Abstract Art at the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence
The Maeght Foundation is hosting about a hundred abstract artworks from the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art collection, from Martin Barré to Claude Viallat and many rediscoveries.
France
The Château in Coigny: From the Franquetots to the Talleyrands
Illustrious families have succeeded each other at the Franquenot Chateau, an imposing yet understated residence in the département of La Manche. A new chapter begins with the sale of its contents.
An Upswing for the First Half of 2022 at Drouot
With total sales revenue of €295.7M, the Drouot Group recorded a 7% increase in the first six months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021, confirming its central position in the art market.
Passion Soulages: The Art of the Print
On the occasion of a second auction on the theme of Pierre Soulages, the art of engraving, some thirty etchings, lithographs and serigraphs, partly from the collection of Claude C., will go up for auction on Monday, September 19, at 5, avenue d’Eylau in Paris.
Art in the Open Air at Le Muy
In this village in the department of the Var, private foundations and estates full of sculptures attract the cream of the art collecting crop each summer. It’s a different way of doing business.
In Paris, Autumn Fairs Jostle for Position
Covid’s aftershocks have profoundly reshaped the art fair landscape. All the operators have revised their strategy for September 2022. What will the autumn fair schedule look like in Paris?
€837,545 for A Precious Eighth-Century Umayyad Parchment!
Enriched with gold illuminations and intricate calligraphy, Islam’s holiest texts were available in sumptuous forms. However, it was a more sober version that attracted the most attention at a recent auction.
Opening: South Korean Artist Lee Ufan in Arles
Lee Ufan Arles has just opened in the Hôtel Vernon, a hôtel particulier (private mansion) where his minimalist works are in their element. A look back at this sumptuous collection that embodies the essence of his philosophy.
A World Record for French Sculptor Valentine Schlegel
There has recently been renewed interest in the sculptor and ceramist, who died last year at 96. The price of her works is rising steadily, as witnessed by the sale of her studio contents—with a world record to boot.
Egyptology Had a Natural Home with the Champollions
The museum of Vif-sur-Isère, housed in the former family home, accurately reproduces the intellectual emulation of two impassioned Egyptologists.
Gabriela and Mathieu Sismann: A Passion for Sculpture
In their 30-year career, Gabriela and Mathieu Sismann have become the go-to dealers in the antique sculpture market. In June, they are taking part in BRAFA, and, for the first time, in TEFAF Maastricht.
The Schlumpf Collection, a Passion for Automobiles
The National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, France, which opened on July 10, 1982, is gearing up to celebrate its 40th anniversary—an opportunity to (re)discover the unusual history of the museum, which attracts lovers of beautiful cars every year.
The Edmonde and Lucien Treillard Collection: Man Ray and His Fellow Surrealists
In this second sale of the Treillard Collection, photos, screen prints and Surrealist objects by Man Ray will go hand in hand with pictures by several of his artistic collaborators, including Jacques-André Boiffard.
The Secrets of Claude-Siméon Passemant’s Clock
Claude-Siméon Passemant’s astronomical clock has been entirely taken apart, studied and restored for an autumn exhibition at Versailles featuring Louis XV’s interests and passions.
A Rembrandt Bugatti Captivated by the Elephant
One of Rembrandt Bugatti’s most iconic animals comes from the collection of René de Knyff, a racing driver and friend of his no less famous brother, Ettore.
Berthe Morisot in Brittany
Three works by Miró, watercolors by Dufy and paintings by Utrillo and Renoir will surround this oil on canvas by Berthe Morisot.
Séverine Lepape Revives the Musée de Cluny in Paris
At the helm of the French National Museum of the Middle Ages and its renovation project since 2019, this eminent medievalist has just inaugurated the new layout, on May 12.
Sam Stourdzé: Towards the Rebirth of the Villa Medici
Sam Stourdzé, 49, has been director of the French Academy in Rome since September 2020. The photography and cinema specialist talks about his determination to make the Academy a place open to both contemporary creation and a revisited history of art.
The Middle Ages Under Angelic Protection
Held following a court order, this sale gave pride of place to the Medieval and Renaissance periods with sculptures and paintings.
François-Paul Journe: A New Star in Luxury Watchmaking
The most daring will sport it on their wrists; others will prefer to keep it safely hidden. With a six-figure estimate, this watch by François-Paul Journe consolidates the success the designer has enjoyed in recent years.
Art Market Overview: A Flourishing French Art Scenecle n°8897
While Monet, Cézanne and Renoir are among the most expensive artists in the market, the Artprice 2021 report also provides a glimpse of the next generation.
The Aristophil Collection: An Immersion Into the Creative Lives of Authors and Artists
The next two sales of autographs from the Aristophil Collection include a few items that have never come up for auction before, but also a collection of historic objects and some treasures, paintings and drawings.
The Jeanne Tachard Collection: The Choice of Modernity
Free-spirited, headstrong Jeanne Tachard ranks among the 1920s’ leading patrons. She commissioned works from French cabinetmaker and designer Pierre Legrain and was a pioneering collector of African art.
“La Villa Bleue à Nice”, a Previously Unknown Work by Matisse
This oil painting by Henri Matisse has never been on the market before. Long in a European collection, the work, which comes with its original support, is drawing interest from French, British and American collectors.
A Chandelier by Koloman Moser in the Light of Beauty
This rare hanging lamp showcases Koloman Moser’s talent and the humanist ideas of the Wiener Werkstätte.
T is for Tapestry: Volume 2
The creation of the royal tapestry workshops under Louis XIV broke with the mural approach specific to medieval and Renaissance tapestries. In these spaces dedicated to the service of power, the loom established roots as an art of the multiple, which was also dependent on painting.
The Villa Albertine: A New French Cultural Model in the United States
In September 2021, a new showcase of French creativity opened in the United States. Its unusual residence format aims to boost France’s soft power worldwide.
A Princess of Royal Blood Glorified by Jean-Marc Nattier
There are painters who evince little liking for feminine charms—as roundly demonstrated by the fine Rigaud retrospective at the Château de Versailles—and those who beautify their models. And princesses de sang royal (princesses of royal blood) were placed in the top rank of Olympian goddesses by Jean-Marc Nattier.
The Collection of Marie Bell: A Woman of the French Art Scene
From the theater to illustrated plates, Marie Bell’s life reflects a time when artists of all kinds performed together.
Rediscovering Claude de Soria, Sculptor of Cement
The Paris studio of the artist, who died seven years ago, has just opened to the public. Her splendid work, which fell into oblivion in the 2000s, raised cement to the rank of a noble material.
The Directory of Art Market Players Under the Occupation is a New Digital Tool for Researchers
The Franco-German research program that focuses on the art market networks in Vichy France was established under the direction of Inès Rotermund-Reynard and Elisabeth Futwängler. It is now available online at the INHA website.
The Hispano-Suiza H6: Limousine of Kings
About a hundred cars from different local collections will come up for sale during a three-day online auction. The frontrunner is a rare 1921 Hispano-Suiza H6.
Great Burgundy Vintages
A report on a fine sale dedicated to nectars of Burgundy, staged by the Richard Auction House (Mr. Bernard) in Villefranche-sur-Saône on December 18.
Florent Paumelle Represents a Second Generation of Gallery Owners
A champion of abstract art, Florent Paumelle has been running the Oniris gallery in Rennes, which was founded by his mother when he was a teenager, since 2012.
In Fontainebleau, the Revival of Clocks
Since 2008, Rolex has been responsible for the maintenance and restoration of the Château of Fontainebleau’s clock collection. After an extensive sponsorship campaign, the once-neglected timepieces are marking time at the site again.
Cyrille Gouyette: Street Art in the Context of Art History
Cyrille Gouyette, project officer at the Musée du Louvre, exhibition curator and artistic advisor for the M.U.R. Bastille, wears several hats and builds bridges between classical and street art.
Martin-Guillaume Biennais: Serving Napoleonic Clan
Martin-Guillaume Biennais (1764-1843) promoted French imperial propaganda, notably through his “Napoléonides” series. Several previously unknown pieces will be revealed at the sale of a group of works hailing from the artist’s descendants.
T is for Tapestry
In the late Middle Ages, tapestry production, whose origins lay in the East and classical antiquity, was one of the most prominent crafts in Western Europe. Numerous widely-scattered workshops in France already foreshadowed the royal factories of the future.
Hair Ye, Hair Ye!
When wigs came into fashion under Louis XIII, it was for an obvious reason: to hide the royal baldness!
Amin Jaffer: Curator of the Al Thani Collection
The delights of the fabulous collection of Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Thani, cousin of the Emir of Qatar, are now on display for the next 20 years in the Hôtel de la Marine, the former French Royal Garde-meuble. Its chief curator looks back at its origins and explains why it ended up in Paris.
Childhood Personified by Camille Claudel
Camille Claudel made this emotional portrait just after losing her child and renouncing motherhood.
A Treasure of Gold Coins Found in Brittany
In 2019, a couple and three stonemasons found a trove of coins dating from the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. This wonderful discovery will soon be coming to auction.
Paris: A September Jammed Packed with Art Fairs and Shows
September will be packed with an unprecedented concentration of fairs and shows, starting with Art Basel, whose parent event has been postponed until late September. Paris is no exception.
Gardens at Giverny, from Monet to Bonnard
Composed, like a huge bouquet of about a hundred paintings, drawings, prints and photographs by Impressionist and Nabi artists, the show is a refreshing, inspiring evocation rather than a discourse on the construction of gardens.
In the Crosshairs: Luma Arles Cultural Center
There is nothing quite like the Arles cultural center, an offshoot of the Zurich-based foundation created by philanthropist Maja Hoffmann. Its emblem is the tower designed by Frank Gehry, which acts as both an exhibition venue and a space for artistic and scientific work.
Monnoyer and the Love of Flowers During the Reign of Louis XIV
Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer was the leading flower painter during the Louis XIV period. Profusion and diversity reign over his charming Baroque compositions.
In Arles, Vincent van Gogh’s Late Paintings Are Reimagined by Laura Owens
At the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles, the American artist Laura Owens has created an immersive environment that showcases seven works by Vincent van Gogh made at the end of his life in and around Arles.
The Château de Trévarez: A Magnificent Soul
In the heart of Finistère, in Brittany, the Château de Trévarez is a fine reminder of the Belle Époque, though one scarred by World War II. Built by French politician and diplomat James de Kerjégu, this enchanting place is slowly rising from its ashes.
Director of the Rencontres de la Photo d’Arles, Christoph Wiesner, Seeks a Mix of Renewal and Loyalty
The new director of the Rencontres Internationales de la Photo d’Arles is focusing his first edition on highly topical subjects including questions of identity, with the accent on a multifaceted view of photography as a medium.
Market: France Salvages Something from 2020
France has done fairly well despite the global decline in public sales. In its assessment, the Conseil des Ventes (French Sales Council) focuses on the positive side—but also on the uncertainties.
