Wall Decorations

Qing Dynasty 1700"s Framed Chinese Painting on Silk with heavy wear due to age. Great surviving example of 18th century Chinese art in gold gilt faux bamboo frame.

Beautiful signed original painting on canvas by Charles Cobelle of Paris. Charles Cobelle was a studio assistant to Raoul Dufy prior to his own prolific career as an artist in Paris....

This "Paris Le Soir" oil canvas painting by Paul-Marcel Candies Balmiere captures the beauty of the city at night. Created in 1938, this piece features intricate carvings on its wood...

Wonderful print of a Chinese and Japanese plate Lithograph Published by A.Morel, Paris, France, circa 1860 Unframed.

'Herd of Freedom Horses' by Purvis Young (1989–1999) USA, circa 1980s A progressive work, painted on a found metal tray, of five horses in landscape. signed 'Young' upper right corner. In untouched, well-cared-for vintage condition, ready to place.  The overall dimensions of the work are 13- inches wide, 17.5- inches high, and 1.5- inches deep.  About : Purvis Young (1943–2010) was an American artist from the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Self-taught, Young's work was often a blend of painting and drawing with collaged elements, utilizing everyday discarded found objects. Inspired by documentaries, art books...

19th Century, American School. A well done painting depicting a large clipper ship sailing across the ocean (possibly in the New England area). Set inside a walnut frame.

A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...

John Webber created the engraving titled "A Boxing Match, in Hapaee, one of the Friendly Islands." Webber was indeed an artist who accompanied Captain James Cook on his third voyage ...

In the most technical sense of the word, "Suzani," in Central Asia and Iran, means needle and is used to describe this type of needlework, but to most people, such as decorators or c...

Very rare anonymous bookshelves designed and made in North of France, Limoges, circa 1980. This bookshelves embodies the elegance, sophistication, and design ingenuity characteristic...

Immerse yourself in the timeless beauty of natural history with our exquisite collection of luxury fossil art. Showcasing breathtaking natural specimens from the legendary Green Rive...

Floral Symphony: Müller's 1904 Botanical Illustrations This collage comprises three botanical prints from Walter Müller's 1904 tome, which meticu...

Striking pair of acrylic paintings on canvas of traditional Peruvian figures executed in a modernist minimalist folk style. Signed Roberto Benites and presented in wood frames.

Emma Kohlmann, Untitled, Water and Sumi Ink on Paper (Framed), 2018

Abstract art print by Leticia Gagetti, printed on 260g high-quality paper with a matte finish that ensures vivid and saturated colors. Crafted through giclée printing on museum-qual...

Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) oil on canvas, unframed 21.5 x 18 inches signed front and back condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have by this artist have come fro...

Pia Manu, room divider, burnished concrete, stained glass, steel, Belgium, 1970s This unique piece of art is assembled in the workshop of Pia Manu and is a great testament to their ...

This wall hanging is a one of a kind heirloom piece. Taking inspiration from brutalism, mid-century abstraction, and Joseph Albers studies on the interaction of color. The entire pr...

Candida Ho¨fer. Philip Johnson Library New Canaan, 2014. C-print. Measures: 25 in. x 30 in. Signed by artist. Edition: 60. Unframed.

Zuber wall paper screen depicting the return of Napoleon from Italy, rare piece with french hinges ( meaning it can open in every which way), the wallpaper is applied on to a burlap ...

Gorgeous and very Delicate oil on canvas, adhered to board, with an impressionistic style that represents a fisherman on the edge of a river, on the outskirts of a town surrounded by...

Original Vintage Poster for Cachou Lajaunie by Leonetto Cappiello dating from 1920. Cachou Lajaunie is a liquorice based sweet candy. A red-haired woman in a dress of feathers ...

Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for Søborg Møbelfabrik, cabinet, teak, Denmark, 1950s. Unique formation of conforming cabinets executed in solid teak designed by the Danish desi...

19th century French Louis XVI style gilt and painted wood barometer. While not in working order, barometer has that wonderful old 'chippy' peeling patina. The carved wood frame and g...

Vibrant and lively mirror that enhances any room with bold charisma and creativity. Additional Information: This piece is from a series of mirrors inspired by Italian Mannerist painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, composed of swirls, rosettes, flowers and leaves - some of the most typical elements of craftwork on Venetian mirrors - in the place of beards, eyes, noses and hair. The mask and the mirror are both typical Venetian artistic products: combining the two creates a new mask which maintains the decorative details typical of the antique Venetian mirror while downplaying any seriousness with irony and levity. These playful, exuberant and riotously colorful wall mirrors are produced by an illustrious family of master Venetian glassmakers, prominent for centuries as the finest glass artisans in the world, known today as Barbini Specchi Veneziani. This series ('Ms. Italia', 'The Clown', 'The Biker'), designed by Lucia Massari...

Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, multifunctional wall unit, black lacquered ash, chrome and white fabric, Italy, 1980s. Rare multifunctional wall unit designed by the Italian design...

Fabulous early oil painting by Bernard Boesch. French artist. Trained architect and artist. Influenced by Raoul Dufy, this painting is a rare early example of Boesch’s work. Titled « Tapis Rouge...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning medium sized display case which houses large vintage Taxidermy Butterfly's Please note the d...

A sweet little painting depicting two dressed up circus dogs. The dogs are painted against a sober background. The painting is oil on panel and dates from...

Oil on canvas, painting by Philippe Zacharie (1849-1915). Painting, oil on canvas representing a nude study, woman lying in the grass by Philippe Zacharie (1849-1915). Painting: H: ...

Blossom: A piece of 3D sculptural wall art designed and made from two layers of cream leather, woven together by Louise Heighes. Measurements are 21 x 21 inches or 54 x 54 cm. Th...

Disks: A piece of 3D sculptural wall art designed and made from two layers of white leather, woven together by Louise Heighes. Measurements are 21 x 21 inches or 54 x 54 cm. One, s...

Wave: A piece of 3D sculptural wall art designed and made from two layers of gold leather, woven together by Louise Heighes. Measurements are 21 x 21 inches or 54 x 54 cm. This pie...

Lorenzo Burchiellaro, wall panel, wood, aluminum, Italy, 1970s Abstract wall panel in aluminum by Italian designer Lorenzo Burchiellaro. Burchiellaro is known for his metal furnitur...

Nice early 20th century French Aubusson tapestry with beautiful design of country scene and beautiful colors, entirely hand woven with wool an...

Exposition "S'asseoir" - 1974, Musée de Grenoble 12 posters in DIN A2 (420 x 594 mm) as high-quality reprints on cardboard Wonderful hand drawings of several design classics, wh...

Portrait of Sultan Isa Çelebi (died 1403),identity inscribed in Latin. Portrait of Sultan Murad III (1546–1595), identity inscribed in Latin. The present paintings refer to the works attributed to a follower of Paolo Veronese in the Bayerische Staatsgemälde Sammlungen , Würzburg . The paintings are comparable and complementary to a set of 6 Turkish rulers sold in 2022 for 1,5 M. by Sothebys. Located at the crossroads of East and West, the Ottoman Empire absorbed a diverse range of influences, including Chinese, European, and Persian, to produce a distinctive and coherent artistic language throughout a range of decorative arts. Ottoman expansion into Eastern Europe and subsequent access to the silver mines of the Balkans between the 14th and 16th C. led to a rich and skilled tradition of Ottoman silverware, tiles, dishes, and other ceramic objects. From the 16th to 19th C. the production of decorative arts continued to flourish with the introduction of both rococo and baroque elements signalling an increasingly open attitude to all things European. The production of Orientalist paintings is rich in topographical landscapes of Istanbul, genre scenes, and portraits of Ottoman notables. Europe’s fascination with its powerful, Muslim neighbours inspired a wave of accounts and paintings of the Ottoman world. The taking of Constantinople in 1453 by the young Mehmet II ('The Conqueror’) not only sparked this interest, but the young Sultan himself, who invited European painters to his court, further fuelled this fashion. The period following his reign saw relations between the Republic of Venice and its powerful neighbour reach a state of relative calm, initiating a period of exchange and trade. The present portraits of the Sultans, depicted in three-quarter view and wearing a large turban and richly embroidered cloak...

These MATTE BLACK collage tiles are composed randomly from recycled wood remnants and when installed bathe any space with a warm feeling and texture which...

Antique map titled 'Johnson's Kentucky (..)'. Original map of Kentucky and Tennessee. This map originates from 'Johnson's New Illustrated Family Atlas ...

Ignis Wall Art Piece, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Ignis modern wall decor is inspired by the inner fire that fuels love and passion,...

Lorenzo Burchiellaro, wall panel, wood, aluminum, Italy, 1970s Abstract wall panel in aluminum by Italian designer Lorenzo Burchiellaro in the 1970s. Burchiellaro is recognized for ...

Led light Unique wall art piece, contemporary collection, handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. Symbolising the uniqueness of every human being, Unique celebrates one’s au...

This gorgeous wall rug was designed in the 1970s by artist Ewald Kröner and manufactured by his own Label Schloss Hackhausen in Germany. Rectangular wall ...

This beautiful oval painting, created using the oil on canvas technique, features a horizontal orientation and depicts the goddess Venus half-naked and sitting on a stool, while she ...

Georges Jouve (1910-1964) Decorative Ceramic plate "La sirène" or "Mermaid" 1950's Signed JOUVE on back (engraved) New Oak frame Ceramic Measures : 25 cm x 25 cm. (Framed 41 x 41 cm)

Luigi Saccardo, 'Topline' wall unit, laminated wood, metal, Italy, circa 1976. This impressive wall unit is designed by the Italian designer Luigi Saccardo as part of the ´Topline´...

One of a kind large-scale still life with flowers, the work of Eugene Biel-Bienne (1902-1969), a standard bearer of the Viennese school of expressionism, one of the most outstanding ...

Giacomo Benevelli for Missaglia, 'Arabesco' wall-mounted light sculpture, metal, Italy, circa 1967 Italian designer and sculptor Giacomo Benevelli (1925-2011) designed this mesmeriz...

Giuseppe Rivadossi, cabinets, oak, glass, Italy, 1975. An exceptional pair of cabinets by the Italian sculptor and designer Giuseppe Rivadossi, featuring a high level of craftsmansh...

Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) oil on board, unframed 7 x 9.5 inches signed front and back condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have by this artist have come from t...

Luigi Saccardo, 'Topline' wall unit, laminated wood, metal, Italy, circa 1976. This eccentric wall unit is designed by the Italian designer Luigi Saccardo as part of the ´Topline´ ...

Weave: A piece of 3D sculptural wall art designed and made from two layers of putty coloured leather, woven together by Louise Heighes. Measuremen...

Wave: A piece of 3D sculptural wall art designed and made from two layers of cream leather, woven together by Louise Heighes. Measurements are 29 x 45 inches or 114 x 74 cm. T...

Sketch of the futurist poster "Day of two crosses, 16th April 1939, XVII", mixed technique of pastel and water-color, for an Italian campaign against tuberculosis, to inform people a...

The Color Experience: Stained-glass windows “Color is a power which directly influences the soul” (Wassili Kandinsky, Moskou 1866 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1944) “Color! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams!” (« La couleur ! Quelle langue profonde et mystérieuse, le langage des rêves », Paul Gauguin, Paris, 1848-Fatu-Hiva, 1903) ‘Color and feeling’, ‘color and meaning’, these are concepts that have gone together since time immemorial. Artists and craftsmen have a special bond with color. After all, it is a means of expression that can have a real reinforcing effect. Especially linking color with light offers unlimited possibilities. Glaziers and glass painters have tried to master both these ‘instruments’ for centuries. The set of beautifully restored neo-Gothic windows in our collection are enough reason for us to let these works of art figure in a broader story. As a bonus, we would like to introduce you to the contemporary stained-glass artist and stained-glass restorer, Daniël Theys. whose workshop is in Sint-Pieters-Rode (Belgium). He talked to us about the materials and techniques he used for the restoration of our set of neo-Gothic stained-glass windows. A fascinating look at the tricks of the trade from a specialist! A bird’s eye view of the history of the European stained-glass window. Although the Romans already used translucent glass plates to cover wall openings, the stained-glass window reached its peak in Europe between 1150 and 1500. A period also known as the era of the cathedrals. At that time, stained-glass windows became more than just a way to let in the light, and to keep the space closed off. From now on, their functionality was also found in their didactic value. The biblical and saints’ stories that adorned the stained-glass windows became a kind of poor man’s bible. They brought, as it were, the knowledge of the holy scriptures in an understandable, pictorial way. At the same time, the colored light provided additional symbolism. The invading light was interpreted as a manifestation of God. It is also no coincidence that the main altar was bathed in light. It was the place where the most important sacrament was celebrated, that of the Eucharist. How were these magical colors obtained? Well, during the 12th and 13th centuries, metal oxides gave color to the glass. Copper, for example, produced different colors in the various stages of oxidation. The metal could color the glass light blue, green and even red. It should be noted that from the 13th century onwards, clear glass, which was cheaper and at the same time allowed more light into the buildings, was used more often. A century later, in the years 1400 to 1500, glass painters frequently painted onto the glass with a ‘stain’ of silver chloride or sulfide. The painted piece of glass was heat-treated in a furnace. The heating process ensured that the silver ions migrated into the glass and became suspended within the glass network. The stain gave colors ranging from a pale yellow to a rather deep red. This new technique allowed glaziers to get more than one color on a single glass fragment. The shades produced by painting in silver chloride were well suited for depicting golden crowns, scepters and other gilded objects and ornaments. But the most important advantage of the technique was the fact that the glass painter could now make transitions from yellow tones to white without having to apply separations with lead strips! This also improved the legibility of the pictured scene. You can imagine that the labor-intensive process of the production of stained-glass windows was a very costly affair and therefore it was often patrons who donated them to a church or a chapel. The benefactors were usually eager to propagate their social status and were moved by concern for their salvation. In the 16th century, stained-glass windows also began to appear in secular buildings such as town halls, the homes of the wealthy and commercial premises such as inns. It is striking that during this period the use of lead strips that border many parts of the image was further reduced in favor of real painting on stained glass. This was due to an increasing love of detail. For example, one wanted realistically painted portrait heads. Working with enamel paints was cumbersome. Each newly applied color had to be burned into the glass before another color or overpainting could be applied. It was not only the coloring of the glass that was complicated, the process of obtaining flat glass plates required many steps as well. The glazier blew a glass bulb with a blowpipe and then cut it open. Finally, each half of the sphere was turned around so fast that it became a disc. In later periods, the glazier blew out his glass bulb into a cylinder. Once the cylinder had cooled, its closed ends were removed, and the long sides were cut open. The pieces of glass obtained were then heated and flattened. During the 16th century, there was a division of labor between the stained-glass designer, the glazier, and the glass painter. It happened as well that the stained-glass artist used prints as models for his stained-glass windows. Whoever drew the design, the glazier always needed a model on the right scale, the so-called cartoon. On the cartoon, the lead strips were clearly marked, and the use of colors was indicated. Contracts at the time show that the price of stained-glass windows was calculated per square foot. The price per square foot included the labor and material costs. The price of the cartoon was not included. In the 17th century, the work of glass painters remained important. At the same time, there was a growing popularity of stained-glass windows with heraldic themes. In the Low Countries there were several high-quality glass painters active. During the 18th century, glass painting went downhill in our regions. The French occupation of the Southern Netherlands resulted in the destruction and sale of religious stained-glass windows. It was only around the middle of the 19th century that the young Belgian state experienced a revival of stained glass. The renewed interest in the Middle Ages, the so-called ‘gothic revival’, caused a wave of restoration of old stained-glass windows of churches and orders for neo-gothic stained-glass windows. The Sint-Lucas art schools in Belgium played an important role in this. Industrial developments in the glass and steel industries naturally had an important hand in the popularity of stained-glass windows. Stained-glass had a wide range of uses; think of stained glasses in winter gardens, domes, windows, and doors of large mansions. Significant glazier’ studios arose in several larger Belgian cities. In Brussels, for example, you had the workshops of Capronnier and Colpaert, in Bruges the studios of Coucke and Dobbelaere, in Ghent the companies of Ganton-Defoin or Ladon. During the 19th century, glaziers followed the style developments in the visual arts. For example, the number of windows in Art Nouveau and Art Deco style is large. The restored stained-glass windows with male and female saints that we offer for sale, come from a building in Laeken, near Brussels. They probably decorated the space of a church, chapel, convent, or Catholic school. In the results of the interview with glass restorer Daniël Theys, you will learn more about the particularities of these splendid windows. Chatting and browsing in the workshop of Daniël Theys The Belgian Glass restorer and glass blower, Daniël Theys (), made a career switch at a later age and has been active in the profession since 1987. He is an important player in the field of stained-glass window art in Belgium. Moreover, he is the only one in the country who still masters the technique of glass etching. Daniël Theys receives many commissions from small parish churches to restore old stained-glass windows to their former glory. He made a name for himself in that niche and that is how Spectandum brought the set of 19th century stained glass windows to his workshop for reconstruction. They were delivered in old numbered wooden crates and Daniel had to start puzzling. Numbered wooden crates with sections of the stained-glass windows Normally a glazier starts working from a drawing with a scale of 1:1 (full size drawing), but in this case each piece had to be cataloged and photographed. The smaller pieces were grouped on the light box and photographed in their entirety. Then Daniël made a drawing of the remaining pieces that he had puzzled together with great care. Smaller pieces identified and grouped on the light box The restauration guidelines of the Agency for Monuments and Landscapes are not always the same as those of a restorer. For this reconstruction, Daniël primarily considered the purpose of the stained-glass windows. It had to be an aesthetic and salable set of stained-glass windows, so the choice of filling the gaps with neutral glass or epoxy was not really an option. Theys left well-executed previous restorations untouched. The windows may have been repaired three or four times in the past. Piece of a cloak with glass shards from different periods (restorations) Another problem Daniel faced during the restoration was the fact that some small parts of the old grisaille had been eaten away by microorganisms. The defect – caused by moisture – can be seen from the discoloration of the grisaille. The black-brown color is turned red. This fragment shows well how the brown grisaille has turned red due to the attack of micro-organisms The stained-glass windows of the 19th century are made of ‘in the mass-colored’ glass. This means that the colors were added to the liquid glass during its production process. This type of glass differs from glass colored with enamel paint, which became popular from the interwar period. The latter process involves applying enamel paint (this is a glass powder with a metal oxide to which a medium has been added) to the colorless glass. When firing the glass with the enamel paint, the powder fuses with the glass. The colors of email painted glass are less intense and less brilliant than those of ‘in the mass-colored glass’. Jars with colored powder for the enamel paints For the restoration Daniël only worked with mouth-blown glass, both with ‘in the mass-colored glass’ and with ‘verre plaqué’. This is blown glass composed of several layers of different shades. Over the years, Theys built up a large stock of old blown glass. Colored blown glass always has sliding shades. For example, a red piece of glass can have a color transition from bright red to light orange. These differences in shades are the result of the different thicknesses of the piece of glass. It allows the glazier to use a wide variety of shades. The purple-red foliage with light blue accents was obtained by etching away parts of a piece ‘verre plaqué’. A small part of the lower glass layer is exposed. The windows were completely re-leaded by the restorer because there was virtually no ‘lead net’ preserved. In general, lead strips only have a limited lifespan because of oxidation processes. Daniël removed the old lead remnants and placed new lead profiles. Then he applied putty between the glass fragments and the lead strips to seal the lead. A window must be made watertight. The current condition of the windows is excellent. Decorative glass part with original lead remnants New lead strip The set of stained-glass windows we present today, originally consisted of windows of 5 to 6 m high. After all, they originally adorned a neo-gothic church. Since the original dimensions are not suitable for private buildings, it was decided to only restore the figurative representation. The original spire of one of the windows Thanks to a suspension eye, the window can be hung. There is also the possibility to place the window in an upright position. Thanks to the craftsmanship of the Theys-Studio, we can once again enjoy the brilliance of color! Looking for the missing link The set of 19th-century stained-glass windows came into the possession of Spectandum without a clear provenance. The renowned Leuven antiques dealer, Cornelius Engelen, recalls that the windows came from a church in Laeken. There is no solid starting point for a search for the provenance. Based on the style of the stained-glass windows – most probably the late 19th century -, their religious iconography, and their original shape (pointed arch windows) and dimensions (5 to 6 cm high), we can assume that they were once displayed in a (neo-)gothic cult building. On the one hand, the stained-glass windows may have been removed after storm damage or other calamities, on the other they may have been taken away during a renovation or a demolition of a church. The Church of Our Lady in Laeken is the most famous church building in that municipality that could qualify. In the early 1920s, the central windows of the transept were badly damaged by a hurricane. Today, glass fragments of these windows (dating from 1893-1894) with the names of the sixteen missing saints and an arch infill of the western window are officially known. It would be interesting to find out if our set of eight saints once were part of the transept of Our Lady in Laeken. Research in the records of the church administrators could provide clarification. Knowing that most neo-gothic stained-glass windows from the Church of Our Lady come from the Jules Dobbelaere’s glass studio in Bruges, it is useful to consult that company’s archive as well. It is kept in the KADOC (Documentation and research center for religion, culture and; in Leuven. Of course, the sizes and shape of the stone window openings of the transept can also provide an indication. If we stylistically compare the grisailles of the set of stained-glass windows with the work of Jules Dobbelaere, we do see some relationship. Especially with a stained-glass window in the chapel of Our Lady of the Saint Anthony Church in Aalst. Another line of research that we could follow, is that of the iconography of the series. One of the saints depicted is Saint Roch. There once was a Saint-Roch church in Laeken with 19th-century stained-glass windows from the Brussels studio of Jean-Baptiste Capronnier. The company archive of the glaziers François and Jean-Baptiste Capronnier is owned by the Flemish government and can be consulted in the above-mentioned KADOC. We already searched the sales catalog of 1892, in which Capronnier’s drawings and cartoons are described one by one. The saints that are represented in our set of windows, does not correspond with the names of the saints mentioned for the church of St. Roch in Laeken. Building on this argument, it can be concluded that the eight saints were not destined for this house of worship. In the absence of lavishly illustrated monographs on the various glazier-companies in Belgium, the execution of a comparative study of the stained-glass windows is time-consuming and complex. Although a limited number of old photos of stained-glass windows can still be found in the database ‘Balat’ of the KIK-IRPA (), this remains far too limited to get a good picture of the output of the various companies. 19th C, Saint, Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Window with Saint Martin, Belgium, 163 x 73 cm Most people know Saint Martin (Szombathely, ca. 316 – Candes, 397) as the Roman Tribune who cut his cloak in two with his sword and gave one half to a beggar. The artist of the stained-glass window has opted for a different, less common iconographic representation here. Saint Martin is presented as a bishop with a miter and staff. According to a legend, Martin was lured to the city of Tours with a trick to consecrate him as a bishop. He refused the ecclesiastical office and hid in a barn with some geese. The birds betrayed him with their twittering. In the end Martin received his episcopal consecration. The goose at the feet of the saint clearly refers to this event. 19th C, Saint, Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Window with St. Angela, Belgium, 163 x 73 cm Angela de Merici was an Italian woman who taught young women religion, health care, and household skills. She founded the monastic community of the Ursulines. They played an important social role as founders of schools and orphanages. Saint Angela died in Brescia in 1540. It should therefore come as no surprise that the saint on the stained-glass-window is depicted with a girl by her side. 19th C, Saint, Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Window with Charles Borromeo, Belgium, 163 x 73 cm Charles Borromeo (Milan, 1538-1584) grew up in a noble family. He was already made Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan at the age of 24. With his writings he contributed to the implementation of the Church reforms determined at the Council of Trent. Among other things, he released a new catechism. With his book on the design of church buildings, “Instructiones Fabriacae et Supellectilis Ecclesiasticae”, he left a mark on Baroque church construction. At the outbreak of the plague in his diocese in 1576, he devoted himself to the care of those affected. Hence, people sometimes pray to him when they have been hit by a serious illness. 19th C, Saint, Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Window with St. Roch, Belgium, 163 x 73 cm Saint Roch (Montpellier, 1295? /1350? -1327? /1380?) was born with a port-wine stain in the shape of a cross on his left hip. It was interpreted as a sign from God. After the dead of his parents, he gave his money to the poor and went on to live the life of pilgrim. He cared for plague sufferers and healed some of them by making a sign of the cross. He is especially invoked as protector against the plague. 19th C, Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Window with St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Belgium, 163 x 73 cm Bernard of Clairvaux (Fontaines, 1090-Clairvaux, 1153) decided to become a monk at the age of 21. In 1112 he entered in the monastery of Cîtaux. He was soon commissioned by the abbot to find a new monastery in Clairvaux. Because of his intellectual capacities and eloquence, he was consulted by various ecclesiastical and secular leaders. He ensured the expansion of the Cistercian order throughout Europe. As a Doctor of the Church, he wrote many tracts and sermons and established a new rule for the Templars. Above all, he was concerned with the discipline of the clergy. Therefore, he wrote a spiritual manual for the priests and bishops. Saint Bernard can be seen as a true mystic. He envisioned the union of the human soul with God as the most important goal in life. According to a legend, Bernard once had a vision in which the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and strengthened him with her mother’s milk. In the arts, the saint is mainly depicted with an abbot’s staff and a book with the Cistercian rule. His vision was also often portrayed. 19th C, Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Window with St. John Berchmans, Belgium, 163 x 73 cm The Belgian Jan Berchmans (Diest, 1599-Rome, 1621) was the eldest of five children. When his mother became seriously ill, he initially took care of her, but at the age of nine he was housed with the town’s priest. After a few years he moved to Mechelen to become the servant of a canon. It also gave him the opportunity to begin his studies in the seminary for priests. He eventually joined the Jesuits of Mechelen. He got their permission to study philosophy in Rome. In the Eternal City, he visited working-class neighbourhoods to teach the children about God. He died of an illness at the age of 22. Saint Jan Berchmans is the patron saint of school children and students. 19th C, Neo-Gothic Stained-Glass Window with Saint Clare...

#ognunohailsuofaro Special Wood Edition Limited Edition collection of hand-inlaid paintings, design Studio 74ram for Hebanon Fratelli Basile 1830. "I've always been fascinated by...

Treason wall art piece, contemporary collection, handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. Like a crumpled up piece of paper, Treason embodies ...

Luigi Saccardo, 'Topline' highboards, laminated wood, metal, Italy, circa 1976. Pair of bookcases as part of the ´Topline´ series, designed by the Italian designer Luigi Saccardo. Due to its size, these items offer a variety of different storage possibilities. The clean and open layout of the middle cabinets allow to display objects to one´s taste. The upper and lower cabinets are provided with door panels with refined round metal door handles...