Art Deco Villa Vandevelde in Uccle opens to public 14 to 16 May for preview art sale

An exceptional Art Deco private residence in Brussels opens its doors for an exhibition of 20th century art from 14 to 16 May.

To mark the centenary of the Art Deco movement in 2025, Villa Vandevelde in Uccle hosts Artcurial auction house’s exclusive preview A journey through the 20th century ahead of two sales in Paris.

The eclectic art collection being sold by the villa’s owner spans the 20th century and includes works by James Ensor and Chu Teh-Chun.

It is the first time that the villa, designed by architect Adrien Blomme, opens its doors to the public.

Prestige art collection

As the daughter of an architect, the collector possessed a clear passion for aesthetics and architecture, says Artcurial. Deeply rooted in 20th century art, the collection was compiled according to her personal tastes, it adds.

Belgian artists James Ensor, Léon Spilliaert, Fernand Khnopff and Pol Bury figure in the sale, as well as Italian artists Alberto Magnelli, Piero Dorazio and Tancredi Parmeggiani.

The collection features major works of modern art such as Fernand Léger's Study for The Divers (1942), Ossip Zadkine's Draped Figurine (1929) and James Ensor's Flowers and Statuette (1938). Prominent contemporary art pieces include Chu Teh-Chun's Night Comes (1988), Piero Dorazio's Profile III (1973) and Philippe Hiquily's sculpture Cheng San (2006).

These works are complemented by emblematic Art Deco pieces: a "Nicolle" games table by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, a dining table from Maison Dominique and floor lamps by Fontana Arte and Félix Agostini, among others.

Artcurial is auctioning nearly 80 works from the collection, as well as Art Deco furniture, design and silverware. All of the lots will be split between two sales in Paris: the Modern and Contemporary section on 5 June and the Art Deco section in November 2025.

Art Deco gem

Villa Vandevelde House was built in 1936 by father and son architects Adrien and Yvan Blomme for Maurice Vandevelde, then director of the Chantiers Houillers.

It was one of the last projects for Adrien Blomme, who also designed the Cinéma Métropole, (now Zara) on Rue Neuve, Maison Blomme on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt and Hôtel Wielemans on Rue Defacqz.

Designed during the architect's Modernist period, the building reflects a harmonious blend between this movement and Art Deco. The primary quality of the house is its integration with the surrounding green space, thanks in particular to the horizontality of the facades and the use of roughcast for its outer walls.

Purchased by the French government in 1973, it was long-occupied by the French ambassador to NATO, who along with his wife, restored the interior in a pure Art Deco style in the 1990s. The house, which boasts white walls with contrasting black window frames, was listed as a historic monument in May 2006.

For more information, email belgium@artcurial.com.

Photos: Villa Vandevelde ©Artcurial/Vincent Everarts