oil on canvas 

54,5 x 74 cm 

Provenance: private collection

A road with large trees 

Oil on canvas 

75,5 x 50 cm 


Treelined road with haystack on the left 

Oil on canvas 

48 x 75 cm 


La Mare en Octobre 

Oil on canvas 

75,5 x 40,5 cm 

Signed bottom left ‘G Buysse’ and again at the back of the canvas 

Title in pencil on the back of the strecher 

Provenance: Private Collection 

Exhibitions : Exposition triennale de Gand. 42e exposition – Salon de 1922, 

Section Rétrospective – Œuvres de feu Georges Buysse, p. 125, 

cat no 32 

Especially in the 1890’s and early 1900’s Buysse painted in the countryside around 

his native city and was often to be found in the ‘Drongense Meersen’, where the 

unique landscape of brooks and willows together with marsh-like pastures 

provided inspiration for several paintings. These works are often vertical in 

composition and display daring contrasts between greens and yellows. The willow 

is often the main motif.

Mariekerke aan zee 

Oil on panel 

26,7 x 36 cm 

Inscribed at the back in large script ‘Buysse’, probably by another hand 

Provenance: private collection 

Although this work is attributed to Buysse, there are a lot of indications that he 

painted this work. First of all the size of the panel and the fact that it was made in 

mahogany is typical of the small works and studies that Buysse made throughout 

his short career. 

The view of Mariekerke (near Ostend) was very picturesque. It was made famous 

by James Ensor who made a large painting with the view on the village as a 

subject and also an etching. Albert Baertsoen made a large work and various 

studies of Mariekerke in 1892. The present work by Buysse was made in the 1890’s, 

considering its style and technique. 

In any case, Buysse showed a work titled ‘Mariakerke près d’Ostende’ at the 1897 

‘Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts’. This work is most certainly a study 

for the painting he showed at the Salon, and is therefore to be dated before 1897.

Henri Cassiers (Antwerpen 1858 – Brussel 1944) 

Mother and daughter taking a walk, Holland 

Watercolour and gouache on paper 

30 x 42,5 cm (day measure) 

Signed bottom left ‘H Cassiers’ 

Well known for his posters and colour lithographs, Cassiers was also a marvellous 

draughtsman. He painted a lot in Zeeland (Holland), often rural settings, where he 

depicted every day life in the villages, painted in an impressionist style to much 

critical acclaim. His work is to be found in the museums of Antwerp, Brussels, Liège, 

Paris, etc.

Albert Claeys (Eke 1889 - Deinze 1967) 

Interior with woman painter 

Oil on canvas laid down on board 

33 x 39 cm 

Signed bottom right: ‘Claeys’ 

An unusual subject for this painter, known for his views of the river Leie. The woman 

painter, here depicted in her workshop, seems to be a good acquaintance of 

Claeys, however it is not known to us whom this might be.

Emile Claus (Sint-Eloois-Vijve 1849 - Astene 1924) 

The baker’s hand 

Pencil or charcoal on paper 


Signed with the monogram bottom right: ‘E. C.’ 

During the 1870’s and 1880’s Emile Claus has steered away from painting the high 

society portraits by which he made a formidable name for himself. Instead Claus 

became much more interested in painting life and work of the ‘ordinary’ man. 

Realist literature and the influence of Constantin Meunier, Bastien-Lepage and 

other realist painters made him shift his attention to naturalistic genre painting. 

While at first we mostly find drawings, watercolours and small paintings with 

naturalist-realist subjects, it was early on, before 1885, that Claus had already 

started painting and exhibiting large scale works like “The Old Gardener”, “The Cock 

fight” and “Le Bateau qui passe”. These works would soon lead the artist to develop 

his own version of impressionism. 

This drawing is probably made around 1880, and is similar in style and finish to the 

drawing Claus made picturing his wife, seen from the back (see De Smet J., Emile 

Claus 1849-1924 – monografieën over moderne kunst, Brussel; Antwerpen, 

Gemeentekrediet; Pandora, 1997, p. 242, cat. No. 203) and of a working man in the 

collection of the Mudel (inv. No 0911/CLAU.e-40). Both drawings were signed with the 

same monogram but alas are equally undated.

Oscar Coddron (Gent 1881 - Deurle 1960) 

The river Leie in winter, 1917 

Oil on canvas 

101 x 100 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right ‘Coddron / 1917’ 


Oscar Coddron was born in Ghent in 1881. He was educated at the Ghent Academy 

of Fine Arts, where he came into contact with Robert Aerens, Albert Servaes, Domien 

Ingels, Guillaume Montobio and Leon de Smet. Coddron probably made his debut 

in the 1904 group exhibition in the Ghent 'Cercle Artistique et Littéraire'. His fellow 

exhibitors included the brothers Gust and Leon De Smet, Frits Van Den Berghe, 

Robert Aerens and Clement De Porre. 

In 1907 he finished second in the competition for the "Rome Prize". In this period, 

Coddron's style was close to that of Emile Claus. His works can clearly be placed 

within luminism, but the artist gives them his own interpretation. The figure is 

sometimes given a prominent place. Coddron's use of colour is more modern and 

is closer to the early work of Van den Berghe and Gust De Smet than to the work of 

Claus. 

As a young artist, Coddron travelled to the Netherlands, Italy and France. He settled 

permanently in Sint-Martens-Latem around 1918. 

During the war, Coddron evolved towards a more expressive painting style. In 1926 

Oscar Coddron exhibited together with Anna De Weert and Madeleine van 

Thorenburg, in the Ghent 'Cercle Artistique'. Throughout the 1920s, Oscar Coddron 

has built up a good reputation, which was also praised outside Ghent.

Mario de Marchi wrote in 1929: 

“M. Coddron a une palette aux expressions très différenciées. 

Il aime traiter ses sujets en manière décorative et son désir 

de synthèse lui fait ordonner sobrement les accessories de sa 

composition. Tout cela est un métier soigné qui n'aura rien 

d'éphémère. C’est de plus un artiste très original.” 

Between 1937 and 1939 Oscar Coddron was appointed director of the Ghent 

Academy, where he himself had been a student. The second world war, however, 

forced him to resign. Oscar Coddron’s works are to be found in numerous private 

collections and are present in the collections of the museums of Tournai and 

Deinze.

Walter De Buck (Gent 1934 –2014) 

Composition, 1963 

Bronze on the original wooden base 

30 x 25 x 18 cm 

Signed and dated on the front of the wooden base 

“WdeBuck / 63’ 


In his early years De Buck was drawn to the work of the New British sculptors. His 

work in the 1950’s and ‘60’s was mostly executed in copper. When he had the 

means, De Buck had some of his sculptures cast in bronze. This is such a rare and 

early composition from 1963. Probably cast in the lost wax technique, this work is 

unique.

Jan De Clerck (Oostende 1881 –1962) 

The friends around the table, 1913 

Oil on board 

15,2 x 29,7 cm 

Dated and signed bottom right ‘1913 / Jan de Clerck’ 

And inscribed bottom right: ‘à Mr. René van Bastelaer’ 

Provenance: collection of the Bruegel specialist René Van Bastelaer (1865-1940), a 

gift from the artist 


Jan De Clerck remains one of the most interesting post impressionist painters of his 

generation. Here he depicted this intimate scene in a vibrant and vivid divisionist 

painting. Typical for De Clerck is the use of longer strokes in stead of dots. 

This painting was given by the artist to René Van Bastelaer, the eminent Bruegel 

specialist and good friend of collector Hulin de Loo. Van Bastelaer was himself also 

an artist, a keen etcher and engraver and a good friend of Jakob Smits.

Xavier De Cock (Gent 1818 – Deurle 1896) 

A family of shepherds and their herd at the riverbank, 1845 

Watercolour on paper 

28 x 26 cm (day measure) 

Signed and dated bottom left ‘Xavier De Cock 1845’ 

Bibliography: 

Exhibition catalogue: Retrospectieve tentoonstelling Xavier De 

Cock (1818-1896) – César De cock (1823-1904) – Gustave Den 

Duyts (1850-1897), Deinze, Museum van Deinze en Leiestreek, 

8/10-5/12/1988, cat. No. 2, ill. P.7 (full page) 


This marvellous watercolour belongs to the first works Xavier De Cock has made in 

France. De Cock arrived in France with his painter friend Jozef Pauwels in 1852. 

Together they visited Paris and discovered Barbizon. 

Although one does not find many watercolours by Xavier on the art market, every 

time one does come across one, one is struck by its quality and atmosphere.

Alfons De Cuyper (Heverlee 1887 – Gent 1896) 

The Grasbrug bridge in the snow 

Oil on canvas 

50,5 x 60,5 cm 

Signed bottom right ‘A. De Cuyper’ 

Born in Leuven, De Cuyper lived and worked in Gent, were he also received his 

formation. From 1924 onwards he taught at the Gent Academy. His adoptive city 

was his most important subject and even in the 1930’s he was already considered 

as the artistic descendant of Albert Baertsoen, especially in the depicting of the city 

covered with snow: 

‘A. De Cuyper houdt van de sombere winterdagen die door de laatste 

jaarmaanden zoo dikwerf worden gebracht, en nog niets verraden van hetgene 

komen zal bij de nakende herleving. In deze richting is hij enigszins voorzetter van 

Den Duyts en van Baertsoen. Zijn visie is doorgaans beschouwend […] zijn 

winterlandschappen vormen dus een beduidend gedeelte zijner kunstuiting. Hij 

weet ze flink te borstelen, zonder uitslaande zwierigheid, veeleer in de stemming 

van den aanblik zelf; Hij dwingt zijn kleuren tot eerbied voor de rust die omgeeft, 

voor den weemoed die zich neerlei op menschen en voorwerpen, op gevels en 

waterspiegels, die van uit de grauwe hemelvout op het aardrijk komen vallen. A. De 

Cuyper bemint deze stille uren, en zijn liefde spreekt uit zijn taferelen”

The old port of Gent in the snow 

Oil on canvas 

100,5 x 120 cm 

Signed bottom right ‘A. De 

Cuyper’

Herman de Fierlant (Antwerpen 1835 - Lyon 1872) 

La Serenata Romana, 1864 

Patinated bronze 

Height: 46 cm, base: 34 x 21 cm 

Signed at the side of the base ‘H. de Fierlant / Roma / 1864’ 

Titled on the front of the base rim 

With foundry mark at the side of the base ‘Ste anonyme des Bronzes Bruxelles’ 

Herman de Fierlant (also known as de Fierlandt), was formed in the workshop of 

sculptor Charles Henri Geerts in Leuven. His classical formation prepared him for 

the production of portrait busts and religious sculptures. However the young artist 

decided to go to Rome to further his career. Unfortunately very little is known on his 

stay there and we do not know when, why and for how long he has been living in 

Rome. His early death in Lyon might suggest that the sculptor lived abroad at that 

time. 

The present sculpture is a rare and early example of Belgian genre sculpture from 

the 1860’s. Its composition and finish point to an accomplished sculptor, confident 

in his art and trying to bring something new to the stereotype Belgian sculpture of 

that period. 

Hardly any sculptures are known to have survived to this day. The University of 

Leuven possesses a plaster bust, while a Christ figure is kept in the St-Michaels 

church and a high relief is in the collection of St-Peters church, both in Leuven.

Jean Delvin (Gent 1853 - 1922) 

Study for Corrida, ca. 1909 

Charcoal on paper 

21,5 x 19,5 cm (day measure) 

Marked with the workshop stamp ‘Atelier Delvin’ bottom right 

This drawing is a preliminary study for the 

drawing ‘Corrida’ from 1909, now in the 

Museum of fine Arts Ghent collection, inv. No. 

1921-AR, which was given by Jean Delvin to 

the museum. 

Bull fighting was one of the most important 

themes of Delvin’s work. It encompassed for 

him the struggle of life, the Eros-Thanatos 

principle and with all its ceremonial pump 

and stylised choreography suited him for 

making elaborate compositions in a dared 

colourful palette. The expression of movement and force were present in the 

corrida scenes, whilst the silence and static 

anticipation before – and the fatigue and 

resigning after defeat were subjects for 

contemplative and hieratic compositions.

Man and horse, seen from the back (study) 

Oil on panel 

41 x 36,5 cm 

Signed ‘J Delvin’ top right 

The painting shows another of Delvin’s favourite subjects: horses. The use of colour 

and the still reasonably flat application of paint leads us to think that this work 

must be painted before 1900. It could even be painted in the late 1880’s considering 

its parentage to the realist school. As always Delvin is a master composer, and 

here again he renders the horse beautifully. The use of colour is very modern and 

similar to the early palette of Gustave Vanaise. Both artists were founding 

members of ‘Les XX’.

Julius De Praetere (Gent 1879 – Basel (Zwitserland) 1947) 

Cruche avec fleurs 

Oil on canvas 

81,5 x 65,5 cm 

Signed bottom left ‘Prater’ 

Considered as one of the founders of modern bibliophile edition, De Praetere was 

actually formed as a painter at the Ghent Academy. However painting became a 

pastime during his years as a director at the art schools of Krefeld, Zürich and 

Basel. 

In the beginning of the 1920’s, De Praetere feels the urge to start painting again. His 

work is typical of the 1920’s figurative style of the ‘Ecole de Paris’ and the more 

conservative wing of the Flemish Expressionists. Using the ‘nom de plume’ Prater, he 

painted still lives, flower paintings and nudes. His style is bold, with large and broad 

brush strokes.

In

Gustave De Smet (Gent 1877-Deurle 1943) 

Farm with haystack, 1914 

Gouache on paper 

35 x 47 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right ‘Gustave De Smet / 1914’ 

Provenance: private collection, Ghent 

This work is sold with a certificate by Mr. Piet Boyens 

It is no exaggeration to state that the young Gust De Smet was greatly influenced 

by the teachings of Jean Delvin, director of the Ghent Academy. He encouraged his 

students to study modern art, without losing sight of the ‘classics’ and brought 

them into contact with the avant-garde art of the moment. Under his influence, De 

Smet quickly evolved from a symbolist towards a native impressionist style. The 

influence of the luminism of Emile Claus and of course of his brother Leon De Smet, 

led the artist to making colourful , even vivid impressionist works between 1905 and 

1909. After a ‘flirt’ with fauvism around 1910-12, De Smet came under the influence 

of the non-compromising style of painting practised by Alfons Dessenis and Albert 

Servaes in St-Martens-Latem. De Smet began to distance himself from 

Impressionism. Searching for structure, possibly under the influence of Servaes, and 

working with broad coloured surfaces instead of an impressionist touch, the artist 

unconsciously prepared his transition to expressionism, which fully developed 

during his exile in the Netherlands.

Jules De Sutter (Gent 1895 - Sint-Martens-Latem 1970) 

The girl in white, 1928 


61 x 43 cm 

Signed and dated bottom left ‘Desutter / 28’ 

Provenance: Albert Saverys 

Thence by descent, Art market Brussels 

Jules De Sutter studied at the Ghent Academy, where he later became a teacher. 

He was impressed by Gust De Smet and Frits Van den Berghe’s translation of the 

new artistic ideas originating in France and Germany, crystallizing into a powerful 

and highly personal expressionist style. Jules had a long standing friendship with 

Gust De Smet, of whom he made a beautiful portrait in 1928. At that point in time, 

De Sutter’s expressionist style is to be situated between the styles of Van den 

Berghe and De Smet. 

In 1925 and 1928 the Brussels "Le Centaure" gallery showed De Sutter’s work. His 

works are discussed by critics in particular in 1928 and he is regarded as one of the 

most interesting young expressionists. The daring and experimental works from this 

period owe tribute to De Smet and Van den Berghe, but De Sutter adds his own 

narrative and symbolism. 

Works from this period are extremely rare, to present we are only aware of a 

handful of paintings and works on paper from the years '25 -'28, several of which 

are to be found in museum collections. The work shown here belonged to the 

collection of painter Albert Saverys, another close friend of Jules De Sutter, and 

remained in family ownership until recently.

Still Life with apples 



Signed bottom left ‘Desutter’ 


As often, the still life enables the artist to experiment. In this bold still life, probably 

made in the 1930’s, De Sutter leaves an exact rendering of reality behind in favour 

of a composition built with geometric forms and colour fields. This painting borders 

on the abstract, the apples being the only ‘realistic’ element in the painting.

Godefroid Devreese (Kortrijk 1861 – Brussels 1941) 

Le Pêcheur de La Panne, before 1900 


Height 39,5 cm 

Signed on the back corner of the base ‘G 

Devreese’ 

With foundry mark on the side of the base ‘Fonrie Nalle des Bronzes / J Petermann 

St Gilles Bruxelles’ 

This sculpture by Devreese shows that like many of his contemporaries, he was 

sensible to the social developments of his time. As Meunier, Ensor and Léon Frédéric 

to name but a few, Devreese sought to depict this fisherman in a realist manner, 

without romanticising the harsh life of his model. The style of this sculpture is 

undoubtedly influenced by Meunier and is almost the opposite of the opulent art 

nouveau sculptures by Devreese, such as Thaïs. 

Devreese must have found this sculpture to be important in his oeuvre as he 

donated a cast to the Musée du Luxembourg in 1900. It is now kept in the collection 

of the Musée d’Orsay (in. no RF 3205). The cast we present here must be from 

about the same period as the Orsay cast, as it bears the foundry mark of 

Petermann.

Anna De Weert (Gent 1867- 1950) 

Anna De Weert was one of Belgium’s most important female native impressionist or 

luminist painters. Not only was she a very good artist, she also relentlessly defended 

the cause of female artists in Belgium and abroad. 

Often regarded as a pupil of Emile Claus, Anna De Weert only went to study with 

Claus for a couple of weeks during two summers. Her two uncles, Felix and Alfons 

Cogen, along with Armand Heins, Gustave Den Duyts and Désiré De Keghel were her 

true teachers in the beginning of her artistic career. The summers with Claus 

(between 1893 and 1895) are to be seen as master classes, where De Weert, who 

was already painting impressionist works, could finetune her art. 

De Weert was also a keen gardener, trying to keep a garden with flowers the whole 

year through. Flowers were always depicted in her work and the artist especially 

made many drawings in pencil, coloured pencil or watercolour of flowers. Most of 

them were made at the end of her career, as it became physically to demanding to 

paint in oils. De Weert made small scale coloured pencil drawings of flowers from 

her garden or that were given to her as a present. As studies, these drawings are 

almost always unsigned, but often the artist made notes next to the motif and dated 

the drawings . 

However it is very rare to find a collection of drawings form the earlier years of her 

career. The eldest drawing that we show here dates from 1899, we have several 

drawings from 1903 and one of 1917. The detail of these studies is stunning and 

reminds us of the plates of artist and botanist Pierre-Joseph Redouté, although they 

clearly show their affinity to art nouveau and luminism.

Sparaxis, Afsnee, May 1899 

Pencil on paper 

15,5 x 24 cm (day measure) 

Inscribed, dated and localised by the artist bottom right ‘Sparaxis / Mei 1899 / (4 / 

Afsnee’ 

Provenance: Private collection

Angraecum Sesquipedale, March 1903 

Ink and pastel (?) on paper 


Inscribed and dated by the artist bottom right ‘Angraecum Sesquipedale / Maart 

1903’ 


Angraecum Sesquipedale, ca. March 1903 

Ink and pastel (?) on paper 


Inscribed by the artist bottom left ‘Angraecum Sesquipedale’ 


Study of orchids 



Inscribed by the artist bottom centre ‘rose un peu mauve / milieu jaune pale / tiges 

et [?] vert jaune très clair’’ 


Study of orchids, April 1903 

Pencil and pastel on paper 


Dated by the artist bottom right ‘April 1903’ 


Potiron, fleur femelle, 1917 



Inscribed and dated by the artist bottom left ‘Potiron / fleur femelle / 1917’ 


Charles Doudelet (Lille 1861 – Gent 1938) 

Charles Doudelet is one of the most important symbolist illustrators of his 

generation. The present collection of works shows the talent of the artist from his 

early formative years to the lesser known work he made in the 1920’s and 1930’s. We 

show them below chronologically. 

Currently a retrospective exhibition of the artist is taking place at the Musée Rops in 

Namur, which features one of the work that follow below: ‘The Emmaus 

appearance’ from 1932. This drawing, together with another drawing, are part of a 

large project that Doudelet envisaged around the life of Jesus Christ. A third 

drawing we exhibit, the baptism of Christ, belongs to a series around the life of St- 

John the Baptist.

Fragment du tableau ‘Les enfants de Charles 1 er d’Angletère par 

Van Dyck, ca. 1887 

Ink on paper 


Signed and description bottom right 

This drawing was made during the first stay of Doudelet in Italy, and probably 

copied while in the Galleria Sabauda in Torino. A detailed rendering of the painting 

in ink is typical of the early drawings by Doudelet

Beatrijs, 1901 

Book, this copy numbered 56 (out of 250) 

29 x 23,5 cm 

Bound with a later hard cover, original 

soft covers preserved. 

Considered by many to be one of the 

most beautiful and important books 

made in Belgium at the turn of the 

century. Conceived as a medieval ‘Block 

book’, Doudelet made each page into a 

jewel of book illustration. 

The book was made with a text provided by Hendrik De Marez (1870-1906), one of 

the central figures in the revival of gothic-symbolist-mystic legends and stories at 

the end of the 19 th century. De Marez had a huge influence on Doudelet and the 

symbolist movement in Gent. Unfortunately this writer, art critic, poet and historian 

died very young and is now almost forgotten.

Doudelet drew the illustrations on woodblocks which were then carved by master 

carver Eduard Pellens from Antwerp. 

In total only 250 copies of this book were made. This copy has a later hard cover, 

but with the original soft covers preserved.

Illustrations for Douze Chansons by Maurice Maeterlinck. 

« J'ai lu Maeterlinck, j'ai vu son œuvre puissant; j'ai donné une forme réelle à 

ce qu'avait fait deviner Maeterlinck. Ai-je réussi oui ou non? Je ne veux retenir qu'un 

hommage rendu à mes efforts qui outrepasse tous les autres et efface les 

sarcasmes dont j'ai été abreuvé: le jeune littérateur lui-même s'est montré satisfait. 

Tout est simple dans ma manière de rendre la pensée du poète; peu ou pas de 

meubles dans mes intérieurs, rien d'inutile dans mes paysages. Un lit seul, une 

table isolée, une chaise sans compagne, une plante, un arbre, un rocher s'y 

trouvent. Mais c'est qu'alors ils sont nécessaires. Alors ils dominent, attirent les 

regards, parlent, dévoilent complètement dans toute son étendue la raison de leur 

présence et provoquent la sensation voulue. 

N'est-ce pas la méthode de Maeterlinck qui, dans l'Intruse, fait parler tous les objets 

et, par leur agencement, parvient à l'effet final de la pièce? 

La ligne de mes dessins n'est ni romane, ni gothique; elle se ressent de l'époque 

primitive, mais cependant est créée. Les maisons basses et profondes, les fenêtres 

coupées, les dalles des corridors et les détails les accessoires de ces dessins 

évoquent à l'esprit l'idée de l'au 

delà. 

Dans le poème, dans la 

chanson, Maeterlinck cherchait 

cette sensation, je l'ai 

précisée. » 

Charles Doudelet, 1896

‘Les trois soeurs aveugles’ 

Coloured zincography 


Signed ‘Charles Doudelet’ bottom right

‘J’ai cherché trente ans, mes sœurs’ 



Signed ‘Karel Doudelet’ bottom right

‘Elle avait trois couronnes d’or’ 




‘Vous avez allumé les lampes’ 


22 x 28 cm (day measure)

‘Elle l’enchaîna dans une grotte’ 




L’Attente, before 1915 

Oil on prepared cardboard 

24 x 33 cm 

Signed bottom right ‘Charles Doudelet’ 

Provenance: Collection André Vyncke (acquired directly from the artist) 


Exhibitions : Società Leonardo de Vinci, Firenze, 1915 

Sala dell'Associazione Artistica Internazionale, Roma, 1916, cat; no 40 

Group Exhibition, Kunst- en Letterkundige Kring, Gent, 1927 

The title of this work refers directly to Maurice Maeterlinck. Mr. Jan Boddaert 

suggests that this painting could be related to a design for a theatre setting, and 

according to him is to be dated earlier than its first exhibition in Italy in 1915. 

The work is similar to the ‘Douze Chansons’ illustrations, with the same 

checkerboard floors, low ceilings, and peculiar doors. As in the work of Maeterlinck, 

the action seems to be played out outside. Interestingly Doudelet changed the 

pose of the central figures lightly, as can be seen now by the ‘repentir’ halo around 

the figures. 

André Vyncke was one of the most important art dealers of his generation. He 

befriended Doudelet and held solo exhibitions of the artist in his gallery in 1932 and 

1934.

‘100 Vlaamsche spreekwoorden’ 

In 1925 Doudelet left fascist Italy and came back to live in Gent. He immediately 

contacted editors to get some of his work published. He contacted Eugène De Bock 

from De Sikkel to edit his book on ‘100 Vlaamsche Spreekwoorden’. 100 proverbs 

were to be illustrated by the artist, who got most of his inspiration for the 

illustrations by consulting old books, sometimes from the 17 th century. 

Doudelet made his drawings in black and white, to try to minimise printing costs. 

The artist would then hand colour the prints on demand. This seems to have been 

problematic for the editor who wanted to make a book with colour illustrations. This 

was probably the reason why the book never was edited The present drawings in 

ink, the originals for the book project, originate from the collection of writer and art 

critic Jef Crick (1890-1965), a good friend of Doudelet, who often tried to help the 

artist financially by mediated between the artist and potential buyers of his work or 

trying to get state grants for Doudelet. 

.

In het land der blinden is éénoog Koning, ca. 1925 

Ink and pencil on paper 

23,5 x 17 cm 

Signed in pencil bottom right “K. Doudelet” 

With title and inscription in pencil ‘De Vlaamse Volksprenten in Beeld’ 

Provenance: collection Jef Crick (gift from the artist), thence by descent

Veel handen maken het werk licht, ca. 1925 

Ink and pencil on paper, mounted on cardboard 

23,5 x 16 cm (cardboard) 


With title in pencil bottom centre 


De Wereld springt op krukken, ca. 1925 


25 x 20,5 cm 


With title in pencil bottom centre. Number ‘90’ in blue pencil top right corner 


Groote lantaarn met een Klein licht, ca. 1925 


23 x 16,3 cm (cardboard) 


With title in pencil bottom centre 


Verkeerd verstaan doet verkeerd handelen, ca. 1925 


23,2 x 16,9 cm 

Signed in pencil bottom right “Karel Doudelet” 

With title in pencil bottom right 


Om der wille van het smeer, likt de Kat de kandeleer, ca. 1925 


22,5 x 15,5 cm (cardboard) 


With title in pencil bottom left 


Men blijft maar een jaar Kalf, maar men blijft altijd Ezel, ca. 1925 


24 x 16,6 cm (cardboard) 


With title and inscription in pencil ‘De Vlaamse Volksprenten in Beeld’ bottom left 

and centre 


Yzerkuis, ca. 1930 


23,5 x 17 cm 

Signed with the monogram in ink bottom left ‘KD’ interlaced 

With title in pencil at the back 

Provenance: collection Jef Crick (gift from the artist), thence by descent 

This drawing in ink belonged to Jef Crick, but is not part of the series of the ‘Flemish 

Proverbs’. A detailed drawing, with an overt political message, which reminds us of 

the early work by the artist. Could this have been a commissioned drawing? 

The drawing depicts the large bell ‘Nele’, also called ‘The Heart of Flanders’ which is 

carried towards the ‘Ijzertoren’ by skeletons pushing a cart, whilst an ecstatic crowd 

jubilates. The inauguration of the 1200 kgs weighing bell happened at the eleventh 

‘Ijzerbedevaart’ on the 24 th of August 1930. This particular pilgrimage was later 

named ‘de grote stormloop’ (the great stampede) as there were a lot of incidents 

with the police and right wing protestors. The grim atmosphere is made clearly 

visible in this drawing.

The Baptism of Christ, ca. 1932 



Signed bottom right

The good shepherd, 1932 

Ink on paper 


Signed and dated bottom right

The Emmaus appearance, 1932 

Ink on paper 


Signed and dated bottom right 


Les Portes d’Or - Charles Doudelet et le symbolisme, Namur, Musée 

Félicien Rops, 22/10 – 05/03/2023

Maurice Dupuis (Gent 1882 -1959) 

Paris, Hôtel de Rennes, avenue de Clichy, 1921 

Oil on panel 

12,2 x 19 cm 

Signed, localised, titled and dated at the back ‘MDupuis / Paris 1921 / Hotel de 

Rennes / Avenue de Clichy’ in red paint. 

With the round workshop stamp ‘Atelier Maurice Dupuis’ top left at the back. 

Provenance: atelier Maurice Dupuis 

Private collection, Gent 

Maurice Dupuis’ Parisian views are considered to be his best works. Following in the 

footsteps of his great example Henri Evenepoel, Dupuis went to stay in Paris during 

the ‘Roaring Twenties’., to study at the ‘Académie Colarossi’. It is remarkable that 

Dupuis did not succumb to the ‘Ecole de Paris’ style of painting like most of the 

young painters working in Paris at that time. Instead he studied the work of the 

older generations, of old masters and the first impressionists to further develop his 

style. We see the influence of Evenepoel in his work but also of the 17 th century 

Flemish painters, in his use of subdued colours and small formats. 

In the retrospective exhibition of the work of Dupuis at the Ghent Museum of Fine 

Arts in 1982, 3 views of the Avenue de Clichy, where Dupuis stayed during his 

Parisian stint, were shown. 

This work also bears the ‘Atelier Maurice Dupuis’ stamp on the back, but is 

unrecorded in the sales catalogue of 1960.

Fontaine 

A Belgian Garde-Civique, ca. 1900 

Patinated bronze on the original ‘Noir de Mazy’ base 

50,5 x 19,5 x 19,5 cm (with base) 

Signed on the bronze base at the left foot ‘Fontaine’ 

With round foundry mark set Into the bottom of the marble base ‘Fabrique de 

Bronzes / L. Vandonck / Bruxelles’ 

This sculpture raises more questions than it answers. Signed only with the last 

name of the sculptor, we can not identify him. It could be Charles Fontaine 

(according to Piron not the Charles from Spa (1865-1937)) or Gerard Fontaine 

(Geraardsbergen ° 1880). It could also be an anonymous sculptor working for the 

‘Fabrique de Bronzes L. Vandonck’. This company, or at least its shop, was located 

at 95, Rue Pachéco, Bruxelles and participated at the Brussels World Exhibition of 

1910.

Louis François Geens (Gent 1835 - 1906) 

Campagne Franco-Prussienne, 1882 

Oil on canvas 

60,5 x 50,5 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right ‘Louis Geens 1882’ 

Inscribed, signed and dated at the back of the canvas. 

Louis Geens specialised in the depiction of military subjects, mostly from the 

second half of the 19 th century. A lot of his paintings had the Franco-German War of 

1870 as a subject. This painting is a typical example of his style, in which a thorough 

realism of the figures and their uniforms is striking. Geens was also an 

accomplished photographer and it seems likely that he used photographs to 

compose his paintings.

Emile Gilioli (Paris 1911 - 1977) 

Tête 



Signed bottom right ‘Gilioli’ 

Provenance: Galerie Veranneman, Brussel, inv. No 213 

Important private collection, bought from the above in the 1970’s 

De Vuyst, Lokeren 

Private collection, St-Martens-Latem 

Although Gilioli is known for his sculptures, his drawings are equally important in his 

oeuvre. Giglioli was a superb draughtsman and made both figurative and abstract 

works. In this drawing, which belongs to his famous ‘Têtes’ series, it is as though 

abstract line wants to cancel figuration. The lines part in every direction, having us 

focus on the eyes of the head and not on the face.

Jozef Horenbant (Gent 1863 - 1956) 

The Fish market in Bruges 

Oil on canvas 

95 x 126 cm 

Signed bottom right ‘J. Horenbant’ 

The work is framed in the original frame by the firm of Leclercq, Gent 

Starting as a follower of Bastien-Lepage, Horenbant evolved from a realistimpressionist 

style towards a singular interpretation of impressionism. 

Instead of painting in vivid colours, the artist tried to emulate the deep tones 

of old master painting, whilst keeping true to impressionist painting 

techniques. 

One of his favourite subjects were the markets in Bruges (his parents were 

both born in Bruges). This painting shows the fish market and, although not 

dated, must be painted before the 1930’s. Horenbant succeeds in painting 

the movements of the crowd and sellers in the dim lit market stalls.

Domien Ingels (Gent 1881 – Bachte-Maria-Leerne 1946) 

Steigerende Hengst (Prancing Stallion), 1924 

Patinated bronze on the original marble base 

83 x 47 x 45 cm 

Signed on the bronze base ‘Dom Ingels’ 

Foundry mark of ‘Fonderie / Vindevogel’ on the bronze base 

This cast dates from ca. 1924-1925 

Provenance: Van de Putte, Gentbrugge 

private collection (acquired from the above) 

Bibliography: Van Beugem Is., Domien Ingels, Tielt, Joris Lannoo, 1927, p. 58 and with an 

illustration of this cast 

Le 43e Salon Triennal à Gand 1925 in Gand Artistique, 4e année, Juin 1925, n° 6, 

s.p. with an illustration of this cast. 

Exhibitions: XLVe Exposition Salon de 1933 – XLVe Tentoonstelling Salon van 1933, Gand – 

Gent, Palais des Fêtes – Feestpaleis, 1933, cat. nr. 699 ‘Etalon se cabrant 

(bronze)’ – ‘steigerende hengst (brons)’ (this cast or another cast) 

43 e Exposition Triennale de Gand, Palais de Fêtes, 7/06-2/08/1925, p. 94, Cat. 

nr. 491 ‘Etalon se dressant’ (probably this cast) 

The Prancing Stallion of 1924 is one of the most impressive bronzes 

conceived by Domien Ingels. Whereas the earliest depictions of horses were 

very static, from the beginning of the 1920’s onwards Ingels tried to bring 

movement into his sculptures. The composition is one of the best results of 

the artist’s quest in this respect.

The subject depicted in this bronze presents a very suggestive image and 

evokes interpretations like the forces of nature who unleash their powers 

upon men, or reason (men) leading and dominating force or emotion 

(stallion). Apollo and Dionysus in a relentless struggle. 

Isidore Van Beugem describes this sculpture as an example of the recurring 

predilection for the baroque style in Flemish art: 

“Door-en-door Vlaamsch, krachtig, geweldig, massaal als een 

Rubens” 

and goes on to describe the sculpture itself: 

“Een merrie wacht ter springbalie… De paardenknechten leiden 

den gichtigen hengst naar de balie; ’t zotte geweld slaat op; een 

snok aan de leikoorden; gekets over de kasseisteenen met 

gensterregen, gevloek; een wild-bronstig wrenschen en als een 

rots verheft de kolos zich op de achterpooten. Manen schudden; 

spieren bollen en ontspannen; de ogen glariën; de neusranden 

trillen in jacht als stoompijpen; de voorpoten gaan als 

reuzenmokers op en neer. En twee menschen, vormend één leven 

met het uitgebeelde dier-leven, staan er klein, wanhopig-klein. […] ”

At the time this book was written, only two casts of this sculpture were 

executed in bronze. It was this cast, in a photograph taken at an unidentified 

exhibition of the work of Ingels, possibly at an exhibition in Antwerp in 1925, 

that was chosen to illustrate the model. This photograph was also used in 

the Gand Artistique number of June 1925, which means that our cast was 

executed between 1924 and June 1925. The bronze was cast at the 

Vindevogel foundry in Zwijnaarde and bears their mark on the base of the 

sculpture. The red marble base is original and helped us identify the cast as 

the cast illustrated in the monography on the artist of 1927.

Floris Jespers (Antwerpen 1889 – 1965) 

African man, 1951 

Watercolour on paper 


Signed and dated bottom left ‘Jespers / 51’ 

Provenance: 


A fine watercolour from the first year Jespers went to Congo. Still embedded in the 

modernist language, the drawing already shows African influence in the use of 

colour.

Marie Antoinette Marcotte (Troyes 1867 – Paris 1929) 

Portrait of a farmers’ girl 

Oil on canvas 

24,5 x 22,5 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right ‘M.A. Marcotte’ 

Provenance: 


Marie-Antoinette Marcotte went to live in Antwerp when she was only three 

years old. She studied with Jules Lefèbvre in Paris for five months but 

completed het studies at the Brussels Academy between 1889-1891. 

Marcotte went on to follow some summer courses with Emile Claus whom 

she considered her master. Like Claus her work is radiant and she uses an 

impressionist painting technique. Known for her paintings of flowers in 

greenhouses, Marcotte was also an accomplished painter of figures, often 

girls which were painted in rural settings. Works of the artist belong to the 

Ghent Museum of fine Arts and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp.

George Minne (Gent 1866 – Sint-Martens-Latem 1941) 

Fallen Christ, ca. 1900-1910 



Signed lower right 

Provenance: 

Family of the artist 

Paul Eeckhout, Gent (acquired from the above) 

Private collection (by descent) 

During his career, George Minne envisaged several times to depict scenes from the 

Stations of the Cross or as it is aptly called in English the Way of Sorrows. We know 

he made sketches and drawings on small and large formats, dating from around 

1898-1900. It is not clear if the artist intended to sculpt these scenes. 

The small drawing we have here is undated. The precise drawing technique, the 

stylized movements and the signature all point to an early execution of the work, 

before 1914. The drawing bears some similarities with a study for a monument (cat. 

91 in the George Minne catalogue of 1982) which is dated 1898-1900. Also the angle 

of the elbow is reminiscent of the pose of the Bathing woman of 1899, while the 

drapery covering Christ is similar to the way the first Rodenbach monument was 

conceived, which was also in 1899. 

This drawing belonged to the personal collection of Paul Eeckhout (1917-2012), 

director of the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent from 1948 to 1982. Eeckhout was 

instrumental in recognizing the importance of George Minne for the development 

of European symbolism and expressionism and his international influence on the 

avantgarde of the beginning of the 20 th century.

Pieta, ca. 1920 

Charcoal on wood 

88 x 57 cm (irregular) 

Signed bottom right 

Exhibition: IIde Salon voor Moderne Godsdienstige Kunst, Antwerpen, 101/12/1921- 

03/01/1922 as “Reeks D: Christus in de armen of op de schoot van Maria 

– 9 tekeningen – Nr. 1 (behoort toe aan dhr. M. Speth) 

XIII Esposizione Internatzionale d’Arte della Città di Venezia 1922, 

Padiglione del Belgio, n° 74 as «Cristo sulle ginocchia della Madre 

(disegno su legno f) belonging to Speth 

Provenance: 

Collection Maurice Speth, Antwerp (acquired from the artist) 

Art market, Belgium 

Galerie Patrick Derom, Tefaf Maastricht, 2010 

Private collection, Germany (acquired from the above) 

Sale Grisebach, Berlin, 10/07/2020, lot n° 1680 

As most sculptors, George Minne was an avid draughtsman. We must not forget 

that the artist has initially trained to become a painter. Minne has never 

abandoned the two dimensional surface, and most sculptures were conceived 

after a lengthy designing process on paper. Furthermore, when in doubt or in 

periods of emotional distress, for instance when the artist was in exile in Wales 

during WW I, Minne has always turned to drawing as a means to expressing 

himself. 

Most drawings that survive are sketches. They are small and rarely signed by the 

artist. Then there are the more finished drawings on medium format, of which

some were conceived as works of art in their own right. Large drawings are rare, 

and were to the artist as important as his sculptures. They were often shown side 

by side.

Due to the fact that Minne had the tendency to work on poor quality paper – even 

sometimes wrapping paper – much of his body of drawings has been 

deteriorated, resulting in poor condition of the drawings and a substantial 

alteration of the viewing experience we now have of the works. As his friend and 

critic Georges Chabot wrote: 

« George Minne éprouve quelque gêne devant le papier immaculé […] il crée 

sur ce qui lui tombe sous la main : vieux papiers, circulaires […] » 

Only the drawings Minne made on Eternit plaques (these unfortunately contain 

asbestos) and on wood have been preserved in an almost unaltered state. But 

alas, these works are extremely rare. 

The Pieta on wood of 1920 

This drawing was probably shown for the first time at an exhibition on modern 

religious art in Antwerp. The drawings by Minne were shown in two rooms, and the 

38 drawings were shown in groups (A, B,C and D). This drawing, the only one 

belonging to Speth, was shown in the group D as n°1. 

A contemporary account by Eugène Joors described the drawings being executed 

on yellowish paper or on rough pine wood (“blokken raw wit hout”). Unfortunately 

the catalogue doesn’t state the media used, so it is unclear as to how many 

drawings were executed on wood. However if we compare it to the Biennale show 

in Venice about 4 months later, and which featured several drawings which were 

shown in Antwerp, we see that out of the 13 drawings shown, only 2 were on wood. 

The Minne drawings were praised for their expressivity and simplicity. Overall 

authors and critics talk about the conveying of feelings of pain and loss but also of 

hope and love. As Georges Chabot wrote in the magazine Gand Artistique in 1922:

« […] George Minne cherche de la Pieta une version qui le satisfasse. Le corps 

du Christ repose dans la bure de sa mère, comme dans un berceau, 

comme dans un linceul. L’unité des masses répond à l’unité des êtres. Le 

groupe passe, flotte, erre dans l’éther, comme une vision […] L’ombre de la 

douleur voile encore le visage de la Mater dolorosa alors que la face du 

Jésus repose déjà dans la lumière céleste. La majesté de la mort se trouve 

rendue sans horreur. Les lignes funèbres, les lignes aux lents accents, les 

lignes classiquement irrévocables exprimaient déjà, à elles seules, tout le 

sujet […] »

Chabot does not see these drawings as an expression of the Christian Faith only 

but as an expression of spiritual values, close to the heart of the artist. 

In the drawings of the 1920’s, Minne finds a mode of expression that is again 

relevant to the modern art movement of that period. After a period of extreme 

mannerism, the artist comes to a very strong and simplified language close to 

what we see in the expressionist drawings of Albert Servaes or Oscar Colbrandt of 

the same period. Through the making of these expressionist drawings, Minne 

enables himself to reinvent his art and so finds a new way to reinvigorate his 

sculptural work, culminating in new work from the 1930’s onwards. 

Identifying the Minne drawings is very difficult as the artist always worked in series. 

The Venice Biennale label at the back of this work, helps us to identify both the 

drawing and its possible owner. 

Minne showed 13 drawings at Biennale of 1922. Of those, 6 are titled “Cristo sulle 

ginocchia della Madre” (Christ on the knees of the Virgin Mary) and 2 titled “Pietà”. 

Thus our drawing has to be one of these 8. Of these drawings, according to the 

catalogue, only 1 is drawn on wood: number 74, from the Maurice Speth collection. 

However, in his article on the Venice Biennale of 1922: “L’Art Belge à Venise”, the 

author Arthur Laes shows a drawing of a “Pietà” by Minne on p. 7 (bottom), 

apparently from the Maurice Speth collection, which is not our drawing and which 

is drawn on paper. It is our belief that, seeing that the title of this illustrated drawing 

differs from the title of number 74 in the catalogue, and bearing in mind that this 

drawing is a charcoal on paper drawing, this has to be another drawing from the 

Speth collection, and that our drawing on wood is the number 74 of the Venice 

Biennale catalogue. Speth was also known to buy several works of one artist for his 

collection, and he had several drawings and sculptures by Minne, so it is very likely 

that he had more than one drawing of his collection on show at the Biennale. 

Last but not least, in reviewing the Minne participation, Arthus Laes writes an 

interesting comment:

« George Minne, le chef de cette école, montre une nombreuse série de 

Pietà et de Christ. […] Il ne traite plus que trois sujets, inlassablement : le 

Christ, la Pietà et la Vierge et l’Enfant, mais il en tire des chefs-d’œuvre 

atteignant au sublime. La forme,

le sentiment, tout est épuré, spiritualisé. C’est le pur langage de l’âme. D’un 

caractère plastique, sculptural, d’un style sobre et large, l’art de Minne 

rejoint celui des maîtres imagiers de nos cathédrales, mais plus subjectif, il 

est de nos temps modernes. L’ensemble de George Minne a produit chez les 

artistes italiens une impression profonde » 

The original owner of the drawing was Maurice Speth (°1887), son of Frédéric Speth. 

Both were chairmen of the American Petroleum Company S.A.B in Antwerp. Maurice 

Speth was an important collector and an important member of the ‘Kunst Van 

Heden’ initiative in Antwerp. He was one of the first collectors that believed in the 

genius of James Ensor of whom he had a large collection and who was a personal 

friend. Speth made a large donation to the city of Boom with monumental 

sculptures of Rik Wouters, George Minne and Ernest Weynants. He also supported 

young artists (o.a. Jos Léonard, the brothers Jepers and Paul Van Ostajien). 

Unfortunately Maurice Speth died with his wife in a car crash in 1938.

Still life, ca. 1945-1949 

Oil on canvas 

59 x 89 cm 

Numbered ‘26’ at the back of the stretcher 

Provenance: Vereniging voor het Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst (gift from the 

artist) 

private collection (acquired from the above in the 1970’s)

Philippe Morel (de Boucle Saint-Denis) (Gent 1897 - 1965) 

Philippe Morel, now almost unknown, was a very influential Gent artist. He started 

painting in expressionist fashion and befriended Gustave and Leon De Smet, P-G 

Van Hecke and even exhibited works at the Le Centaure gallery in Brussels. After the 

war, Morel became intrigued with the work of Picasso and other Parisian painters 

like Edouard Pignon and André Fougeron. Between 1945 and 1949 Morel painted in a 

style close to, but different of, his Parisian colleagues. Morel clearly was dissolving 

figuration and was moving towards abstraction. From 1953 onwards his works 

became (almost) abstract. 

Extremely recluse, and always doubting the quality of his work, Morel never 

exhibited these works. He even destroyed most of his pre-abstract works, only 

keeping the ones that he really liked, rolled up in his studio. It is only after his death 

in 1965, that these works resurfaced and were put onto stretchers by the 

‘Vereniging voor het Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst’ in Gent, to whom he 

bequeathed his whole oeuvre. The association gave most of the works to the 

S.M.A.K. (Museum of Contemporary Art of Gent) after holding a number of 

exhibitions in the 1970’s, where a few works were sold to collectors. This collection of 

5 works by Morel is a rarity: not only are works by Morel almost non-existent on the 

art market, pre-abstract works are even rarer. To be able to show 5 works side to 

side is really exceptional. Similar works from 1945-1949 by Morel are in the collection 

of the S.M.A.K. and are also unsigned. According to Karel J. Geirlandt: 

“Na de oorlog opteerde hij voor de kleurrijke door Picasso beïnvloede Parjise school 

[…] Buiten enkele vrienden herinnert zich niemand deze werken gezien te hebben, 

die men na zijn dood, opgerold en ongetekend teruggevonden heeft”.

The Seated woman, ca. 1945-1949 

Oil on canvas 

109,5 x 69 cm 

Marked with the studio stamp on the stretcher at the back 

Numbered ‘15’ at the back of the stretcher 

Provenance: Vereniging voor het Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst (gift from the 

artist) 

private collection (acquired from the above in the 1970’s)

Abstract composition, 1965 

Oil on canvas 

Signed bottom right 

Dated on the back of the stretcher ‘2 - 65’ for February 1965 

80,5 x 95,5 cm 

Provenance: Jean Van Nieuwenhuyse, painter (1900-1980) 

Private collection

George Morren (Antwerp 1868 – Brussels 1941) 

Inkwell, 1895 

Pewter 

Dimensions: 10,3 x 18,6 x 12,6 cm 

Signed at the side ‘G Morren” and dated ‘95’. 

Foundry mark ‘J Petermann fondeur / Bruxelles’ at the side 


La Libre Esthétique 2me Salon, Bruxelles, 23/02-01/04/1895, (hors 

catalogue), sold for the amount of 125,- frcs. 

Provenance: Private collection 

Bibliography: 

Calabrese T., George Morren 1868-1941, Antwerpen, Pandora, s.d. 

(2000?), p. 63, p. 65 (ill. of a bronze cast) & p. 216 cat. rais. Nr. 39 

X, La Libre Esthétique, quatrième liste d’acquisitions in L’Art 

Moderne, Bruxelles, 24/03/1895. 

This art nouveau inkwell is one of the most iconic applied art creations of George 

Morren. A cast was first shown at the Paris Salon of 1895, where a critic compared 

the style of the sculpture to the work of Rodin. After admiring Morren’s work, Siegfried 

Bing selected the inkwell for his opening exhibition of the ‘Maison de l’Art Nouveau’ in 

Paris in 1896. The inkwell was also shown at exhibitions in Germany and at the famous 

Turin exhibition of 1902, making it one of the best documented as well as one of the 

earliest art nouveau creations. A bronze example belonged to the collection of writer 

Emile Verhaeren 

This pewter example is up to this day the only one that is known. We know that Morren 

sold a pewter cast at the La Libre Esthétique exhibition of 1895, although the inkwell 

was not in the catalogue, we know - thanks to the list of acquisitions on the exhibition

published in ‘l’Art Moderne’ – that a pewter cast was sold for 125,- frcs before the 24 th 

of March 1895. It is not unlikely that our cast is the one sold at La Libre Esthétique. 

In analogy with the production of the early art nouveau vases designed by Philippe 

Wolfers we can assume that the pewter example precedes the bronze casts. Pewter 

being cheaper and easier to cast than bronze. Wolfers used pewter in his 1895 

exhibitions where he showed new objects for the first time. The cost being lower, the 

risk of financial losses was smaller. Another possible reason could also be the 

influence of Alexandre Charpentier, known to both Wolfers and Morren, who 

frequently worked in pewter, and whose work was highly successful. 

This would also explain why the pewter cast, which we can consider as sort of a 

prototype, had a different (open) design for its ink recipients, while the bronze 

versions are closed.

Rik Poot (Vilvoorde 1924 – Jette 2006) 

Small bronze sculpture 

Bronze (in two parts) 

Height 15 cm, width 6 cm 

Signed on the sculpture ‘Poot’ 


Throughout his career, Poot has made small bronze and silver sculptures. Rik Poot 

considered them to be independent works of art, not studies. They were often cast 

as unique sculptures, as is probably the case with this sculpture,.

Henri Puvrez (Brussel 1893 – Antwerpen 1971) 

Masque, 1920 

Polished black granite 

33 x 16 x 18 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right ‘H. Puvrez 20’ 

Provenance: collection M. Crick, Brussels 

Art market Brussels 

Bibliography: Avermaete R., Henri Puvrez – Monographiëen over Belgische Kunst, 

Antwerpen, De Sikkel, 1950, p. 9 and full page illustration 8. 

Exhibition catalogue Art Deco Belgique 1920-1940, Ixelles, Musée d’Ixelles, 6/10- 

18/12/1988, p. 139 (ill) and cat. no 216 p. 250 (ill) 

Early works by Puvrez always surprise us by their uncompromising 

modernism. This example is typical of the new works the artist made in the 

1920’s, when he was exhibiting at Le Centaure. The ‘Mask’ is according to 

Robert de Bendère: 

“portrait d’un jeune homme de nos jours pour qui la guerre a été une 

étape ou une parenthèse et dont la volonté tenace est tendue 

comme un arc d’acier »

Puvrez preferred stone to clay, this way the sculpture slowly freed itself from 

the stone, making 

modelling a process of thought and skill.

Although this sculpture is illustrated in different books with slightly different 

heights, it is our belief that, when comparing the period photographs to the 

sculpture itself, it is the same sculpture that is always reproduced. Like most 

sculptures of that period, the sculpture is carved, and is probably a ‘taille 

directe’ and therefore most likely unique. Up to this day, no other version of 

‘Masque’ is known to us.

François Pycke (Gent 1890 – 1960) 

Opening night at the Capitole (Gent), 1920 

Oil on canvas 

77 x 97,5 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right’ F. Pycke 1920’ 

François Pycke was born in Ghent in 1890 and studied at Academy of Fine Arts. 

Pycke went on to win the Godecharles Prize, a prestigious award for artistic 

talent attributed every three years. The prize enabled him to travel to the south 

of Europe and North Africa. The harsh light and vivid colours were a revelation 

to him, influencing his use of colour and contrast throughout the 1920’s. These 

works are close to the experiments of the fauvist painters in Brabant. 

Contemporary critic Robert De Smet described his art in 1922 as follows: 

‘Mr. Pycke {...} a rapporté du midi l’amour de la lumière aveuglante et 

souveraine. Ce sont des coups de soleil qu’il fixe sur la toile et il excelle à faire 

chanter la pierre cuite et recuite par la chaleur italienne.’ 

Almost a year later the same critic wrote: 

‘Ce jeune artiste possède le mérite - rare parmi les peintres qui ont aujourd’hui 

moins de trente ans - de savoir faire chanter la lumière. On dit que M. F. Pycke, 

qui a apporté ses meilleures toiles d’Italie, s’apprête à cingler vers le Maroc. Nul 

doute que le ciel d’Afrique ne soit propice à celui qui semble aimer tant la 

vibration du soleil et la fanfare des couleurs’

Jules Raymaeckers (Brussel 1833 – Houffalize 1904) 

L’Aveugle d’Anseremme 

Oil on canvas 

55 x 46 cm 

Signed with the 

monogram ‘JR’ and titled 

‘l’aveugle d’Anseremme’ 

bottom left 

Jules Raymaeckers is a painter whose work we seldom find on the art market. 

Born in Brussels, he enrolled at the Academy there in 1853, but by 1854 he had 

already quit. Probably around 1860 he went to live at Tervueren with his mother. 

Raymaeckers befriended Hippolyte Boulenger (whom he probably met at the 

Brussels Academy) and Camille Van Camp and with Joseph Coosemans they 

formed the nucleus of what is called the ‘School of Tervueren’. Incidentally, it was 

Raymaeckers who coined the term, more or less as a joke, when asked to fill in an 

official document for participation at the Salon in Brussels. It was ridiculed by the 

conservative press, but the name stuck… 

Raymaeckers was also one of the founding members of the ‘Société Libre des 

Beaux-Arts’ in 1868, which can be considered as the group who introduced realism 

in Belgian Art and must be seen as the first avant-garde group of artists to take a 

stance against Academism. 

Although the early works by the artist are indebted to Millet, and still somewhat 

romantic in style, the influence of Boulenger and the other artists of the ‘Société 

Libre’ quickly altered his view on painting and Raeymaeckers’ work became much 

more modern.

At Tervueren, Raymaeckers frequented the ‘In de Vos’ inn with his artists friends. It is 

therefore no wonder that we also find him at Anseremme, where the inn ‘Au Repos 

des Artistes’ became a summer destination for realist painters and writers from the 

1860’s onwards. The most well known artist to visit Anseremme regularly was 

Félicien Rops, but the whole ‘Ecole de Tervueren’ group spent the summer there, 

along with members of the ‘Société Libre’. Verhaeren, Georges Rodenbach, Léon 

Dommartin, Charles De Coster and Eugène Demolder, to name but a few writers, 

were also frequent visitors. It was in this artists’ colony that the present work was 

painted, most probably before 1900. Later artists deserted the village, which was no 

longer as picturesque due to construction of a sluice system on the Meuse. It is a 

credit to the quality and modernity of Raymaeckers, that his work is often mistaken 

for that of Félicien Rops – created at the same period and at the same place. This 

is also the case with the present painting. There is however no doubt about its 

authorship as the monogram is clearly that of Raymaeckers and not of Rops. 

Raymaeckers left Tervueren probably around the death of his dear friend 

Boulenger and went to live in Houffalize, where he bought a house in 1885. Although 

he kept in touch with some artist friends - Charles Van der Stappen executed his 

portrait in 1895 – it seems that the artist kept to himself most of time. The very small 

number of works that survived up to this day makes it difficult to get an idea of his 

oeuvre and seems to contradict the information that the artist continued to paint. 

Probably a lot of his works got destroyed. A large and probably early work of 

Raeymackers, ‘Soir dans les Ardennes’ belongs to the collection of the Musée de 

Liège ( given by the artist in 1888), but otherwise only a handful of works are know 

today.

Leon Sarteel (Gent 1882 - 1942) 

Monument of the Cooperation, 1924 (reduction) 

Patinated plaster 

Height: 87 cm, diameter base 26,5 cm 

Signed on the front of the base ‘L. Sarteel / Gent’ 

In 1924 Sarteel was commissioned to make a monument commemorating the E.I.C.O.S. 

event in the Eeuwfeest Paleis in Gent. The sculpture proved so successful that the artist was 

asked to make a reduction. These reductions were made without the band with text around 

the globe. Alas, apparently the 3,2 m large version 

of the sculpture was destroyed.

Michel Seuphor (Antwerpen 1901 – Paris 1999) 

& Willy Anthoons (Mechelen 1911 – Paris 1982) 

Poème-Objet La Jettature, 1964 

Cherry wood, taille directe 

79 x 23,5 x 3,5 cm 

Signed by both artists, bottom right ‘Anthoons Seuphor’ 

Exhibitions: Seuphor, Haags Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag, 1977 (?), cat. nr. 129 

L’ART à la Lettre, Stavelot ; Liège, 1977 

Michel Seuphor – la traversée du siècle, Alès-en-Cevennes, musée 

bibliothèque Pierre-André Benoît, 23/101991-02/02/1992 

Will be exhibited in the retrospective Willy Anthoons at MILL (Musée 

Ianchelivici) at La Louvière from 27/01 to 14/05/2023.

Bibliography : 

M. Daloze, Willy Anthoons - l’esprit de la matière, Paris, Galerie 

ph. Samuel, 2012, p. 83 with illustration, cat. n°. 127. 

Provenance : 

collection Michel Seuphor, Paris 

In 1962, Anthoons made his first sculpture incorporating a text by Henri Chopin, a 

‘poème-objet’ or poem-object, ‘Les Bras ouverts’. In 1964 he decided to use a poem 

by his good friend Michel Seuphor and sculpted 

‘La Jettature’ in cherry wood. On 

the occasion of the exhibition ‘L'ART à la Lettre’ in Stavelot and then in Liège, the 

creator of the exhibition René Leonard wrote: "[Anthoons] carves in wood, with the 

precision of a craftsman, every letter of a poem that precisely matches the stamp 

of his spirituality with the sobriety of the image". 

The playfulness of the poem is indeed continued in the execution of the sculpture. 

Seuphor was very impressed by the sculpture which he bought for his own collection

Pour le plaisir, 20 avril 1973 

Chinese ink on paper 

67 x 51 cm 

Signed, titled and dated at the back 

Provenance: 

Collection Jan d’Haese, acquired directly from the artist. 


Seuphor : Bibliofiel Boek – Klein Ensemble, Deurle, Museum 

Dhondt-Dhaenens, 2/11/-18/11/1984. 

Bibliography: Seuphor (with catalogue raisonné), Anvers, Fonds Mercator, 1976, 

p. 293, n° 1973-60 

This drawing is a typical example of the zen-like technique Seuphor used, to make 

his drawings. Each trait is done by hand, and the image is made by negative, by 

leaving open space between the traits. As always there is an element of playfulness 

in the work by Seuphor. 

Jan D’Haese, poet, writer, gallery owner, critic, collector and artist, and Seuphor met 

for the first time in 1960. Both had a passion for the work of Guido Gezelle and Paul 

Van Ostajien. Both were poets. They continued to see each other frequently for the 

next 39 years. And Jan started collecting the work of his friend. 

He did not stop there. D’Haese became active in the organisation of shows in 

Belgium and as an art critic, started to write articles on Seuphor and helped reestablish 

the reputation of Seuphor in his home country.

André Sinet (Villennes-sur-Seine 1867 - Paris ? 1923) 

Ready to go out, 1897 

pastel on paper laid down on canvas 

55 x 39,5 cm 

Signed and dated top right ‘André Sinet / 97’ 

On the back of the chassis: oval stamp in red ink of ‘Fr. Mommen, 37 rue de la 

Charité, Bruxelles’ 

Sinet was famed for his pastel portraits of famous artists and personalities. 

Especially around the turn of the century, the artist depicted with ‘verve’ the Belle 

Epoque of Paris. This pastel portrait of an unknown woman -ready to go to a ball, 

literary salon or, why not, to the Folies Bergère – is a typical example of his best 

work.

Vase 1

Vase 2

Jean-Baptiste Sloodts (Brussel 1843 – ?) 

Art Nouveau vase 1 


41,2 x 22,5 cm 

Signature at the side of the vase ‘JBte. Sloodts’ 

Marked at the side of the vase ‘Cie. Des Bronzes / 

Cire Perdue Oeuvre Unique / Bruxelles.’ 


Vase 1

An Art Nouveau vase 2 


41,2 x 22,5 cm 

Signature at the side of the vase ‘JBte. Sloodts’ 

Marked at the side of the vase ‘Cie. Des Bronzes / Cire Perdue Oeuvre Unique / Bruxelles.’ 


Jean-Baptiste Sloodts worked his way up through the different stages at ‘La 

Compagnie des Bronzes’ foundry. In 1907 he was promoted to ‘Ouvrier 1ère 

Classe’. Classified as ‘sculpteur’, he designed vases, candlesticks and 

chandeliers that were edited for the foundry. Sloodts specialised in the 

modelling of art nouveau vases, of which some were modelled directly in 

wax and cast with the lost wax procedure. These pieces were thus unique, 

sometimes based on the same model, but always different in the execution 

of the decorative details, as is the case with these two vases..

Vase 2

André Taeckens (Torhout 1909 – Sijsele 1965) 

Torso, 1953 

Blue limestone 

Height: 53 cm, base: 20 x 13 

cm 

Signed at the side 

Label of the Gent Salon of 1954 on the bottom of the base 

Please not that this work in unique. 

Work by André Taeckens is extremely rare on the art market. After a local 

apprenticeship in Torhout, Taeckens followed lessons with Geo Verbanck at the 

Gent Academy in 1932-1933. Although Taeckens did not follow all courses, he came 

second that year after an unknown Jules Van Eeckhaute. During his career 

Taeckens won numerous prizes. 

From the 1950’s onwards, the sculptor has moved away from traditional sculpture 

and tried to simplify his work. In 1954 he showed the Torso at the ‘Salon de l’Art Libre’ 

in Paris where by repute it got the ‘Prix Thorlet’, thus strengthening his will to 

modernise his art. The same sculpture was shown at the Gent Salon of the same 

year. 

The Torso is a ‘Taille Directe’ which means that it was made without a model, 

directly carved by the artist and thus unique. The proportions, material and 

stylisation make this work timeless. It seems to us a sculpture from a long lost 

civilisation. 

Unfortunately André Taeckens was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and was unable to 

work after 1962.

Philippe Vandenberg (Gent 1952 – Brussel 2009) 

The Grip, 1983 

Oil on canvas 

180 x 100 cm 

Signed and dated on the back of the canvas: ‘Philippe Vandenberghe 1983’ 

Provenance: Private collection 

To be included in the forthcoming overview catalogue of the complete works of 

Philippe Vandenberg by the Philippe Vandenberg Foundation. 

This painting is part of a series of works Vandenberg painted in 1983, which he 

referred to as ‘De Greep’ (The Grip). It belonged to a former friend and gallery owner 

who exhibited his works. The painting is signed and dated at the back. 

It has a very strong presence, partly staged by the sheer scale of it but particularly 

established by the ‘skin’ of the painting, the almost relief like way of applying paint 

onto the canvas, which one senses almost to be thrown onto it, or at the very least 

painted with fierce ardour. The surface is thoroughly worked in black and white, 

creating the painting’s inner spatial dynamics, to be pierced by blues, reds, yellow 

and pink, livening the composition..

Armand Vanderlick 

1985) 

Interior with an oil lamp, ca. 1923-1928 

(St-Jans-Molenbeek 1897 – Gent 

Oil on canvas 

79,5 x 59,5 cm 

Signed bottom right ‘A. Vanderlick’ 

This rare early work by the artist already shows his preference for the colour blue. 

Stylistically it shows his affinities with the Brussels group of fauvists and is technically to be 

compared with the early work by Henri Victor Wolvens in the use of the palette knife and 

thick layer of paint. However the work by Vanderlick clearly embraces colour. The palette 

used by Vanderlick shows blues, reds and lots of white, opposed to the expressionist works 

being made by Permeke, Gust De Smet or Servaes, who choose earthy, dark colours. This 

interior was probably painted in the 1920’s and in the neighbourhood of Brussels, possibly 

Zellik or St-Anna-Pede before the artist moved to St-Martens-Latem in 1929.

The sower 



Signed bottom right ‘A. Vanderlick’ 

An early drawing, showing the expressionist roots of the artist. This powerful drawing is 

comparable with the drawings of Permeke and Servaes.

Paul Van Gysegem (Berlare °1935) 

dwars ijzer sculptuur (horizontal iron sculpture), 1962 

Painted iron 

95 x 104 x 25 cm 

Signed on the base: ‘Paul Van Gysegem’ 

This sculpture is unique 

Provenance: collection of the writer Jef Geeraerts; private collection 

Exhibited: Galerie Kaleidoscoop, Gent, 1963 

C.A.W. (?), Antwerpen, 1963 

Trefpunt, Gent, 1963 

This unique sculpture was welded by the artist himself. According to Van Gysegem, 

he never knows where the sculpture will take him, shaping the work in different 

stages and without a preliminary plan. Each work has therefore to be seen as an 

improvisation around a theme. The two legs suggest an anthropomorphic form, 

but the upper part seems to be all machine, partly due to the use of fragments of 

old and discarded farm utensils, collected by the artist. This juxtaposition of 

man/machine is central in the work of Van Gysegem. 

Paul Van Gysegem received his education at the Gent Academy and at the Higher 

Institute in Antwerpen. From 1955 to 2000 he taught sculpture at the K.A.S.K. at Gent. 

Van Gysegem is rightly seen as one of the most important artists of his generation.

Geo Verbanck (Gent 1881 – Aartselaar 1961) 

Putti holding vines and grapes 

Cast and patinated stone 

108 x 96 x 46 cm 

Signed on the base ‘G. Verbanck’ 



Vergeten Beelden – 100 jaar Gentse Beeldhouwkunst, Gent, Galerie St- 

John, 28/11-28/12/1997, cat. nr. 45 

Geo Verbanck is undoubtably one of the most well-known sculptors of his 

generation. From the beginning of his career, the motif of the putto was frequently 

treated by the artist. The combination of putti and plants was worked out probably 

for the first time on a large scale in a series of decorative sculptures for the ‘Bank 

Van de Arbeid’ building at the Volderstraat. Architect Georges Vandevoorde was 

an admirer of the Austrian and German proto-art deco style. Verbanck’s sculptural 

groups were probably put in place around the finishing of the building in 1923. The 

groups are made out of three figures, putti depicting industry, commerce, shipping, 

science and art.

Our group of two putti holding vines and grapes is very similar in style to bank 

groups, so it is very possible that the sculpture was executed in the second half of 

the 1920’s. By repute the group was installed in a wintergarden of a large house in 

Ghent. The use of cast stone is not uncommon. Several sculptors used cast stone 

in the 1920’s and ‘30’s: Jean Canneel, Oscar Jespers, George Minne, Domien Ingels, 

Gustave Van der Meersche (related to Verbanck) and Verbanck himself. In a 

speech given before the Royal Academy for Science, Letters and Fine Arts of 

Belgium in 1949, Verbanck specifically mentioned the advantages of the technique, 

thus implying that he had ample knowledge of its use. 

Verbanck was a stout supporter of the use of cast stone. In this case it is a mixture 

of stone and a special kind of cement. For Verbanck it was a good way of limiting

the inaccuracies in the transposition of the plaster model into marble or stone, and 

also it was a means to work faster and more economically, since otherwise one 

had to rely on the skills of a praticien to execute the sculpture: 

“En waarom niet een plaatsje gegund aan de kunststeen, zijnde een 

samenstelling uit gemalen natuursteen en speciaal cement, een soort veredeld 

beton dus. Waarom die grote overwinnaar niet toelaten in het kunstdomein? 

Kunststeen benadert na lichte overwerking, het uitzicht van natuursteen; hij is even 

sterk weerbestand en bespaart aan de beeldhouwer de onaangename 

verrassingen die de natuursteen wel oplevert, zoals verdoken barsten, vlekken en 

holten […] De grote tijdsbesparing moet de enorme kosten verminderen, waarover 

de beeldhouwer terecht klaagt […] en zeer dikwijls een opdracht in de weg staan.” 

Large groups are very rare in the work of Geo Verbanck. They were mostly specially 

commissioned. Using the technique of cast stone, this group therefore could be 

executed several times. However, since 1997 we have not come across another 

cast (in any material) of this sculpture.

Geo Vindevogel (Gentbrugge 1923 – Deurle 1977) 

Standing nude with cloth, 1949 

Plaster 

32,2 x 8,5 x 6,2 cm 

Signed and dated at the side ‘Georg Vindevogel / 1949’ 


Retrospectieve tentoonstelling Beeldhouwwerken Geo Vindevogel, 

Deurle, Museum Leon De Smet, 18/11-09/12/1979, cat. nr. 12 (a bronze cast). 

A typical work by Vindevogel, leaving behind the influence of the art deco 

sculptors of his native town, visible in his early work, and achieving a new 

‘classic’ language, which he will develop further in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. A rare 

dated plaster cast, fully signed.

Ferdinand Willaert (Gent 1861 – 1938) 

The woman at the window 

Oil on panel 

18,5 x 23,5 cm 

Signed bottom right ‘Ferd. Willaert’’ 

Provenance: From the bequest of the daughter of the artist, Marguerite Willaert, to the 

Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels in 1993 

Their Sale, Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, lot. Number 316 

Private collection

Philippe Wolfers (Brussel 1858 – Brussel 1929) 

Impéria, 1929 

Blue limestone on a later wooden pedestal. 

Height 42,5 cm, with pedestal 172,5 cm 

Signed on the back of the shoulder ‘Ph Wolfers’ 

This sculpture is unique. 

Provenance: Philippe Wolfers 

Musée Philippe Wolfers, Wolfers Frères Brussels 

Private Collection, Brussels 

Exibition: 

Exposition des oeuvres de Philippe Wolfers – Statuaire, Anvers, Salle Plantin, 09/11- 

27/11/1929, cat. No. 91 

Un Secolo d’Arte Belga 1830-1930, Roma, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, 25/03- 

23/04/1933, cat. No. 18 

Bibliography : 

Adriaenssens W., Beredeneerde Catalogus van het persoonlijke oeuvre van Philippe 

Wolfers in De Wolfers Dynastie - van art nouveau tot art deco, Gent, Design 

museum Gent, 2006, p. 416, cat. No. 294

The head of ‘Impéria’ of 1929 is part of a group of monumental heads or busts, 

carved in stone, executed for the important 1929 exhibition in Antwerp, where 

Philippe Wolfers wanted to make his name as modern sculptor. Wolfers had 

already made a version of ‘Impéria’ in bronze in 1922, and the head was shown in 

the ‘Gioconda’ room in Paris in 1925. With a very rough surface, the bronze head 

was made in his so-called “Hellenistic” style, where the sculptor tried to emulate 

the surface corrosion on Greek and Roman antique bronzes, excavated from the 

earth or salvaged from the seas. In 1929 Philippe Wolfers sought to modernise this 

sculpture and conceived a classical ‘Impéria’, much more stylised than the 1922 

bronze. Clearly, the unique sculpture carved in Belgian blue limestone or ‘Petit 

granit’ was much more in tune with the aesthetics of the 1930’s art deco. 

Originally on a probably ‘noir de mazy’ base, the sculpture lived outside in a Brussel 

garden for the last 40 years. The previous owners received the sculpture as 

payment for their Wolfers stock papers by the Parisian firm of Chaumet at the time 

of their takeover of Wolfers Frères S.A. in 1975. They displayed ‘Impéria’ on their 

garden terrace, but without its base, apparently already missing. When acquiring 

the bust, we decided to mount it on its current wooden pedestal, which is 

contemporary to the sculpture.

Comfit dish (double Orchids dish), ca. 1899 

Silver. 

Dimensions: 42 x 16 x 9,5 cm 

Marked on both of the bases with the maker’s mark and alloy mark for 800/1000 

For a similar jardinière with three dishes see Khnopff F., Studio-Talk, p. 136 (top) in 

The Studio, Volume XV, 1899. 

This extremely rare large dish of very high quality shows not only the craftsmanship 

of wolfers Frères, but also the originality of the early art nouveau designs by 

Philippe Wolfers. Typical of these early designs is the naturalistic approach by 

Wolfers, where leaves are used as handles, and where the flowers are three 

dimensional and almost life-size cast in in silver. A dish with three compartments 

featured in The Studio of 1899. In the same article by the symbolist painter 

Ferdinand Khnopff features an art nouveau vase which is now in the collection of 

The Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Philippe Wolfers with the collaboration of Isidore De 

Rudder for Louis Wolfers, père et fils II 

Samovar in silver, ca. 1890-1895 

Technical details: 

Material : 

silver and ivory for the handles and isolators 

Dimensions : height 45 cm (with upright handle), width approx. 25,5 cm 

Height jug : 31,5 cm 

Dimensions base : 15 x 20,5 cm 

Dimensions burner : 

Weight (gros) : 

height 9 cm, length with handle 16 cm 

3900 gram 

Marks jug on the bottom of the base : 

Triangle with three stars (makers mark of Louis Wolfers, père et fils II) 

Retailers mark of jeweller Foehr, 

Stuttgart 

Alloy mark ‘800/1000’ 

German state guarantee mark 

‘crescent and crown’ 

A ‘Swann’ mark next to the handle next to the putto (French taxation mark) 

Marks burner : 

as usual unmarked, apart from the ‘Swann’ mark, struck twice 

on the hinge.

Marks on the base on one of the ‘branches’ : 

retailers mark of jeweller 

Foehr, Stuttgart 

Triangle with three stars 

(poinçon de maître de Louis 

Wolfers, père et fils II) 

Alloy mark for ‘800/1000’ 

German state guarantee 

mark ‘crescent and crown’ 

Provenance 1 : Vente Leys, Antwerp, 25/04/1986, lot 206 


With Galerie Philippe Denys, ca. 1990 (?) 


Bibliography : De Coninck-Van Gerwen G., L’Orfèvrerie flamande au XIXe siècle 

Bruxelles, Anvers, Gand in L’Orfèvrerie au XIXe Siècle – Actes du 

colloque international, Paris, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, 12- 

13/12/1991, ill. 17 p. 176 

Nys W., Van Belle Epoque tot Art Nouveau L’orfèvrerie belge 1868-1914 – 

Sterckshof Studies 10, Antwerpen, Provinciaal Museum Sterckshof - 

Zilvercentrum, 1997, p. 229 and ill. p. 230. 

1 

For information on the provenance of the piece and the article by Mrs. De Coninck-Van Gerwen, I would like 

to thank Wim Nys of the DIVA Museum, who provided me with access to the documents relating to the piece in 

the museum library.

About this japonist samovar 2 

This object is part of a rare series of 

Japanese style objects, designed by 

Philippe Wolfers for the Louis Wolfers, 

father and son II workshop, of which he 

was the main designer. 

Several elements of this piece, including the use of imitation bamboo for the 

handle and spout of the jug, the imitation of basketry and the small snake 

supporting the burner handle, are all elements that already found on a drawing by 

Philippe Wolfers dated 12/15/1886. 

As is often the case in the conservative world of goldsmiths, the Japonist style is 

only slowly entering the real production of solid silver objects. First, we see small 

objects appear, often very close to Japanese examples, and executed between 

around 1885 and 1890. 

The fact that Philippe Wolfers played a leading role in the Wolfers firm from 1885, 

the success of the Japanese participation in the Antwerp World Exhibition in 1886 

and the demand for Japanese objects on the German and French market, resulted 

in the manufacture of more important Japanese style pieces from 1890. 

From then onwards, Philippe Wolfers began to design these objects more suited to 

the tastes and uses of his demanding European customers. The designs and 

executed pieces become larger, more inventive and distance themselves from the 

mere "copying" of Japanese objects. 

2 

For more information on the Wolfers firm, Philippe Wolfers and his development as a designer see 

Adriaenssens W. and Steel R., La Dynastie Wolfers de l'Art Nouveau à l'Art Deco, Antwerp, Pandora, 2006

As quintessentially illustrated in this samovar, a major piece in Wolfers’s work, the 

artist plays with imitation of different materials, executed with a sense of finish 

superior to normal series production. He is already trying to introduce a naturalism 

that prefigures the art nouveau of the years 1892-95. The introduction of the orchid 

as the crowning of the lid is new; this flower will become the fetish flower of Philippe 

Wolfers, who also cultivated orchids. 

Another important element is the addition of the silver putto, designed by sculptor 

Isidore De Rudder, friend of Philippe Wolfers, and ‘star’ collaborator of the Wolfers 

firm. The fame of artist De Rudder also attracted publicity for the Wolfers workshop. 

The studio therefore did not work with anonymous designers, but with well-known 

artists. 

The putto also refers to the Western tradition of goldsmithing from the previous 

century, and emphasizes the link between tradition and novelty. 

While the genesis of the Japonist style is to be situated around 1885, this period 

ends around 1893. Philippe Wolfers will take elements of the Japanese style, mix 

them with a new interpretation of the neo-Louis XV style and forge a new plastic

language. He would become one of the innovative artists of Art Nouveau, showing 

Art Nouveau objects at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 

1895 and at the opening of Samuel Bing's Art Nouveau store. 

Thus the Japonist period of Philippe Wolfers will cease abruptly, because of the 

success of the art nouveau style in Belgium, Germany and France. But the art 

nouveau style clearly has his roots in the important and novel japonist creations of 

the end of the 1880’s and the beginning of the 1890’s 

Concerning the hallmarks, marks and dating of the piece 

The piece bears the Wolfers maker's mark which was introduced in 1890. Post quem 

date for the execution of the piece. 

The mark of Föhr or Foehr, a jeweller in Stuttgart since 1801, found on the piece is 

interesting. Wolfers - the family was of German origin - had a good relationship 

with the German market and had several depots in the country. The objects 

supplied were often marked with the retailers mark of the German depositor. One 

of the stores that Wolfers had a lot of contact with was the firm of Gbr. Friedländer 

in Berlin. Friedländer had taken over an important manufacturer of medals, 

Friedeberg & Söhne in Berlin, in 1893. Friedeberg and Foehr had been since 1890 the 

main suppliers of the Württemberg court for decorations. It is therefore highly likely 

that Wolfers' contact with Foehr went through Friedländer. It is also likely that the 

piece passed (sold?) to Foehr around 1893. Relations between Friedländer and 

Foehr dissolved after 1900. 

The swan mark, affixed to the coin and in use in France between 1893-1970, does 

not provide any information on the dating of the samovar. 

Considering that the Japonist style at Wolfers was not commonly produced (often 

only on demand), and that objects that were produced were mostly small (salts, 

goblets, napkin rings, etc). This samovar is exceptional. 

Also after 1895 the japan-craze was being replaced by the fashionable art 

nouveau style, it is therefore very likely to date the execution of the samovar 

between 1890 and 1895. It is also probable that the genesis of the drawing or 

designing of the piece is earlier: between 1886 and 1890.

Similar objects in silver by Wolfers: 

Up to date this example is the only one executed that is known to us. Similar objects 

are to be found in the following collections: 

Public Collections: 

Design museum Gent, inv. Nr. FH/65 for a small teapot of the period 1885-1890 and 

inv. Nr. FH/38 1-4/4 for a ‘Maraudeur’ coffee set with putti by Isidore De Rudder 

DIVA, Anvers, inv. S92/24 for a samovar with the same figurine by Isidore De Rudder, 

and a handle in faux-bamboo. The base is also treated in a naturalistic fashion, 

imitating branches. This samovar is different in shape, more classical in form and 

smaller. This piece, bearing the seller's mark of the German firm of Goldschmidt in 

Cologne, is in our opinion a little later in the Wolfers production, possibly around 

1895-1897 

M.R.A.H., Brussels, inv. Nr. Ag 87 for a neo-Louis XV style silver jug with a putto by 

Isidore De Rudder and Ag. 148 for a silver jug "Lily of the valley" with faux bamboo 

handle and folded spout. The workmanship of this piece, which we know of several 

variations, is less good compared to the samovar, which has a lot of elements 

which were cast in silver and whose silver plate thickness is thicker, more solid. Also 

the quality of the chiselling is much higher. 

Private Collection, Belgium 

In a private collection in Belgium is a jug with a faux bamboo handle and a tray 

with similar imitation of basketry and an identical decoration with a salamander 

which was sold through our gallery.

Seau à champagne (champagne bucket) Treille sur pied, 

ca. 1928-1938.

Technical details: 

Champagne bucket: 

Material: 

silver 

Dimensions: height: 17,7 cm; width 22 cm (from ear to ear) 

Marks: 

the ‘Grands poinçons’ on the upper rim from right to left: ‘WF’ 

intertwined, alloy mark 950 (/1000) and three stars in lobed triangle. 

The series of the three ‘Grands Poinçons’ suggests that this piece was 

made around 1930. 

Stand: 

Material: 

silver plated metal and rosewood 

Dimensions: height: 67 cm; width top 18,5 cm; width base 34,5 cm 

Marks: 

on the silver plated border of the base on top: the old metal mark of 

Wolfers Frères, an intertwined ‘WF’ in art deco lettering.

Original photograph from the Wolfers 

archives from 1938 and original design 

drawing from the Wolfers archives from 

1928

Dating: 

The champagne bucket or wine cooler ‘Treille’ with serial number Sc 4 was 

designed on 6 th November 1928. The design drawing is kept at the Antwerp DIVA 

Museum and shows no signature by the designer. However, stylistically this design 

shows similarities with designs by Philippe Wolfers from the same period.; a rather 

cubist art deco style with neoclassic accents. We have not been able to trace any 

design drawing fort he stand. The drawings archives of the Wolfers firm sadly has 

not been completely preserved. In the photo archives of Wolfers Frères, on the 

contrary, in an envelope a photograph was recovered of the complete ensemble: 

the cooler with stand, with the inscribed date 3/06/1938. This date is a terminus 

ante quem. 

It is our opinion that, given that the pieces bear marks rarely used after 1936, and 

given that the design of the bucket dates from 1928, the production of the 

ensemble must be earlier than 1938. Stylistically the design of the stand fits into the 

style of Wolfers designs form the period 1928-1929. It can be compared to 

executions of design by Dom Martin and to Philippe Wolfers’ unique designs for 

electric lamps from 1929. 

We therefore conclude that the ensemble of the champagne bucket on stand 

must have been designed and executed between 1928 and 1930. The firm listed 

the design with the model number “Sc3” . It is however possible that the ensemble 

only found a buyer in 1938. After all, the 1929-1935 crisis years were difficult times for 

selling silverware. 

A unique commission? 

In the 30 years of actively studying the production of the silversmith Wolfers we 

have not come across a second example of such a champagne bucket and stand.

Given the costs in making such a piece, it is highly likely that the ensemble was 

made on commission or for a special exhibition. In both cases, implying that the 

execution was a one-off. The attribution of the model number tot the design does 

not automatically imply that more examples of the design were produced. 

In any case, the prohibitive costs of making such a design made serial production 

impossible. 

Finally, it should be pointed out that champagne buckets made by Wolfers Frères 

in art deco style and dating from the period, are extremely rare. Only a few different 

models were designed and we hardly know of any copies of those models. 

This ensemble could definitely be unique, unfortunately we lack the archives to 

prove this with 100 percent certainty.. 

Provenance: 

Private collection, in the same private collection for at least two generations and 

possibly purchased directly from Wolfers,

Rodolphe Wytsman (Dendermonde 1860 - Linkebeek 1927) 

A landscape with timber, May 1882 

Oil on canvas 

31 x 48 cm 

Signed and dated bottom right ‘Rd Wytsman / Mai 82’ 

Rodolphe Wytsman received his artistic formation at the Ghent Academy, where 

he met Theo Van Rysselberghe a.o.. After a trip to Italy with Gustave Vanaise and a 

brief stay in Knokke, he settled in the Brussels region. 

In his early works, made in Flanders, the influenced of Van Rysselberghe is visible. In 

this particular work we see the same browns and greens which the young Van 

Rysselberghe uses. Also typical is the way he draws with the back of a brush into 

wet paint and the realist/impressionist painting technique that both have 

discovered in the work of Gustave Den Duyts.

P l e a s e n o t e : 

The supplementary documentary photographs or documents are not for sale, unless 

otherwise stated. 

Dimensions are noted as: height x width x depth and in centimetres. 

Please contact us for prices. 

We can provide you with additional information through photographs or video chat. 

We can provide you with specific shipping quotes. Works can also be collected at the 

gallery or delivered by us at your doorstep. 

Upon request, we can provide a preliminary condition report, but please bear in mind that 

we are not professional restorers and that we cannot be held responsible for the accuracy 

of our assessment of the condition of a work. If needed, a professional restorer can be 

asked to make a condition report, however this will not be free of charge 

C o l o p h o n 

This online catalogue was made to accompany the winter exhibition 2022. . All works are for 

sale. 

Text and research: Raf Steel and Emmy Steel 

Editing and photography:: Raf Steel and Emmy Steel 

Copyright: Galerie St-John, the authors and the artists. 

No part of this publication may be reproduced and / or published by means of print, 

photocopy, electronic medium or any other method (including translation) without the 

prior written permission of the authors. 

The publisher has done its utmost to request permission to all possible right holders 

regarding the use of (visual) material for this online publication. If we have overlooked 

something, please contact us. Any errors will be corrected in a subsequent issue.

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