PARIS.- Sotheby’s Paris announced the sale of the Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier collection. The collection, comprising seventy-four works, serves as a testament to the visionary journey of Françoise Mayer, a prominent figure in Brussels’ cultural landscape. From 1966 to 1975, Françoise Mayer ran her legendary gallery at 8 Rue du Monastère, where she was the first to give real support to the avant-garde in Brussels, viewing each artist she supported as innovative endeavour in pursuit of radical modernity.

The collection is distinguished by a notable coherence of style, with a pronounced emphasis on abstraction, American abstract expressionism, spatialism and kinetic art. Featuring significant works by artists such as Alexander Calder, Josef Albers, Kenneth Noland and Lucio Fontana, the Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier collection is an ode to form, light and movement, offering a nuanced representation of the avant-garde style of the 1960s and 1970s. Beyond the rarity and artistic quality of the works, this collection reflects the taste and visionary personality of Françoise Mayer and her husband. It also bears witness to the personal connections that the couple forged with the artists who accompanied them and were an integral part of their daily lives, in the context of the exhibitions and cultural events held at the Brussels gallery.

Françoise Mayer: a woman of the media and a passionate and revolutionary gallery owner
Prior to establishing her own gallery, Françoise Mayer commenced her professional journey as a broadcaster and journalist-producer of cultural programmes for the Institut National de Radiodiffusion de Belgique (INR). From 1956 to 1965, she hosted a number of programmes, including 'Plaisir des arts' and 'L'oeil écoute', which were devoted to the promotion of contemporary artistic trends. This included coverage of the 1958 Universal Exhibition. At this event, she encountered the works of Alexander Calder, a seminal figure in the field of kinetic art, which she subsequently championed and showcased. An astute gallery owner and committed promoter, Françoise Mayer made a significant and enduring impact on the art scene of her time by supporting and exhibiting the most prominent figures of kinetic art and geometric abstraction. In a similar vein to Iris Clert, who supported the Nouveau Réalisme movement, and Denise René, who championed kinetic art, the Françoise Mayer gallery provided invaluable assistance to numerous artists and played a pivotal role in advancing new artistic endeavours.

On 19 November 1966, Alexander Calder presented the inaugural retrospective of his recent works, including Totems, mobiles and gouaches. This marked the beginning of a decade of emblematic exhibitions. These included Hommage à Fontana in 1968, which constituted the inaugural posthumous tribute to the Italian master, and Pol Bury's Art Electroniques. Collectively, these works served to underscore Mayer's pioneering role on the international art scene.

Françoise Mayer was resolute in her determination to defend her artistic convictions. She established her gallery in the wake of the great names of European modern art, thereby establishing it as a key venue for the development of the European avant garde in the second half of the 20th century. « You know how important this exhibition is to me. As I told you, it would inaugurate my gallery, which I want to be a living centre of contemporary art, and in which I plan to organise, in addition to temporary exhibitions and events, a permanent home where works by the most outstanding artists of the various current trends will be exhibited and offered for sale ». -- Françoise Mayer on the forthcoming exhibition, ‘Totems, mobiles et gouaches récents de Calder’, in a letter to Daniel Lelong, director of the Galerie Maeght, 2 September 1966.

An invaluable testament to the twentieth-century avant-garde

Among the most significant lots in this extraordinary sale are:

Lot 7. Lucio Fontana (1899 - 1968), Spatial concept, engraved with the artist's signature (lower right), copper with holes and graffiti, 102 x 57.1 cm; Executed in 1962. Estimated 800,000 - 1,200,000 EUR. © Sotheby's 2024

This work is registered in the Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milan, under the no. 62 ME 27 .

Provenance: Serge De Bloe, Brussels
Collection Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier, Brussels (acquired from the above in 1965)
Then by descent to the present owner

Literature: Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana: Catalog raisonné des paintings, sculptures et environnements spatiaux , vol. II, Brussels 1974, no. 62 ME 27, pp. 122-123, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana: General Catalogue , vol. II, Milan 1986, no. 62 ME 27, p. 415, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana: Catalogue raisonné of sculptures, paintings, settings , vol. II, Milan 2006, no.62 ME 27, p. 601, illustrated

Note: Lucio Fontana's Concetto spatial (1962) stands out for the force of its gesture and the unique materiality of metal. The seven perforations vertically piercing the copper sheet are not merely wounds inflicted on the material, but rather openings to a new dimension. Fontana himself rejected the notion that these holes were destructive gestures; for him, they represented a desire to expand the horizons of art, pushing it beyond material boundaries to engage with space. This work is part of the Metalli series, created between 1961 and 1968, marking the first time Fontana introduced metal as the primary medium for his creations.

The introduction of metal was a natural evolution after the Venezie series, where Fontana had explored the play of light in Venice by using gold and silver paint, interspersed with glass fragments. In 1961, when Fontana was preparing to present his new cycle of works in New York, he visited the city for the first time. Fascinated by the sparkling skyscrapers and the modernity of Manhattan, he decided to move away from painting on canvas and further his research by adopting metal as his primary medium. For him, metallic surfaces could capture light and reflect the vibrant energy of New York in a way that canvas could not. Fontana was captivated by the verticality and brilliance of the skyscrapers, which he compared to " great waterfalls " and to a " vast necklace of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds " in a letter to his friend Mario Bardini. He set aside his earlier critiques of American dominance in the art market and became entranced by “ the sensation of this metropolis made of glass, crystal, orgies of light, and the dazzle of metal. ”

The perforated and hammered copper surfaces of Concetto spatial , which shift with the light, and the rough textures of the metal, evoke the light flooding New York and its dynamism. Concetto spatial is remarkable for the violence and precision of its gestures. Fontana uses a copper plate, piercing and hammering it to create seven perforations arranged in an oval that open the surface. This intervention is not random but calculated, with each strike becoming an opening to another dimension. The metal, rigid and cold, is transformed by the artist into an almost organic medium, where light plays a fundamental role. “ How can one paint this terrifying New York? ” Fontana asked himself upon his return to Italy in 1962. The answer he found lay in subjugating the metal—piercing it vertically to mimic skyscrapers and shaping it into a concave oval to give the illusion of the sky. The result is a fascinating dialogue between the brutality of the artistic act and the beauty of the light reflections diffused through the openings.

Concetto spatial from the Metalli series holds an important place in Fontana's oeuvre. Exhibited in numerous shows in Italy, Europe, and New York, this series solidified the artist's international reputation as a pioneer of Spatialism. The series emphasizes the continuity of his artistic explorations and his profound reflection on modernity, light, and space.

Lot 6. Josef Albers (1888 - 1976), Homage to the Square: "Despite", signed with the initials and dated 63 (lower right); signed, titled, dated 1963 and inscribed (on the reverse), oil on masonite, 101.2 x 101.2 cm; Executed in 1963. Estimated 500,000 - 700,000 EUR. © Sotheby's 2024
 

This work will be included in the Catalog Raisonné of Paintings by Josef Albers currently being prepared by the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, and is registered under number 1963.1.12.

Provenance: Sidney Janis Gallery, New York
Collection Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier, Brussels (acquired from the above in 1968)
Then by descent to the present owner

Exhibited: Hartford, Austin Arts Center, Trinity College, The Art of Josef Albers , 19 April - 7 May 1965, no. 20

Note: Homage to the Square: "Despite", painted in 1963, belongs to the eponymous series that began thirteen years earlier, characterized by three or four nested squares distinguished by ingenious color variations. Each piece follows strict compositional and developmental rules: Masonite panels framed with thin strips, arranged in a square format, with slightly lower-centered squares that occupy a constant ratio of the surface. Albers applied unmixed colors with a palette knife, sometimes adding a varnish to achieve a smooth and consistent finish, with each piece's color details meticulously documented on the back. These squares rise, blend, seem to advance or retreat from the viewer's gaze, creating an illusion of depth. Such a disciplined approach reveals the genius behind a series that spanned over twenty-five years, led by a master of color and visual perception.

With remarkable economy of means, Albers showcases his mastery over color and tonal values ​​in Homage to the Square: "Despite", one of the larger formats in the series. The central square, in vibrant orange, is framed by ochre hues with subtle shifts. This arrangement opens onto an unexplored space, as if a light emanating from the core infuses life into the surrounding tones. The work vibrates with a force drawn from its essence, its power radiating far beyond its frame. This piece exemplifies a lesson from a master, revealing the often-overlooked power of color to shape space; Despite embodies the very essence of the Homage series.

Drawing from his Bauhaus training and his experience in the United States after 1933, Albers produced work that merges conceptual and optical art, deeply influencing his contemporaries. As a teacher at Black Mountain College and later at Yale University—where he began the Homages—he mentored artists like Kenneth Noland and Robert Rauschenberg, who considered him the most important teacher they had. His work is driven by a profoundly pedagogical spirit: to teach viewers the mechanics of vision and to demonstrate how to see by shifting the task of composing the aesthetic experience from the artist to the observer.

Recognizing early on both the aesthetic power and the artistic insight of Josef Albers, the work, acquired just five years after its creation, was displayed in the family living room, serving as a constant testament to the innovative perspective of the Sohier Mayer couple on contemporary history.

Lot 9. Lucio Fontana (1899 - 1968), Spatial concept, Theatre, signed and titled (on the reverse), waterpaint on canvas and lacquered wood, 110 x 109.8 x 6.4 cm; Executed in 1965. Estimated 300,000 - 400,000 EUR. © Sotheby's 2024

This work is registered in the Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milan, under the no. 65 TE 3.

Provenance: Carrefour Gallery, Brussels
Collection Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier, Brussels (acquired from the above in 1966)
Then by descent to the present owner

Exhibited: Brussels, Galerie Françoise Mayer, Hommage à Fontana , 19 October - 11 November 1968, no. 17

Note: In Concetto spatial, Teatrino created by Lucio Fontana in 1965, a glossy black lacquered wooden frame sharply contrasts with a matte black canvas perforated in several places, as though distant stars pierce through the darkness of a cosmic sky. The precisely made perforations invite the viewer's eye to traverse the surface, reaching toward a symbolic infinity where space extends beyond the physical boundaries of the painting. These holes are not mere aesthetic fragments; they suggest a projection into a realm beyond. The organic shapes of the frame evoke trees and a horizon, creating a dynamic relationship with the canvas. The vegetal forms further heighten the contrast between the sheen of the wood and the opacity of the background.

The Teatrini (or "little theaters") is a series created by Lucio Fontana between 1964 and 1966, showing his desire to transcend the boundaries between painting and sculpture by creating a dialogue between two distinct planes: the frame and the canvas. In the space between these two planes, a play of light and shadow unfolds, generating a depth that expands the painting's dimension. The perforations in the canvas themselves create a new kind of depth. Through these interactions, Fontana introduces multiple dimensions, inviting the viewer to explore a space that is both imaginary and undefined. Thus, he transitions from flatness to volume and from two-dimensionality to infinity. Spatial concept, Teatrino can be likened to a miniature stage, a shadow theater that plays with the viewer's perceptions.

As Fontana himself explained: "The Teatrini were a type of 'realistic Spatialism.' A little bit in the fashion of Pop Art things too... but still in my way. They were forms that man imagines in space." This quote encapsulates how Fontana integrated the elements of Pop Art into his work, but in his own unique way. The influence of the movement, particularly introduced to Italy during the 1964 Venice Biennale with artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, is evident in the Teatrini through the use of industrial materials and bold colors. Fontana's collaboration with Dino Gavina, a renowned furniture maker, to craft the lacquered frames, reinforces the "manufactured" aspect of the work, flirting with the techniques and aesthetics of Pop Art. However, Fontana, far from fully embracing the Pop Art style, distinguishes himself through his intimate exploration of light and shadow and his introduction of Spatialist principles. Spatial concept, Teatrino becomes a metaphor for humanity's place in the universe, faced with the unknown.

Françoise Mayer became interested in Lucio Fontana's work early on, at a time when his creations were still little known outside of Italy. In 1966, just a year after its creation, she acquired Concetto spatial, Teatrino. In October 1968, barely a month after the artist's death, she organized an exhibition in her gallery titled "Hommage à Fontana," sensing his profound contribution to the history of art. Following in the footsteps of Denise René and Ileana Sonnabend, Françoise Mayer championed the new forms of contemporary art in the 1960s, helping to promote radical concepts such as Spatialism in Belgium.

Lot 2. Lucio Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976), Polychrome Six, engraved with the artist's monogram and with the date 73 (on the base), sheet metal, wire and paint, 30.4 x 44.4 x 16.5 cm; Executed in 1973. Estimated 300,000 - 500,000 EUR. © Sotheby's 2024

This work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application number  A09587

Provenance: Pearl Galleries, New York
Collection Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier, Brussels (acquired from the above in 1973)
Then by descent to the present owner

Note: A veritable symphony of form and movement, Polychrome Six perfectly embodies the subtle interplay of colour, form and movement orchestrated by Alexander Calder. The intense red emanating from the stable highlights the moving forms in space - yellow, red, black and white discs swaying gently on the tip of the triangle on the floor.

With Polychrome Six , Calder reimagines the very notion of sculpture with an object that, far from being static, seems free in its movement. By giving his sculptures this characteristic instability, the artist attracts the attention of the spectator, who is immediately captivated by the natural dynamism of the forms, the intrinsic fragility of the piece and the dancing spectacle thus created. It is as if the very existence of the piece is so precarious that it could topple at any moment from the real to the conceptual. The very essence of Calder's inimitable style shines through in Polychrome Six.

Before setting up her own gallery in Brussels, Françoise Mayer began her career as a broadcaster and journalist-producer of cultural programs for the Institut National de Radiodiffusion de Belgique (INR). From 1956 to 1965, she hosted programs such as 'Plaisir des arts' and 'L'œil écoute', devoted to the promotion of contemporary artistic trends, including coverage of the 1958 Universal Exhibition. It was at this event that she met Alexander Calder whom she later exhibited. It was following a discussion with the American artist that Françoise Mayer decided to launch her own gallery. So it was only natural that, on 19 November 1966, Alexander Calder should be the subject of the inaugural exhibition of the Galerie Françoise Mayer: Totems, mobiles et gouaches récentes , inaugurating a decade of emblematic exhibitions.

Lot 8. Lucio Fontana (1899 - 1968), Concetto spaziale, Ellisse, signed (on the reverse), lacquered wood, 173 x 72 cm; Executed in 1967. Estimated 250,000 - 350,000 EUR. © Sotheby's 2024

This work is registered in the Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milan, under the no. 67 EL 9.

Provenance: Galleria Marlborough, Rome
Collection Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier, Brussels (acquired from the above in 1968)
Then by descent to the present owner

Literature: Enrico Crispolti and Lucio Fontana, Omaggio a Lucio Fontana. Assisi-Roma, fig. 241, p. 224, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana: Catalogue raisonné des peintures, sculptures et environnements spatiaux, vol. II, Brussels, 1974, no. 67 EL 9, p. 206, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana: Catalogo generale, vol. II, Milan, 1986, no. 67 EL 9, p. 704, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana: Catalogo ragionato di sculture, dipinti, ambientazioni, vol. II, Milan, 2006, no. 67 EL 9, p. 897, illustrated

Exhibited: Rome, Galleria Marlborough, Lucio Fontana "Forme nuove 1967", 1967
Paris, Galerie Iolas, Fontana, 1968
Düsseldorf, Gallery Schemla, Fontana, 1968
Brussels, Galerie Françoise Mayer, Hommage à Fontana, 19 October - 11 November 1968

Note: Concetto spaziale, Ellisse, created in 1967, is made of red lacquered wood and takes on a simple oblong shape, pierced with small holes precisely aligned to form continuous or broken lines. The smooth surface and monochrome color enhance the visual purity of the work. The holes create a breach in the material, inviting the viewer to explore a space beyond the tangible surface of the piece. The geometric precision of the perforations and lines, combined with the elliptical shape, creates a striking contrast between formal simplicity and conceptual complexity, evoking infinite horizons. This piece is not merely a sculpture; it seeks to invite the viewer to transcend the physical limits of matter and experience space itself.

The Ellissi series, limited to around thirty works, was created in 1967 in collaboration with publisher Sergio Tosi. By delegating the mechanical production of these pieces, Fontana aimed to integrate his art into everyday life, much like industrial design. This approach reflects his desire to embed Spatialism into society, making it a tangible reality.

Spatialism, a movement founded by Fontana in the 1940s, was based on the idea of redefining art by incorporating notions of space and time. As early as 1946, in the Manifesto Blanco written while he was still in Argentina, Fontana expressed the belief that art should transcend material limits to explore new relationships between matter, space, and time. By perforating or slashing the surface, Fontana did not seek to destroy it, but rather to open a path to another dimension—the infinite. He rejected mere visual representation in favor of offering a direct experience of space, where the work acts as a bridge between the visible and invisible, between matter and spirit.

Created shortly before his death in 1968 and featured in the exhibition "Hommage" organized a few months after by Galerie Françoise Mayer, Concetto spaziale, Ellisse marks one of the final milestones in Fontana's career. With its mechanical production and minimalist aesthetic, it demonstrates the culmination of his research into the fusion of art and space. For Fontana, Spatialism was not to be confined to the artistic realm but was meant to extend into a broader reality, capable of transforming our relationship with matter and life itself. As he stated, "Spatialism is not just an artistic phenomenon, but a new general situation in my life, in everyone's life."

Lot 4. Kenneth Noland (1924 - 2010), Paced, signed, titled and dated 1967 (on the reverse), acrylic on canvas, 243,6 x 60,4 cm; Executed in 1967. Estimated 200,000 - 300,000 EUR. © Sotheby's 2024

Provenance: The Waddington Galleries, London
Collection Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier, Brussels (acquired from the above in 1969)
Then by descent to the present owner

Exhibited: Brussels, Galerie Françoise Mayer, Sélection an 5, 17 November - 5 December 1970 (probably)

Note: Executed in 1967, Paced is part of Kenneth Noland’s Diamond series, a pivotal phase in his career. Unlike his previous series, such as Circle, which focused on concentric circles centered on the canvas, or Chevron, the Diamond series takes a more radical approach by transforming the shape of the canvas itself. In this series, Noland pushes the limits of the traditional rectangular frame, adopting the diamond shape as a structural foundation. By tilting the canvas at a 45-degree angle and elongating it in his Needle Diamonds series, Noland challenges conventional spatial norms and prompts viewers to reconsider the painting’s orientation. This orientation shift influences the perception of colors and lines, offering new perspectives and heightened dynamism.

The composition of Paced features an alternation of unpainted bands punctuated by fine pink lines and regularly spaced yellow bands. The yellow, both vibrant and luminous, stands out on the canvas, creating a powerful visual contrast. This minimalist play of colors results in a composition that is both cohesive and rhythmic. The parallel bands appear to ripple across the canvas like waves, imbuing the work with a visual dynamism reminiscent of musical cadences.

In Paced , the regular alternation of bands and lines creates a visual pulse that also echoes the rhythmic structures of jazz, with its repetitions and variations. The lines seem to vibrate and resonate with one another, akin to a jazz theme subject to multiple variations. Kenneth Noland himself acknowledged this musical influence, stating in 1988 that he liked to think of painting as “subjectless, like music without lyrics.” This conception of art as pure abstraction, where form and color are the only “subjects,” aligns with ideas championed by critic Clement Greenberg.

Kenneth Noland was a major figure in Color Field painting, a movement endorsed by Greenberg, which emphasized pure abstraction and chromatic intensity. The use of stain painting, a technique he developed alongside artists like Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis, allowed the yellow pigments to soak directly into the raw canvas, creating a color of remarkable intensity and transparency. In Paced , this technique lends fluidity to the color bands, enhancing their shades and vibratory effect.

Early enthusiasts of this new field of American Abstract Expressionism, Françoise Mayer and Marc Sohier acquired several of Noland’s works, some directly from the artist. Paced would remain in their Brussels collection for decades, demonstrating the couple’s professional and personal appreciation for Kenneth Noland’s work.

Additionally, an exemplary work by Pol Bury, SC boules en perspective (1988), will be showacsed as part of this exhibition. Offered by the heirs Jean-Marc and Jérôme Sohier to the Musée d'Ixelles as a tribute to their parents, this work underlines the profoundly human and historical dimension of this sale. As Claire Leblanc, Director of the Musée d'Ixelles, has observed:

“The donation of the work ‘SC boules en perspective’, created by Pol Bury in 1S88 for the Musée d'Ixelles collections, by Jean-Marc and Jérôme Sohier in honour of the memory of their parents Françoise Mayer (1S35- 2014) and Marc Sohier (1S27-2024), is a remarkable acquisition. From one perspective, the acquisition serves to enhance the inventory with an exemplary piece by a seminal figure in the history of Belgian art, whose contributions are currently underrepresented in the existing collections. Secondly, it provides an opportunity, and will do so in the long term, to maintain the memory of the Mayer-Sohier couple, who were both fervent connoisseurs and defenders of modern art, as well as invaluable supporters of the Musée d'Ixelles. An initial donation was made in 2015 by Marc Sohier, comprising the work ‘Spacescape’ (1SC3) by Paul Van Hoeydonck. The entire team is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to welcome the work to the museum and share it with the public upon its reopening.”