PARIS.- Christie’s presents the sale of The Onzea-Govaerts Collection, curated by Axel Vervoordt, to be held in Paris on March 27. This collection of objects and works of art is as exceptional as it is varied, having been assembled from the 1970s onwards by Joris Onzea and Suzanne Govaerts. The collection is part of the history of a family of innovative entrepreneurs and is rooted in its culture and in its homeland: Flanders.


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One of the couple’s first acquisitions in 1976 and the auction’s star lot is a masterpiece by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (€1.5-€2.5 million). The success of the Peasant Wedding in its day led to several versions of it being produced after a model by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, which today is in the collections of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum. The version presented in this auction is the only one known to date to be signed and dated (1622) out of four listed versions.

That first acquisition sets the tone of the collection, which evolves over the course of four decades, under the influence of a close friend of Suzanne Govaerts and Joris Onzea: Axel Vervoordt. Globally recognized for his outstanding achievements, the Antwerp designer and collector puts all of his passion and knowledge at the service of a unique architectural project. He creates a veritable Kunstkammer, somewhere between a cabinet of curiosities and a wonder room, where architecture, paintings and works of art blend harmoniously. Faithful to a Flemish culture of beauty that is open to both the simplicity of everyday life and to the richness of treasures from all over the world, Axel Vervoordt, in tandem with the Onzea-Govaerts couple, brings together pieces from all ages and civilizations. These works, which have miscellaneous origins, all reflect a quest for depth and timelessness. This collection of 150 lots is estimated to fetch between 7 million and 12 million euros.

Govaerts : The story of a visionary family

Karel Govaerts founded the Fort family business in 1925, which initially specialized in dairy products, before expanding its range with coffee as its flagship product. Highly innovative for its time, Fort offered savings vouchers that could be exchanged for household goods and helped build customer loyalty. His daughter, Suzanne, took over the reins of the company in 1962 with her husband Joris Onzea. Together, they developed a model for furniture and interior design shops that was far ahead of its time and met with international success. The CASA concept has been widely adopted and has enjoyed an unrivalled and unquestionable following.

Baron Axel Vervoordt : “Over the years, I've learned to look for the universal, to discover a common essence in historic and contemporary objects”: A passionate collector, a learned gallery owner and a renowned interior designer, Axel Vervoordt has a long list of talents and activities which have won him the admiration of many customers, designers and artists in all fields, including Ralph Lauren, Dries Van Noten, Robert de Niro, and Katia and Marielle Labèque, to name but a few. Authenticity, spirituality, and a dialogue between tradition and modernity are at the heart of a pursuit of beauty which is revealed and discovered far more than it is invented.

Joris Onzea and Suzanne Govaerts share a relationship of friendship and trust with Axel Vervoordt, which is based on a deep two-way exchange of their concepts of art and of elegance, and which has led to a fascinating meeting of cultures and historical periods.

Flemish masterpieces appear alongside Egyptian artefacts, African and Asian art, contemporary works and classical furniture. This fusion of styles and cultures reflects Vervoordt’s philosophy of combining the old and the new to create unique spaces and atmospheres.

The works for sale: Lucio Fontana is one of the collection’s leading artists. Concetto Spaziale (1961) – remarkable in terms of its size and color – is one of the major works of the collection (€700,000 - €1,000,000). It echoes a 1961 work on charred cardboard by another master of monochrome painting, Yves Klein (€80,000 - €120,000). Both were chosen by Jean-Hubert Martin in 2007 for the Artempo exhibition at Palazzo Fortuny in Venice.

The materiality of these objects corresponds to that of the works of Ado Chale – a designer who has mastered the art of revealing textures and using basic materials. The sale includes seven of his creations, including a Goutte d’eau table created in 1968 (€50,000 - €70,000).

His stone tables and bronze objects chime perfectly with the Japanese spirit of the house’s gardens and summer lounge, as is aptly illustrated by this 17th-century Edo period folding screen (€20,000 - €30,000). Alongside it are two remarkable examples of classical African sculpture, including a Kota reliquary (€80,000-120,000) and a Baule sculpture (€60,000 - €80,000). These works underline the collection’s unique richness.

Among the Old Masters included in the auction is a very fine 16th-century painting by Adriaen Isenbrant, The Adoration of the Magi, as well as Spring by the Antwerp master Abel Grimmer (€250,000 - €350,000 each).

The collection also features a remarkable set of 13 paintings and works on paper by Rik Wouters, a prominent figure of Brabant Fauvism. Reflets – a portrait of his wife and muse Nel, painted in 1912 (€500,000 - €700,000) from the Collection Lambert – is one of the most iconic works in this ensemble. Another painting dated 1914, Seated Woman at the Window (€400,000 - €600,000) was exhibited at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels. The collection is complemented by silverware pieces, including part of the dinner service of King George III of the United Kingdom (€50,000 - €80,000).


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