As usual, October’s offerings are many and varied, ranging from tasteful antiques to bold design. This time, there will be exhibitions in two locations: as always in the auction house itself, but also in a gorgeous city palace in the heart of Antwerp.

Further additions to the Classic series include an expressive portrait by Alexandre Drahonet and two gossamer genre paintings, each depicting a card-playing party, by Gerard Portielje. There is also an impressive series of mantel clocks, garniture and ‘Boule’ cartels. The auction session will conclude with several bronzes, by Jef Lambeaux (‘La volupté’) and Emile Louis Picault (‘Escholier’), among others. These lots will be on display during viewing days at the auction house itself at our address Verlatstraat 18 (unless otherwise stated in the online catalogue).

Immoroc Bankruptcy

Lots 250 – 340

On the second auction day, Wednesday 9 October, we will proceed to allot some 90 lots from the collection of the failed NV Immoroc. It promises to be a journey through time (and through styles). Thus, it will start with two woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer, and then move on to Old Masters such as Karel Van Mander and Gillis/Frederik Van Valckenborgh. The other big eye-catcher is Giovanni Battista Piranesi, represented in this auction with three lots, including the famous ‘Carceri d’invenzione’ series.

Through Piranesi’s winding staircases, we eventually arrive in the 20^th century, where the choice is between works by Serge Poliakoff, Sonia Delaunay, Pierre Alechinsky, Karel Appel, Maurice Wyckaert, Luc Peire, Gilbert Swimberghe and, last but not least, Jef Verheyen (‘Hora est nos de somno surgere’, 1976, pigment lacquer on canvas, 130 x 130 cm). Part of the collection also includes design furniture by Charles Ray Eames, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe (Barcelona Chair) and several lots of ‘4867 chairs’ by Joe Colombo for Kartell, among others.

Modern Design

Modern, lots 350 – 503 Design, lots 504 – 605

The Modern Design sessions likewise jump from highlight to highlight. There is an immediate strong start with a series of four oil paintings by Modest Huys, before moving on to several works by Walter Vaes, a bronze sculpture by Alfred Lambert Baggen, two oil paintings and several lots of rare prints by Nico Klopp and an impressive series of works by Floris Jespers, with the large-format African scenes (up to 207 x 242 cm) in particular grabbing the attention.

It doesn’t stop there, as five lots of ceramic works by Pablo Picasso from the 1950s and 1960s soon follow. Sculptures by Miguel Berrocal Ortiz or Sofu Teshigahara and a typical Takesada Matsutani with vinyl glue and graphite also take us to distant horizons.

Closer to home, in turn, we find an intriguing ‘spine’ in gilded bronze by Jan Fabre, three matter paintings by Bram Bogart, a recognisable canvas by Michel Mouffe, two very substantial paintings by Roger Raveel and a series of 21(!) ceramic objects, furniture and wall sculptures by Frank Steyaert.

Rounding off, we have a more than hundred lot selection of design objects and furniture. Enthusiasts will look out for the result for Ado Chale’s ‘Goutte d’Eau’ table, but also certainly for the many other lots mainly of Italian and Scandinavian design, such as Piero Lissoni’s ‘Air Wardrobe’ for Porro, among others, alongside designs by Pier Achille Castiglioni, Alessandro Pianon, Ettore Sottsass, Gae Aulenti, Alessandro Becchi, Luciano Frigerio, Henning Kjaernulf, Ingo Maurer and so on.