Self-Portrait, Van Dyck. Oil on panel, 43 x 32.5 cm, ca. 1615, Vienna, Gemäldegalerie der Akademie der bildenen Künste

MADRID.- Anthony van Dyck is one of the few artists over the course of history to reveal an astonishingly precocious talent. This exhibition opens with a self-portrait of around 1615 executed when he was only fifteen or sixteen. It concludes in 1621, the date when he moved to Italy from his native city of Antwerp. During those six years in Antwerp and until the age of twenty-two, Van Dyck produced more than 160 works including portraits and medium sized compositions as well as around thirty ambitious, large-format paintings. His close relations with Rubens, who employed him as his assistant, gives rise to some of the most interesting questions relating to this period: why did Van Dyck produce some works that were as close as possible to those of his master but distanced himself in others, giving his figures a naturalistic appearance that was quite different to Rubens’s idealisation? 

Saint Jerome with an Angel, Van Dyck. Oil on canvas, 165 x 130 cm, ca. 1618 - 1620, Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Beuningen 

Explaining the evolution of this young and often contradictory painter in addition to revealing the remarkable quality of his work at this period are the aims of the present exhibition, which includes fifty-two paintings and forty drawings. This group will manifest Van Dyck’s precocious talent, which is evident not only in the large number of works that he produced but also in their quality. Had he only produced the works of his early period, Van Dyck could still be considered one of the most important painters of the 17th century.

This will be one of the largest exhibitions devoted to the artist to date, the first to be held on his painting in Spain and the first to focus on his early period since the one held at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, in 1980. The Prado has the most important collection of Van Dyck’s early paintings, of which five will be seen in the present exhibition. Aside from the Prado, the most important early works by the artist are now housed in the Gemäldegalerie, Dresden, and the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. Both institutions have supported this project with the loan of works (four from Dresden and two from Saint Petersburg). 

Drunken Silenus, Van Dyck, oil on canvas, 107 x 90 cm, Dresden, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen 

Van Dyck, who was Rubens’s most talented pupil, set out to define his style at the very start of his career and this awareness of creating a personal approach was a new concept at the time. His earliest compositions are slightly hesitant and experimental in the depiction of the bodies, as evident in Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem (Indianapolis Museum of Art), The Lamentation (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) and The drunken Silenus. They reveal Van Dyck’s experimental approach and a pronounced artistic personality that actively sought out new artistic resources in order to increase the impact of the work on the viewer.

In contrast, in works such as The Crowning with Thorns (Museo del Prado) Van Dyck reflects the powerful influence of the time that he spent working for Rubens (1577-1640), which is evident in that work in the similarity of the figures to those of Rubens, although once again it reflects an overall desire to define a personal and individual style. Van Dyck’s interest in textures and in rough, powerfully realistic bodies contrasts with the idealised beauty with which Rubens depicted his figures.

Christ crowned with Thorns, Van Dyck. Oil on canvas, 224 x 197 cm, ca. 1618 - 1620, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado 

From 1617 or slightly earlier to 1621 Van Dyck worked in Rubens’s studio where he revealed himself superior to the other assistants. This is demonstrated by the fact that he is the only one to be mentioned by name in a contract that Rubens signed and which states that various works should be painted by his hand and by “Van Dyck and other pupils”.

It should be emphasised that despite the closeness that he achieved to Rubens’s style, Van Dyck eventually evolved a highly unique manner, evident in some of the exceptionally original masterpieces to be seen in the present exhibition such as Saint Jerome in the Desert (Gemäldegalerie, Dresden) and The Taking of Christ (Museo del Prado), which was probably one of the last works that he executed before leaving for Italy in the autumn of 1621 and the largest composition that he painted during his early period. 

Jude (Judas Thaddeus), Van Dyck. Oil on panel, 61 x 49.5 cm, ca. 1618 1620, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum Gemäldegalerie

The exhibition ends with Van Dyck’s portrait of Rubens’s first wife, Isabella Brandt of 1621 (National Gallery of Art, Washington), which he gave his master as a gift before leaving for Italy, according to contemporary accounts. In that work and other portraits of this period Van Dyck reveals a highly personal style defined by the fluid, slender forms and elegant poses, characteristics that would subsequently make him one of the most influential portraitists in the history of European art.

Portrait of a Family, Van Dyck. Oil on canvas, 114 x 94.5 cm ca. 1620 - 1621, Saint Petersburg, The State Hermitage Museum

Cornelis van der Geest, Van Dyck. Oil on panel, 37.5 x 32.5 cm, ca. 1620, London, The National Gallery

Diamond ring - Photo Sotheby's

Set at the centre with a brilliant-cut diamond weighing 5.56 carats, to a mount accented with brilliant-cut diamonds of various tints, size 55. Estimation:115,000 - 140,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 176,500 CH

Accompanied by GIA report no. 1152037457, stating that the diamond is F Colour, VS2 Clarity. 

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Antoine Watteau (Valenciennes 1684-Nogent sur Marne 1721), Le Printemps, des « Saisons Julienne ». Vers 1710-1711. Photo AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés

Huile sur toile, 44 x 54 cm. Estimation : 200 000 / 250 000 €

Œuvre en rapport : Le dessin d'Antoine Dieu. Ancienne collection Didier Aaron. Paris
La gravure d'Etienne Brillon, 1732
Le dessin de Watteau pour le « Jeune homme assis » Prat-Rosenberg, n° 63

Provenance : Londres, vente Christie's, 8 juillet 1983, n° 48, repr. Londres, vente Sotheby's, 8 juillet 1987, n° 82, repr. (Les dimensions (32 x 45 cm) données depuis la vente du 8 juillet 1983 sont erronées.)

Bibliographie : D. Posner, Antoine Watteau, 1984, p. 279, n° 24 bis
M. Morgan Grasseli et P. Rosenberg, Exposition Watteau, Paris 1984, p.75, repr. fig.4
M. Roland-Michel, Watteau, 1984, repr. n° 227, p. 232
M. Eidelberg « The Julienne Spring Antoine Watteau » in Apollo, Août 1986, p. 98
L.A. Prat- P. Rosenberg, Antoine Watteau, Catalogue raisonné des dessins. Milan, 1996.
T. I, p.100, fig. 63a.

AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés. Vendredi 23 novembre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 48 00 20 10

Fancy intense yellow diamond and diamond pendent necklace - Photo Sotheby's

Designed as a slightly graduated line of brilliant-cut diamonds, suspending a detachable pendant set with a pear-shaped fancy intense yellow diamond weighing 10.23 carats, within a border of brilliant-cut diamonds, length approximately 410mm. Estimation: 110,000 - 165,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 170,500 CHF

Accompanied by GIA report no. 2145257289, stating that the 10.23 carat diamond is Fancy Intense Yellow, Natural Colour.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Clodion et son atelier (1738-1814). Deux bas reliefs en terre cuite. Photo AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés

représentant :

A). Un faune et une bacchante tenant chacun un enfant, se faisant face, avec sur le côté droit, un jeune faune. Signé et daté 1775 en bas à droite. H : 81 L : 134,5 cm (restaurations)

B). Nymphe accoudée regardant un satyre avec trois enfants, tenant des grappes de raisin. Signé et daté 1775 en bas à gauche. H : 81 L : 134,5 cm (restaurations) - Estimation : 60 000 / 80 000 €

Provenance : collection David-Weill

Les deux bas-reliefs présentés sont caractéristiques d'une production de l'artiste destinée à une clientèle privée que l'on peut qualifier de décors Architecturaux.
Les liens avec l'architecte Brogniart (1), témoin à son mariage, vont permettre à Clodion d'affirmer sa maîtrise de l'art du bas-relief. Sa participation à l'Hôtel Bouret, Bourbon Condé (2) et à l'Hôtel de Bésenval témoigne de la vogue de ses réalisations.
Un exemplaire illustrant le même sujet est conservéà la National Gallery de Washington(3).
Il est très vraisemblable que Clodion soit parti d'une composition, plus ancienne, de petite dimension. On retrouve dans la vente de M. Boyer de Fonscolombe sous le n°306 la description suivante : un satyre et une Bacchante faisant jouer deux petits enfans ensemble.
Cette composition naïve est d'une touche spirituelle et facile. Hauteur 6 pouces et demi, largeur 8 pouces.(4)
La nymphe regardant un satyre, reprend une composition que l'on retrouve sur un tableau peint par Sauvage conservé au Musée Nissim de Camondo et sur un bas-relief conservé au County Museum of art de Los-Angeles (5)

(1) CLODION, Musée du Louvre, Exposition 17 mars-29 juin 1992, p.209 à 275.
(2) L'Hôtel de Bourbon Condé
(3) Collection Widemer - n°1949.9.09
(4) Vente Boyer de Fonscolombe, Paris le 18 janvier 1790.
(5) Autour de Clodion : variations, répétitions, imitation. Par Guilhem Scherf in Revue de l'Art n°91 page 52

Un rapport de condition détaillé réalisé par Mme Myriam Chataignère, restauratrice de Musées Nationaux.

AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés. Vendredi 23 novembre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 48 00 20 10

Diamond ring - Photo Sotheby's

Set with an oval diamond weighing 5.02 carats, between tapered baguette diamond shoulders, size 53. Estimation: 125,000 - 170,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 170,500 CHF

Accompanied by GIA report no. 11209075, dated 2000, stating that the diamond is E Colour, VS1 Clarity.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Diamond demi-parure, late 19th century - Photo Sotheby's

Comprising: a necklace designed as a graduated fringe of cushion-shaped, circular-cut and rose diamonds, length approximately 360mm; and a bracelet similarly set, length approximately 180mm. Estimation: 30,000 - 50,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 146,500 CHF

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Adriaen van Utrecht (1599-1652), Marchand de gibier à son étal, avec deux figures. Photo AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés

Huile sur toile, rentoilée, 142 x 198 cm, à vue. Estimation : 45 000 / 60 000 €

Bibliographie: Edith Greindl, Les peintres flamands de nature morte au XVII° siècle. Bruxelles. 1983. Fig. 243 et p. 386 n° 94

AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés. Vendredi 23 novembre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 48 00 20 10

Sapphire and diamond ring, Vaillant and Duverne, circa 1960 - Photo Sotheby's

The oval sapphire weighing 12.74 carats, within a bombé surround of baguette, tapered baguette and marquise-shaped diamonds, size 51^1/2, French maker's marks. Estimation: 43,000 - 65,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 170,500 CHF

Accompanied by a duplicate SSEF report no. 63791, stating that the sapphire is of Ceylon origin, with no indications of heating.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Turkish Horseman in the Rain, from the Travel Album of Bartholomäus Schachman (16r), 1590. Watercolour, pencil on paper, 19.8 x 13.1 cm. Inscription in iron gall ink. Orientalist Museum, Doha, OM.749.

DOHA.- Under the patronage of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) Chairperson, QMA’s Qatar Orientalist Museum opened on November 15th “The Art of Travel: Bartholomäus Schachman (1559-1614)”. The exhibition will run until February 11, 2013, at the ALRIWAQ DOHA exhibition space, located next to the Museum of Islamic Art.

Curated by Dr Olga Nefedova, Collections Director of the Orientalist Museum, The Art of Travel is an exhibition of Orientalist art and history, illustrating the importance of European-Ottoman relations throughout the 16th century.

Speaking about the significance of this historic exhibition, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani said: “The Art of Travel brings together some of the finest paintings by 16th century Danzig masters from the Orientalist Museum collection, as well as a remarkable selection of decorative art bearing witness to the sophistication achieved by artists during that period. The exhibition will also act as an artistic ambassador and enhance the relations between Poland and Qatar, so that the ongoing strategic dialogue will continue to be carried forward by two states that have much to offer one another, in the fields of politics, economy, business, finance, culture, and tourism.”

The exhibition introduces visitors to the story of a journey to the Ottoman Empire done by Bartholomäus Schachman (1559-1614), mayor of Danzig (Gdańsk), traveller and explorer, art patron and collector, benefactor and connoisseur, who travelled through Europe, Middle East and North Africa between 1588 and 1589. After his travel he commissioned an album, dated 1590, consisting of 105 full-page watercolour and pencil drawings on paper documenting what he saw during his travels, depicting the costumes and people of the Ottoman Empire, together with scenes of everyday life, festivals and ceremonies. The exhibition, shaped and formed around the album, provides visitors with a fascinating and vivid view back in time to 16th century Danzig and Istanbul, and the life of Bartholomäus Schachman.

A similar joint exhibition by QMA’s Qatar Orientalist Museum and the National Museums of Danzig named “Bartholomäus Schachman (1559 – 1614): the Art of Travel” opened in Gdańsk on July 16, 2012. The exhibition in Poland witnessed large turn out from a wide spectrum of community members and remained on view till October 15, 2012.

A comprehensive education programme will complement the exhibition including an international conference on Sunday 9 December during which distinguished scholars from art history, cultural studies, literature, architectural history, and Ottoman history, as well as museum professionals from Poland, Austria, and Qatar, will explore the subject of 16th century orientalism in art and history. Among the speakers are: Olga Nefedova (Orientalist Museum, Doha), Sara Al Mana (Orientalist Museum, Doha), Tadeusz Majda (Professor Ordinarius, Warsaw University), Harold Lacom (writer and translator, Vienna) and Magdalena Mielnik (National Museum, Gdansk). A number of creative and interactive workshops for families and schools are also scheduled to be held throughout the exhibition allowing visitors to create illustrations and dresses inspired by the orientalist paintings and Ottoman costumes.

A bilingual lavishly illustrated book by Olga Nefedova, with additional texts by Anna Frackowska, Sara Al Mana and Hyejung Yum is published by Skira to accompany the exhibition.

Bartholomäus Schachman, mayor of Danzig (Gdańsk) between 1605 and 1614 was, thanks to his many journeys throughout Europe and the Middle East, dubbed the Ulysses of Gdańsk. Thoroughly educated and fabulously wealthy, he was not just a politician but also a collector, an amateur of ancient sculptures and weaponry, bibliophile, patron of the artists and friend to the scholars. His rule is one of the finest periods in city’s history. His life began and ended in a time of major political and religious changes in Europe, a time of grand geographical discoveries, a time when both religious and secular arts flourished, a time of great expansion of the Ottoman Empire.

Benevolent Turks Feeding Animals, from the Travel Album of Bartholomäus Schachman (62v), 1590. Watercolour, pencil on paper, 19.8 x 13.1 cm. Inscription in iron gall ink. Orientalist Museum, Doha, OM.749.

A Roman Marble Head Of Apollo Lyceus Circa 2nd Century A.D. Estimate: USD200,000 - 300,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.

NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s announced the sale of Antiquities on December 5, which will feature over 200 superb works of art that embrace the cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Near East. With estimates ranging from $1,500 to $5 million, the sale highlights include a pair of important Roman bronze girls pursuing partridges, a Roman marble portrait bust of Marcus Aurelius, and a Roman marble head of Apollo Lyceus. The sale is expected to realize in excess of $8 million and will be followed by the 14th annual sale of Ancient Jewelry. 

A set of two important Roman bronze genre statues, circa late 1st century B.C.- early 1st century A.D., each depict a young girl pursuing a partridge (estimate: $3,000,000-5,000,000). The exquisitely detailed toddlers are positioned similarly, sitting on the base, leaning forward with open arms and splayed fingers, stretching toward a bird that is just out of reach. The partridges are equally impressive, with the plumage naturalistically represented as they turn their head back to glance at their pursuer. These spectacular bronzes offer a rare glimpse into the opulence of the Roman private sphere and vividly illustrate the pinnacle of bronze casting technology during the early Imperial period. The bronzes come to Christie’s from a private collection, the owner’s family having acquired them from renowned Swiss collector Giovanni Züst in the 1960s, whose collection formed the nucleus of Basel’s famed Antikensammlung. 

A Roman marble portrait bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, circa 170-180 A.D., is among the works of art from a distinguished private collection that spans the categories of Antiquities and Old Master Paintings (estimate: $800,000-1,200,000). The artists of the Renaissance looked to the world of Antiquity for inspiration and this beautifully curated collection reflects that important historical connection. A demonstration of veritable connoisseurship, the collector developed an extensive body of works from antiquity that embrace the cultures of Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Marcus Aurelius, the celebrated philosopher-emperor, who was known as the last of the Five Good Emperors, is depicted here in his later years, after having ruled for several years. In addition to his characteristic tousled curls, he is portrayed with the mustache and beard of individual curling locks, denoting his wisdom and age. This magnificent portrait has an impressive provenance, hailing from the renowned collection of classical sculpture from Marbury Hall, Cheshire, England, formed by the Honorable James Hugh Smith Barry during the Grand Tour in Rome circa 1776-1780. 

Also featured in the sale is a superbly sculpted Roman marble head of Apollo Lyceus, circa 2nd century A.D. (estimate: $200,000-300,000). The Apollo Lyceus is a statue type known from numerous literary, sculptural, and numismatic sources, which depicts the god often leaning on a pillar with one arm resting atop his head. While the sculptor of the Greek original remains unknown, the enduring popularity of the subject is confirmed by the presence of the work on Greek and Roman coins over the course of nearly four centuries.

Emerald and diamond brooch - Photo Sotheby's

Set with an step-cut emerald weighing approximately 15.05 carats, highlighted with shield-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds, pendant loop to reverse. Estimation: 18,000 - 30,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 110,500 CHF

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Paravent à quatre feuilles. Style Louis XIV. Bruxelles. Fin du XVIe siècle. Photo AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés

en bois doré mouluré et richement sculpté de masques de vieillard, volutes feuillagées, enfilage de piastres, et bustes en cariatide. Il est orné de feuilles en tapisserie à décor polychrome de personnages sous des dais. Dimension d'une feuille : H totale : 248 L totale: 62 cm; (restaurations, parties refaites et modifications dans les dimensions).. Il s'agit vraisemblablement de la bordure d'une tapisserie remontée en paravent. Estimation : 12 000 / 15 000 €

AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés. Vendredi 23 novembre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 48 00 20 10

Suite de quatre fauteuils à dossier arrondi. Début de l'Époque Louis XV. Photo AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés

en bois naturel, mouluré et sculpté de fleurettes, feuillage, feuilles d'acanthe, coquilles et quadrillages. Les accoudoirs galbés, la ceinture sinueuse, ils reposent sur des pieds cambrés terminés par des enroulements. (restaurations). H : 95,5 cm - L : 71 cm - P : 61 cm. Estimation : 10 000 / 15 000 €

AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés. Vendredi 23 novembre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 48 00 20 10

Pair of ruby and diamond pendent earrings, circa 1925 - Photo Sotheby's

Each set with an oval ruby weighing approximately 2.90 and 3.00 carats respectively, the open work frame set with circular-cut diamonds, suspended from an articulated line of similarly cut stones, post and butterfly fittings. Estimation: 80,000 - 120,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 152,500 CHF

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 59944, stating that the rubies are of Burmese origin, with no indications of heating.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Pair of ruby and diamond ear clips, Van Cleef & Arpels - Photo Sotheby's

Each set at the centre with a cushion-shaped ruby weighing 3.79 and 3.94 carats respectively, within a border of brilliant-cut and baguette diamonds, signed Van Cleef & Arpels and numbered, French assay and maker's marks. Estimation: 70,000 - 115,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 134,500 CHF

PROPERTY OF A EUROPEAN NOBLE FAMILY

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 65268, stating that the rubies are of Burmese origin, with no indications of heating.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Grand miroir à parcloses. Italie - Début du XVIIIe siècle. Photo AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés

de forme mouvementée en bois redoré mouluré et sculpté de volutes et guirlandes de laurier, il présente un mascaron à la partie supérieure. (Il a été doublé, manques). H : 267 L : 169 cm. Estimation : 8 000 / 12 000 €

Ce modèle présente la particularité d'un double encadrement et de réserves, fréquent en Italie au XVIIIème siècle.
Un exemplaire révélant la même inspiration et provenant des collections Talleyrand a été vendu à Paris la 26 novembre 2005 sous le numéro 291.

AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés. Vendredi 23 novembre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 48 00 20 10

Tapisserie de Bruxelles. Première moitié du XVIIIème siècle. Photo AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés

représentant Diane et Callisto avec à l'arrière plan un palais et une fontaine sur la droite; (usures-restaurations). H : 214 avec une rentrayure d'environ 50 cm x Long : 294 cm. Estimation : 8 000 / 12 000 €

Provenance: Collection Grog-Carven

AuctionArt - Rémy Le Fur & Associés. Vendredi 23 novembre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 48 00 20 10

Fine natural pearl and diamond ring - Photo Sotheby's

Set with a natural pearl of slightly greyish brown tint measuring approximately 17.20 x 17.30 x 13.85mm, between baguette diamonds, size 51^1/2, French assay and maker's marks. Estimation: 95,000 - 140,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 146,500 CH

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 64781, stating the pearl was found to be natural, saltwater, with no indications of artificial colour modification

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Pair of natural pearl and diamond pendent earrings, 1920s - Sotheby's

Each set with a natural pearl drop of  greyish brown tint measuring approximately 11.7 x 15.15mm and 10.85 x 17.30mm respectively, suspended from an articulated line of alternating baguette and circular-cut diamonds, post and butterfly fittings, French assay marks. Estimation: 47,000 - 55,000 CHF - Lot. Vendu 134,500 CHF

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 54821, stating that the pearls were found to be natural, saltwater, with no indications of artificial colour modification.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. Genève | 14 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com