Daniel Smerck (Belgium, 1937). - Lot 129

Through the Eyes of an Iconophile - Part II

EXHIBITION

Lots will be available for viewing by appointment from Monday, September 28, through Thursday, October 15, and until the end of the auction. Please contact us by email (info@zouave.be) or phone (+32 2 410 46 04) to schedule an appointment.

PICKUP OF LOTS

Friday, October 16, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.

FEES

32% including tax.

COLLECTOR’S FOREWORD

"There comes a time—that moment has arrived—when we no longer have a choice.

Time is running out, age is catching up, health issues arise, deadlines resurface...

And all of this leads you to sell part of your collection at the doorstep of an art gallery,

in northern Burgundy: Galerie LEL’OEIL. 

Inspired from the very beginning by a poem by Blaise Cendrars, it remains the Eye of an Iconophile,

who is writing these few lines to you. Through them, I look back on more than 40 years of visits

to studios, auction houses, encounters with artists from every continent, and art hunts.

When you come to choose a work that catches your eye in this catalog—or even let a work choose you

by a work—just as a house chooses its owner (I believe in this)—you’ll discover the fruits 

of my encounters. May this sale also serve as a passing on (for a price, I admit)

of works spanning the period from 1945 to the present. Without distinguishing between abstraction and figuration,

I have always regarded Expressionism as the guiding principle in my selections.

Furthermore, I have often been moved by those moments when an artist returns to work after a period of doubt,

exhaustion, or even depression. I have also been drawn to artists with a wide range of expression: Serge Vandercam, photographer, 

sculptor and painter of the Tollund Man (in which I include the woman), once portrayed by my friend, the choreographer Michèle Noiret,

daughter of Joseph Noiret (one of the founders of the CoBrA movement). Or the drawings of the sculptor Eugène Dodeigne and the friendship that

bound him to René-Edgar Gillet. Raoul Ubac and his shadows, as his name suggested.

What some call a collection is, in my eyes, rather a gathering of friends and supporters who have given me so much 

happiness, a breath of fresh air, the slow pace of contemplation, and, ultimately, a sense of sharing."

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The buyer shall only acquire full ownership of the item upon full and final payment thereof. No delivery may therefore be made without prior payment for the lot. 10. The buyer is responsible for their purchase and its condition, as they will have had the opportunity to view the lot in person at the exhibition prior to the public sale, even if they made their purchase outside the offices of Zouave Auction. 11. Zouave Auction shall not be held liable for any information or descriptions provided by it concerning the lots offered for sale. Such information and descriptions should be considered as indications only, and Zouave Auction does not guarantee the authenticity, attribution, nature, condition, date, age, provenance, etc. of any item. It is the buyer's responsibility to verify the nature and condition of the item. 12. Without prejudice to the previous point, it is specified that, with regard to jewellery, Zouave Auction only indicates an approximate size, and not the weight, as it is impossible to remove the stones, and, with regard to porcelain and crystal, only visible defects, such as cracks and apparent restorations, are indicated where applicable. 13. In the event of the discovery of a modern intentional forgery, the buyer shall have one year from the date of the auction to claim a refund, which shall not exceed the auction price and the costs incurred in connection therewith. To do so, the buyer must send an immediate registered letter of complaint to Zouave Auction and return the lot immediately in the exact condition it was in on the day of the auction. The buyer must provide proof that the item is a fake in relation to the description in the catalogue, and this will be entirely at their expense if any costs have been incurred. No other disputes will be accepted. 14. 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In all cases where Zouave Auction may be held liable, for any reason whatsoever, such liability shall be limited to the amount of the commission received. 23. These general terms and conditions shall prevail over any terms and conditions of the buyer, unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing.