The Brussels Antiques and Fine Art Fair (BRAFA) is known for an eclectic range of exhibitors, who bring paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects spanning several centuries and several continents. The fair wrapped up last weekend with a record attendance of 46,000 and tales of strong sales and a friendly atmosphere. "What makes the difference here is the family aspect, with dealers aided by their children, who like to answer questions from the public, and who know each other well," Beatrix Bourdon, BRAFA director, told us.
Bourdon also said that BRAFA has received more and more applications from contemporary art galleries, but that the fair would continue to emphasize antiques and older artworks. This year, "we saw a lot of interest in silver and in 18th-century furniture," she added. The clientele was younger than might be expected. "During the two VIP openings, I was surprised to see so many young people, age 30 or so," Bourdon observed. "If they were there, it was because they had already purchased something at a previous edition of the fair."
Many dealers reported sales of smaller, less expensive objects — a sign of continuing financial uncertainty — though some big-ticket items were also purchased. London's Aktis Gallery sold five drawings by Jules Pascin, an early-20th-century Parisian artist originally from Bulgaria, for prices between €10-40,000 ($13-52,000) to Belgian, French, and Russian buyers. Dealer Iana Kobeleva said that "it was important for us to show him, because Pascin was more important during his lifetime than all his friends whose work sells for millions at auction today."
Newcomers Futur Antérieur (Brussels), Victor Gastou (Paris), and Oscar Graf (Paris) brought 20th-century decorative art objects to the fair, and this period seemed to be very popular with visitors. Victor Gastou displayed neoclassical pieces by André Arbus alongside the 1970s creations of Paul Evans and Belgian designer Ado Chale, who is very popular with Belgian collectors. Parisian gallery Steinitz, which specializes in antique wood paneling and décor, set up elaborate scenes which gave their booth the aura of a museum. An immense rosewood and glass cabinet by Edouard Lièvre, with a very modern appearance for its 1880 execution date, was offered for €500,000 ($656,000) but did not find a buyer.
Steinitz also displayed Louis XV natural wood panels which, unlike most panels of the period, were not painted. The panels were priced around €1 million ($1.3 million). Although several visitors expressed interest, they did not sell during the fair. A series of Japanese silk panels representing the family of the last Shogun was another rare find that did not find a buyer, though the gallery did sell several furniture pieces and other decorative objects.
Harold t'Kint de Roodenbeke said that he sold 80 percent of the contents of his booth, including "Breakfast," a painting by Paul Delvaux, which sold for €150,000 ($197,000), and sketches and preparatory studies by the artist that went for €6-10,000 ($7,900-13,000) apiece. The sketches came from the collection of Delvaux's doctor, which Roodenbeke purchased recently. The gallerist set up his booth with a "body portrait" theme, featuring artworks by Sam Francis and Marcel Marien. Going back along the art historical timeline, De Backker Gallery sold a medieval nativity scene on wood panel for a price between €300-400,000 ($393,000-525,000) as well as a painted bust of a Madonna for about €150,000 ($200,000).
African art dealer Patric Didier Claes (whom we interviewed before the fair began) sold his flagship piece, a Nigerian Ekoi monolithic statue, for an undisclosed sum to a Belgian collector. Claes has a special affinity for the piece: "I kept it at home for three years before selling it." He said that he sold several smaller pieces as well, such as miniature ritual masks from the early 20th century for €2,500 ($3,300) each. On the last day of the fair, he had only two or three pieces left in his booth.
In terms of contemporary art, Guy Pieters Gallery showed several large-scale works by Jan Fabre that were collages using thousands of scarab beetle carapaces. The series, called "Homage to the Belgian Congo," referenced Belgian colonial history with a heavy dose of irony. Images of Congolese wealth, such as cacao and diamonds, took their place next to a portrait of Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader and first elected prime minister of the country who was executed in a Belgian-assisted coup in 1960 (Belgium issued an official apology for its actions in 2002). The beetles, which are a luxury item in Asia today and were once symbols of eternity to the ancient Egyptians, create a blue-green palette that undergoes subtle changes in the light. Pieters sold several of the works for €200,000 ($262,000) apiece.
Belgian dealer Marc Michot, who specializes in Chinese antiques, said that he sold 80 percent of his booth, approximately half to European buyers and the other half to Chinese clients. He sold a Qianlong vase for €30,000 ($39,000) and a rare famille verte vase depicting concubines preparing for war for an undisclosed sum. Michot summed up the fair in these words: "If you can't make things happen here, then you should change careers."