Winter sale means Old Masters at Bernaerts, with a great variety of paintings, furniture, antique objects, porcelain, jewellery …. Probably the oldest work in the sale, a 14th century Madonna, drew less attention than expected but still fetched a well earned 12000 euros. A ’Lamentation of Christ’ by an artist from the circle of Jacopo Bellini (lot 98) took a fair 18000 euros. It was however a work to be attributed to Matthias van Helmont (lot 171) that set fire to the sale by climbing from a modest 2000-3000 estimation to a dazzling 14000 euros. Surprisingly quite a lot of pieces of furniture found a new owner, whereas in the past, this department took a severe blow by hardly selling at defendable prices. A so called ’bargueno’ (lot 123) sold for 2200 euros. A ’Mechlin Madonna (lot 40) ended at a proud 5000 euros. Bronze sculptures, mantel pieces etc sold very well, as always. The number one spot in this department was set for lot 611, which sold for a solid 10000 euros. A sculpture by H.F. Moreau (lot 551) was hammered at 7500, the one by Auguste Moreau (lot 556) at 6800 euros. The most expensive piece of art on this sale came from the east, namely a delicately sculpted piece of jade, representing four female Immortals (lot 641) sold after a fierce battle at 38000 euros. 20th century Again, Bernaerts presented some high animal sculptures by Thierry Van Rijswijck, who’s monkey (lot 873) sold for 5000 euros, whereas the ’lion’ by Albert Hager (lot 869) got hammered at 6200 euros. On the side of the paintings, worth mentioning was the marine by Thomas Jacques Somerscales (lot 749), which sold for 7500 euros, a double portrait by Karel Ooms (lot 517) that left the room for 3200 euros.