Paul Van Hoeydonck - Naissance de la Planete Argent '62

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Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 9, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-03-09 10:00:00 2023-03-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-ancient-ethnographic-fine-art-12354
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• Lot Description
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  Paul Van Hoeydonck (Belgian, b. 1925). "Naissance de la Planete Argent" mixed media on board, 1962. Signed, titled, and dated on verso. An impressively large and compelling mixed media piece entitled "Naissance de la Planete Argent" (Birth of the Silver Planet) by Paul Van Hoeydonck whose "The Fallen Astronaut" - a sculpture dedicated to all the astronauts and cosmonauts who died during the Race to the Moon - was the first and only work of art placed on the moon by the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. In "Naissance de la Plante Argent" Van Hoeydonck depicts an orb-shaped planet rendered in silver hues complemented by other metallic pigments of warmer bronze and golden hues as well as moments of saturated red and blue - all against a white background with a matrix of metal nails applied beneath the paint to create a marvelous, textural effect. A unique work of art by Paul Van Hoeydonck, a pioneering cosmic artist, mounted in a custom wooden frame, painted grey to complement it perfectly. Size (artwork): 48" L x 48" W (121.9 cm x 121.9 cm) Size (frame): 48.5" L x 48.5" W (123.2 cm x 123.2 cm)
  
  Space travel and the vastness of space first fascinated Paul Van Hoeyndonck when he was a child. A cosmic artist during a period when technology was making pioneering explorations of the universe possible, Van Hoeyndonck used a diverse array of materials to create artworks that engaged with astronomy and astronautics.
  
  When exhibiting his art at New York's Waddell Gallery in the 1960s, Van Hoeydonck came up with the idea to send one of his artworks to the moon. He met the Apollo 15 astronauts at a dinner party, presented his idea, and the rest is history. The Apollo 15 mission was launched on July 26, 1971 and on board were three members of the crew, their research instruments, and Van Hoeydonck's "Falling Astronaut" - a sculpture dedicated to the American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts that did not survive their space missions during the Race to the Moon. It is the only work of art on the moon. Exhibiting no specific gender or ethnic characteristics, "Fallen Astronaut" was intended to represent all space travelers.
  
  Paul Van Hoeydonck's work has been exhibited throughout the world and collected by esteemed art institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and M HKA museum of contemporary art in Antwerp, Belgium. To learn more about Paul Van Hoeydonck, watch Frank Herrebout's documentary film entitled "The Fallen Astronaut" (2020).
  
  Provenance: Private Los Angeles, California, USA collection
  
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  #177489

  Condition

  Signed, titled, and dated on verso. Small stains as shown, but the imagery and coloration are still vivid. Frame has a few nicks/chips and scuffs/abrasions to the grey paint as shown, but is otherwise good. Fit with suspension wire.
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