The First Floor Mezzanine

The First Floor Mezzanine has recently undergone a wonderful makeover, with three new dealers moving in alongside two former Alfies dealers relocated from the ground floor of the mezzanine. It has become an eclectic destination for 20th Century Design & Interiors, ranging from Italian design to Scandinavan and British to South American. In one corner you'll also find a carefully curated selection of vintage fashion.

A view of Paola Bazzoli's stand

A view of Christine Murray's stand

A view of Christine Murray's stand

A view of the Dispensary Vintage stand

Here's a short summary of the new First Floor Mezzanine dealers:

Christine Murray
Christine specialises in British, European, Scandinavian and South American 20th century furniture and lighting.

Rocking chair Angel Pazmino (c1960. Quito, Ecuador), available from Christine Murray

Herman Miller for Eames (Set of 4 ), fibreglass chairs, c1980, available from Christine Murray

Paola Bazzoli
Paola Bazzoli specialises in 20th Century Italian Design. You will find striking pieces such as the following in her stand:

1970s bronze glass, steel and brass bookshelf, available from Paola Bazzoli

Italian Chandelier from the 1950s, available from Paola Bazzoli

Dispensary Vintage
A carefully chosen and presented range of gems dating mostly from the mid 1960s/70s, including immaculate wool coats from Italy, silk tops, silk dresses and vintage furs..

1950s Opera coat, available from Dispensary Vintage

1970s Chiffon floral dress, available from Dispensary Vintage

Angela Ball and Martin Rooney have relocated from the ground floor to the First Floor Mezzanine and specialise in 20th century design and interiors.

A view of Angela Ball's stand

Beni Ourain rug, available from Angela Ball

A view of Martin Rooney's stand

Gold plated coffee table, c.1970, available from Martin Rooney

Christine Murray - Details coming soon.
The Dispensary / Email: sophiedispensary@btinternet.com / Tel: 07939 537 391
Paola Bazzoli / Email: info@paolabazzoli.com / Tel: 07552 779 324 / paolabazzoli.com
Angela Ball / Email: angelaball.london@gmail.com / Tel: 078 4677 0743 / www.angelaball.london

Martin Rooney / Email: info@martin-rooney.com / Tel: 07817 119 663

Alfies Celebrate 40 Years!

This year marks Alfies Antique Market’s 40th year in business... and we're celebrating!

When Bennie Gray bought the building, that was previously home to Jordan’s Department Store, in 1976, he had a clear vision of creating an unpretentious indoor antiques market. He quickly launched Alfies – named after his jazz musician father – and the centre went from strength to strength. Originally occupying just one floor of the building, Alfies Antique Centre today covers 35,000 square feet over four floors, complete with over 70 dealers and a charming roof-top café and terrace. Over the years, Alfies’ dealers have spread out on to the surrounding Church Street, opening shops and turning this corner of Marylebone into a destination for antiques, decorative items and high quality design.

Alfies in the 1970s

Alfies on opening day, 1976

To celebrate this impressive anniversary, Alfies and the Church Street antiques area are hosting a week of pop-up shops and activities in collaboration with this year’s London Design Festival, between 20 and 24 September 2016.

Alfies’ main attraction will be an occupancy from London Glassblowing, which was established by Peter Layton in 1976 and also shares its 40th anniversary with Alfies. Ahead of its time, London Glassblowing was among the first hot-glass studios in Europe and is now known as having a particular flair for the use of colour, form and texture.

Peter Layton in his glass blowing studio, 1979

Black Paradiso by Peter Layton

Peter Layton in his glass blowing studio

Alongside this, Church Street will be hosting an array of antique, art and design focused pop-up shops, with more details to be confirmed.

In-store, Alfies will also be holding talks and demonstrations from experts within and outside of the centre; Alfies is particularly proud to be welcoming Mark Hill for a talk on 20th century glass; co-founder of the Antiques Young Guns, Mark has also presented on both the BBC Antiques Roadshow and Collectaholics programmes.

Mark Hill

Find out more about our celebrations in September here

Spring Into Alfies - 'Dutch Flowers'

Spring has finally started to blossom. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the days are growing longer. At Alfies spring is our favourite season, and we are excited to visit the National Gallery as it celebrates spring too with a new exhibition, honouring Dutch floral artists, showing from 6 April to 29 August, 2016.

A Still Life of Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, 1609-10

The exhibition runs alongside the wonderful flower shows currently showing at Chelsea and Hampton Court and is the first display on this scale in over 20 years. Originating from the early 17th century to its peak in the late 18th century 'Dutch Flowers' delves into the floral still life paintings by renowned artists such as Ambrosius the Elder Bosschaert, Jan van Huysum, and Paulus Theodorus van Brussel, and celebrates their exquisite works and attention to detail, showing the interest around the time in horticulture and the 'phenomenon of tulip mania in the Dutch Golden Age', as quoted by the National Gallery.

At Alfies we are proud to have our own fine art gallery on our first floor. Have a look at our beautiful collection of Dutch and floral paintings we have on offer:

Mid 20th century oil on board, signed M. Norman, available from Mark Eaton

Mid 20th century large oil on board, signed poppies still life, available from Mark Eaton

Red roses, mid 20th century, oil on canvas, available from Mark Eaton

An early 20th century signed still life of flowers, available from John Cserny Fine Arts

An early 18th century Dutch painting of the Admiral Cornelis Tromp, oil on panel, available from John Cserny Fine Arts

 

A late 19th century Dutch school still life, available from Robert McKoy Fine Arts

Roses in Bowl oil on board, available from Mark Eaton

New Art Dealer Joins Alfies

This month we welcome John Cserny to Alfies, our latest art dealer to join the art gallery on our first floor.

Stand F050/51 has undergone a wonderful transformation, filled with a beautiful array of still life, landscape, portrait, impressionist paintings, and more! Ranging from the early 17th century up to the 1980s, John has a large selection of fine art works including many signed and important pieces.

A view inside John Cserny's shop

We asked John a few questions...

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your business?

I have been a professional art dealer for over 35 years dealing in fine art from the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.

What first interested you in art?

I remember when I was about 6, my father, who always had an interest in art, asked my opinion on a painting. From then on it's always been an interest of mine.

How did you first start dealing in art?

Originally I had a career as a mechanical engineering designer, but in 1982 I decided to take a new path and pursued my love of art to become a professional dealer.

Do you have a personal favourite in your collection?

Yes, this one has always been my favourite;

I bought it a long time ago thinking it was a portrait of the Admiral De' Ruyter as it said so on the back, however it actually looks nothing like him and is in fact a portrait of the Admiral Cornelis Tromp, a Dutch navy officer who then became a Danish Admiral. He was quite a character, a ladies man and a heavy drinker. So much so that a lot of Dutch pubs are named after him. He was also very vain and at the time had all the best artists make portraits of him!

Do you have a favourite artist?

Yes, my particular favourite is the French painter James Tissot. I love his subject matters and how he conveys the Parisian party scenes.

Here a just a few from John's collection that he has to offer; 

Clockwise from top left: An early continental C20th still life of flowers, signed oil on canvas; C20th water colour and gouache 'New Years Day Show & All Fools Day Show' by Alexander Romanovich Levitsky, born 1940; Early C20th British school oil on canvas, 'Boys By The Sea'; Late C19th, oil on metal panel, 'Amorous Couple' by John Dawson Watson.

Clockwise from top left: C1700 Spanish school oil on canvas, 'Rescuing Souls From Damnation'; 1882, E G Black, oil on canvas of a girl gathering wood; 1950s signed water colour and gouache fashion design; C19th oil on canvas, signed landscape of resting wood gatherers.

Clockwise from top left: Late C20th, signed oil on canvas 'Chicargo Girls'; 1889 Italian signed oil on canvas painting of 'Venice By Moonlight'; Early C18th oil on panel Dutch portrait of the Admiral Cornelis Tromp; 1982 water colour and gouache by R P Lister, 'The Four Grey Ladies'.

John Cserny 

Stand: F050/51 at Alfies Antique Market

Email: jcserny@aol.com

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