16 – 18 June 2026
Live auction
Looking for the Summer sale
Modern vs. Classic
The latest auction at Bernaerts features approximately 1,200 lots: ranging from medieval altarpieces to Picasso ceramics, and from an exceptional Hermès dinner service to a robust Harley-Davidson.
After that, summer begins.
Auction
16 juni, 2 PM| Looking for the Summer (Lots 1-279)
17 juni, 10 AM| Works on Paper I (Lots 1000-1109)
17 juni, 2 PM| Works on Paper II (Lots 1500-1751)
18 juni, 2 PM| document: an archival collection (Lots 2000-2295)
Viewing days
11 to 15 june, 10 AM-6 PM
Address: Verlatstraat 18, 2000 Antwerp
Concert
Sunday 14 June, 3 PM
Susato Trio
Altarpieces and a Parrot
The oldest section of the auction opens with several altarpieces. Originally crafted as altar arrangements for ecclesiastical contexts, these sculptures bear witness to both religious devotion and the high artistic standards of the Southern Netherlands. Notably, the ensemble includes ‘Three Horsemen’ (Flemish, ca. 1535-45), acquired at the Pan in 1996.
Following this, a small collection of 18th-century Delftware offers an opportunity for lovers of applied arts. The highlight of this group is a parrot perched on a ring: manufactured in Delft around 1760-1780, unmarked (H: 19.5 cm). Despite a few restorations, the figurine retains the technical refinement for which Delft potters were famed throughout Europe.
From the same period comes an Amsterdam longcase clock with a ship mechanism and an English George II table clock with a musical movement on twelve bells. Collectors can also look forward to an impressive contemporary Louis XV console. Dating from a slightly later period is a tall ‘Boulle’ library cabinet in the style of Jean Bérain.
A distinguished private collection from Bruges
From a Bruges family estate, we have selected a Brussels tapestry from circa 1580, ancient sculptures, and 18th-century gilded furniture. Additionally, two canvases by Modest Huys are in the spotlight, the Belgian painter distinguished by great psychological intensity and a dark, atmospheric brushstroke. Gustave De Smet, a central figure of Flemish Expressionism, is also represented with his powerful simplification of form and earthy color palette.
Is the 19th Century Due for a Revival?
Whether the success of 19th-century painting in the spring auction (‘They can’t cancel Spring’) continues into the June auction will be measured by the bidding on a diverse range of tableaux.
For Romantic painting, the work of Ferdinand de Braekeleer the Elder (1792-1883) stands out, known for his genre and interior scenes in the tradition of the Flemish School. The offered (and rather large) mahogany panel, titled ‘Le ménage heureux’ (1853), originates from the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington D.C., one of the oldest art museums in the United States, and depicts a typical interior with a family enjoying themselves.
Furthermore, the selection also includes works by Paul Haesaerts and Eugène Verboeckhoven, the most celebrated Belgian animal painter of his time.The Italian Andrea Landini represents elegant figurative composition in a historicizing atmosphere, while Dutch painters Cornelis Gerrit Verburgh and Willem Schmidt illustrate the rich interaction between the Belgian and Dutch schools of painting.
Special mention goes to Petrus van Schendel, celebrated in his time as the master of candlelight effects and nocturnal interiors. His paintings, imbued with a soft, shimmering light reminiscent of the 17th-century tradition of Godfried Schalcken, are currently enjoying renewed international interest. The work on offer shows his typical treatment of artificial light in an intimate, domestic setting. Other notable names include Jacques Carabain, Anthonie Dona, Jan-Hendrik Verheyen, Georges Croegaert, and Louis Van Hoorde.
Finally, a small but high-quality maritima draws attention with the ‘prisoner of war’ ship model, ingenious miniature crafted by French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars that testify to extraordinary craftsmanship.
A Dive into the 20th Century
In the type of eclectic auctions for which Bernaerts Auctioneers has recently become known, the 20th and 21st centuries cannot be missed. One of the eye-catchers here is Eugène Leroy, the Franco-Belgian painter whose densely layered, almost material paintings balance on the edge of figuration and abstraction.
Sculpture is represented by Bram Bogart and Lynn Russell Chadwick, winner of the International Sculpture Prize at the 1956 Venice Biennale, whose stylized angular figures in bronze and steel combine geometric rigor with palpable expressive tension. Also featured is Carel Visser (1928-2015), with two sculptures in wood and iron from the renowned Richard Foncke Gallery.
Jean-Michel Folon (1934-2005), the Belgian graphic artist and sculptor who used a light, melancholic and humorous line to depict a world both gentle and alienating, needs little introduction. He is represented here by a vase and a gourd-shaped sculpture. Additionally, look out for a ceramic by Picasso, ‘Visage n°171’ (A.R.490), from 1963. The contemporary selection concludes with ‘Treehouse in Tremblay N° 126’, a wall sculpture by Tadashi Kawamata (b. 1953), the Japanese artist famous for large-scale site-specific installations.
Hermès and Harley Davidson: A Marriage of Convenience
Outside the strict domain of art, two lots merit special attention. An exceptionally large Hermès Paris service in Limoges porcelain, designed by Laurence Thioune for Hermès Paris, originates from the first edition of a collection that was permanently discontinued in 2016. The set includes 18 soup plates (diam. 23 cm), 18 American dinner plates (diam. 27 cm), 18 European dinner plates (diam. 25 cm), 18 dessert plates (diam. 21 cm), 10 coffee cups and saucers (10 cl), 2 salad bowls (200 cl), an oval platter (39 cm), a gravy boat with stand (25 cl), and a coffee pot, accompanied by 15 original boxes and 2 brochures. A complete first-edition Hermès service is a rarity on the current market.
Finally, a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail model 2000, manufactured in 1999, with a 1338 cc engine (FLSTC), frame number HD1BJL4XXY028353. The vehicle is equipped with a windshield, pillion backrest, original exhausts, original leather saddlebags with contents, an Optimate 3 battery charger, and the original fender reflector. The lot includes the original purchase invoice, insurance papers, certificate of conformity, and registration certificate.
Parking
There is a loading and unloading zone in front of our door on Verlatstraat, or you can park in one of the nearby underground car parks: Kooldok or Steendok (a 5-minute walk away).
Collection
By appointment and after receipt of payment, you can collect your works between Tuesday 23 June and Friday 3 July, between 10 AM and 12 PM and 1 PM and 5 PM, and on Saturday 27 June between 10 AM and 1 PM
Bidding
You can place bids in four different ways:
- At our venue: Platform, Verlatstraat 18, Antwerp.
You will receive a bid number after registering at the desk, starting half an hour before the start of the auction.
Commission = 28% - Online: you can set up a ‘prebid’ or you can bid ‘live’ online during the live auction itself.
There are 3 online platforms you can use for this: Bernaerts Live or the app ‘Auctioneers Bernaerts, Invaluable or Drouotonline
During the auction you log in and can follow the bids live and place your bid.
Commission = 30% - Place an absentee bid via the online catalogue or mail a completed form to info(at)bernaerts.be at the latest 12h prior to the live auction. The auctioneer tries to acquire your lot at the most advantageous price possible.
Commission = 28% - Request a telephone line via the online catalogue or mail a completed telephone bid form to info(at)bernaerts.be, at the latest 12h prior to the live auction. One of our staff will call you during the auction to bid along live.
Commission = 28%