Beth Arnold

Letter from Paris presents...Paris Art Market Buzz

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By contributing editor Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

Eclectic, did you say eclectic?

The recent series of long holiday week-ends in France (Ascension Thursday, Pentecost Monday etc.) had me thinking that the auction season was just about dead.  Drouot closes for the three to four day bouts preventing pre-sale exhibits and limiting auction supply.  I don’t mean to be Drouot-centric, as there are clearly other options with the mammoth international counterparts Christie’s and Sotheby’s, yet there is something undeniably charming about the Parisian institution with all of its quirks and eccentricities.  Recently, things began to suddenly pick up, and I realized that part of the mystique of the institution is that it is forever full of surprises.  During a frenzied visit through the 16 sale rooms with a friend visiting from the US, she excitedly exclaimed “How do they have time to sell all of this stuff?"  The secret is still not clear to me, however the quantity and diversity of the objets d’art on display were quite unusual.  The following is a non-chronological series of highlights from the last couple of weeks which struck me for various reasons--from pure visual impact to historical and anecdotal value.

This striking medusa-like head in white marble was presented by Fraysse et Associés on 8 June.  The day of the pre-sale viewing she greeted me from atop a glass display case laden with curiosities and treasures in ivory and coral reminiscent of a Renaissance Kunstkammer.  I could overhear the now-familiar and jovial voice of the auctioneer joking with clients about a particular object, and the contrast to the cold terrifying gaze of the Medusa was a wonderful Drouot moment.  The catalogue presented a rather vague description as a neoclassical work after the Antique, with a modest estimate of €4 000 - 8 000.  The day of the auction she raked in €46 000 hammer price, more than ten times the low estimate.  Clearly the bidders were in on a secret.  Or perhaps it was the fact that she had been featured on the cover of the catalogue?  Another Drouot mystery.

Letter from Paris presents...Paris Art Market Buzz

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By contributing editor Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

 

 

 

COLLECTION OVERLOAD IN PARIS

 

IN THE DAYS during and following the Château de Gourdon auction at Christie’s (See Paris Art Market Buzz 11 April) I found myself running back and forth from Drouot to Sotheby’s, back to Drouot, on to Artcurial in order not to miss a pre-auction exhibition.  Collection this and collection that, I could not keep up.  The auctioneer Aguttes dispersed the Thierry and Christine de Chirée Collection (contents of their historic home, the Monastère de la Visitation d’Avignon) at Drouot on March 29th and 30th.  Then Gros & Delettrez auctioned the long-awaited Paul-Louis Weiller collection from April 5th to the 8th.  The five-day sale was the talk of the town and the day of the public viewing everyone, and I mean everyone, in the art world was at the door for the 11:00 am opening. 

The LVMH magnate Bernard Arnault (who actually owns Christie’s through his Artemis investment fund and is picture on left...image via Wikipedia) strolled by as did every major antique dealer and expert in Paris.  A mysterious dealer (visits by appointment only) from the Parc Monçeau area said something to the affect of the items being uneven in quality.  “But where did they keep all of this stuff!” a friend exclaimed to me as we strolled from room to room packed with precious objects and furniture.  An imposingly tall and friendly dealer from the Place Beauveau mentioned that although the collection occupied the entire first floor of Drouot (six sale rooms) this was just “du ménage” (a clean up), or a tiny portion of the contents of Weiller’s rumored 90 residences.  Apparently he collected homes as well as furniture and objets d’art.  How quaint. 

Letter from Paris presents...Paris Art Market Buzz

By contributing editor Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

 

CHROME AND GLASS WITH A SPLASH OF INTELLECTUAL ELITISM AT CHRISTIE'S , Part 2

Continued from Monday, April 11th.

 

Fritz Lang's Metropolis Cover via Amazon

THE EXHIBIT ALSO highlighted another critical aspect of the new aesthetic , the importance of electricity and hence lighting, on the creations of the time.  Since the harnessing of electricity in the late 19th century, the thematic signage explained,  architects and designers were fascinated by the use of light and its impact on space.  Starting in the Art Nouveau style (c.1900) light was enclosed into organic forms and muted within, but the bolder more modern vision of creators within Art Deco and the UAM movement sought to underline the source of light itself (the bulb) as well as the function of each part of the unit.  The impact of Fritz Lang’s classic film Metropolis  (1927) with its new use of light to create contrasting moods and atmospheres was enormous on architects and creators of the day.  An entire wing of the expo space was created around some very unusual light fixtures and I was mesmerized by their bold celebration of metal, glass and bright bulbs. Contrasting visions of different creators were displayed within a central black structure, allowing each piece to speak for itself.

 

Ceiling fixture by Francis Jourdain (c.1923) 

 

Letter from Paris Presents...Paris Art Market Buzz

Palais de Tokyo, Image via Wikipedia

 

By contributing editor Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

 

CHROME AND GLASS WITH A SPLASH OF INTELLECTUAL ELITISM AT CHRISTIE'S 

 

AS I APPROACHED the Palais de Tokyo, a columned concrete edifice constructed for the International Exposition of 1937 (now housing the Paris Museum of Modern art and huge temporary exhibit space) for the vernissage to the Christie’s auction of the collections of the Château de Gourdon, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the glamourous events held at the Grand Palais for the dispersion of the Yves Saint Laurent - Pierre Berge collection in February 2009.  True, there was a glossy five volume catalogue presented in a slip-box (for a mere €200), there was the media coverage (one French art magazine even coined the now infamous term “Sale of the Century”), and the special venue.  Nathalie Crinière designed the exhibition, the same architect creator who installed the Yves Saint Laurent collection. 

Nevertheless, there was something distinctly different about this collection and the event.  One small poster in its glass-covered frame (lodged between two others of current shows on offer at the venue) greeted visitors rather than the larger than life banner that had adorned the Grand Palais for the other event.  The austerity of the edifice was almost intimidating.  On further reflection, it became clear to me that to compare the two collections and events would be missing the point.  This was something quite unique. 

 

 

Entrance to Château de Gourdon Exhibit

Letter from Paris presents...Paris Art Market Buzz

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By Contributing Editor Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

Drouot’s Dirty Laundry

Paris weather has been unexpectedly bright and clear this week after a long period of grey winter frostiness, and the mood in the auction world seems accordingly rather upbeat.  The specialized art press recently released optimistic auction results for 2010 and reminded us that Paris is regaining her rightful place on the international art and auction scene, the top ten auction houses in Paris having enjoyed a 41 per cent increase in sale activity over 2009.  The Paris opening of a new gallery by contemporary art demigod Larry Gagosian (in the building flanking Christie’s) last fall all but sealed her newfound international reputation.  Although rather begrudgingly if one paid heed to the snobbish coverage the opening received from some bitter journalists who were happy to drink his champagne. 

Paris Art Market Buzz: Chinoiserie With Literary Provenance

June 30 2010

By columnist Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

The week-end before last, I panicked, realizing that the following week would be heavy in important auctions at all of the major houses plus Drouot.  As I would be absent from the next day for a trip to Burgundy, that Saturday would be my only chance to see the presale viewings.  Not really having planned to be so ambitious that day, I found myself running from the exhibition of an important sale of Old Master Paintings at Tajan held in one of the Drouot salerooms (featuring a newly-rediscovered Massacre of the Innocents by Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre from 1763), to Christie’s where 15 important works from the Veil-Picard collection were on display, then on to Artcurial where, to my delight they were organizing an important auction of 18^th century furniture and decorative arts. 

Previously the Paris auction calendar featured prestigious 18^th century furniture and decorative arts sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in April and June respectively, but recently the two houses seem to have coordinated these high-end events in April (See Paris Art Market Buzz May 19th).  Apparently Artcurial has opted to remain independent and hold the prestigious sale in June.  This seems to have been a wise choice.

The Auction House Artcurial, Paris

Paris Art Market Buzz: New Record at Christie’s

By columnist Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

16 June 2010  

Last Monday, under pouring rain and crashing thunder, I ran to the Impressionist and Modern Art auction at Christie’s to witness a potentially historic moment: a rare work by Amadeo Modigliani  (1884-1920, photo below) would be up for the taking.  The staggering estimate of €4 to €6 million would obviously limit the pool of buyers to a happy few.  The work entitled Tête (executed 1911-1912) is one of only 27 known sculptures by the artist, and one of only ten held in private hands.  The catalog explains the illustrious provenance of the sculpture beginning with its appearance at an exposition in the Paris workshop of the Portuguese painter Amadeo de Souza Cardoso (1887-1918) in 1911, its passage in the prestigious  Paris Salon d’Automne in 1912, to its purchase by Gaston Lévy (founder of a successful chain of Monoprix grocery stores) at Drouot in 1927.  The sculpture has not been exhibited publicly since that time. 

Modigliani considered himself a sculptor above all else, working primarily in this medium from 1909-1914.  He executed his works in taille directe  (direct carving of the stone) in reaction to Rodin’s use of the technique of modeling an original in clay which is then reproduced through casting in bronze using a mold, or carved in stone using a system of a points with a compass.   Tête illustrates the blending of several influences on Modigliani from ancient Egyptian sculpture to Michelangelo, and African masks which were seminal to the Cubist movement.

Entrance to the Presale Exhibition, Christie’s Paris

Paris Art Market Buzz: Bookbinders Fare

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By columnist Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

This week I went to Drouot Montaigne (the high-end arm of Drouot on the Avenue Montaigne) to follow an auction that has generated considerable media attention.  Since the hard cover luxurious catalogue (priced at €45) appeared some weeks back there has been a lot of noise and speculation around the event.  The auction, entitled Les relieurs des rois de France (Bookbinders of the Kings of France), offered over 350 lots comprised mostly of engraved bronze plates used to emboss and gild leather book covers with a coat of arms and decoration.  The content of the workshop of a famous bookbinder, René Simier (1772-1843), was up for grabs.  Apparently the inheritors of the collection failed a ten-year effort to convince the government to create a museum for the collection and so decided to sell.  

The plates consist mostly of Royal coats of arms, some dating back to Louis XV (1710-1774) and Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764) (pictured above), as well as monograms of aristocratic and princely families.  But here lies the main confusion: Simier was a bookbinder working primarily in the 19^th century for, most notably, the Duchesse de Berry (1798-1870) whose library at her Château de Rosny contained 8000 volumes.  Other notable clients were the Emperor Napoleon himself, Kings Louis XVIII (1755-1824) and Charles X (1757-1836), to name a few. 

Entrance to Drouot Montaigne

Paris Art Market Buzz: Crisis, What Crisis?

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By columnist Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

19. May. 2010

As I write this, the Euro is plummeting to a four-year low as an aftermath to the bailout of the Greek economy last week, and a close friend’s brother working in banking in New York keeps calling to sound the alarm bells about markets crashing.  It is difficult to imagine that there is a crisis when looking at recent results in the auction world.  In early May a rare Picasso from 1932 entitled nu au plateau de sculpteur attained $106.5 million at Christie’s New York, a new world record for a work of art at auction. This result dethroned the same record set three months earlier at Sotheby’s London of £65 million for Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture l’homme qui marche I, rumored to have been acquired by Lily Safra, widow of the banking magnate Edmond Safra.   Jasper John’s iconic Flag from the Michael Crichton collection attained $28 642 500 at Christie’s New York a few days later.  It won’t be long before one of the two auction giants holds another sale which will undoubtedly set another outlandish record.  So where is the crisis? These all happen to be modern and contemporary works of impeccable provenance or rarity, however the question does merit reflection.

Nu au plateau de sculpteur, Christie’s New York (Photo: Wikipedia)  

Paris Art Market Buzz: A Spring Awakening

By columnist Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts.

5. May. 2010

While hurling through the Channel Tunnel on the Eurostar recently, I couldn’t help but reflect   upon how surprisingly interesting the auction scene in Paris has suddenly become the past few weeks.  The snowy Paris winter, the extended school holidays through most of March, the theft scandal at Drouot, all seemed to have descended like a dense negative fog offering no apparent escape.  I continued to survey the grim offerings at Drouot throughout the early months of the year. Having resigned myself to producing a kitsch essay about the bizarre array of objects (including life-sized hula dancers, stuffed tigers, and 19^th century ormolu clocks decorated with gallant knights about to embrace) I never managed to get past the first paragraph.

Stuffed tiger, Drouot January 2010       

Things started to bubble up towards the end of March, the week of the Salon du Dessin, the annual incontournable event for lovers of old master drawings held at the Palais Brongniart in Paris.  I will never forget the words of an old family friend (a highly-respected specialist on both Guercino (1591-1666) and Warhol) who once told me that drawings are the “chamber music of the art world”.  Music lovers will immediately understand the metaphor, which implies that people who love drawings are a small and specialized group within the larger ocean of painting connoisseurs.  An evening stroll through the Salon du Dessin, champagne flute in hand (which I had to purchase, since after all, this was not the vernissage) revealed an international public, mostly English speaking, catching up with old friends and rivals, bragging about their left bank pied-à-terres in a very matter-of-fact tone while pretending not to feel the pressure of competition from fellow collectors for the “good stuff”.