Isaac Soreau (active Hanau 1620-1638),A still life of grapes in a basket, mulberries in a wanli kraak porcelain bowl and flowers in a glass vase on a stone ledge, oil on panel.49.2 x 65.7cm (19 3/8 x 25 7/8in. Photo: Bonhams. 

LONDON.- An elegant still life by the 17th century painter Isaak Soreau is to be sold at Bonhams Old Master Paintings sale in London on 4 December. It is estimated at £400,000-600,000. 

The work depicts grapes in a basket, mulberries in a wanli kraak porcelain bowl and flowers in a glass vase on a stone ledge. It is painted in Soreau’s characteristically restrained style, harmoniously balancing the meticulously rendered objects against a severely neutral background. 

Soreau was born just outside Frankfurt in 1604 and is thought to have died there sometime in the 1640s but he was by family and training essentially a Flemish painter. The son of a Protestant Dutch artist who left the Netherlands to escape the continual risk of religious persecution during the Eighty Years War, Soreau was trained initially in his father’s workshop. It has been suggested that he spent some time in Antwerp at the studio of Jacob von Hulsdonck whose work his own closely resembles. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the painting for sale was executed on an Antwerp panel – as were others of his works - there is no firm evidence to support this theory. 

The painting is unsigned. This is usual with Soreau, however, who is known to have signed one work only, a still life in the State Museum, Schwerin Staadsmueum. The porcelain bowl in the Schwerin still life is identical to that in the Bonhams painting and also features in others of Soreau’s pictures. 

Unmonted Emerald. Photo Sotheby's

The hexagonal-shaped pyramidal cabochon emerald weighing 18.88 carats. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000 USD

Pair of platinum, emerald and diamond stickpins. Photo Sotheby's

Set with two fluted emeralds measuring approximately 17.5 by 13.1 by 13.1 mm and 16.0 by 14.0 by 12.2 mm, accented by marquise and single-cut diamonds weighing approximately 2.35 carats, one of the pins with an onyx, diamond and pearl terminal, the terminal indistinctly numbered, with French assay and maker's marks; circa 1920. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. New York | 11 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

BEIJING.- Sotheby’s presented a masterpiece of portraiture, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, by acclaimed Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606 – 1669) at Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week from 28 November to 1 December 2013. Dated 1658, this rare, powerful portrait is one of the last works from Rembrandt’s late career left in private hands. Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, along with other prominent works that focus on depictions of the figure by some of the critical artists in the history of western art, are being featured at the selling exhibition of MODERN MASTERS: From Rembrandt to Picasso – Representation of the Figure in Western Art in Beijing.

David Norman, Co-Chairman of Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art Department Worldwide, commented: “Rembrandt was the greatest artist of the Dutch Golden Age, the period spanning nearly the whole of the 17th century when the Netherlands was one of the most economically empowered nations in the world and the cultural centre of Europe. Dutch artists, scientists and tradesmen were amongst the most innovative and creative in the Western world. The preeminent artist of that period was Rembrandt. A master at depicting biblical and historical subjects, the Dutch artist was also one of the greatest painters of the figure in the history of art. Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo is a deeply penetrating painting with a subtle and complex array of tonalities. No other painter could rival Rembrandt’s mastery of portraiture and his ability to capture and relay the very essence and character of the sitter. Though centuries old, these paintings still move us and reveal the timeless nature of the human condition. 

“With the growing appetite for quality Western art in Asia, Sotheby’s is honoured to be able to bring this exceptional masterpiece from the 17th century by one of the greatest artists in European history to the art centre and capital of China, offering the increasingly sophisticated Chinese collectors an opportunity to view this work of great importance, and appreciate Rembrandt’s powerful mastery of painting that has inspired later generations of artists.” 

Following his arrival in Amsterdam in 1631, Rembrandt had enjoyed remarkable professional success in his early career as one of the most sought-after portraitists in the city. Although his later years were marked by financial hardship, Rembrandt remained a figure of international renown throughout his artistic career, sought after by the rich, famous and noble. 

Executed in 1658, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo was created in one of the most innovative but also the most difficult moments of the artist’s career. Only two other works dated 1658 in Rembrandt’s entire oeuvre are known to exist. Deviating from the realist painting style of his earlier portraits, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo focuses on the play of light, the illusion of colour within a restricted palette, and the evocative emotions of the subject. The soft brushstrokes, more atmospheric and painterly qualities of the present work were revolutionary at the time. 

Peter Sutton, Executive Director of the Bruce Museum of Arts and Sciences, Greenwich, describes the painting as “a boldly conceived work painted in his [Rembrandt’s] most assured and painterly later manner.” As noted in Sutton’s essay on the exhibition: “It [the portrait] depicts the sitter frontally and three quarter length with arms akimbo. The unidentified sitter meets the viewer’s gaze with a steady and confident expression, bordering on defiance…A strong light falls from the upper left illuminating his face and catching highlights on his right shoulder and the sleeve of his left arm, expertly turning the figure in space and impressing on the viewer the sitter’s substance and authority…The effect is of a rich abundance of textures, despite a limited palette of only a few colours.” 

The provenance of Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo is notable. The ownership of the painting can be traced back to the 18th century when it was kept by Daniel Daulby (d. 1797), one of the most celebrated British collectors of Rembrandt’s works in his day. When first appeared in Daulby’s sale in 1798, the painting was characterised as “universally acknowledged by some of the finest judges in the kingdom to be a genuine and very capital picture of the …master, and is in high preservation.” Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo was subsequently acquired by several distinguished art collectors through the course of the 18th and 19th century. In 1930, the work was sold at Sotheby’s in London, and was later acquired in 1939 by George Huntington Hartford II, heir to the Atlantic & Pacific supermarket chain and a member of one of the wealthiest families in America, who described the painting as “the greatest Rembrandt portrait I have ever seen”. Hartford donated the painting to the Columbia University in 1958, who sold it to the dealer Harold Diamond in 1974 to support the endowment fund. It was acquired in the same year by J. Steward Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune. The painting was later consigned to sell in London in 2009, where it was purchased by the Las Vegas casino owner, Steve Wynn. 

Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo first appeared at an exhibition at the British Institution in London in 1847. It was also shown in other major exhibitions including Three Hundred Years – An exhibition of Rembrandt and his Followers at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Detroit Institute of Arts from 1969 to 1970. 

Rembrandt Harmensz. Van Rijn (Leiden 1606 - 1669 Amsterdam), Portrait of a man with arms Akimbo. Photo courtesy Sotheby's 

Signed and dated lower left Rembrandt 1658. Oil on canvas; 42 1/4 by 34 1/4 in. 107.4 by 87 cm. Painted in 1658. 

Provenance: Daniel Daulby (d. 1797), Liverpool;
His sale, Liverpool, T. Vernon,  27 August, 1798, lot 70 (as “A Large Portrait, Rembrandt, 3’6” [by] 2’9”. This last picture is universally acknowledged by some of the finest judges in the kingdom to be a genuine and very capital picture of the above master, and is in high preservation.”);

William Clarke (d. 1805), banker, Everton, Lancashire; 
Sale, Liverpool, Winstanley, 8 July, 1806,[2nd day of sale], lot 139 (as “Rembrandt. A Portrait, from the Collection of the late Daniel Daulby, Esq. in finest manner of Rembrandt.”);

William Earle, shipper, Everton, Lancashire; 
Sale, Liverpool, Winstanley, 17 April, 1839 [=1st day of sale], lot 61 (as  ”Rembrandt. The Portrait of a Dutch Admiral. He wears a rich Dress and Beret Cap; his right hand rests upon his side. Painted with a bold free pencil and powerful effect”, 3’5” x 2’9” [57 gns; probably acquired by George Folliott.]);
George Folliott (1801 – 1851), Vicars Cross, Chester, by 1847, and by descent to his grandson, James Folliott Folinsby Walker;
By whom sold, London, Sotheby’s, ("The Property of the Late George Folliott"), 14 May, 1930, lot 51 (“So far as can be traced, this is an entirely unrecorded portrait by Rembrandt, painted according to the date inscribed on it during the period of his career so valued by collectors”, (£18,500 to Asscher and Welker);

With Asscher and Welcker, London, 1930;
With Howard Young Galleries, New York, 1931;
George Huntington Hartford II (1911 – 2008), by 1939, by whom presented in 1958 to Columbia University, New York;
Sold in 1974 by Columbia University to Harold Diamond, Inc., New York, from whom acquired by John Seward Johnson (1895 – 1983);
By inheritance to his third wife, Barbara (“Basia”) Piasecka Johnson (b. 1937), who consigned it to
Sale,  London, Christie’s, 8 December, 2009, lot 12;

Private Collector, United States; 
There purchased by the present owner

Early descriptions of the present work therefore suggest that by the mid 19th century a proud figure in a jerkin and large beret with arms akimbo had gained nautical associations. While images of sailors are surprisingly scarce in seventeenth century Dutch art, appearing mostly in genre scenes but not portraits, there is some evidence that that these nautical associations may have already arisen in Rembrandt’s time; Moses ter Borch’s drawing of a sailor depicts a proud figure full length with arms akimbo wearing a three quarter length jerkin cinched at the waist (fig. 2, Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam). In the burgeoning port of Amsterdam, Rembrandt surely had extensive dealings with seamen, captains and shipowners. We know for example that the earliest exchange of his Abraham and the Angels of 1646 was evidently involved in a deal for ships’ supplies. And recently discovered documents (see Lauro Magnani, inKroniek van het Rembrandthuis, 2007, pp. 13 – 15) relating to negotiations over a commission in 1666 for two modelli  by the Sauli family of Genoa for a church in Carignano was conducted by the ship captain, Gio Lorenzo Viviano, who together  with the Sauli’s local agents, complained repeatedly about the artist’s late delivery and eccentric, unpredictable (stravagante) ways.

The history of gesture provides some support for the notion that a figure with arms akimbo in Rembrandt’s time evoked military authority and a figure’s assertion of his self possession, success and defiance (see Joanneath Spicer, “The Renaissance Elbow,” in J. Bremmer and H. Roodenburg, ed., A Cultural History of Gesture: from Antiquity to Present Day [Cambridge, 1991, pp. 84 – 128, especially pp. 86 and 95). Rembrandt’s own Standard Bearer as a Landsknecht of 1636 (Rothschild Collection, Paris) follows the tradition (employed by Evert van der Maes, Frans  Hals, Bartholomeus van der Helst,  and many other Dutch portraitists) of depicting standard bearers as proud figures , who rather than face us, turn to the side and  poke their elbow at the viewer . The arms akimbo could signal that a figure is bold, alert and on guard, but it could also be associated with pride; in his book on gentlemanly comportment, Il Galateo (1558), Giovanni della Casa, condemned those who would “set their hands to their sides and go up and down like a Pecock.” Bonafacio (L’arte de’cenni, 1616) cited Plautus, who derided those who go around with their hands on their hips as “handle men.” And in 1644, John Bulwer’s text on rhetoric, Chironomiaadmonished that “to set the arms agambo or aprank, and to rest the turned-in back of the hand upon the side is an action of pride and ostentation, unbeseeming the hand of an orator.”

A bust length copy of present work discussed by Ernst van de Wetering at the time of the painting’s sale in 2009 (fig. 3, present location unknown) also depicted the sitter with an earring in his left ear, evidently added after the work was conceived, since no evidence appears anywhere of this detail in x-rays of the painting or during its recent cleaning.  There also are traces of an object inserted into the sash around the figure’s waist; on the viewer’s right there are a series of vertical strokes which do not correspond to the horizontal wrap of the figure’s sash (see detail, fig. 4). One theory is that these are the remnants of the hilt of a dagger, which would augment the figure’s dramatic and potentially fierce persona. Daggers and rapiers appear in Rembrandt’s etchings of fanciful exotics (see for example, Self Portrait as an Oriental with a Kris [an Indonesian sword], of 1634, Bartsch/ Holllstein no. 18) as well as in his copies of Persian miniatures (see, as examples, Benesch nos. 1190 and 1203).  Daggers (degen) also regularly figure in the inventories of the clothing and possessions of seventeenth century artists (see M. de Winkel ”Rembrandt’s Clothes – Dress and Meaning in his Self Portraits” in Corpus, vol. IV , Chapter 2,  Addendum, pp. 82 ,84, 85 and 86), presumably as studio props for history paintings but also as potential means of personal defense.  The combination of the fierce expression, dagger and earring has prompted speculation that the figure in the present work might be a pirate. While there were famously ruthless pirates in this era (see David Cordingly, Under the Black Flag, New York, 1996; and Alex Ritsema, Pirates and Privateers from the Low Countries, c. 1500 – c.1810, Deventer, 2008), such as Francis Lolonois (fig. 5), an authority on Dutch pirates and privateers, R. van Gelder,  points out (private communication) that pirates were hunted outlaws; if one had turned up in Dutch Republic he would have been immediately hanged, hence unlikely to have time to sit for  Rembrandt’s portrait.

The memorable pose, with arms akimbo, was one that Rembrandt himself had earlier adopted for a Self Portraitdated 1652 in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (fig. 6). In this work he wears a simple brown robe over a black doublet and sports a black gathered beret, With the exception of the last garment, these probably were the work clothes that he wore in the studio.  Indeed a drawing in the Rembrandthuis (fig. 7) that was long assigned to Rembrandt depicts him in the same pose but full length wearing a similar robe. An early, though not autograph, inscription on a piece of paper adhered to the drawing is inscribed in Dutch: “Drawn by Rembrandt van Rijn after his own image/ as he was attired in his own studio.”  Thus the robe was probably actual seventeenth century attire; however the beret or bonnet (as they then were called in both contemporary Dutch and English) in the Vienna portrait was a sixteenth century article that had been thoroughly outmoded by this date.  Rembrandt drew studies of heads with different berets and headgear to be consulted in composing his history subjects (see, for example, Study of Four Heads, fig. 8, Maida and George Abrams Collection; compare especially the figure at the left with the head of the man in the present painting).  As de Winkel has demonstrated (op. cit pp. 62 – 63), the gathered bonnet that Rembrandt favored was probably taken from sixteenth century printed portraits of famous earlier artists. Indeed by the time that the Vienna portrait was painted the beret had become Rembrandt’s trademark, as it remains an artist’s emblem to this day, and was even imitated by his pupils, such as Gerard Dou. 

One should ask, therefore, whether the proud sitter in the present, vaguely historicized costume might also be an artist. In Rembrandt’s only other dated portrait of this year, the great Self Portrait in the Frick Collection (fig.  1), he depicts himself with a gold brocaded scarf, and bright yellow jerkin with red sash that has sometimes been mistakenly described as Venetian in origins and princely in its associations. However it seems again to be an amalgam of sixteenth century Northern and Eastern components probably alluding to great artists of the past (de Winkel op cit. p. 75). An undated painting, which probably also dates from c. 1658, is the lovely Portrait of the Artist’s Son, Titus(fig. 9) in the Wallace Collection which shows the young man at about age seventeen. The composition has a similar directness and the broad but subtly nuanced paint handling, especially in the beret and cloak, may be compared to that of the present work.

Although out of the public’s eye for much of its existence, the present work has long been admired. When it first appeared in the sale in 1798 of the collection of the distinguished Rembrandt scholar, Daniel Daulby, it was characterized as “universally acknowledged by some of the finest judges in the kingdom to be a genuine and very capital picture of the […] master, and is in high preservation.”  In the Clarke sale in 1806 it was regarded as in the “finest manner of Rembrandt” and, as we have seen, it was commended for its “bold free pencil and powerful effect” in William Earle’s sale in 1839. When it resurfaced almost a century later In the Folliott sale in 1930 it was described as “an entirely unrecorded portrait of Rembrandt, painted according to the date inscribed on it during the period of his career so valued by collectors.” Soon following the sales, the distinguished art historian, Tancred Borenius, published the work in The Burlington Magazine, praising it as “undoubtedly one of the most notable additions made for a long time to the list of Rembrandt’s extant works.”  Remarking that it had only just been cleaned, he observed that it was in “an absolutely perfect condition”. He as even inspired to compare the “magnificently boldly planted” figure to the emergence of the hero in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer .  Writing several months later in the same periodical, the Rembrandt scholar and museum director, W.R. Valentiner, also commended it as “the largest and most impressive among the rediscovered paintings,” comparing it to the Frick Self Portrait (fig. 1). Valentiner later suggested in an exhibition in Raleigh in1956 that the sitter could be the lawyer, Louis Craeyers, who assisted in Rembrandt’s bankruptcy, but there is no basis whatsoever for this identification. Following its sudden appearance in 1930, the painting subsequently appeared as part of the canonical oeuvre in the standard monographs on Rembrandt by Bredius (1935), Bauch (1966) and Gerson (1968), but remained largely unavailable to scholars between 1970 and 2009. It was only then viewed by Ernst van de Wetering, Chairman of the Rembrandt Research Project, and subjected to scientific analysis shortly before its sale at auction in London in 2009. Van de Wetering wrote (private correspondence, recorded in sale catalogue 12/8/09) in May 2009, “One of the most striking qualities of the painting throughout is the remarkably intelligent and sensitive dealing with delicate light effects and the dosage of light. … Judged after my long experience with Rembrandt, this painting is in that respect one of Rembrandt’s masterpieces.”

In Borenius’s appreciative and thoughtful analysis of the painting in 1930, he emphasized its indebtedness to Italian painting, specifically comparing it to Raphael’s Portrait of Baldisssare Castiglione  (Louvre, Paris), which passed through Amsterdam in a sale in 1639 and was personally recorded by Rembrandt in a drawn copy  (Albertina, Vienna). The monumental presence, indeed sheer bulk, and notched beret of Raphael’s portrait may well be recollected in the present work, as are other Italian precedents invoked by Borenius, notably Titian, whose late works are often seen as precedents for painterly and diaphanous products of Rembrandt’s own late career (see Kenneth Clark,Rembrandt and the Italian Renaissance, New York, 1966; Amy Golahny, “Rembrandt’s Paintings and the Venetian Tradition”, Ph.D, Columbia University, 1984; exh. cat. New York, Salander-O’Reilly Galleries, Rembrandt and the Venetian Influence, 2000). The inventory of Rembrandt’s possessions included “a very large album with almost all the works of Titian”, meaning prints after his designs, engravings after his paintings, and etchings after his drawings. He also undoubtedly had seen actual paintings by Titian; Alphonso Lopez, who bought the Castiglione in the Van Uffelen sale in Amsterdam also owned Titian’s Flora, (Uffizi, Florence), andPortrait of a Man (so-called Ariosto), (National Gallery London). The frontal grandeur and hand-on-hip pose of the present sitter was often employed  by Titian, who also depicted figures in exotic costume (see, for example, The Portrait of Fabrizio Salvaresio, 1658, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). However it was not Titian’s compendium of poses that attracted Rembrandt in his later years but the great Venetian master’s use of light and color, notably its tenebrous and richly veiled atmospherics, which had little to do with the distinct contours, clear forms and slick surface refinement of the international Classicist manner then increasingly finding favor in the Dutch Republic.  Indeed Rembrandt’s late, broad and painterly, rouw (“rough”) manner , as opposed to his early net (“smooth”) style, (distinctions codified as early as 1604 by Karel van Mander) has been assumed to have been a factor contributing to his personal financial  troubles in later life. However, contrary to popular romantic notions of Rembrandt’s final neglect, even in his last decade he remained a figure of international renown, sought after and visited by the rich, famous and noble.

The provenance of the painting is notable. As Burton Fredericksen first observed (Salesroom Notice in the auction, London, December 8, 2009), the earliest known owner of the picture was Daniel Daulby,  the greatest collector of Rembrandt’s etchings in England in his day and author of the first catalogue in English of the etchings (A Descriptive Catalogue of the Works of Rembrandt … compiled from original etchings, Liverpool, 1796). When his collection was sold (Sale T. Vernon, Liverpool, August 19, 1799 = 7th day of the sale), it was described as “the most complete School of Rembrandt now existing in the kingdom.”  He was a close friend of his brother-in-law, William Roscoe, who shared his passion for prints and drawings. Roscoe formed the Weld-Blundell Collection now preserved in Liverpool (see X. Brooke, Mantegna to Rubens. The Weld-Blundell Drawings Collection, 1998). The present painting was acquired at Daulby’s sale by William Clarke, who was a friend of Roscoe and perhaps of Daulby, and assembled a collection of Old Masters and Modern British paintings, including works by Rubens and Wright of Derby, that fetched high prices when it was sold in 1806. The shipper, William Earle, who later owned the painting, had spent much of his life in Italy, probably Livorno and Genoa, and owned major works by Ribera, perhaps acquired in Naples or Spain.  The son of William Harwood Folliott, of Chester and Stapeley House, Nantwich, and his wife Catharine, the heiress of John Burcoe of Stapley, George Folliott was married to Dorothea Elizabeth, daughter of W.J. Moore, of Dublin, and acquired the estate of Vicars Cross, on the outskirts of Chester. According to Borenius, he added a top-lit gallery to the house to accommodate his collection, in which the Rembrandt was hung as “primus inter pares.”  Folliott died at fifty, bequeathing his collection to his daughter, Mrs. E.I.E Folingsby Walker. It was under her and her son’s direction that the Old Master pictures were sold at Sotheby’s in London on May 14, 1930. Of the thirty eight paintings from their collection that were sold, there were many Dutch landscapes, Rembrandt School works and Italian view paintings. Notable paintings included Holbein’sPortrait of Lady Guilford (now in the St Louis Art Museum) and Bernardo Bellotto’s, View of the Tiber with the Castel Saint Angelo (now in the Detroit Institute of Arts).

By 1939, the Rembrandt had been acquired for a reputed $185,000 by George Huntington Hartford II, heir to the Atlantic & Pacific (A & P) supermarket chain and a member of one of the wealthiest families in America. Hartford squandered much of his fortune on quixotic commercial and artistic ventures as well as costly divorces. One of his most ambitious projects, was the creation of his own museum on Columbus Circle in Manhattan (today the Museum of Arts and Design), designed by Edward Durrell Stone, to house his collection, comprised mostly of Impressionist, Pre-Raphaelite and Surrealist art. Hartford disdained much of Modern Art and his museum proved unpopular, closing after only a few years. He considered the present work ‘the greatest Rembrandt portrait I have ever seen” but never exhibited it in his museum. In 1958 he donated it to Columbia University, with the intention that it be sold to support research in the department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons. The portrait was displayed in the office of the President until it was occupied by dissenting students in 1968, when it was removed to storage for safekeeping. The painting was sold in 1974 to support the endowment fund. It was acquired by the dealer Harold Diamond, who paid an undisclosed amount, but which was reported to have been in excess of $1 million. It was acquired in the same year by J. Steward Johnson, heir to the Johnson  & Johnson fortune, then by inheritance to his widow, Barbara Piasecka Johnson, who became a benefactor of causes in her native Poland but is perhaps most famous for a series of lawsuits brought against her by her late husband’s disinherited children. She consigned the painting to the sale in London in 2009, where it was purchased by the Las Vegas casino owner, Steve Wynn.

The Scientific Analysis of the painting reported by Dr. Nicolas Eastaugh in the 2009 sale catalogue illustrated both x-radiograph and digital infrared images of the portrait. These reveal changes to the figure’s beret and the outline of his left shoulder and right arm. The Condition Report also prepared at that time by R.M.S. Shephard Associates further noted that the x-ray revealed areas that were initially left in reserve and only later covered as the composition evolved. Pigment analysis revealed a characteristic “quartz ground” that K. Groen has detected in 48 other paintings on canvas dated between 1642 and 1669 by Rembrandt and his circle (see K. Groen, in Art Matters. Netherlands Technical Studies, vol. 3, 2005, pp. 138 – 154). It also identified lead white, carbon based black, a range of earth pigments and red and yellow lakes, all typical of Rembrandt’s palette. At the time of the auction Eastaugh stated that the painting was “covered with a thick, glossy and highly discolored varnish, which made detailed examination and photography quite difficult.” The painting has since been cleaned and emerged in excellent condition. Interesting details have also become clearer, such as the prominent highlight on the man’s right shoulder, which closely resembles a similar passage in the Wallace Collection’s Titus.   

Gustave Moreau (1826 – 1898), Le Poète et la Sirène. Photo courtesy Sotheby's

Signed Gustave Moreau (lower right). Oil on canvas; 38 1/4 by 24 1/2 in. 97 by 62 cm. Painted in 1893. Ⓑ Bonded Property: This lot has been imported from outside of the PRC and is held under the bonded status.

Provenance. Collection of Francis Warrain, Paris
Private Collection
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, October 24, 1989, lot 82
Private Collection, Switzerland

Exposition: Paris, Collection Warrain, 1906, no. 206
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Gustave Moreau, 1961, no. 45
New York, Helly Nahmad Gallery, The Poet & The Siren, A collection of works by Gustave Moreau- ARMAN The Day After, 3 November - 31 December 2008, 2008.

Litterature: Holten, L'Art Fantastique de Gustave Moreau, Paris, Pauvert, 1960, p. 29, illustrated fig. 38
Holten, Gustave Moreau Symbolist, Stockholm, 1965, p. 76
Pierre-Louis Mathieu, Gustave Moreau, Complete Edition of the Finished Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, Fribourg, Switzerland, Office du Livre, 1977, no. 404, p. 367, illustrated p. 205

Sotheby's. Modern Masters: From Rembrandt to Picasso - Representation of the Figure in Western Art. Beijing | 28 nov. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Gustave Moreau (1826 – 1898), Suzanne et les vieillards. Photo courtesy Sotheby's

Signed Gustave Moreau (lower left). Oil on canvas; 31 7/8 by 25 1/2 in. 81.3 by 66 cm. Painted circa 1895. Ⓑ Bonded Property: This lot has been imported from outside of the PRC and is held under the bonded status. 

Provenance: Collection Allard and Noel (acquired from the artist 1895)
P. Chavanne, Paris
Sale: Hotel Drout, Paris, 17 December 1906, lot 38 (illustrated as La Chaste Suzanne)
Private Collection, Turin
Private Collection, Japan
Sale: Christie's, New York, November 18, 1998, lot 20

Exposition: New York, Helly Nahmad Gallery, The Poet & The Siren, A collection of works by Gustave Moreau - ARMAN The Day After, 3 November - 31 December 2008, 2008

Litterature: A. Renan, Gustave Moreau, Paris, 1900, p. 34
Pierre-Louis Mathieu, Gustave Moreau, Complete Edition of the Finished Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, Fribourg, 1977, no. 419, pp. 178, 377, illustrated p.227
Pierre-Louis Mathieu, Gustave Moreau, Paris, 1995, p. 204, illustrated p.205

Sotheby's. Modern Masters: From Rembrandt to Picasso - Representation of the Figure in Western Art. Beijing | 28 nov. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

An Art Deco diamond and multi-gem "Tutti Frutti" bracelet, by Cartier. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013

The old European-cut diamond band set with a series of oval shaped jade cabochons with carved ruby and sapphire leaves, enhanced by black onyx vine detail, joined by an old European-cut diamond plaque set with a star sapphire, mounted in platinum, circa 1930, 7 ins. in a Cartier red leather case. Signed Cartier, no. 2818791. Estimate $300,000 – $500,000

With report CS 57543 dated 24 October 2013 from the American Gemological Laboratory stating that there is no gemological evidence of impregnation present with the four jade cabochons. 

Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 10 December 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza -www.christies.com

A ruby, emerald and diamond duck brooch, by Cartier. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013

Designed as a duck, with carved ruby body, 18k gold and cabochon emerald head to the shield-shaped emerald tail, enhanced with circular-cut diamond detail, mounted in platinum and 18k gold, with French assay marks and maker's marks. Signed Cartier, Paris, no. 09824. Estimate $12,000 – $18,000

Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 10 December 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com

Yan Pei-Ming (B. 1960), Farmer. Photo Sotheby's

titled in French, signed in Chinese and Pinyin and dated1999 on the reverse; oil on canvas; 200.5 by 200.5 cm.; 78 7/8  by 78 7/8  in. Estimation 2 000 000 — 2 500 000 RMB

Provenance: Private Collection, China
Poly, Beijing, 28 May, 2008, lot 415

Exposition: China, Shanghai, Minsheng Art Museum, Minsheng Art Museum Openning Exhibition- 30 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art, p.360

Yan Pei-Ming: Black and White Portrait

Zao Wou-Ki (Zhao Wuji) (1920-2013), Abstraction. Photo Sotheby's

signed in Pinyin and Chinese; signed in Pinyin and dated1958 on the reverse; Galerie Charpentier exhibition label affixed to the stretcher on the reverse; oil on canvas; 130 by 162 cm.; 51 1/4  by 63 3/4  in. Estimation 35 000 000 — 45 000 000 RMB

Provenance: Galerie Charpentier, Paris
The Collection of Myriam Prévot
Galerie de France, Paris
The Collection of Mary L. and Leigh B. Block
The Art Institute of Chicago, Mary L. and Leigh B. Block Fund for Acquisitions, 1961

Exposition: Paris, Galerie Charpentier, École de Paris, 1958, 1958
Paris, Galerie nationale du Jue de Paume, Zao Wou-Ki, October 14 – December 7, 2003

Litterature: Ecole de Paris 1958, Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 1958, plate 140
Cimaise - Art et architecture actuels, Cimaise, Paris, 1962, No. 57, p. 30, illustrated in colour
C. C. Cunningham, ed., Supplement to Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago, A Catalogue of the Picture Collection, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 1965, plate 487A
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Edition Hier et Demain, Paris, 1978, plate 28
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona, 1978, plate 28
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 1979, plate 28
Francois Cheng, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Peinture, encres de Chine, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, 1981, plate 70
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Cercle d’Art, Paris, 1986, plate 28
Jean Leymarie, ed., Zao Wou-Ki, Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona, 1986, plate 28
Gerard de Cortanze, Zao Wou-Ki, Editions de la Difference/Enrico Navarra, Paris, 1988, p. 113, illustrated in colour
Zao Wou-Ki, Galerie nationale du Jue de Paume, Paris, 2003, p. 93, illustrated in colour
Dominique de Villepin, Zao Wou-Ki: Oeuvres 1935-2008, Flammarion, Paris, pp. 117-118, illustrated in colour
Dominique de Villepin, Zao Wou-Ki: Oeuvres 1935-2008, Kwai Fung Publishing, Hong Kong, pp. 117-118, illustrated in colour

A rhapsodic symphony in an ever-evolving cycle
Zao Wou-Ki’s seminal masterpiece from the “oracle bone period”

“The wind is soaring, the water roars. Movements of the cosmos travel across the canvas from one side to another, like a wild horse on the loose. The sky is shrouded with thick, dark clouds, the sea rough with waves. As the tide of nature returns over and again, this enormous power passes through all the ages…the painter has found the great way of light, colors and materials, returning with their secrets in hand. This is no simple return – with his unique perspectives, the artist has opened up for us a world of shapes and forms, derived from the inner universe of external appearances.” These are comments from former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin on Zao Wou-Ki’s paintings, an interpretation filled with poetry and admiration. Just as Villepin had put it, Zao Wou-Ki’s art is a “visual revolution”. Through his paintings, he continuously presented novel concepts and perspectives, creating new structures for his paintings, leading the viewer into a free-flowing, rhapsodic domain of boundless imagination.

In 1954, Zao Wou-Ki’s painting revolution moved into a critical phase. He was no longer satisfied with the depiction of external appearance and specific narrative of landscape and scenery. Instead, he quietly delved deep into the ancient Chinese culture, to examine objects which he knew so well and admired so dearly ever since he was a child, objects such as bronze vessels for religious rituals, metals and stones, as well as inscriptions and calligraphy – he was inspired to invent his own rustic, ancient characters through the intricate use of thick, black lines on canvas. Most of the time, the meanings of these characters are unidentifiable. Some are broken into segments, some are joined together in a certain order; collectively they create a fresh, new conceptual world of space. It was during this time when his creative output progressed into the “oracle bone period”, in which he explored the nature of painting using an approach that does not rely on specific narrative. A large number of deeply affecting pieces was created, many of which are held at leading art museums worldwide. Abstraction (1958) in the current auction is a highly-developed, representative work from this period. 

A timeless treasure of exceptional value, extremely rare and sought after worldwide 

Abstraction was shown at Galerie Charpentier in 1958, as part of a large-scale exhibition entitled École de Paris, or School of Paris. Located directly across the residence of the French President, Galerie Charpentier was renowned for the gallery building’s exquisite architecture and its leading status in the art world. Also exhibited in the same period were works by Hans Hartune, a well-established artist at the time, as well as John Levee, an American abstract expressionist painter. Abstraction was a highlight at the exhibition and attracted extensive attention worldwide, sparkling many exciting debates. The work was once held by Myriam Prévot, gallery owner of Galerie de France and subsequently by renowned art collectors Mary L. and Leigh B. Block from Chicago. The latter’s collection focused mainly on 19th century American art and contemporary art, including works by Max Beckmann, Jasper Johns, Jean Arp and Joan Miró. They however admired Zao’s paintings and decided to acquire his work. This reflects their appreciation of Zao Wou-Ki’s artistic vocabulary which stands out as highly individual and unique amongst the vast world of Western fine art. Abstraction was later acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remained for over five decades. It is indeed an extremely rare occasion for this work to be offered in an auction.

The pulse and rhythm of the primordial universe

 “I want to convey the sense of movement – be it intricately tender, or be it swift and soaring. For me, a boisterous uproar is more attractive than quietness and silence.” – Zao Wou-Ki 

The vast canvas of this painting is infused with ink-black, earthly maroon and violet blue, on which solid black lines suffused with power travel from the center towards the edges. Unknown characters and symbols float in the open space of air and light, as if they have broken free from the force of gravity. Each one of them is derived from another, bouncing and crashing into each other with a force of its own. The space expands and contracts, breathlessly capturing the viewer’s complete attention as one tries to decipher and experience the secrets behind. As one lingers in this sphere of imagination, the viewer suddenly sees, in the center of the canvas, rich shades of primary red piercing through the thick layers of dark clouds to engage in an intensive combat with the mysterious white light and ink-black darkness. In this boisterous battle, crimson red flame burns fiercely, in an attempt to turn the immense weight of this world into ashes. An instant later, brilliant, glittering sparks fly. It is as if the artist is depicting the echoes of the cosmos’ formation from distant primordial time. In this dramatic symphony of colors and light, the pulse and vibration of all beings in the universe were summoned and captured, drawing the viewer’s soul with an awe-inspiring power. The pulsating sense of vitality reveals to us some deeply buried secrets of the universe, like alchemy, or music. 

This piece reminds the viewer of words by French critic Florence Delay: “Night has never fallen in Zao Wou-Ki’s paintings, because of their omnipresence at every moment. When night falls in Biarritz, the sun is rising in other places. The ancient Egyptian god of the sun once said, ‘I am yesterday, and I know tomorrow’. The artist we dearly love is a bit more humble, and would rather belong to both. With his paint brushes, he roams freely between the drastically diverging understanding of matters between the West and the Far East. Abstraction’s composition is formed by a flurry of colors as wild as a gale, shattering all feelings into pieces. The inner life has no title. We channel our passion into this soulful landscape, where oxidised residues of pain and sorrow sink into the painting’s base, as it leads us to the secret of painting.” Darkness and light have always co-existed. Through his work, Zao Wou-Ki illustrates to us the ever-evolving journey of life, and its cyclical nature where the end is also the beginning. His work encapsulates a healing power for the heart. 

A rejuvenating power shining through the dark

His work is, at the same time, a distillation and projection of his personal experience. In 1957, after a 16-year marriage, Lalan and Zao Wou-Ki divorced. The depressed and sorrowful Zao Wou-Ki created Nous Deux. Although it shows fascinating similarities to Abstraction, which is offered in the current auction, the emotions conveyed in the two paintings are distinctly different. The former, as described by Villepin, shows that “chaos is wreaking havoc. In the pale, dim red glow, two black shadows face each other silently. They seem to be fighting hard against something, and in the painting, a dark force decades from above.” Reminiscing a love gone by, Zao Wou-Ki buried his sorrow deep inside his painting, filled with melancholy and pain, mourning the irreversible passage of time. In Abstraction, the viewer can still sense the chaos and commotion, yet two bright, red masses of colors were added, like two flames of life shining bright in the dark sphere. This emotion may be traced back to Zao’s romance with beautiful Shaw Brothers Studio actress Chan May-Kan. The two met in Hong Kong in 1958 and fell deeply in love. In Abstraction, the two flames may well be two people in love, lighting a light for each other in the dark, looking after one another. This interpretation would reflect the artist’s intense emotions inside as his heart was touched by the new romance. 

In 1958, Zao Wou-Ki decided to stop giving titles to his paintings. Instead he only named a painting asUntitled/Abstraction or marked the work with its completion date. According to the artist, his painting entered an irreversible new phase that year, when he began to seek inspirations from his own internal world, delving deep inside, exploring the relationship between colors – how they mingle with, stand against, love or reject one another, as he boldly and openly faced the intricacy of his own emotions. During the same year, Zao Wou-Ki also moved to a larger studio, and the space allowed him to create large-format new works without physical restrictions, and indeed he freely expressed his rapturous emotions and infinite inspirations in the new space. Abstraction is a profound landmark and a critical turning point of the artist’s personal life and creative career, gripping and emotionally engaging, powerful and unforgettable all at once.

Sotheby's. Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art. Beijing | 01 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

A Pair of Emerald, Diamond and Natural Pearl Ear Pendants. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013

Each suspending a pear-shaped emerald, weighing approximately 18.98 and 16.75 carats, from a pearl to the old-mine and cushion-cut diamond surmount, each weighing approximately 2.00 carats, mounted in platinum. Estimate: $650,000 – $850,000

With reports 12020009 and 12020010 dated 06 February 2012 from the Gübelin Gem Lab stating that gemmological testing revealed characteristics consistent with those of emeralds originating from Colombia. Indications of minor clarity enhancement 

With reports 57739 A and B dated 31 October 2013 from the American Gemological Laboratories stating that it is the opinion of the Laboratory that the origin of these emeralds would be classifed as Colombia. Minor clarity enhancement, modern type 

With report 2145484890 dated 26 March 2012 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the old-mine cut diamond, weighing approximately 2.00 carats is G color, VS1 clarity 

Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 10 December 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza -www.christies.com

A pair of jade, diamond and gold ear pendants, by Buccellati. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013 

Each suspending a detachable pendant, set with an articulated carved jade plaque within a collet-set diamond and sculpted 18k gold surround, to the single-cut diamond and gold surmount of foliate design, mounted in 18k white and yellow gold, in a Buccellati gray leather case. Signed Buccellati, Italy. Estimate: $12,000 – $18,000

Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 10 December 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza -www.christies.com

Nicolas de Staël (1914 – 1955), Fontenay. Photo Sotheby's 

signé, titré et daté 52 au dos; huile sur carton; 12 x 22 cm; 4 3/4 x 8 11/16 in. Signed, titled and dated 52 on the back ; oil on cardboard. Estimation 200 000 — 300 000 EUR

Provenance: René Char, Paris (1952)
Jacques Dupin, Paris
Galerie Jeanne Bucher, Paris
Acquis auprès de celle-ci et transmis par descendance au propriétaire actuel

Exposition: Oslo, Kunstforening, New Paris School, février 1959; catalogue, no.83

Litterature: Jacques Dubourg & Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël: Catalogue raisonné des peintures, Paris, 1968, p.183, no.357, illustré
Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël: catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Neuchâtel, 1997, p.359. no.444, illustré

"Ton tableau a l'odeur d'un bouquet d'étoiles de chaleur. Tout s'y passe dedans comme le coeur et l'exigence, la difficulté de notre esprit et la simplicité de notre sensibilité ardemment le demandent. Il est beau et je le regarderai longtemps."
Lettre de René Char à Nicolas de Staël au sujet de Fontenay, 8 avril 1952 in Nicolas de Staël, Paris, Centre Pompidou, 2003, p.121 

Sotheby's. Art Contemporain. Paris | 03 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Nicolas de Staël (1914 – 1955), Temple Sicilien. Photo Sotheby's 

porte le cachet de l'atelier au dos; huile sur toile; 73 x 100 cm; 28 3/4 x 39 3/8 in. Exécuté en 1953. Stamped with the studio mark on the back; oil on canvas. executed in 1953. Estimation 800 000 — 1 200 000 EUR 

Provenance: Acquis directement auprès de l'artiste et transmis par descendance au propriétaire actuel

Exposition: Saint-Paul, Fondation Maeght, Nicolas de Staël, Rétrospective de l'oeuvre peint, 2 juillet - 22 septembre 1991 ; catalogue, no.50, illustré en couleurs
Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Nicolas de Staël Retrospectiva, 7 octobre - 2 décembre 1991 ; catalogue, no.50, illustré en couleurs 

Litterature: Jacques Dubourg & Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël : Catalogue Raisonné des peintures, Paris, 1968, p.274, no.647, illustré
Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël, Catalogue raisonné, Neuchâtel, 1997, p.479, no.730, illustré en couleurs

Nicolas de Staël, 1954 © D.R.
Temple d'Agrigente, Sicile © D.R. 

A rare Belle Époque sapphire and diamond ring. Photo Christie'sImage Ltd 2013

Set with an oval-shaped sugarloaf cabochon, weighing approximately 21.27 carats, to the single-cut diamond gallery and shoulders, circa 1910, mounted in platinum. Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,500,000

With report CS 57128 dated 25 September 2013 from the American Gemological Laboratories stating that it is the opinion of the Laboratory that the origin of this material would be classified as Kashmir. No gemological evidence of heat. Clarity enhancement: None. 

With report 71400 dated 15 October 2013 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the sapphire’s origin is Kashmir. No indications of heating 

Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 10 December 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza -www.christies.com

An antique sapphire and diamond necklace, by Biedermann. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013. 

Designed as a graduated series of ten cushion-cut sapphire plaques, each with a pendant hook for suspension, set with rose-cut diamonds, within an old mine-cut diamond surround, spaced by detachable old-mine cut diamond links, mounted in silver-topped gold, circa 1850, 8½ ins. (plaques detach and may be worn as a bracelet). Signed Biedermann. Estimate: $400,000 – $600,000

With report CS 57304 dated 8 October 2013 from the American Gemological Laboratories stating that it is the opinion of the Laboratory that the origin of these sapphires would be classified as Ceylon (Sri Lanka). No gemological evidence of heat. 

Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 10 December 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza -www.christies.com

Zao Wou-Ki (1920-2013), 1.12.64. Photo Sotheby's

signé; signé et daté au dos; huile sur toile; 130 x 89 cm; 51 3/16 x 35 in. Exécuté le 1er décembre 1964. Signed; signed and dated on the back; oil on canvas. executed on december 1st, 1964. Estimation 1 000 000 — 1 500 000 EUR

Un certificat d'authenticité de l'oeuvre réalisé par l'artiste sera remis à l'acquéreur. 
Cette oeuvre sera incluse dans le catalogue raisonné en préparation sous l’égide de Françoise Marquet et Yann Hendgen. 

Provenance: Galerie de France, Paris
Collection particulière, Suisse
Acquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuel

Litterature: Dominique de Villepin, Zao Wou-Ki, 1935-2008, Paris, 2009, p.154, illustré en couleurs
Dominique de Villepin, Zao Wou-Ki, 1935-2008, Hong Kong, 2009, p.154, illustré en couleurs
Dominique de Villepin, Zao Wou-Ki, 1935-2010, Paris, 2012, p.154, illustré en couleurs

Zao Wou-ki, 1.12.64, détail
Zao Wou-Ki, 1966 © D.R. 

"La puissance créatrice s’amplifie encore en 1964, une des années les plus fécondes de Zao Wou-Ki. Sauf quelques toiles gris-rose d’une pureté céleste, tout se convulse à nouveau sous la véhémence dramatique dont il est possédé. […] Sismographe de ses sentiments, la peinture s’offre à lui comme refuge et plus souvent comme champs de bataille. Parfois des plages limpides d’une ineffable douceur se font jour, conquises sur le tumulte des éléments déchaînés à l’échelle cosmique : océans ou cieux en furie, arbres géants dressés dans la tempête, cataclysmes terriens ou stellaires. La tonalité générale demeure sombre, opacités luisantes et feux sourds mais quelques accords stridents de jaune ou de cinabre fusent, bordés de marges claires."
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki, Paris, 1986, p.37

01.12.64 est une œuvre où la fureur et la vigueur du pinceau le disputent à la sophistication et à l’harmonie des couleurs. 

Dans 01.12.64, Zao Wou-Ki réduit volontairement le nombre de couleurs utilisées, privilégiant les rose poudré, blancs de nacre, gris perle, noirs d’ivoire et bruns légèrement dorés. Mélangés à même la palette, les tons qui semblent surgis du néant (la toile blanche) et du chaos de la matière première (la peinture à l’huile), sont juxtaposés et superposés. A travers ces glacis et ces éclats de matière, entre transparences porcelanées et turbulences de la couche picturale, 01.12.64 est une œuvre de géomancien visionnaire qui transpose d’une palette limitée à une toile où s’abolit toute limite, feu tellurique et souffle cosmique. Partant d’un tourbillon central dense et profond pour s’étendre dans des vapeurs pâles brossées, les harmonies et divergences chromatiques sont porteuses d’un rayonnement diffus qui est celui de la lumière : surnaturelle.  

Agité et énergique, le pinceau humide se déplace sur la toile tel un danseur contemporain. Le mouvement est continu, vif, sans arrêt ni hésitation. Mêlant séparations et convergences, structure et contenu, épaisseurs et tensions, une vivacité infinie se crée. Nourries de la grande, noble et séculaire tradition de la calligraphie chinoise, contemporaines de l’Expressionnisme Abstrait américain et de ses oscillations entre automatisme et lyrisme, les lignes de Zao Wou-Ki ont ceci de particulier : en plus d’être des éléments de construction et de distribution spatiales, elles sont les traits saillants des émotions, des souvenirs et de la perception de l’artiste. L’éclair qui traverse la toile est éloquent. 01.12.64 vibre d'interférences entre macrocosme et intériorité. Il crée une tension en état de grâce. 

Sotheby's. Art Contemporain. Paris | 03 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Zao Wou-Ki (1920-2013), 1.11.86. Photo Sotheby's

signé; signé et daté au dos; huile sur toile; 89 x 116 cm; 35 x 45 11/16 in. Exécuté le 1er novembre 1986. Signed; signed and dated on the back; oil on canvas. executed on november 1st, 1986. Estimation 400 000 — 600 000 EUR

Cette oeuvre est accompagnée d'un certificat d'authenticité délivré par la Fondation Zao Wou-Ki et sera incluse dans le catalogue raisonné en préparation sous l’égide de Françoise Marquet et Yann Hendgen.

Provenance: Acquis directement auprès de l'artiste et transmis par descendance au propriétaire actuel

"Je me posais toujours les mêmes questions : Comment représenter le vent ? comment représenter le vide ? Et la lumière, sa clarté, sa pureté ? Je ne voulais pas représenter mais juxtaposer des formes, les assembler pour qu’on y retrouvât le souffle de l’air sur le calme de l’eau."
Zao Wou-Ki, in Zao Wou-Ki, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours, Nantes, 1990, p.10

Sotheby's. Art Contemporain. Paris | 03 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

A sapphire and diamond ring. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013. 

Of bombé design, set with a cushion-cut sapphire, weighing approximately 14.54 carats, within an old European and old mine-cut diamond surround, mounted in platinum. Estimate: $725,000 – $925,000

With report CS 42693 dated 30 July 2010 from the American Gemological Laboratories stating that it is the opinion of the Laboratory that the origin of this sapphire would be classified as Kashmir. Heat enhancement: None. 

With report 12055254 dated 11 May 2012 from the Gübelin Gem Lab stating that gemmological testing revealed characteristics consistent with those of sapphires originating from Kashmir. No indications of heating. 

With report 5151389025 dated 15 April 2013 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the origin of this sapphire is Kashmir. No indications of heating.

Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 10 December 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza -www.christies.com