Painting by Paul Delvaux and bronze panther sculpture by Charles Delhommeau are two of the many impressive lots in Galerie Moderne's first auction under Baert's ownership. Galerie Moderne is a name inextricable from Brussels' artistic legacy. The gallery and auction house was founded in its present form in 1935 by the Mens family, who acquired a precursory business with origins in the early 19th century and set up shop in the historic Petit Sablon district, later moving nearby the city's Place du Luxembourg. It has dealt with some of the most precious antiques, furniture, jewellery, paintings, sculptures, Asian art, ceramics, silver and glassware, and natural history that can be found since. Despite heritage spanning centuries, the gallery shuttered earlier this year, stunning loyal collectors in Belgium and beyond. Enter Régis Baert. Founder of B.Art Invest, Baert saw an opportunity to revive Galerie Moderne less than a year after its closure - but not without adapting it to the realities of a contemporary market first. "Letting Galerie Moderne die would have meant allowing a piece of the heart of the Belgian art market," says Baert, who is a specialist in Asian art and objets d'art himself. "Our ambition is not merely to reopen an auction house, but to invent a new model based on flexibility and advisory strength." The new address is in Ixelles, and from this hub, the ambition is to find the best possible matches between buyers, sellers, and pieces - whether that means selling them in-house (at venues across Brussels), digitally, or finding an international partner. "Belgium has always been a cultural crossroads: our role is now to make it a point of anchorage within a wider European and global network — without ever denying its identity." The auction house officially reopens with an inaugural sale on 3 December.