Although Belgian collectors were interested in her work, private galleries were resistant to showing her paintings.

Through his connections the work sold at the February show for a modest five-figure sum to a Belgian collector.

After a Belgian collector was stopped from taking it into Belgium by customs officials there, the cross was returned to Ethiopia in 1999.

The Cubist rendering - Picasso's first oval painting, a gray, brown and ivory play of angles and half-circles - was owned in the 1920's by Rene Gaffe, a Belgian collector.

I remember a Belgian collector came to my home to look at some works.

Ensor sold the painting, which was done in a deliberately naive style using shockingly bold colors, to a private Belgian collector in 1933, while retaining a life interest.

Sotheby's first sale is to take place on Nov. 29 with an auction from the library of Charles Hayoit, the Belgian collector.

The auction began on a strong note, with 27 works collected by Roger and Josette Vanthournout, relatively unknown Belgian collectors.

At Sotheby's there is a collection of 90 paintings and sculptures from Roger and Josette Vanthournout, relatively unknown Belgian collectors.

A dealer in Addis Ababa had sold it to a Belgian collector for US$25,000.