E-Photo
Issue #216  6/4/2015
 
Romantic Agony Auction Launches Photography Auctions: First Auction is June 19th and 20th and online; previews in Paris and Brussels
Lot 88, a magical Franck at the auction
Lot 88, a magical Franck at the auction

The Brussels' book auction house, Romantic Agony (yes, that is really its name), is adding photography auctions in a major way. The first of these auctions will be a huge two-part, 800-lot auction on Documentary Photography (don't be put off by the name: there is a lot more than documentary photography here) to be held on June 19th and 20th in Brussels at 40 rue de l'Aqueduc. Public viewings can be made in Paris from now until June 8th at 5 rue du Perche and then in Brussels at 40 rue de l'Aqueduc from June 12th-18th.

The Friday, June 19th auction has a selection of 267 photographs in chronological order. Just some of the lots in this Part One auction include:
--A unique series of engraved Mona Lisa's, lots 1-9.
--Fine daguerreotypes, including a Fizeau Paris Rooftop, a Girault De Prangey and four Bogota portraits from the 1840s, lots 11-21.
--Various French calotypes and early, unusual Paris views from the Jean-Pierre Faur collection, including views from Lerebours window, lots 22-42.
--Charles Nègre stereo views of Paris banks, lots 43-47.
--Images by Baldus, Bisson, Cuvelier and Marville, lots 48-63.
--Two Gustave Le Gray photographs, lots 64-65.
--A group of Commune de Paris photographic reportages, 100-108.
--An exceptional 1872 Panorama of Paris from the Albert Gilles collection, lots 119-120.
--150 gelatin relief matrixes from the Galerie contemporaine originally from the collection of André Jammes, lot 121.
--A complete Rogues Gallery from New York State, lot 122.
--A group of selected 1880's impressionists Platinotypes by amateur photographer Hippolyte Blancard, lots 123-134.
--Two portraits of Vincent Van Gogh, in conversation with Emile Bernard, considered until now the unique portrait of a mature Van Gogh, lot 135.
--A newly discovered group portrait, showing Vincent Van Gogh's face for first time in a photograph, lot 136.
--Two nice Eugène Atget images, lots 147-148.
--Travel photographs in Russia from Moscow to Samarkand, lots 156-168.
--Glass positives, and autochromes from Arthur Grenier, an amateur photographer working in Deauville, lots 172-178.
--A group of Arnold Genthe portraits, lots 189-194.
--Intimate portraits by Hedwig Arnheim, a Bauhaus student, lots 197-205.
--An interesting artist proof print by Moses Nappelbaun of a classical portrait of Lenin, lot 206.
--A vintage print of Robert Capa's first photo reportage onTrotsky in Copenhagen, lot 207.
--South American photographer Ariza in Tokyo in the 1930's, lots 217-229.
--A huge print from his MOMA exhibition period by Henri Cartier-Bresson, lot 256.
--A group of Brassaï prints for Michel Braive's history of photography books, lot 259.
--Cynamics, photos of sounds and music, lots 260-264.

Gustave Le Gray at the auction
Gustave Le Gray at the auction

The Saturday, June 20th catalogue has 533 lots organized by place of origin, without distinction about the photography's myriad vernacular applications. There are many early and interesting images here, despite the large number of prints.

Overall, the auction house will offer a total of 800 lots with more than six thousand documentary photographs.

The auction house plans to organize photography auctions, on a two-days basis, twice a year, every autumn and every spring, with finds from all over Europe and overseas. Next auction date is December 11-12, 2015 for the company's Christmas Auction.

The Romantic Agony, is located at 40 rue de l’Aqueduc; +32 25441055; email: auction@romanticagony.com. A paper catalogue is available for 10 euros.

Part One of the online version is now available at Drouot Live at: http://catalogue.drouot.com/html/d/index.jsp?aff=1&ordre=1&npp=100&id=23587&lng=null&np=1. Part Two is here: http://catalogue.drouot.com/html/d/index.jsp?id=23588.

Also, Part Two can be seen as follows:
First part: Belgium, Netherlands, France, Italy: http://www.photoceros.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Catalogue-20-juin-premiere-partie.pdf.
Second part: Spain, Northern Africa, Egypt, Jerusalem, Turkey, Greece, Balkans, German Speaking Nations, Nordic Countries, Russia: http://www.photoceros.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Catalogue-20-juin-seconde-partie.pdf.
Third part: USA, Mexico, Cuba, South America, Southeastern Asia, China, Japan, Africa: http://www.photoceros.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Catalogue-20-juin-troisieme-partie.pdf.

To contact the expert, call Serge Plantureux at +33 (0)650856074; email: serge@plantureux.fr.