From Sunday 26 January to Sunday 2 February 2025 the spaces of Brussels Expo are transformed into a true paradise
or for art collectors of all times, on the occasion of the 70thto BRAFA edition. The longest-running event on the international artistic calendar stands out for its eclectic nature and the incredible variety of works on display: over 5,000 years of ancient, modern and contemporary art and around twenty specialties represented, from archeology to numismatics, passing through painting, sculpture, jewelery and even comics.
In the gallery stand Artimo Fine Artsi bibliophiles they will be able to admire, for example, a precious piece “Album amicirum” with original leather case and instructions for use, considered a masterpiece of automaton art. the mechanism, among the most complex made in the 19th century, uses an intricate question-and-answer system, where small enamelled panels with written questions are inserted into a slot, activating an animated scene. It was part of the collection of Dr. Maurice Sandoz and was used as a guest book in his villa in Switzerland. Anyone who wants to buy it will have to shell out between 1.5 and 2 million euros.
Fans of African art they will instead find at the Claes Gallery a rare one Songye female mask dating back to the end of the 19th century. Coming from the Katanga region and acquired in 1934 by John Henry Sandground, the work represents a precious example of female “kifwebe” masks. Characterized by black and white coloring and delicate features, this mask is not a simple decorative object, but the central element of community rituals with profound anthropological meaning. In fact, it symbolizes the continuity of life and fertility, in accordance with the cultural traditions of the Bwadi society. The price reaches 200,000 euros.
Instead, it is around 500,000 euros the evaluation of the painting Venice, palaces and gondoliers on the Grand Canalwork of the French painter Henri Martin,
made around 1909. Oil on canvas (68.5 x 96 cm) exhibited by Stern Pissarro Gallery represents the Grand Canal of Venice in a style that blends impressionism and symbolism.
Of the Bardsvery Italian but based in Brussels, brings a precious to BRAFA 2025 Flemish tapestry of the sixteenth century in wool and silk, which depicts the martyrdom of Saint Barbara. The price is 45,000 Euros.
There Gallery de Potter d’Indoye presents a Guéridonattributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire, one of the most famous bronzesmiths of the neoclassical period. Made around 1790, the gilded and patinated bronze coffee table with marble top stands out for its elegant design and tripod base decorated with griffin figures, an iconic motif of Thomire’s style. This work is part of a small group of similar examples: one is located at the Musée Nissim de Camondo in Paris, another was sold by Christie’s in 2017, while a third, after having been part of the collection of Helena Rubinstein and John Dorrance , now belongs to the Dalva Brothers gallery in New York. Its value is around 115,000 euros.
5 unmissable works to see at BRAFA 2025
– Meussel et Fils, Magician question and answer automaton ‘album amicirum’Artimo Fine Arts, between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 Euros.
– Henri Martin, Venice, PAlais and gondoliers on the Grand Canal, Stern Pissarro Gallery, 450,000 – 500,000 Euros.
– Pablo Picasso, Taxes and bananasStern Pissarro Gallery, 350,000 – 400,000 Euros.
– Songye mask, Claes Gallery, approximately 200,000 Euros.
– Jean-Pierre Cassigneul, La Tarte aux fraisesStern Pissarro Gallery, 130,000 – 150,000 Euros.
5 proposals for collectors
– Josef Hoffmann, Vase with engraved decoration “Orange Opal Aussen Schwarz”, Florian Kolhammer, 34,000 Euros.
– Jacques Jordaens, An Academy of a seated male nude, Galerie Lowet de Wotrenge 48,000 Euros.
– The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara, Dei Bardi Art, 45,000 Euros.
– Maison Jonckers, Hypsometrique Bronze, Objects With Narratives 45,000 Euros.
– Philippe Vandenberg, Untitled, 1999, Galerie Christophe Gaillard, 28,000 Euros
Carlo Franza
