Jef Lambeaux "The Adultress"

[ekovalsky]

Considering purchasing this original sculpture by Jef Lambeaux. Seller is asking $7k including the base. Any comments appreciated.

[fritchie]

I've seen a few pictures of Jef Lambeux’ works in art-history books and have admired them greatly. I'd like to see more. He clearly was very talented, but Rodin outshone every other sculptor of his time (and, in fact, opened the door for expressive work like this piece).

I have no idea of the market value of the piece, or how it might be authenticated, but I’d say an authentic work of this size easily should be worth that amount, and even much more. Be aware that Asiatic copies exist of many popular Western sculptures of this period. Even if it's a copy, and you like it, it's probably a good buy.

[rderr.com]

Fritchie

There is at Marimont, Belgium a formal lawn built, on top of a ruined château from the 15th century by a 19th century Belgian industrial baron. On the left is Les Bourgeois de Calais by Rodin and on the right La Famille by Jeff Lambeau. They are in perfect balance. If you walk down to the south of the lawn there is a bronze Buddha and gates from China also collected by the same Baron Warokey, ( Anne, Peut-tu m’excuser l’appellation?) in harmony with the rococo Orangerie to the north

Art is provocation.
Ardor

ps His tombstone in the Royal Cemetary at Lacken is The Thinker by P. A. R.

[anne (bxl)]

1st : The Despair by Jef Lambeaux (1852-1908) in Saint-Gilles cityhall (Brussels) is representative of the social realism concerns of the artist.
2nd : a view of the Mariemont park Robert was referring to
3th : a link to the Jef Lambeaux pavillion located in one of the main Brussels park next to the european commission. http://www.eurobru.com/monum056.htm
The pavillion has been conceived by Horta "the" art nouveau architect (1861-1947) especially for this Lambeaux highrelief commissionned by the goverment but the subject (human passions) scandalize the public and the pers, so that the pavillion had been open to the public.... 4 days! (in 1899). Actually it opens a very few days every year. Although it is located a few blocks from my place I had the chance to visit it for the 1st time this summer. We (my dog and I) sitted on the floor for long minutes, alone, in silence : magic!
As for your question, Ekovalsky, value depends a lot on size and quality of the piece. Have a look on this site to find the information you are looking for: http://www.artistsearch.com/artists/JEF_LAMBEAUX.htm

[rderr.com]

Anne

Thanks Merci . I can’t believe that you were privileged enough to see Les Passions. I’ve always considered Lambeaux superior to PAR. And isn’t the park at Mariemont (also the park Chateau Solvay at La Hulpe by the same brothers from Fort Jacqueo) very beautiful. So many gems in such a small package is your Belgium. And good beer at that.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroberrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrr(t)

[fritchie]

Anne and Robert - thanks for this new material! I think I saw an original Lambeaux in a Brussels city square many years ago, but only the one, and he has been hard to locate in published materials. I greatly admired what I saw, and have looked sporadically over the years for more. Publishing in all forms - music, art, and words - has gotten much cheaper in recent years, so maybe more will become available before long.

[rderr.com]

Fritchie

Give me a subject and size and I can probably come up with the piece. Lambeaux and Rik Wouters are better than PAR Charles Mime and Constant. Munier, lesser known, are even better.

RD

[fritchie]

Fritchie

Give me a subject and size and I can probably come up with the piece. Lambeaux and Rik Wouters are better than PAR Charles Mime and Constant. Munier, lesser known, are even better.

RD

Not sure what you mean by subject and size. I was searching for almost anything by Lambeaux some time ago and found essentially nothing. About how many distinct pieces (apart from size variation or minor changes) did he do?

[rderr.com]

quote: ...I think I saw an original Lambeaux in a Brussels city square many years ago, but only the one, and he has been hard to locate in published materials....end quote

Fritchie

I only wanted to help if you had a special memory. I do not know the opus numbers of Lambeaux. But he was long lived and well known during his life. My ex's grandmother had a terracotta life size head of a crying child with a carnival "humoresque" around his neck, and Mougli and panther with a quote from "If" in tinted plaster of about 3feet. And they where just wealthy not rich. On a city square in Bruxelles, which I know very well, I don't remember a Lambeaux. That is why I asked for more precise information. It may have been one of his peers. There were so many. And all better than Pierre August.

Robert

[anne (bxl)]

Fritchie, if you have any precise request let me know. I am not fan of this type of sculpture, but I live here and Jef Lambeaux was so famous during his life that any wealthy family had to have one of his (and at that time Belgium was the richer country of the world! so guess...). Still today, it is quite easy to find a table size "Lambeaux" in antique shops.
The point is that he didn't realize a lot of monumental pieces as his favorite subject was scandaleous for the time. But his obvious talent has been honored in some brussels square (Robert :ambiorix, sablon, cinquantenaire), in Antwerpen (his statue is "the" city symbol), Mariemont and some more...
BTW someone just told me the man on a chair is a selfportrait.

[anne (bxl)]

Fritchie, if you have any precise request let me know. I am not fan of this type of sculpture, but I live here and Jef Lambeaux was so famous during his life that any wealthy family had to have one of his (and at that time Belgium was the richer country of the world! so guess...). Still today, it is quite easy to find a table size "Lambeaux" in antique shops.
The point is that he didn't realize a lot of monumental pieces as his favorite subject was scandaleous for the time. But his obvious talent has been honored in some brussels square (Robert :ambiorix, sablon, cinquantenaire), in Antwerpen (his statue is "the" city symbol), Mariemont and some more...
BTW someone just told me the man on a chair is a selfportrait.

[fritchie]

Fritchie, if you have any precise request let me know. I am not fan of this type of sculpture, but I live here and Jef Lambeaux was so famous during his life that any wealthy family had to have one of his (and at that time Belgium was the richer country of the world! so guess...). Still today, it is quite easy to find a table size "Lambeaux" in antique shops.
The point is that he didn't realize a lot of monumental pieces as his favorite subject was scandaleous for the time. But his obvious talent has been honored in some brussels square (Robert :ambiorix, sablon, cinquantenaire), in Antwerpen (his statue is "the" city symbol), Mariemont and some more...
BTW someone just told me the man on a chair is a selfportrait.

Robert and Anne - Alas, I’m drawing on roughly fifty-year old memories here. The only two cities in the low countries I visited on a student tour in the summer of 1955 were Brussels and Rotterdam, and I think I remember a lifesize or larger figure of a man, somewhat in the manner of Rodin or Michelangelo, in the center of a prominent city fountain, or at least a public square. I had not heard his name and was very impressed with the quality. Rik Wouters, from Robert’s post, is another name I have run across and whose work I found impressive, but I can’t even recall a single image.

Perhaps my major points were that neither sculptor has made it into commonly available art books in the U. S., though computerized printing and electronic publishing via the Web are changing the publishing scene rapidly, and many lesser-known artists in nearly all fields are being given more recognition. I’m very grateful for this trend. I’ll check Web sources for more of these artists as I have time. Thanks to you both for your offers!

[rderr.com]

quote...Rik Wouters, from Robert’s post, is another name I have run across and whose work I found impressive, but I can’t even recall a single image....end quote by Fritchie

Fritchie,

Ric is my personnel favorite. As a child, the person I love the most, was often invited with his mother to play bridge at Nel Wouters', Ric's wife and favorite model. I'm not sure I fell in love with the owner or the object. But, they Jacques and his mother, were given by Nel her copy of her portrait as La Dannseuse Folle, a work that now stands at the entry to La Musee d'Ixelles. Ric so loved the work that he had it, the head, cast seperatly. It is often confused with a portrait by PAR and I have here in Houston at my foundry refound the same tête. How small the world of art.

Robert

[fritchie]

Bob and Anne - I had time to do a little web research on that statue of Jef Lambeaux’ I mentioned several days ago, and it must have been his “Brabo” fountain in Antwerp. I didn’t remember visiting there, but this student trip was mostly from point to point via train, with many day-trips by bus to nearby centers. In fact, thinking back, I believe Antwerp was my main stop, and the day-trip was to Brussels.

Even the city hall (?) in the background is as I remembered it. I have or had a picture somewhere of the fountain and square, but who knows where it is now. And I had said the trip was summer of 1955. It actually was summer, 1959, but still close to WWII, with much destruction everywhere.

Here are two images I found on the web. I’m sure you know the story, but for others, the legend is that an early Roman soldier, Brabo, challenged a greedy local giant for his practice of exacting bribes. Brabo won and killed the giant, freeing the early city from a tyranny.

[sculptor]

.......and, he's holding the giant's severed right hand?

[anne (bxl)]

.......and, he's holding the giant's severed right hand?
yes! In fact the legend didn't say he killed the giant but he severed his hand and throw out it in the Schelde (the river). In dutch "antwerpen" (hand werpen) means "throw out the hand".
Fritchie, yes, the background building is the cityhall.

[sculptor]

yes! In fact the legend didn't say he killed the giant but he severed his hand and throw out it in the Schelde (the river). In dutch "antwerpen" (hand werpen) means "throw out the hand".
Fritchie, yes, the background building is the cityhall.
........
from which, Antwerp derives it's name?
It appears that my education in mythology and the classics has some huge(mostly northern european) gaps........

Tell me more

rod
sculptor (http://www.geocities.com/mandali/TAKEtheARTtothePEOPLE.html)

[anne (bxl)]

........
from which, Antwerp derives it's name?
It appears that my education in mythology and the classics has some huge(mostly northern european) gaps........

Tell me more

rod
sculptor (http://www.geocities.com/mandali/TAKEtheARTtothePEOPLE.html)

Yes, Rod, Antwerp is the english translation of Antwerpen (real name).
There is no mythology in this story, it is just a local legend. I know probably as little as you do about northern european mythologies, who are mainly scandinavian or celtic.