Remarkable results
Remarkable results in our May 20 auction
During last Saturday's auction, over 600 artworks went under the hammer, each of them exceptional objects. Impressive results were achieved, f.e. for James Ensor (€275,000), George Minne (€137,500) and Jef Verheyen (€141,300). Thirty-four lots were sold for a total price exceeding €25,000, and three surpassing €100,000.
The catalog of the recent May auction was filled with stunning, unique, and unseen artworks. The viewing days were well-attended, the auction room was bustling, and even the terrace of our coffee house was crowded on this beautiful spring day. Meanwhile, the entire panel was ready to participate in bidding over the phone, through absentee bids and online. Expectations were more than met, with several remarkable results and significant hammer prices. We were able to fetch new records for various artists.
James Ensor - "The lady in blue (Portrait of Mrs Duhot)" (1906)
Old Masters
At exactly the stroke of one o'clock, auctioneer Tom De Vuyst kicked off, and bidding immediately took off to a flying start. Already during the viewing days, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the first lot of the afternoon session. This exceptional triptych from the entourage of the Master of 1518 beat the estimate with a final result of €22,500. The impressive “Cavalry Battle” (1650) by Pieter Meulener, reached the important amount of €37,500.
James Ensor
One of the highlights of the afternoon session was the painting “Lady in Blue”, by James Ensor, also known as “Portrait of Mrs Duhot”. The lavish brushstrokes and eccentric character make this work a gem that attracted the attention of several collectors, resulting in an impressive €275,000. “The fishmonger” (1877) is an early work by the Ostend master. It achieved the respectable amount of € 27,500.
George Minne - "The great relic bearer" (1929)
Latem Artists
Art lovers consistently appreciate our high-quality selection of Flemish Expressionists. There was intense bidding for several artworks by Jean Brusselmans. Among them, “Woman with fan” (ca. 1915) exceeded the estimate, fetching €49,020. “The lane” (1928) achieved €70,900. A lot of attention was also directed towards the exceptional “Woman with coffee grinder” (1926), an early work by Hubert Malfait, which was previously part of the collection of André De Ridder, among others. This important painting achieved €77,300.
There were several important sculptures by George Minne, including a “Great relic bearer” (1929), formerly in the collection of Leo Van Puyvelde, author of several monographs on George Minne. There was great interest in this exceptional item, and bidding lead to an intense battle. As a result, it reached €137,500.
Anne Bonnet - "Le tir forain" (1950)
Record Prices
A record price was achieved for Anne Bonnet. “Le tir forain” (1950) reached € 30,960, which is by far the highest amount ever quoted for a work at auction by this exceptional artist, who was one of the founding members of the artists' association La Jeune Peinture Belge.
Tibor Csernus turned out to be one of the most sought-after artists in this catalog. All telephone lines were reserved for biding on his 1973-1974 still life, a large realistic canvas over 2 meters wide. The final result of €83,700 far exceeded the estimate, setting a new record for this artist, the highest amount ever achieved for his work at an auction.
Collectors were enthusiastic about the impressive selection of drawings by Rinus Van de Velde, and tried to get hold on one of the four items at this auction. “Out of a lack of inspiration and the necessity to have an overview ...” (2016) reached €74,200, the second-highest amount ever achieved for the young Belgian artist at an auction. “Hurry up, keep searching, we need to find the cure rapidly” (2017) reached €28,380.
Important results for Belgian art
“Fiesole, why did the sun rise so black” (1976) by Jef Verheyen managed to captivate many connoisseurs with its beautiful vibrant colours, resulting in a price of €141,300. The highest bidder offered €77,300 for “Shisto”, a large drawing from 1977 by Panamarenko.
Collectors showed great interest in the wide range of sculptures by Jean-Michel Folon. “Un homme” (2001) achieved an impressive result of €51,600. “La pêche miraculeuse” (2004) fetched €77,300, “Homme à l'oiseau” (2005) reached €63,360 and “La légèreté de l'être” (2005) was sold for €90,100.
Jef Verheyen - “Fiesole, why did the sun rise so black” (1976)
(*All results listed are including sales costs)