R. De Greef (XX) - Meisje met bloemen uit de gebroken kruik

Roger De Greef (Le Brusseleir) – Girl with flowers from the broken jug

Oil paint on panel, signed bottom right.
R. De Greef
Panel: 18 × 13 cm – in the original, richly decorated rococo gold frame.
37.5 × 32.5 cm

An exceptionally fine and rare early cabinet piece by Roger De Greef (born 1942, Schaerbeek – residing and working in Monceau-en-Ardenne), the self-taught Belgian painter of international renown. He is included in leading references such as Piron, Arto, and Deux siècles de signatures d’artistes de Belgique, and has been awarded, among others, the Silver Medal Prix de France, the Silver Medal from the International Academy of Contemporary Arts of Belgium, and the International Bronze Medal from the Walloon Academy of Arts of Belgium.

Executed here in his most refined, almost porcelain-like brush technique – a style he used only sporadically alongside his later palette knife works.
A young woman in a light green gown holds the flowers that have fallen from her broken jug with a tender, dreamy gaze; in the background, ancient ruins fade into soft evening light. This iconic motif of fleeting beauty is painted with delicate brushstrokes and a velvety, transparent build – an exceptionally delicate example of De Greefs' ability to create a warm, poetic glow even in the finest touches.

Restoration (2025, by a recognized restorer)
Careful surface cleaning of the pictorial layer.
a few tiny, almost invisible retouches
a new, thin varnish layer that fully revitalizes the subtle color tones
The monumental original rococo frame has been cleaned and left in its authentic patina.

On the back, there is an original gallery label with a historical asking price of €463.56 (1990s / early 2000s) – a good indication of the market value of this intimate jewel at the time. Today, after restoration and with the growing interest in De Greefs' early finesse, this amount represents an attractive, conservative lower bound that is often significantly outbid at auctions by collectors who recognize the rarity and emotional power of the work.

Origin: Belgian private collection

State: excellent and radiant, presented as museum-worthy.

Exhibitions and collections
De Greef's works have been exhibited in Belgium and internationally (including Germany, France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, the United States, and Japan); they are included in public collections such as Bastogne, Eupen, Rochefort, Brussels (C.H.U. Saint-Pierre and Cera Bank), Blegny (Musée du Cyclisme), Oudenaarde (Tour of Flanders Center), and Vresse-sur-Semois (Quartier d’Art).

A unique opportunity to acquire a particularly refined, early, and intimate work by this still-living Belgian master—small in size, great in emotion, and rare in execution.