Gazette International 14

GazetteDrouotI N T E R N A T I O N A L

NUMBER 14

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE LATEST NEWSW

UPDATE

SO USEFULgazette-drouot.com the benchmark site for auctions of cultural items including

sale dates and digital catalogues drouotlive.com bid online in real time

drouot.com all the news from Drouot and daily tours in pictures of the

auction rooms mobile.gazette-drouot.com sales schedule in your pocket

drouotonline.com buy exclusively online moniteur.net No . 1 for public auctions

of industrial goods and equipment

THE MAGAZINE CONTENTS

CONTENTS

UPCOMINGThe Asian Spring with imperial items, especially an

Qianlong Emperor’s album which will be sold atDrouot. The famous Pincus, Gunter Sachs,

Ortiz-Patino and René Clément collections, and thejewels in Geneva, including the «beau Sancy»,

a pear double rose-cut stone of 34,98ct...

NEWSOn 12 and 13 April, Paris' huge future contem-porary art venue inaugurated its 22,000 m2 as apreview. We talk to its director Jean de Loisy.

76

8

ART MARKET - MAGAZINE

RESULTSA succession of records for Lalanne, Télémaque,Klein, Stravinsky or for a Song ceramic. The silverware of the Jourdan-Barry collection likethe tribal art of Claude Meyer or a manuscriptwhich narrates the pilgrimage to Jerusalemachieved a good result...

36

DESIGNWell before 1968, the Galerie Lacloche revolutionised design by breaking down barriersbetween disciplines and launching a non-elitistproduction policy.

80

CONTENTS THE MAGAZINE

TRENDSWhen writers dabble with the brush...Let us take a quick look at the inner world of the writers who nourish our imagination.

102EXHIBITIONSTurner continuously worked on trying to capturethe effects of light by studying the techniques ofClaude Le Lorrain. London's National Gallery tellsthe story of that inspiration.

94

MEETINGAn angel with a scalpel. She wields a scalpel theway other artists handle a brush. From her cutsare born poetic, voluptuous works, oftendisplayed like trophies. Remember her name:Georgia Russell.

98

IMAGINARYAfter Milan, Paris celebrates the Italian artist,

Artemisia Gentileschi. On this occasion, thebeauty painter welcomes us into his studio...

84INTERVIEW

From left to right © Bertrand Guay/AFP - © Studio Fotografico Perotti, Milano/Su concessione del Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - © Worcester Art Museum,Worcester, Massachusetts. Bequest of Theodore T and Mary G. Ellis 1940.59 - © Courtesy galerie Karsten Greve

Editorial Director Olivier Lange I Editor-in-chief Gilles-François Picard I Editorial Manager Stéphanie Perris-Delmas ([email protected]) I Distribution Director Dominique VidementGraphic Design Sébastien Courau I Layout-artist Nadège Zeglil ([email protected]) I Sales Department Karine Saison([email protected]) I Internet Manager Christopher PourtaléRealization Webpublication I The following have participated in this issue: Sylvain Alliod, Virginie Chuimer-Layen, Catherine Delacour, Anne Foster, Chantal Humbert, Bertrand Galimard Flavigny, Dimitri Joannidès, Caroline Legrand, Molly Mine, Xavier Narbaïts, John Price, Sophie Reyssat. I Translation and proofreading: 4T Traduction & Interprétariat, a Telelingua Company 93181 Montreuil. I La Gazette Drouot - 10, rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France Tél. : +33 (0)1 47 70 93 00 - [email protected]. This issue of La Gazette Drouot is a publication of @uctionspress. All rights reserved. It is forbidden to place any of the information,advertisements or comments contained in this issue on a network or to reproduce same in any form, in whole or in part, without the prior consent of @uctionspress. © ADAGP, Paris 2012, for the works of its members.

PRICES INCLUDE BUYER’S PREMIUM

In these columns, given our own particular bias, we have often

vaunted the virtues of a sector with high added value. And today we

could yet again sing the praises of the art market, which, by golly, is

still in the very pink of health – as witness the plethora of bids over

a million euros! But this month, despite the drama being played out

in the polling booths of our beloved Republic (whose results will

affect the market however they turn out), we wanted to give rein to

our impulsive temperament, expressing our sheer joy in a certain

field without regard for its mercenary aspect – in short, indulge for

a moment in the simple pleasure of art for art's sake. For instance, let

us explore the poetic achievements of the young Scottish artist

Georgia Russell; revel in the distinctly virile paintings of the disquie-

ting Artemisia Gentileschi in Paris, or the light-filled works of Turner

in London, and admire some of the season's finest pictures, furni-

ture and objets d'art – Chinese jades and porcelains, or the jewels

brought together in Geneva, like the Beau Sancy, which once glitte-

red in the crown of Marie de Medici. Let us really enjoy all of these

inspiring works, and above all, forget the five, six, seven or some-

times eight figures that often weigh them down.

Stéphanie Perris-DelmasEDITORIAL MANAGER

DR

THE MAGAZINE EDITORIAL

Commis sa ire s -Pr i s eur sE x p e r t p r è s l a c o u r d ’ a p p e l

ROUILLAC

CHEVERNY 10 & 11 June 2012Modern Art

Masterpieces from the René Clément CollectionThe Most Renowned French Post-war Film Director

www.rouillac.com Tel: +33 (0)1 45 44 34 34

Camille PISSARRO, ‘Julie allaitant Ludovic Rudolphe’, 1878. 46 x 38cm. Exhibitions: Paris, Musée de l’Orangerie, 1930. London, The Stafford Gallery, 1939.

FIND THE CALENDAR OF UPCOMING AUCTIONSW

UPCOMINGAUCTIONS

THE MAGAZINE UPCOMING AUCTIONS

Eugène Printz timeless elegance

Eugène Printz (1889-1948),pyramid-shaped chest of drawerswith Brazilian rosewood veneer,copper handles, wrought iron base,84.5 x 114 x 40 cm. Estimate: €10,000/15,000.

Eugène Printz may not be as famous asFrank or Dupré-Lafon, but he was aninterior designer who respected Frenchtaste, in the same vein as Ruhlmann, andpromoted a certain modernity. He also

stood out from his contemporaries by defining newforms. He owed his training to his father, who owneda workshop in Faubourg Saint-Antoine, and took overthis workshop after his father’s death. From 1925, heexhibited furniture with a highly modern touch. Herapidly became interested in decoration in general,and produced collections for America, Mexico,England and Belgium, as well as receiving severalcommissions from the MobilierNational and private customerssuch as the Princesse deClermont-Tonnerre forher private apartments atthe Château de Gros-Bois,and Jeanne Lavin for her

10 GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL I N° 14

personal offices in Paris. Right up to his death in 1948,Printz created elegant works in fine materials withmeticulous skill. He frequently integrated silver orleather panels and lacquered works by his friend JeanDunand into his designs, and also made use of exotic,rare woods like ebony from Gabon, kekwood andpalm wood, which he used so often that it practicallybecame his trademark. Every item was in totalkeeping with its environment. With this piece whichwill be sold on 11 May, in Paris-Drouot (Piasa), Printzunites the soft curves of its metal base with the sober,pyramid-shaped design of its drawers in a piece thatis a perfect example of his art. Anne Foster

UPCOMING AUCTIONS THE MAGAZINE

11N° 14 I GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL

Prophetic Landscape by Paul Serusier

Before becoming a movement, theNabis were a group of friends whoserelationship began during theiradolescence. Paul Sérusier, MauriceDenis, Ker-Xavier Roussel and

Édouard Vuillard, together with ThadéeNatanson and Marcel Proust, all met at theConcordet school in the Rue du Havre, Paris: anelite establishment where students flourishedand developed their artistic skills. In 1883, nowwith a diploma under his belt, Sérusier applied tothe Académie Julian. There the young man metup with a number of his old school friends. Thetraining methods were still academic, but theatmosphere was friendly and encouragedcompetition. Therefore, when Sérusier presented“Le Talisman” in the autumn of 1888, there wasmuch excitement. He had stayed all that summerin Pont-Aven, a place much appreciated byartists. Achieving an award at the Salon, hequickly joined the avant-garde group now livingat the Gloanec boarding house. One of them wasÉmile Bernard. He encouraged Sérusier topresent his work to their mentor Paul Gaugin.Filled with enthusiasm, Gaugin invited the youngartist to an outdoor painting session in the Boisd’Amour, where “Le Talisman” came into being.The piece is a synthetic landscape from the earlystages of the Nabi group and the first of a longlist of innovative paintings that include this “Boisrouge” which will be sold in Brest on 5 May(Thierry-Lannon & Associés). It has remained in a Breton collection since it was acquired atBrest in 1980. Caroline Legrand

Paul Sérusier (1864-1927), “Le Bois rouge”, circa 1895, oil on cardboard mounted on canvas, 120 x 60 cm. Estimate: €80,000/120,000.



Saint-Exupéry is a cult author, celebratedaround the world. Why? Because hewrote the most beautiful, timeless andmodern of fairytales which can be read bypeople of all ages: "The Little Prince". We

can add to this the exciting, dangerous, turbulent lifethat the author led up until his disappearance, whenhis aeroplane crashed in the Mediterranean. One canunderstand the fascination that he has arousedamongst readers of all languages and dialects - thereare some 220 translations! The book was written inNew York during the Second World War. Under theguise of a children’s story, the text contains philoso-phical concepts, political allegories and lots of poetry.The manuscript is preserved at the Pierpont MorganLibrary. The National Library in France has only a typedcopy. It is rare, therefore, to find some written pagesfrom this mythical work. Amongst a fine ensemble ofmanuscripts - such as “Pilote de guerre” estimated at€250,000 - and the letters of Saint-Ex, we have twopages that include an unpublished text (second page)

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), draft of ‘The Little Prince’, circa 1941. Manuscript with two paper pages "Fidelity Onion Skin". Estimate: €40,000/50,000.

Where ? Paris, Hôtel Marcel Dassault

When ? 16 May

Who ? Artcurial - Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan auction house

How much ? €1,6M

USEFUL INFOand several variants of chapters XVII and XIX. One cantherefore discover the first idea the author had for oneof the Earth dwellers encountered by the Little Prince: acrossword fan instead of a businessman. The man, whois too busy to converse, only gives monosyllabicresponses to questions. For days he has been lookingfor a six-letter French word, beginning with ‘G’, corres-ponding to the definition “Gargling”. We should not tryto find a proper synonym but focus instead on theman’s simple pleasures… A. F.

Two pages of “The Little Prince”

HD



In the early years of the 17th century, the still lifewas not yet a "display window" of luxury objects.At that time a genre much prized by the bour-geoisie, Catholic and Protestant alike, it conveyedmany messages to its owners, as it did to its

viewers. While the food and objects depicted werepart of their daily lives and are perceived as suchnowadays, each element had a religious connotationfor them: a moral component whose codes are amystery to us today. The prepared table may be areference to the wedding at Cana; the grapefruitcould evoke the bitterness of the Fall, and the winecould symbolise the Eucharist – but also wealth,conviviality or drunkenness. The butterfly enliveningthe foreground is evidence of the period's love ofvanities: associated with the love of good food, itreminds us that life is transitory. This is a compositionthat describes the everyday life of Man and his place

Where ? Moulins

When ? 21 May

Who ? Enchères Sadde auction house. Cabinet Truquin

How much ? €120,000/150,000

USEFUL INFOin creation. At a time when still life painters weredeveloping a colourful palette, Osias Beert the Elderkept to a range of neutral, almost monochrometones. Acclaimed during his lifetime as one of themost prominent painters of flowers and still lifes, hewas not subsequently appreciated until the 20thcentury. Around thirty works are attributed to him inaddition to eight signed paintings. His still lifes,executed with great simplicity, contrast with theopulence and vibrant colours of his baskets andvases of flowers. Objects are placed in the sameplane, and modelled and linked together by a singlelight. This austere approach was unfashionable in aworld already infatuated by the Baroque. Anne Foster

Osias Beert the Elder

Osias Beert the Elder (c. 1580-1624), "Still life with dishes of oysters, roast fowl, sweetmeats and dried fruits placed on atable top with 'Venetian-style' glasses and bowl", oil on oakpanel, 58 x 92 cm.

HD



A neglected aspect of Léon Cauvy

consisted of a large furniture collection, part of whichwas auctioned in 1994 and bought by the Agde towncouncil. It is therefore quite an event to see a piece ofbedroom furniture from 1898 going up for sale. It willtake place on the 25th May, at Paris-Drouot (Ader -Nordmann). Apart from the chairs, these pieces byLéon Cauvy are decorated with embossed, engraved,patinated, polychromed, gold-lined leather panels.The cabinets were made by Paul Arnavielhe accor-ding to the artist’s designs. It was not until the Decora-tive Art Exhibition in 1925 that Léon Cauvy's decora-tion for the Algerian pavilion appeared. Anne Foster

Everyone knows the Orientalist painterLéon Cauvy, the first director of the VillaAbd-el-Tif in Algiers, but very few peopleknow that he was also a furniture designer.Born in Montpellier in France, he returned

to his home town in 1896 after completing his artistictraining with history painter Albert Maignan. Until1906, he exhibited embossed leather furniture innumerous Salons. He mixed in local avant-gardeclubs, like the improvised cabaret club ‘Le Caveau desDix’, which is probably where he met EmmanualLaurens, a rich medical student from Agde. Laurenshad inherited a property on Belle-Isle in hishome town and became his youngfriend’s first patron, asking him toprovide the decoration and furni-ture for the residence – a genuinemanifesto for Art Nouveauknown ever since as theChâteau Laurens. Léon Cauvyadopted the stylistic explora-tions of Gustave Serrurier-Bovy,whom he had possibly metduring a trip to Belgium. Thiscommission, produced in 1898,

Léon Cauvy (1874-1933). Bedroom furnitureconsisting of a pair of beds, a bedside table, acupboard, a mirror, a chaise longue and a pair of chairs, 1898. Wood and leather. Estimate: €20,000/30,000.

HD

See the catalogue : www.gazette-drouot.com >



Where ? Paris-Drouot- Room 4

When ? 14 May

Who ? Gros & Delettrez auction house. Cabinet Chombert & Sternbach

See the catalogue : www.gazette-drouot.com

USEFUL INFO

>

protected the myriad daily outfits of holidayingcoquettes from the trials and tribulations of travelling.The catalogue of the Paris exhibition tells us that SarahBernhardt's Brazilian tour required 200 trunks! Modelsfrom the time of the actress are presented in the cata-logue, but the lion's share is devoted to the company'scontemporary collections. Throughout its history, theVuitton brand (whose artistic director has been MarcJacob since 1997) has constantly sought novelty,joining forces with several big names in contemporaryart in order to do so. So you can walk off sporting abutterfly bag revamped by Richard Prince (€850), or aspeedy bag customised by Murakami (€1,000) orStephen Sprouse (€1,100). Stéphanie Perris-Delmas

HD

Louis VuittonChamps-Élyséesno.727419Wardrobe trunk instencilledmonogram canvas,with beech woodslats and lozine trim,55 x 55 x 128 cm.Estimate:€12,000/15,000.

Paris, the eternal capital of luxury… 54,830visitors have already flocked to the Muséedes Arts Décoratifs to admire the creationsof celebrated luggage-maker Louis Vuitton.But just to admire – because, obviously,

nothing is for sale. But you can make up for this a shortdistance away at the Hôtel Drouot, where a number ofemblematic models will be on offer in a sale entirelydedicated to the brand. An opportunity to acquiresome of the Paris company's legendary creations, suchas the famous Rue Scribe "steamer" trunk in vuittonite(€2,300 or 3,500), or the Avenue Champs-Élysées sten-cilled monogram canvas wardrobe trunk (illustrated),one of the stars of the 291 lots in the sale. They arenostalgic reminders of a time when this type of luggage

Videos4

One hundred per cent Louis Vuitton

Friday, May, 11th 2012 at 2.00 pm - Paris, Drouot-Richelieu - room 4

XIXTH, ORIENTALIST AND MODERN PAINTINGSASIAN, RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN SCHOOLS

AGUTTESN e u i l l y D r o u o t L y o n

AGUTTESNEUILLY

164 bis av. Ch. de Gaulle92200 Neuilly-sur-SeineTél. : + 33 1 47 45 55 55Fax : + 33 1 47 45 54 31

AGUTTESLYON

13 bis place Jules Ferry69006 LyonTél. : + 33 4 37 24 24 24Fax : + 33 4 37 24 24 25

Viewing time - Drouot-Richelieu - room 4 : Thursday May 10th from 11 am to 6 pm, Friday from 11am to 12pm

Catalogue on www.aguttes.com - www.gazette-drouot.com

Sas A

grém

ent n

°200

2-20

9. C

omm

issair

es-P

riseu

rs h

abilit

és :

Clau

de A

gutte

s, Di

ane

de K

araja

n, S

éver

ine

Lune

au, S

ophi

e Pe

rrine

AUCTION CONTACT

Diane de KARAJANTél. : + 33 1 41 92 06 [email protected]

Charles LAUNAY (XIX°)Oil on panel, signed

9 5/8 x 7 ½ in.

Henri Jean PONTOY (1888-1968)Gouache, signed and dated

9 5/8 x 7 ½ in.

Jules René HERVE (1887-1981)Oil on canvas, signed

8 5/8 x 10 5/8 in.

Paul LENOIR (1843-1881)3 oils on canvas

Between 6 x 9 ¾ in.

Eugène GALIEN-LALOUE sous le pseudo Louis DUPUY

(1854-1941)Oil on panel, signed - 14 x 17 ¾ in.

IBANOil on panel, signed

10 5/8 x 13 ¾ in.

Paul Elie GERNEZ ( 1888-1948)Pastel, signed

19 ¾ x 28 3/8 in.

Constantin RAZOUMOVOil on canvas, signed

13 x 7 ½ in.

ZAO WOU KI (né en 1921) color lithograph EA VII/XV

countersigned 30 x 22 ½ in.

Albert Joseph PENOT Oil on panel, signed

9 5/8 x 5 ¾ in.

Igor MITORAJ ( né en 1944)Bronze w/ patina,

signed,n°A64/1000 HCHaut : 11 5/8 in.

Alain BONNEFOIT (né en 1937)Oil on panel, signed

39 x 31 ½ in.

Pierre Louis CADRE (1890-1962)Oil on canvas, signed

39 ½ x 25 5/8 in.

Abdelkader GUERMAZ (1919-1996) Oil on canvas, signed

35 x 46 in.

TRAN VAN HAOil on canvas, signed

16 ¾ x 3 5/8 in.

Alexandre IACOVLEFF (1877-1939)

Mixed media , stamped44 x 24 7/8 in.

Wednesday, May, 23th 2012 at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm - Paris, Drouot-Richelieu

ASIAN ART

AGUTTESN e u i l l y D r o u o t L y o n

AGUTTESNEUILLY

164 bis av. Ch. de Gaulle92200 Neuilly-sur-SeineTél. : + 33 1 47 45 55 55Fax : + 33 1 47 45 54 31

AGUTTESLYON

13 bis place Jules Ferry69006 LyonTél. : + 33 4 37 24 24 24Fax : + 33 4 37 24 24 25

Viewing time - Drouot-Richelieu - room 4 : Tuesday 22th from 11:00 am to 06:00 pmCatalogue on www.aguttes.com - www.gazette-drouot.com

Aude LOUIS CARVES+ 33 1 41 92 06 [email protected]

CONTACT

Sas A

grém

ent n

°200

2-20

9. C

omm

issair

es-P

riseu

rs h

abilit

és :

Clau

de A

gutte

s, Di

ane

de K

araja

n, S

éver

ine

Lune

au, S

ophi

e Pe

rrine

XVIIIth century bowl in ducaï porcelain D : 19.5 cm

French collection of XVIIIth century jades

Important French collection of XVIIIth century Chinese snuff bottles

Important XVIIIth century rhino horn libation cup Weight: 442 gr

Group of corals Weight: 495gr - H : 23 cm

Bronze Buddhist, Ming dynastie H 16.5 cm

Albert MARQUET (1875-1947) Oil on panel. 23.5 x 33 cm

Alexandre ROUBTZOFF (1884-1949) Oil on canvas. 19.5 x 29 cm

Georges MATHIEU (né en 1921) Oil on canvas. 65 x 116 cm Sa

s Agr

émen

t n°2

002-

209.

Com

miss

aires

-Pris

eurs

hab

ilités

: Cl

aude

Agu

ttes,

Dian

e de

Kar

ajan

AGUTTESSALE WEDNESDAY 20th JUNE – HOTEL DROUOT

IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN PAINTINGS19th CENTURY & ORIENTALIST PAINTINGS

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR CONFIDENTIAL AND COMPLIMENTARY APPRAISALS

Takanori OGUISS (1901-1986) Oil on canvas. 61 x 46 cm

Contacts étude

CHARLOTTE REYNIERTél. : 01 41 92 06 [email protected]

AGUTTESNEUILLY

164 bis av. Ch. de Gaulle92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine

AGUTTESLYON BROTTEAUX

13 bis, Place Jules Ferry69006 Lyon

DIANE DE KARAJANTél. : 01 41 92 06 48

RUSSIAN PAINTINGSRUSSIAN PAINTERS FROM SCHOOL OF PARIS

Vera ROCKLINE (1896-1934) Vue de Tiflis. Oil on canvas. 89 x 65 cm



Jeanne and Ferdinand Moch collection

fond of the gentle style of the master Impressionist.Here this charcoal "Femme au corsage rouge et auchapeau noir" (€400,000/600,000) is one of twenty-seven works from the former Moch collection to besold on 22 May in Paris (Christie's). The whole collec-tion, which includes works by Monet, Bonnard,Pissarro, Matisse and Chagall, is expected to fetchbetween between €2.7 and 4.2M. The painter fromCagnes definitely has star billing, with a portrait ofGabrielle and Renoir's son Jean, done in charcoal andpastel (€200,000/300,000), and a landscape in thesouth of France (€300,000/500,000), where the artistand his family went to live in 1903.

Stéphanie Perris-Delmas

Where ? Paris

When ? 22 May

Who ? Christie’s

How much ? €2,7/4,2M

USEFUL INFOAfter making a fortune in the French wooltrade in the wake of the Great War,Jeanne and Fernand Moch becamefervent art collectors during the inter-waryears. Their masterpieces included

Auguste Renoir's “Nu sur les coussins”, also known asthe "Grand Nu", now in the Musée d'Orsay. The eter-nally youthful painter was greatly admired by thecouple, who possessed several of his works. Like theBarnes, Steins and Arensbergs, who were also promi-nent modern art lovers of the time, the couple were

Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), "Woman with red blouse and blackhat",1894, signed upper right, pastel on paper, 55 x 47cm. Estimate: € 400.000 – 600.000.


From Ancient Egypt

Where ? Paris - Drouot

When ? 30 May

Who ? Binoche and Giquello auction house. Mr Kunicki

How much ? €700.000/1M


USEFUL INFO

>


also wonderfully idiosyncratic items, such as a haun-tingly anonymous Spedos-style figurine in white marble,dating from between 2800-2600 B.C (€30,000 - €50,000).Though the exact purpose of these figurines is notknown, we do know that their geometric uniformity

would go on to inspire several great 20thcentury artists such as Brancusi,

Picasso and Modigliani, meaningthat the figurine’s artistic signifi-

cance alone makes it wellworth its sizeable estimate.

John Price

There can be no doubt that this sale will be asintriguing as it is vast. It will consist of 265wonderfully diverse lots amassed by twoexpert collectors, some of which date fromas far back as the third millennium B.C. Beau-

tiful pieces from Ancient Egypt will make up a large partof the collection, including an extremely rare ensembleof 38 gold and glass paste rosettes incrusted with carne-lian, which were from the tombs of three wives of thepharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 B.C.), estimated atbetween €40,000 and €50,000. This element of rarity iscommon to all of the lots in this sale, some of which arestrikingly unusual by virtue of their superb condition,such as the hippopotamus figurine in blue earthenware,(€8,000-€10,000). Many of these charming creatures,which were used as funereal symbols evoking rebirth,were often ritually broken - this is therefore one of thevery few examples which remains fully intact. The salewill not only throw up some aesthetically pleasing but

“Hippopotamus figurine inblue earthenware”, Egypt,Middle Kingdom, 12th-13thDynasty, ca. 1850-1700 av. J.-C. L.7.5 cm. Estimate: €8,000/12,000.



An illuminated Tuscan Mahzor

The Mahzor – a Hebrew word meaning“circle” - refers to a liturgical book contai-ning prayers for religious festivals andholy days. It differs from the Siddur, which,according to Gabrielle Sed-Rajna, “exclusi-

vely contains daily prayers”. This Hebrew manuscriptwas illuminated in Tuscany in around 1490. It consistsof 442 pages lavishly decorated by Florentin Boccar-dino the Elder and his assistants, who later worked forLorenzo the Magnificent. The Italian ‘Mahzorim’mainly date from the 15th century, a time when theJewish community in Florence flourished under theprotection of the Medici. They were chiefly made forpersonal use. The arms painted on the inside of thebook have not yet been identified, but are those of animportant Florentine Jewish family, and contain tradi-tional symbols. The most richly illustrated of all theItalian manuscripts is the Rothschild Mahzor, whichcan be compared with the example being sold on 11May. It contains hymns, liturgical poems and prayers

Probably Florence, Giovanni Boccardi, known as Boccardinothe Elder (1460-1529) and his workshop, circa 1490. Mazhorin Hebrew, illuminated manuscript on vellum. Italian bindingfrom the second half of the 16th Century.

Where ? 9, avenue Matignon

When ? 11 May

Who ? Christie's France auction house

How much ? €400,000/ 600,000

USEFUL INFOfor the Passover, Sukkot, Yom Kippur, Shabbat, RoshHashanah, Shavuot and Hanukkah; in addition there isthe blessing in the name of God, the one hundreddaily blessings, extracts from the Book of Esther and acommentary in Hebrew and Aramaic on the death ofMoses. The gilded binding and wax painting was donein the second half of the 16th century. Anne Foster

HD



This rich sarpech belonged to BarbaraHutton, dubbed the poor little rich girlbecause of her troubled private life. TheAmerican beauty inherited a colossalfortune from the Woolworth family of the

"Five and Dime" stores, which made her the richestwoman in the world at that time. As well as titles ofownership, she also collected men, with no fewerthan seven husbands, including the charming CaryGrant. Barbara Hutton had another passion: jewellery.Thanks to her millions, she could afford the finestspecimens such as Marie-Antoinette's pearl necklace,Catherine the Great's emerald necklace, the Roma-novs’ tiara and the 40-carat Pasha diamond. This 19thcentury Indian jewel, also belonged to her. It camefrom her seventh and last husband, Prince PierreRaymond Doan Vinh na Champassak, son of a Vietna-mese father and a French mother. They met inTangiers. Their union lasted only two short years,during which time she bought a Laotian title for her

Gold sarpech featuring a large royal grand cobra, setwith nineteen diamonds, twelve cabochon rubiesincluding two as pendants, and an emerald; 19thcentury Indian work., 18 ct. 98.50g. Estimate: €20,000/30,000.

Where ? Paris-Drouot

When ? 30 May

Who ? Coutau-Bégarie auction house. Mr Flandrin


USEFUL INFOyoung husband. An ephemeral love that did notprevent Barbara Hutton from being generous… Aswitness this delightful sarpech, among other things.This typically Indian jewel was worn by Hindu noblesand princes, fixed onto a headband as shown innumerous Ottoman miniatures. This one, set withnineteen diamonds, twelve rubies and an emerald,features a royal cobra, symbol of immortality.

Stéphanie Perris-Delmas

Provenance Barbara Woolworth-Hutton

HD

>



The blossoming of the Asian spring

An imperial present For its sale of Chinese art on 17 May in London, Bonhams has

exhumed an imperial present designed to whet the appe-tite of Asian collectors, which is gargantuan, as we know.And this 18th century jade mountain is sure to make theirmouths water. It was a present from the Chinese generaland statesman Li Hong Zhang to Prince Gong, Yixin,who acted as regent for the young emperor Tongzhitogether with the Dowager Empress Cixi. Estimated at£400,000/600,000, this jade also passed through thehands of the famous Japanese dealer Yamanaka & Co.

The piece has a sizeable rival in the shape of a Qianlongperiod jade seal from the "San Xi Tang" (The hall of the

three rarities) room in the Forbidden City (£1M).

HD

The indispensable scholar's toolThe creator of this admirable brush pot made brilliant use of the effects ofthe material, a jade with subtle brown/rust tones (£250,000/350,000). Itshows three Taoist Immortals, carrying their attributes, frolicking in anidyllic landscape. The scene unfolds, as in a scroll painting, to reveal a newstage of the tale on each side. It dates from the reign of the QianlongEmperor, well-known as a remarkable scholar and calligrapher. This jade,up for sale on 16 May in London at Sotheby's, was part of the collection ofErnest James Wythes, who lived first at Copped Hall, Epping, Essex, then atWood House.

For Asian Week, the British auctions houses have brought together a choice selection, but they are notthe only ones to have concocted a kingly feast for Asian buyers - as we see in these pictures.



Yuan vase This red and white porcelain Yuhu-chunping vase from the Yuandynasty (€4,000/6,000) is part of anAsian art sale staged by the MaisonArtcurial at the Hôtel Dassault on11 June. Enthusiasts can alsoacquire various other pieces, inclu-ding a 17th century celadon jademountain (€12,000/15,000), and acarved rhinoceros horn libation cupfrom the Qing dynasty (€30,000/40,000).

The Jiaqing stampChristie's is offering a selection of Asian pieces over fourdays, from 15 to 18 May, in London: nearly 400 lots withestimates ranging from £1,000 to over £1M. The finestpieces display excellent provenances, such as that ofthe late 7th Earl of Harewood for a coral-ground famillerose jardinière bearing the Qianlong stamp(£200,000/300,000). But all eyes will be on these twoimperial Famille Rose vases from an English collection(£800,000/1.2M). Bearing the Jiaqing stamp, theseprovide further evidence of the excellence achieved bycraftsmen during the last glittering years of the Qian-long reign. Here a landscape scene is admirably framedby two decorative registers.

Doucai enamelsThese China bottle vases will be one of the stars inthe Claude Aguttes auction house's sale of Asian artin Paris on 23 May (€40,000/50,000). Bearing theimperial Qianlong stamp, they evoke the magnifi-cence of the work produced in the reign of this scho-larly emperor, who was not only a lover of the artsbut also a tactful politician. Eager to establish hisreign in the Chinese tradition, the monarch, ofManchu origin, encouraged recourse to the styles ofthe past; a form of historicism in the empire of the"Middle Kingdom". These vases are decorated withentrancing enamels in doucai (literally, "contrastingcolours"), a technique that first appeared in the 15thcentury under the Xuande emperor. Chinese porce-

lain is considered to have reached a peak duringhis reign, in both technical and aesthetic terms.



The Qianlong Emperor's albumWe owe a particularly rich editorial work to the Qian-long Emperor. A considerable scholar, poet, patronand calligrapher, he was responsible for numerouspublications, one of the most famous being an albumof his favourite views of Yuanmingyuan, the celebratedSummer Palace. The emperor also took an interest inhis huge empire, and commissioned a series devotedto its various ethnic minorities. And now, here is thealbum, a witness to the diversity of population in thevarious provinces of the Empire... Entitled "Zhi GongTu", it will be sold on 12th June in a Paris sale at Drouot(Joron-Derem). It was part of the former collection ofLangweil, a well-known dealer during the Thirties. Thesixty-eight plates show minorities, civil servants andChinese nobles in pairs, together with their descrip-tions in Manchu and Chinese: a presentation methodalso used for the scroll "Foreign envoys BearingTributes", this time dedicated to the representatives ofeach foreign country, and now in the National PalaceMuseum of Taipei. The album here bears three of theemperor's stamps, including the "Wu Fu Wu Dai Tang

Gu Xi Tian Zi Bao" (five blessings for five genera-tions) for his 70th birthday, and the "Ba Zheng

Mao Nian Zhi Bao" (Treasure commemora-ting the advanced age of 80), both listed

in the famous Qianlong Baosou, acollection of the emperor's seals. Anextremely rare piece in the history ofChina, the album is sure to exceed itsestimate: €150,000/180,000.

From the Wanli reignThis meiping vase dates from the Wanli

reign (1573-1620), a period when porcelaingradually became more widespread, and

production increased accordingly to meetthis new demand. This vase, for sale on 23May in Angers with François Branger(€15,000/20,000), has a rare cloisonné enameldecoration that should not go unnoticed byconnoisseurs. Stéphanie Perris - Delmas

An Imperial album: Zhi Gong Tu, Juan Wu, China,Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period (1735-1796), Ink andcolour on silk, comprising 38 double pages betweenwood covers incised with the title "Zhi Gong Tu, JuanWu", three imperial seal marks impressed on yellowground gold-speckled paper, and the names ofministers Guan Bao and Jie Fu, 39 x 34.2 cm.

HD



From “Jeux interdits” to “Passager de la pluie”,René Clement's films always appealed to thepublic, with well-shaped scenarios, dark,poetic atmospheres and great attention todetail. The same could be said of his works of

art. Born in 1913, he originally intended to study architec-ture. Then Jacques Tati, whom he met in 1934, encou-raged his interest in films, and he began with documenta-ries that took him to the Middle East and Africa. The warinterrupted his work, but he picked up the camera againin 1946 for “La Bataille du rail”, which won a prize atCannes. This was the first of a long string of successes.With his earnings (after tax) the filmmaker decided to buya painting after every film, if he could. The first was apicture by Marquet, “Le port de Marseille et Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde”, painted in around 1917-1918. RenéClément certainly appreciated well-composed paintingsof this kind. Other paintings from his collection are to besold in a sale in Cheverny. They include a small landscapeby Le Douanier Rousseau (€25,000), a Vlaminck from

Kees Van Dongen (1877 - 1968), "Portrait de femme au collier et à la rose, vers 1905", oil on canvas, 55 x 47 cm. Estimate : €300,000/400,000.

1909 (€140,000/180,000) and a pastel by Renoir(€150,000/200,000). This work by Van Dongen, “Portraitde Madeleine Grey”, 1929, is decidedly worth studying.The painting, acquired in 1975, evokes the charming andbeautiful women who acted in front of his camera. Made-leine Grey was a well-known opera singer. Her friendRavel praised her in one of his letters to the conductorErnest Ansermet: “She is one of the most remarkableperformers, with an attractive voice, pleasantly powerfuland very clear. And most importantly, she has perfectdiction. Thanks to her, the public heard in Shéhérazademore than just a symphonic poem.” Anne Foster

The artistic fancies of René Clément

HD

Where ? France, Château de Cheverny

When ? 10 June

Who ? Rouillac auction house.Cabinet Brame et Lorenceau.

How much ? €800,000/1M


USEFUL INFO

>

7, Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées 75008 PARISTél. : +33 (0)1 42 99 20 20 | Fax : +33 (0)1 42 99 20 [email protected] | www.artcurial.com

ORIENTAL LIGHTSTUESDAY 5 JUNE 2012 – 8 PM

, 300,000 – 400,000

Specialist:Olivier Berman

Contact :Alexia de Cockborne+33 (0)1 42 99 16 [email protected]

Preview :By appointement a fortnight before the saleSunday 3 and Monday 4 June, 11am – 7pmTuesday 5 June, 11am – 5 pm

ACKEIN CRUZ HERRERA (2)

EDY

Agrément CVV du 25/10/2001

MAJORELLE AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES 2TUESDAY 5 JUNE 2012 – 8 PM

, 250,000 – 350,000

QUINQUAUD

THE MAGAZINE UPCOMING AUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL


Where ? London

When ? 22 and 23 May

Who ? Sotheby’s

How much ? £20M

USEFUL INFO

Sachs a glittering playboy and a genuine art lover

Heir to a considerable fortune, the lateGunter Sachs was one of the glitteringplayboys of the Sixties, and his secondmarriage to Brigitte Bardot earned him theenvy of the entire male race …But the

flamboyant façade hid "a genuine art lover" (PierreRestany), who comes to light through this sale of part ofhis collection. At its heart we find the Pop movement,mainly represented by Andy Warhol. Sachs met him inaround 1960, and staged his first exhibition in Hamburgin 1972. As the artist sold nothing, Sachs secretly boughthalf the works exhibited! Warhol now holds majesticsway with "The kiss" (£700,000/900,000), "Self-portrait"(£2/3M), both from 1963, "Flower painting" from 1964(£3/4 M) and above all "Brigitte Bardot" from 1974 (illus-trated), a work based on a photograph by RichardAvedon (£40,000/60,000). Also worth mentioning: "GreatAmerican nude" by Tom Wesslmann (£1.2/1.8 M), beforewe move on to the new realists, including two Kleinsfrom the "Feux" series (£500,000/700,000 and£300,000/400,000), a "Violon coupé en longueur" by

Andy Warhol (1928-1987), “Brigitte Bardot”, signed anddated A.W.74 on the overlap, acrylic and silkscreen ink oncanvas, 120 x 120 cm. Estimate: £3-4M.

Arman (£60,000/80,000) and works by Rotella, includinga "Cléopâtre" that should sell for around £40,000. Forgood measure, we should also mention a "ConcettoSpaziale" by Fontana (£700,000/900,000) and some"Moutons" by Lalanne (around £300,000 for the three).From sheep we move on to lionesses, the ones roaringon a chair by Diego Giacometti (£30,000/50,000), whoseconsole could fetch up to £300,000: also the low estimatefor a lady's writing desk bearing the Ruhlmann stamp.Last but not least – to time the sale? – a superb "Pendulemystérieuse N° 6" by Cartier, a masterpiece of clockma-king and elegance (£300,000/500,000). As we can see,this playboy had good taste, and not only in women! X. N.

UPCOMING AUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL THE MAGAZINE


Ichoose works because something in them speaksto me," said David Pincus, who died last year. Theysay a lot: the outstanding group of paintings,sculptures, prints and photographs he and hiswife, Gerry, a massed during their 50-year

marriage is above all a true art lover's collection. Thefact that this collection which will be sold on 8 May,in New York (Christie’s) is estimated today at over$100M confirms the wisdom of their choices - and,one might also say, their boldness and independent-mindedness: they were among the first to recognisethe importance of an artist like Warhol. The collec-tion focuses on abstract expressionism but alsoincludes more contemporary works. Its highlight isRothko's 1961 “Orange, Red, Yellow”, estimated ataround $40M and the artist's most important work toappear on the market since the 2007 Rockefellercollection auction (that went for $72.8). It featuresthe "vibrating" aspect indissociable from his finestpaintings. The Pincuses could not do without a Pollock butwaited until the late 1960s, when they acquired onefrom a famous Chicago art lover, A. H. Maremont.Purchased through the intermediary of H. Diamond,“No. 28” ($20/30M) features black and silver tonesstriped with the artist's famous red, white and yellowdrippings; a comparable painting has not come upfor auction since 1997. Likewise, it has been 20 yearssince a Barnett Newman as important as Ornament V($10-15M), a painting with an irreproachable pedi-gree because the Pincuses bought it directly fromAnnalee Newman, has appeared on the market. Thefour De Koonings (three paintings and a sculpture),dating from between 1972 and 1983, are also very

Willem de Kooning "Untitled I", 1980, oil on canvas, 80 x 70 in. Estimate: $9,000,000-12,000,000.

important. Price estimates range between 3 and 12million dollars. More contemporary works includeseveral paintings by Anselm Kiefer, who became afriend of Mr. Pincus, including Lilith Tochter ($8/12M),and Jeff Wall's Dead Troops Talk, a 1986 painting($1.5/2.5M) that may set a new record for the artist. Allin all, this is a flawless collection reflecting the impec-cable choices of impassioned art lovers. Xavier Narbaïts

David Pincus Collection

HD

THE MAGAZINE UPCOMING AUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL


By Froment-MeuriceAfter the fine results of a first sale last year, this new auction at Vevey (Alps Artauction and Millon auction house) on 15th May seems bigger (nearly 320 lots) andabove all "richer", with an impressive selection combining signed or anonymouspieces and high quality stones. Three striking rings proudly sport France's colours onthe catalogue cover. They consist of a 20.9 ct Burmese sapphire (illustrated), a cushion-cut diamond (9.35 ct, F, VVS2) set by Poiray, and an oval ruby (14.78 ct), also fromBurma: the estimates for the three items will not be communicated. However, prices arequoted for the following: a cabochon star ruby, 25.07 ct (CHF110,000/120,000), and another (7.90 ct,CHF120,000/130,000), an emerald (around 20 ct, CHF150,000/160,000 FS) set by Van Cleef & Arpels, a number ofsapphires (14 ct, CHF180,000/200,000) surrounded by diamonds and set as earrings, a yellow diamond (8.16 ct, VS1,CHF150,000/160,000) and a jewellery set (necklace and earrings) onto which Chaumet scattered emeralds anddiamonds in around 1960 (CHF 180,000/190,000). Xavier Narbaïts

The beau SancySotheby's is thinking big for its session in Geneva on 15th May. The price of the Sun Drop – CHF 11,282,500 – already made a sensation lastNovember … This year the auction house is putting one of the finestdiamonds in the world up for sale, the "Beau Sancy" – a pear double rose-cut stone of 34.98 ct, whose history is closely linked with Europe's royalhouses. Owned by Nicolas de Harlay, Seigneur de Sancy, who hadacquired it in Constantinople, it was sold to Henri IV, who presented it toMarie de’ Medici. The Beau Sancy thus adorned the crown of the Queen ofFrance at her coronation in 1610. It subsequently passed into the hands ofthe Orange-Nassau family, then to the crown of England, and then to theroyal house of Prussia. It is expected to fetch $2-4M. This sale will bepreceded the day before by the dispersion of Suzanne Belperron'spersonal collection of some 60 pieces – one of the most remarkableprivate collections devoted to the work of the celebrated jewellerydesigner, ranging from emblematic items to the most personal creations.

HD

Videos4

The best jewels of the season


Collection of watches by BreguetFor its sale of timepieces on 14th May in Geneva, Christie's is unveiling a totally exem-plary collection of watches by Breguet, clockmaker to royalty. This is a Europeancollection of the finest order, as it contains two pieces of museum quality. Oneof them, in gold, signed "Breguet et fils" (Breguet and son) (no. 2667), is thefirst watch with two movements created by Abraham Breguet. Of thethree he made, two are now in the Museum of Jerusalem, one of whichwas designed for the King of England, George IV. This will be offeredat CHF800,000/1.4M. The other star is this flat "half-quarter repeatingwatch with equation of time" (no. 4111) produced by Breguet andhis son Louis-Antoine Breguet between 1790 and 1830, initially forthe banker Peyronnet, then sold to the Comte Charles de L'Espine (CHF800,000/1,4M). We shall be keeping a close eye on theresults of this sale, which promises to be a major event – especiallysince Breguet is not the only star. Alongside this exceptional collec-tion, other choice pieces will be the subject of keen attention, like arare gold "two crown world time wristwatch with 24 hours indicationand cloisonné enamel dial depicting a map of North America" by PatekPhilippe (CHF1.6/2.6M).

The Lily Safra collectionAfter the remarkable success of the Elizabeth Taylorcollection last December in New York, Christie's hasbeen entrusted with the sale in Geneva on 14th May ofthe widow of banker Edmond Safra, answering to thetender name of Lily, who is continuing the philan-thropic work of her late husband. The proceeds fromthe sale of seventy items of jewellery (estimated atCHF18.2M) will go to twenty charity organisations. It will be hard to choose between these marvels, whichinclude three dazzling solitaires (one of 34.05 ct esti-

mated at CHF3.2/4.5M), a Chaumet ring adorned with acushion-cut ruby (31.21 ct) that once belonged to Luz

Mila Patino (CHF2.7/4.5M), a large number of antiquejewellery items including a 19th century necklace contai-

ning emeralds and diamonds (CHF1/1.6M). And for the firsttime on the market, creations by the "Matisse of jewellery",

the billionaires' jeweller Joel Arthur Rosenthal (Jar), will be upfor auction, with eighteen pieces especially created for Lily Safra.

They include a camellia-shaped brooch composed of rubies anddiamonds (CHF1M/1.3M). Stéphanie Perris-Delmas

HD


DÉPARTEMENT : Eléonore ASSELINE 5, avenue d’Eylau - 75116 Paris Tél. : +33 (0)1 47 27 76 [email protected]

EXPERT : LUCIEN ARCACHEMob. : + 33 (0)6 11 17 77 25 [email protected] [email protected]

CONSULTANT RECHERCHESAnne-Sophie JONCOUX

ORIENTALISM

Monday, 4th june 2012 Paris, Hôtel Drouot - Room 5

www.millon-associes.comcatalogue online

LebbaMorocco, Fès.19th century13 x 27 cm

Ottoman Tombaq EwerTurkey, circa 1800High : 36 cm

Joseph SEDLACEK (1789-1854)Women in haremOil on canvas, signed69 x 106 cm

Mill

on &

Ass

ocié

s. S

VV

Agr

émen

t n°2

002-

379.

Hab

ilité

s à

dir

iger

les

vent

es :

Ale

xand

re M

illon

, Cla

ude

Rob

ert.



Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, the billionaire, fine-artcollector and founder of the famous Valder-rama Golf Club, has been passionately buil-ding this extraordinary collection of golf artand memorabilia for the last 25 years. It

undoubtedly brings the history of golf alive andconsists of approximately 400 lots, which are expectedto reach at least £2M, on 30 May in London (Christie’s).The star of the show has to be the preparatory oilsketch of “The Golfers” by Charles Lees (1800-1880),which is on display in the Scottish National PortraitGallery. It was painted to commemorate the 150thanniversary of the ‘Grand Match’ competition at StAndrews, and its importance as the most famous pain-ting in the History of Golf justifies its lofty estimate of

£120,000-180,000. Obviously, such a collection wouldnot be complete without golf equipment, and thereare certainly some very fine examples, including anextremely rare 17th century square toe iron, one ofonly twenty recorded to exist (estimate: £80,000-120,000), and a Morris Putter that once belonged toTom Morris and his son, the two most celebrated golfchampions who between them won eight OpenChampionships (estimate: £40,000 to £70,000). Thesale also includes magnificent historical documents,such as the very rare 1793 edition of Thomas Murchi-son’s comic epic “The Goff. An Heroi-Comical Poem. InThree Cantos”, estimated between £25,000-35,000. If you are an art collector or an aficionado, you justcan’t miss this auction. John Price

The Origins of Golf The Ortiz-Patiño collection

Charles Lees, R.S.A. (1800-1880),“The finished sketch for The Golfers” A Grand Match played on the StAndrews Links by Sir David Baird, Bt.and Sir Ralph Anstruther, Bt. ofBalcaskie, against Major Playfair andJohn Campbell, Esq., of Glensaddell, in1850: Finished sketch 39.4 x 62.2 cm. Estimate: £120,000 - £180,000.

HD

AUCTIONRESULTSFIND AUCTION RESULTS ON THE INTERNET

W

THE MAGAZINE AUCTION RESULTS


€262,500 Marc Newson (born1963), honeycombed Voronoiconsole, Carrara Carrara marble,example numbered 1/8, 75 x 280 x 40 cm.

FRENCH RECORD

Where ? Paris - Hotel Salomon de Rothschild

When ? From the 1 to 5 April

Who ? Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house

How much ? €8,2M

USEFUL INFO

Sales at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild

Entitled "Les Florilèges", the programme ofsales organised by the Cornette de SaintCyr auction house lasted five days and wasa great success, with contemporary artgaining the lion’s share at €3,490,250,

followed by design, which brought in €956,313. Thehighest price of €262,500 was reached by MarcNewson console (illustrated), which was a Frenchrecord for the designer. It is a limited edition made in2007 for the Gagosian Gallery in New York, similar to a“Lathed Table” made from marble, which sold at€150,000. Other notable design results included€102,500 for one of the five examples of the Specta-cular Table by Ettore Sottsass made out of "Brèche debaerne" marble resting on five steel and lacqueredwood legs. It is the third highest price ever achieved bythe designer throughout the world. Contemporary artwas dominated by €375,000 for an acrylic on canvasby Roman Opalka from 1965, €325,000 for a “DollarSign” from 1982 by Warhol made from polymer acrylicand serigraphic ink on canvas, and a pastel done incoloured pencils from 1987 by Robert Combas - "Les 4peluches de l’avé Maria". Street art was also very

popular, with 74% of the lots finding an owner and aworld record being achieved by Seen with “SilverSurfer Destiny”,a monumental aerosol on canvas from2009, sold for €115,000. In the jewellery section, theAlain Delon collection of watches more than quadru-pled its estimated price by reaching €443,875. A Chinese buyer pushed an Audemars Piguet RoyalOak made from steel with a slate dial and self-windingmechanism. Sylvain Alliod

AUCTION RESULTS THE MAGAZINE


New record for Lalanne

€164,700 - €152,500 François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008),"Deux Moutons", 1997 edition, signed bronze and epoxystone sculptures, one of 250, one numbered 116 /250, theother 120/250. Landowski casting, 88 x 37 x 98 cm.

WORLD RECORD

Where ? Cannes

When ? 18 April

Who ? Besch Cannes Auction auction house

How much ? €317,200

USEFUL INFO

After grazing in a residence in the Gulf ofSaint Tropez, these two sheep have beenadopted for €317,200. They are wellpreserved, and were made by sculptorFrançois Xavier Lalanne, creator of a

surrealist bestiary. At the beginning of the Sixties, heput together a world of animals as strange as that of"Alice in Wonderland". One fine morning in 1965, thefirst woolly “Sheep” graced the artist's living-room inthe Impasse Robiquet, before being entitled “PourPolyphème” at the ‘Salon de la jeune peinture’. In Paris,they have a rural character reminding François-Xavierof the quiet meadows in his home region of Agen.These tender, peaceful sheep signified the return ofsmoothness and purity to sculpture. In 1968, the artistBill Copley received a flock of sheep as a wedding gift;four years later, his divorce was marked by a dark gold-fleeced black sheep offered by the Ménils: a play onthe metaphor. François-Xavier Lalanne also createdsheep for all seasons for his family to serve as garden

sculptures; made from epoxy concrete, they can grazein the fields in any weather. Adopted by the fashion-able milieu and the New York jet-set, they rapidlyspawned descendants such as these “Sheep”.Contested by bidders in the room as well as by tele-phone, one of them quadrupled its estimate, while theother went for five times the estimated price to anenthusiastic collector. This was a new world record foran epoxy stone sheep, released in 1997.

Chantal Humbert

HD



The name Meyer evokes preciousmarquetry work and porcelain with richgilt bronze mountings more than Oceanicart. And yet Claude Meyer – son of Micheland brother of Oscar – took a decided inte-

rest in contemporary art, design and sculpture. Whenhis collection of tribal art appeared in the auctionhouse, it raised a total of €862,413. Previously belon-ging to his father, the Afro-Portuguese spoon shownin the photo went for €37,499. The simple oblong formof the bowl seems to indicate a Sapi origin (SierraLeone), and the piece could thus date from 1490 to1530. It is an item hitherto unknown in the limitedcorpus of ivory Afro-Portuguese works. The main partof the collection was from Oceania. The highest bid inthe sale, €43,750, went to a Kanak apouema ceremo-nial mask (New Caledonia) consisting of a face-shieldin monoxide wood with a face featuring coffee-beaneyes, a flat nose curving over a mouth with aggressive

€37,499 Afro-Portuguese spoon,ivory, h. 17.5 cm

Where ? Paris-Drouot - Room 1-7

When ? 2 April

Who ? Pierre Bergé & Associés auction house. Mr. Vanuxem

How much ? €862,413

USEFUL INFOteeth, and attachment holes holding a fibre neck-shield, a headdress and a beard in human hair, and anotou pigeon feather costume. The Kanaks stayed inthe running at €30,000 with a ridge spire from a cere-monial case in houp wood, carved with the face of anancestor in the centre of a cosmogonic composition.As for the Maoris, the prize went to a green nephritehei tiki pendant at €25,625. Sylvain Alliod

Claude Meyer collection

HD

Maître Mathilde SADDE-COLLETTEQualified auctioneer

“BOURBON TREASURES”

Costumes from the 18th, 19th

and beginning of the 20th century

Sales at public auction MONDAY,MAY 21th

THURSDAY, JUNE 21th, 2012

This painting comes from a property in the area of Moulins in the Auvergne regionand will be on display until 14th May 2012 at the Éric TURQUIN valuations office,

69 Rue Sainte Anne - 75002 PARIS

Osias BEERTthe ElderAntwerp, 1580 - 1624

Still life of dishes ofoysters, roast chicken,sweetmeats and driedfruits placed on a tablewith a Venetian style jarand glasses. Two pieceoak panel, non reinforced58 x 92 cm. Split withsmall bare spots.Estimate120 000 / 150 000 €

Collection of Mr L. (2nd part) - Approximately 300 lots

ENCHÈRES SADDES i n c e 1 9 0 8

16 Rue Régemortes - 03000 MOULINST. + 33 (0)4 70 44 05 28F. + 33 (0)4 70 44 53 [email protected] S.V.V agréée N°2002-132

See all our sales at www.interencheres.com/03003

ww

w.c-

touc

om.co

m -

Phot

os :

Ench

ères

Sad

de -

Apr

il 20

12

2012

9 rue des BouchersMOULINS 03000FRANCE



The scent of ChinaArt from Ancient China was honoured on the 21st Aprilwith a sale in Cannes dedicated entirely to an impor-tant collection from the south of France (Azur EnchèresCannes), which brought in a total of €915,434. Thehighest bid went to this 25-kilogram oil burner. Presen-ting large, moveable handles, the body depicts superbdragons, which were imperial symbols; they are adornedwith sacred pearls standing out from a background of ruyiclouds. Rich in symbols, this oil burner, estimated at €7,000,was strongly contested between the room and telephonebidders. After fierce competition in the sale, it finally went for€164,813 to a foreign buyer. Chantal Humbert

From the SavonnerieThe 134 lots sold during this sale in Paris, on the 20th April, brought in€7,195,963 (Sotheby’s). A carpet generated a six-figure sum of €1,856,750.It is the only known example of its kind, a rare specimen from circa 1630-1632 from the “Royal Manufacturer of Turkish Carpets and Other Productsfrom the East”, more commonly known as the “Savonnerie”. Its owner hasnow been identified: it was in fact, the ambassador for Saint Siège inFrance, Cardinal Giovanni Francesco Guididi Bagno (1578-1641), whosigned a contract on the 18th January 1631 with Simon Lourdet, owner ofa factory in Chaillot. Its colours - a deep red for the border and a deepyellow for the middle - are rare. The floral decoration is a product oforiental influence, whereas the borders with flower baskets and masks areWestern motifs. It very much foreshadows the Louis XIII carpet style, likethe deep brown one preserved at the Louvre Museum.

HD



Rose de FranceHow can you tell an artistic piece by Émile Gallé from an industriallyproduced item? By the way the glass is worked, naturally, but also by itsprice. Objective evidence was provided by the €154,100 that went to thissmall Rose de France model vase in colourless crystal with pink overlay,sold on 3 April in Paris (Drouot - Claude Aguttes). The artistic pieces wereproduced in very small quantities and it is likely that no more than six oreight copies of this vase were made. One is now in the Toshio Kitazawacollection in Japan; another, which came from the former Brugnotcollection, featured in a sale in Geneva in 1988, while a third withsimilar decoration but a different shape was sold in June 1992 atSotheby’s, sporting as pedigree the former collection of the dealerBarry Friedman. The "Rose de France" series shows flowers atdifferent stages of blooming - in bud on this model. A specta-cular bowl of 1901 in this series was commissioned by the horti-cultural society of Nancy as a gift for its chairman, Léon Simon.It is now one of the star items in the Musée de l’École de Nancy.

Young Oriental from the Cairo rebellion With its shining sabre, this drawing by Girodet was the subject of a fiercebattle taking it up to €90,697 on 11 April in Paris (Drouot - Baron - Ribeyre& Associés, Farrando - Lemoine). Featuring in the artist's post-mortemsale in April 1825, this is a preparatory drawing for the figure of the YoungOriental in "La Révolte du Caire", painted in 1810 and now at Versailles.This tumultuous composition teeming with characters was commis-sioned from the artist in 1809 for exhibition in the Galerie de Diane at thePalais des Tuileries. Mingling heroism and exoticism, it played a role inconstructing the Napoleonic legend. The action depicted took place inOctober 1798 when the French were fighting the rebels, who at this pointhad been driven into the Great Mosque in Cairo during the popular upri-sing triggered by Bonaparte's new tax measures. Sylvain Alliod

HDHD



Abstraction in the limelight

€935,560, doubling its estimate. Nothing was left tochance with Jean Hélion. While the artist took liber-ties with the pure geometric abstraction ofMondrian – by leaving his lines incomplete and refu-sing to close the circle of his curves –, he still aimedfor a mathematically-constructed composition,where the impression of movement is generated byprimary colours. "Tensions circulaires n° 1", (illus-trated), thus marks a milestone in the history of theAbstraction-Creation movement. An enthusiasthappily paid €446,112 to become its owner. Nicolasde Staël had a completely different approach. Thetemptation of figuration is evident in "Le Lavandou",an oil on panel, whose small format did not preventit from raising €396,500. This work was painted in1952, when the artist was at the peak of his successand creativity. While abstraction took up the lion'sshare of the day, it was not the only successful area.A work by Bernard Rancillac, the master of narrativefiguration, went for €223,056 - a record for a pain-ting by the artist (Artnet base). With "À verser audossier de l’affaire", it is not only a painting, but alsocasts light on an event that disrupted the politicalscene in the Sixties: the Ben Barka affair. The artistechoes the press in this acrylic on canvas and mirror:its title distorts that of an article on the inquiry publi-shed in L’Express in 1966, and a portrait of the victimpublished in the media is presented alongside themain painting. The work (illustrated), intended as akind of report, borrows its visual processes fromphotography and strip cartoons, with the dramaticaspect of the kidnapping accentuated by crudeblocks of colour, tight framing and a theatrical pers-pective. Sophie Reyssat

The lyrical abstraction Zao Wou-ki, thegeometrical forms of Jean Hélion andthe informal landscapes of Nicolas deStaël were the particular focus of biddingon the 15 April in Versailles (Versailles

auctions), at a special contemporary art sale where72% of the lots found takers, and which finallytotalled €4,412,714. The undisputed star of the daywas Zao Wou-ki. His compositions have accustomedus to a certain dizziness produced by his effects withmaterials, evoking the power of the elements.Hypnotising art lovers, the work finally went for

€446,112 Jean Hélion, "Tensions circulaires n° 1", 1931-1932,oil on canvas, dated 32, 75 x 75 cm.

HD



€223,056 Bernard Rancillac, "À verser au dossier de l’affaire",1966, acrylic on canvas andmirror, two parts, signed anddated, countersigned, titled anddated on the back, 162 x 130 cmand 46 x 38 cm (detail).



The greatness of Catherine II This commemorative medal, with a high estimate of €7,000, was

pursued up to €34,028 on 11 April in Paris (Drouot - Beaussant -Lefèvre). Examples in gold are infinitely rarer than those in silver. It celebrates the peace treaty signed with Sweden on 3 August1790, the imposing, martial bust of Catherine II rubbing shoulderswith the highly peaceful symbol of an olive branch on the back,surrounded with a laurel wreath and the motto "For everlastinglyfriendly relations "… As we know, this wish came to nothing, asthe Napoleonic Wars reshuffled the cards and forced Sweden tocede Finland to its powerful neighbour. The enlightened

monarch Gustav III had opened hostilities with Russia in 1788,which ended in the victory of Catherine the Great's fleet on the 9th

and 10th of July 1790 in the Gulf of Finland. She magnanimouslyproposed a just peace to her cousin, but the medal she caused to be

coined leaves no doubt as to who the victor was! Two well-known engra-vers were commissioned to stamp the glory of their sovereign on the

medal: Timothei Ivanov (1729-1802) and Johann Balthasar Gass (c. 1768-1793).

Diamonds are foreverA girl's best friend sparkled in all its glory with this ring, which fetched€250,000 (Drouot - Gros & Delettrez) in Paris on April 11. The emerald cutdiamond adorning it was accompanied by a certificate from the Gemo-logical Institute of America indicating its colour, D – an exceptionallyperfect white – and its purity, VS1 (Very Small Inclusion I). This is animportant detail, because the stepped facet cut makes any impurities inthe stone even more visible. Closer to the natural form of diamonds in therough, it enables the stone to diffuse a subtler, softer light. The emerald cuttakes its name from the eponymous stone, which is fragile and highly sensitiveto shocks; the canted cut is thus designed to protect the corners more effectively.No risk, naturally, for this diamond, whose reputation for solidity is well-known,making it a perfect pledge of eternal love…

HD



Persian, year 1233 of theHegira (1817-1818). Gilt brassastrolabe signed, diam. 8.4 cm.

At a meeting point of influences

Bidders did not lose their way in devoting€57,340 to this Persian astrolabe from theearly 19th century. There is no otherextant item by its maker, but an astrolabemade by his father, Muhammad Sadiq

ibn’Ali Naqi, is now in the National Museum ofAmerican History in Washington. This carries the date1775-1776 and is marked with the same descriptiveformula,"al-haqq bishârî", which perhaps means "hewho announces the truth". This astrolabe is engravedwith a geographical table with the names of thirty-fivecities; the rete has leaf-shaped indexes for sixteen starswith their names, and it is equipped with five tympa-nums. While its highly meticulous decoration reflectsthe tradition of the Iranian style, the use of tympanumswith double projection and the relief-decorated kursishow the influence of Indo-Persian instruments.

Sylvain Alliod

Where ? Paris - Drouot - Room 15

When ? 13 April

Who ? Chayette & Cheval auction house. Mr. Turner

How much ? €57,340

USEFUL INFO

HD



HD



The sale of the Count and Countess Niel'scollection raised €2,078,600 (87% by lot;91% by value). As we remember, thecouple shared a passion for the arts, parti-cularly those of the 18th century. Lovers

of painting found plenty to satisfy their fancies,notably with some works by Hubert Robert: two oilson canvas with a cheerful touch and subjects thatwere unusual, being revolutionary: "La Journée desbrouettes et la Fête de la Fédération nationale, le 14juillet 1790, au Champs-de-Mars". Sold for €169,000,these paintings illustrate the first revolutionary cele-bration, "Wheelbarrow Day", depicting the colossalwork undertaken in preparing the Champ de Mars toreceive some 400,000 people. At €73,000, the esti-mate was doubled for an oil on panel, "Les jardins duPetit Trianon avec le Belvédère à Versailles et unejeune femme présumée Marie-Antoinette se prome-nant", the identity of the accompanied female stroller

€169,000 Hubert Robert (1733-1808), "La Journée desbrouettes et la Fête de la Fédération Nationale, le 14 juillet1790, au Champ-de-Mars", pair of oils on canvas, 44 x 72.5 cm.

Where ? Paris

When ? 16 April

Who ? Christie's France auction house

How much ? €2,078,600

USEFUL INFO

as Marie-Antoinette being the Comtesse de Niel'ssuggestion. Hubert Robert was not the only one toprovide subjects based on Versailles: Claude-LouisChatelet even attracted the preference of the MuséeNational du Château de Versailles, which paid€133,000 for an oil on canvas entitled "Le Rocher et leBelvédère à Versailles en 1786". An oil on canvas byNicolas de Largillierre, "Portrait de Jean de LaFontaine âgé de 73 ans", tripled its estimate at€157,000. Meanwhile, the furniture was dominatedby the €109,000 that went to a Louis XVI bergère inmoulded, carved gilt wood, delivered to MadameElisabeth for her apartments in the Château deCompiègne. This has a flat back and torus legs.

Sylvain Alliod

The Count and Countess Niel’s Collection


Spectacular stone wall clockMade in the middle of the Enlightenment, this chased gilt bronze wallclock combines technical perfection and aesthetic quality. One of themost famous and highly valued models of the Louis XV period, it was the

work of cabinetmaker Charles Cressent. However, in around 1755, Cres-sent went bankrupt and lost the monopoly on the design. Then the

Saint Germains came onto the scene. They were a family ofshrewd bronze workers who made the design part of their

work, sold it and adapted it to the tastes of their custo-mers, just like this spectacular wall clock sold in Auxerre

on 5 April (Auxerre Enchères-Auxerre Estimations).The face is signed by ‘Louis I Montjoye’, one of the

most skilled clockmakers during the reign of LouisXV. After a tough battle between several collec-tors, it comfortably doubled its estimated price.Sold for €235,880, it will now while away thehours in a Belgian residence. Chantal Humbert

Alabaster Virgin Mary from NottinghamIn the Middle Ages, alabaster gave rise to a prosperous industry. Sculptedin the same way as wood, it proved to be ideal for carving small works. At the beginning of the 14th century, the rate of production accelerated inEngland thanks to quarrying in areas such as Chellaston Hill near Derby,which was famous for its high quality materials. The alabaster was trans-ported by road to the various centres of sculpture like York, Burton uponTrent and Nottingham, where alabaster production was so important thatthe city gave its name to the entire industry. The most frequently recur-ring devotional themes depict major stages in the life of the Virgin Mary,and episodes from the Passion. This Virgin and Child was highly soughtafter in the sale on 15 April at Louviers (Jean-Emmanuel Prunier). It issimilar to the statues now in the Evreux and Rouen museums. Estimatedat around €30,000, it attracted a devoted collector from across the Atlanticand went for €84,265.

HD



HD

UPCOMING AUCTION

LOUIS VUITTON

SpecialistChombert & Sternbach16, rue de Provence - 75009 Paris Tél. 01 42 47 12 44 - Fax : 01 40 22 07 36 [email protected]

ContactsMe Delettrez +33(0)1 47 70 83 04 +33(0)6 24 60 80 00

GROS & DELETTREZAuctionneers

GROS & DELETTREZ22, rue Drouot – 75009 ParisTél. : + 33 (0)1 47 70 83 04Fax : + 33 (0)1 45 23 01 [email protected] - Agrément n°2002-033

14 may 2012Hôtel Drouot - Room 4

TrunkfashionBagsACCESSoriesLuggage

AUCTION IN PARIS - HÔTEL DROUOT9 rue Drouot - 75009 Paris - France

TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012

A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL ALBUM, ZHI GONG TU, JUAN WUCHINA, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD (1735-1796)Ink and colour on silk, comprising 38 double-pages between wood covers incised with the title "Zhi Gong Tu, JuanWu", the first and second pages with three imperial sealmarks impressed on yellow ground gold-speckled paper, the twofollowing double-pages inscribed with the name of the ministers Guan Bao et Jie Fu, the remaining pages (68 painted figures) superbly painted on silk with provincial officials, noblemen or chinese minorities described in Mandchu and Chinese in kaishu script.39 cm. x 34,2 cm.Collection F. Langweil, Paris

Christophe Joron-Derem46, rue Sainte-Anne - 75002 Paris - France - Agrément du CVV : n°2002-401

Tél. : +33(0)1 40 20 02 82 - Fax: +33(0)1 40 20 01 [email protected]

Pierre AnsasAnne Papillon d’Alton+ 33 (0)6 25 84 56 34

[email protected]

Philippe Delalande+ 33 (0)6 83 11 24 71

[email protected]

AUCTIONEER

Viewing on request, and on internet: www.joron-derem.fr

EXPERTS - CONTACT



Jourdan-Barry collection

€540,750 Frenchsilver-gilt ecuelle, cover

and stand, Thomas Germain, Paris,1722-1723, l. 31 cm, 1,845 g.

restricted circle of keen antique art collectors. A tirelessresearcher, Raymond Jourdan-Barry wrote the firstbook on the silversmiths of Aix-en-Provence, a seminalwork published in 1974. His son Pierre continued toadd to the family collection. The most eagerly-awaitedpiece was a covered silver gilt ecuelle (bowl) and stand(1.8 kg; Paris, 1722-1723) made by the illustriousThomas Germain. At €540,750 it remained below itsestimate, and went to join a European collection. Ofthe six ecuelles by the silversmith listed between 1735

This sale entirely devoted to silverwareraised €4.1 M: one of the highest scoresever achieved in this speciality atSotheby's in Paris. The Raymond andPierre Jourdan-Barry collection alone

totalled €2,978,451 (74.6% by lot; 87.7% by value).Apart from a 17th century ewer from Rheims, all lots inthe top ten were bought by private collectors fromEurope and Asia. The Jourdan-Barrys were a shipbroking family from Marseille who belonged to the



and 1748, only two have survived; one in silverbelonged to the Jourdan-Barry collection (the lots soldrepresented only a part of the ensemble amassed bythe two collectors), while the other is now in theLouvre. One of the most dramatic bids in the sale,€144,750, went to a large virtuoso silver pot ladle(506g; Paris 1749-1750) by Edmée-Pierre Balzac, with ashell-shaped bowl, an openwork twisted rope handleand an appliqué olive branch. This came from theDavid David-Weill collection. Pierre Jourdan-Barry hada particular affection for ewers with matching basins.€186,750 was paid by an Asian buyer for a silver set (2.2kg; Bayonne, c.1734-1735) by Jean Delane: a pedestalmodel with a spout emphasised by the mask of abearded river divinity. Another Asian buyer pushed theprice up to €156,750, tripling the estimate, for a silvercovered terrine dish with liner and stands (5.3 kg; Paris,1784-1785) by Jean-Baptiste Chéret, with chasedappliqué work arms by D. Fr. Duarte de Sousa Coun-tinho de Mata, a Commander of the Order of Malta.Meanwhile the other provenances totalled €1,138,925(69.2% by lot; 80.2% by value), with foreign silverworkmaking up the lion's share. The most impressive bidwent to a mid-16th century Venetian silver cup (400g;diam. 23.7 cm) which was pushed up to €82,350 by theEuropean market after an estimate of €12,000. Of greatsobriety, this is simply engraved with coats of arms in aleafy setting including the initials and emblems of thepatron who commissioned it. Sylvain Alliod

Where ? Paris

When ? 18 April

Who ? Sotheby's France auction house

How much ? €4.1 M

USEFUL INFO€144,750 Largesilver pot ladle byEdmée-PierreBalzac, Paris,1749-1750,l.41.8 cm. 506 g.

HD



Attributed to WeisweilerThis Parisian sale, on the 17th April, totalled €4,777,200 for 310 lots (Christie’s). One result in particular stood out:€1,162,600 for a pair of cabinets from circa 1780, which are attributed to Adam Weisweiler and demonstrate the resur-gence of the Louis XIV style during the mid to late 18th century. They are made from black wood and ebony veneer,with Boulle tortoise shell marquetry, brass and pewter decorated in gilded bronze and an embedded Breche-renderedmarble top (l. 75cm). These two pieces stand out as a result of their gilded bronze decoration, the doors decorated withthe figure of Ceres on the one and the figure of Pomona on the other. One side of each cabinet has a portrait of LouisXIV and the other has one of Louis XV. In the possession of the family of the Marquis Léonce de Vogüé (1805-1877),prior to this, they had most certainly belonged to the collection of Quentin de Craufurd (1743-1819). S. A.

HD



The name ‘Borghèse’ evokes a past as richas it was extravagant. These twenty lots,which came from Giovanna RuffiniBorgnini Valletti, the granddaughter ofScipion Borghèse and Théodora Martini,

sold for a total of €630,000. The portrait by GiovanniPiancastelli, which depicts Scipion’s brother Marcan-tonio V, exceeded its estimate and reached €146,875.Piancastelli was brought in to teach the children in thepainting how to draw, and to conduct the inventory ofthe family collections. In 1886, he was in charge of theirtransfer to the villa Pinciana and after the sale in 1902of a part of the estate, he became the first curator ofthe Borghèse Gallery in Rome. The “Portrait d’Adelaïdede la Rochefoucauld” from 1854, by Giovanni BattistaCanevari, went for €77,500. Remember that thisFrenchwoman, the mother of Scipion and Marcan-tonio, married the prince François AldobrandiniBorghèse. She was amongst the first “foreign ladies” tomarry into one of the greatest Italian families. The"Portrait of Guendaline Catherine Talbot" (1817-1840),

€146,875 Giovanni Piancastelli (1845-1926), "Portrait duprince Marc-Antoine Borghèse V"(1814-1886), c. 1880, oil on canvas, 90 x 55 cm.

Where ? Paris - Drouot - Room 1

When ? 13 April

Who ? Marc-Arthur Kohn auction house

How much ? €630,000

USEFUL INFOthe wife of Marcantonio, garnered €72,500, thehighest of its estimated price range. The quality of thiscanvas could well be compared to the works of Cane-vari, who, as we know, made several portraits of themembers of the family. Guendaline Talbot Borghèse,the daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury and Wexford,was famous the world over for her many good quali-ties, and particularly for her spirit of charity towardsthe poor. She died from cholera at the age of 23.

Sylvain Alliod

Borghèse family portraits


The Dotremont collection and others

€403,200 Hervé Télémaque(born 1937), “Portrait de famille”,oil on canvas from 1962, 195 x 260 cm.

1961, only nine of which have ever been put on sale.These works stand out as a result of their texture,sometimes smooth and uniform, other timesnuanced, as is the case with this picture. The artisthad learnt this gilding technique in 1949 and 1950 atRobert Sauvage, a frame maker’s in London. In 1957,he returned there in order to improve his skills. He used wooden panels upon which he would applygold using a pressure that would more or less retaintheir original square shape. In certain cases, the goldleaves would produce a faint outline like coins. ForKlein, gold is the material that leads to the immate-rial, its double aspect highlighting the promise ofeternity, which he represents as currency, and the

This contemporary collection totalled€4,841,350. The eighteen pieces from thecollection of Belgian businessmanPhilippe Dotremont (1898-1966) alonereached €3,171,620, a large part of this

total attributed to a reproduced Yves Klein Mono-gold numbered MG26 which went for €2,163,998,after being estimated at €1 million. This is a Frenchrecord for the artist and the piece was the first Mono-gold to have been auctioned in France. The interna-tional appetite for works by the star of New Realismis well known; many of them are therefore sold inother countries. Klein produced no more than forty-six Monogolds in various sizes between 1959 and


WORLD RECORD

HD



American”, is in a private collection, and the last wasdestroyed by the artist as a way of demonstrating hisbreak away from surrealism. “Portrait de famille”remains attached to this theme and is inspired by theFather Ubu figure in Alfred Jarry’s play. According toits creator, this family portrait shows a father who is“grotesque and cynical”. Sylvain Alliod

€2,163,998 Yves Klein (1928-1962), “Monogold sans titre”,(MG 26), circa 1960, gold leaf on panel, 51.5 x 44.8 cm.

FRENCH RECORD

Where ? Paris - Drouot - Room 1-7

When ? 4 April

Who ? Millon & Associates auction house

How much ? €4,841,350

USEFUL INFO

fact that he already possesses this eternity, as shownby the picture. In a conference given in 1959 at theSorbonne by the architect Werner Ruhnau - withwhom he worked on the “architecture of the air” - hedefined gold as both the means of accessing theabsolute and “returning to the body and the fluidwhich brings it to life - blood”. In the same year, hemade his first “immaterial pictorial sensitivity zones”;space sold for the price of twenty grams of gold, forwhich the buyer would receive an ownership certifi-cate, made and signed by the artist. The artist wouldthen throw the gold powder and the buyer had todestroy his receipt. These were art works in the formof ‘happenings’, though this picture is clearly not oneof those. It does still challenge the concept of a workof art and the value thereof, for with all costsincluded, he valued this one square centimetre ofgold at €937; a gram of gold was worth around €40on the market. Is art more expensive than gold? Inthe 14th century, Nicolas Flamel was attributed thecreation of the philosopher’s stone, and in the 20thcentury Yves Klein transformed art into gold (if notthe other way round). In the Dotremont collectionthere were other artists who reached totals beyondtheir estimated prices, such as Auguste Herbin,whose oil on canvas from 1951, “Non II”, trebled itsestimate by achieving €182,700. A unique paintedand enamelled piece of earthenware from 1945 byJoan Miró, estimated at €20,000, actually made€153,700.

Hervé Télémaque: a world recordApart from the Dotremont collection, there wereother notable results. In first place was a world record(source: Artnet) achieved by a Hervé Télémaquediptych oil on canvas from 1962 sold at €403,200. On the website huffingtonpost.fr, Alexia Guggémossays that this piece is one of the most well knownworks by the Franco-Haitian painter, reproduced inthe magazine "La Brèche". It was exhibited at Docu-menta in Kassel along with four works from theperiod 1962-1963, marking the beginning of his ‘pop’work. “My Darling Clementine” is kept at thePompidou Centre, “La Boîte d’allumettes” is kept atthe Hunterian Art Gallery, the third, “No title, the Ugly

GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL I N° 1460


Blanc de Chine Chinese Buddhist figures were not only incarnated in bronze,but also in porcelain – and with the same success: estimatedat €4,000, this immaculate Guanyin finally rose to €210,664 on4 April in Paris (Drouot - Beaussant - Lefèvre). Shown seated inlalitasana on a rock beside a book, the figure dates from thereign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722). It also bears twostamps, one of them meaning "may virtue reign over all, evensinners". Guanyin was the Chinese equivalent of Avalokites-vara, goddess of mercy and protector of children. She is oftendescribed as dressed in white, even though in ceramicsmany statuettes representing Buddha and other divini-ties or figures were produced in "blanc de Chine"(China White). This term applies to ceramicsproduced in the Dehua district in the provinceof Fujian, a region that contains a very purewhite clay known as "milk white". Ceramicproduction began during the 11thcentury in Dehua, and began speciali-sing in Buddhist subjects in the 13thcentury. In the 16th century, technicalimprovements enabled the productionof larger statuettes covered with athick ivory glaze.

Qianlong and BuddhismThe six-character stamp of the Qianlong Emperorfeatured on this bronze, representing GuhyasamajaAkshobhyavajra in yab-yum with his Sakti, was surely areason for the remarkable price of €272,624 it obtainedon 4 April in Paris (Drouot - Beaussant-Lefèvre), after anestimate of no more than €30,000. Qianlong's reign wasthe most brilliant of the Manchu Qing dynasty. Hestrongly proclaimed his Buddhist faith and his interest inits Tibetan aspect. We can of course appreciate the poli-tical expediency of this approach, which notably pleased

the Mongols. However, we can also discern a deeperpersonal investment, as witness the emperor's tomb, thesubject of a recent study by China and Tibet specialistFrançoise Wang. While the outside of the sepulchrerespects the traditional architecture of imperial Chinesemausoleums, the inscriptions ornamenting it give thewhole unit an unusually Buddhist character. These are inTibetan or "lantsa" characters. Their study has elucidateda number of themes, including a reference to Indo-Tibetan Buddhist funerary rites. Sylvain Alliod

N° 14 I GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL 61



Where ? Paris - Rossini Room

When ? 12 April

Who ? Rossini auction house. Mme Papillon d’Alton, Mr. Ansas

How much ? €1,115,280

USEFUL INFO

Stamps of the Qianlong Emperor

China, powder blue porcelain vase decorated withgold and panels of white porcelain, two withcalligraphy, Qianlong stamp of doubtfulauthenticity, h. 31.5 cm.

HDChina once more caused a sensation withthis little porcelain vase, which rocketedup to €1,115,280 after an extremelymodest estimate of no more than€2,000. It bears the stamps of the Qian-

long Emperor, described as having doubtful authenti-city. The vase stands out for both its shape and its poly-chrome decoration, and above all the presence of twocalligraphed poems. With regard to its possible imperialorigin, it will be remembered that Qianlong was a consi-derable scholar who composed poems and copiedsutras, as witness the album he calligraphed himself,which went for €1.7M at Drouot on 30 March. Qianlonghad a whole series of reference books executed listingall the Chinese skills: painting and calligraphy, books,bronzes and antique coins, ceramics, geography andtexts, whether historical, philosophical or literary. Thisvase falls into several of these categories: the arts ofporcelain, painting and poetry. Small wonder it soinspired the bidding! Sylvain Alliod




The landscape from St Petersburg to Rome

The calmest landscapes can arouse the live-liest passions, and this was proven by the€334,584 achieved, on 6 April to Paris (Jean-Marc Delvaux), by this oil on canvas byFeodor Matveff, a Russian painter whose

name was often erroneously spelt “Fedo Matveev”. Thisresult is the highest ever achieved by the artist on Artnet.Only four works by Matveff were actually sold: Sotheby’ssold one of his oil on panel paintings from 1821 for£44,450, bearing the signature of the artist but presentedas being from the Neapolitan School from the 19thcentury. It depicts a “View of the surroundings of Naples,with Mount Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri in the back-ground”. A painter of rare works, to whom the Tretiakov

Gallery dedicated an exhibition in 2008 to celebrate the250th anniversary of his birth, Matveev is considered tobe one of the precursors of the Russian landscape schoolof painting, along with Simon Shchedrin (1745-1804).Matveev was the son of a soldier and studied paintingbetween 1764 and 1778 at the Academy where hewithout doubt came into contact with Shchedrin. Hegraduated in 1779 and then left immediately for Rome,where he attended courses at the Fine Arts Academybefore starting on his own two feet. He spent most of histime in Italy, creating landscape descriptions of thepeninsula in a very classical vein. Matveev had withoutdoubt paid much attention to the works of NicolasPoussin, as demonstrated by this painting. S. A.

€334,584 Feodor Matveff(1758-1826),"Vue du CampoVaccino", 1816, oil on canvas,70.5 x 99 cm



dore in Jeanne Lanvin's collection, sold in December2008 at Drouot (Damien Libert auction house),shows decided artistic and social affinities.

Sylvain Alliod

€54,180 Theodore Stravinsky (1907-1989), "La Famille", oil on canvas 145 cm x 90 cm.

WORLD RECORD

Painted in Nice in 1928, this painting byTheodore Stravinsky, the eldest son ofIgor Stravinsky, achieved a world record.After their exile in Switzerland during theGreat War, the Stravinsky family settled

in France, where the young Theodore took lessonsfrom his father's friends. Derain taught him how tohandle a brush and Picasso how to use his eye, whiletwo Swiss painters, René Auberjenois and AlexandreCingria, set him on a path halfway between Classi-cism and Cubism, enabling him to find his own style.The composer likewise adopted a more classicalstyle in the Twenties, as can be seen in his Octet forwind instruments of 1923. After staying with CocoChanel in Garches, the Stravinskys lived between1924 and 1931 in Nice, where the climate was bene-ficial for the health of Igor's wife. This was where "LaFamille" was painted in 1928. A drawing by Theo-

A record for a quartet

Where ? Paris- Drouot - Room 7

When ? 20 April

Who ? Millon & Associés auction house. Mme Ritzenthaler

USEFUL INFO

The 21st April, in Villefranche-sur-Saône, this manuscriptgenerously surpassed its estimate of €11,000 (EnchèresRhône Alpes E.R.A.). This very rare piece had been in thelibrary of a keen collector of Orientalist works. Writtenwith fine humanitarian feeling, it narrates the pilgri-

mage to the Holy Land undertaken by Denis Possot, the parishpriest at Coulommiers, and continued by one of his companions,Charles Philippe de Champarmoy. The account of the journey wasprinted in Paris in 1536 by Regnault Chaudière, and reprinted in the19th century by Schefer. After leaving in the spring of 1532, thepilgrims travelled through Dijon, Lyon and Chambéry and reachedVenice, where they boarded a ship that was going to Cyprus. Fromthere, they stopped in Jaffa before carrying on to Jerusalem. Ontheir return, Possot unfortunately died in Candia from a contagiousdisease, taking half his companions with him. Charles Philippe, Lordof Champarmoy and Granchamp, a rich merchant from Lyon, thentook up the account of the pilgrimage; on the way back, hedescribes escaping from a Turkish squadron before reachingFrance. This manuscript, on the market for the first time, is accom-panied by a page with the note: “written and drafted by the Prior ofthe Franciscan monks of Beaune in the Franche-Comté”. It contains240 more pages than the two printed accounts. Like a diary, itrecalls day-to-day events and describes encounters, places, plantsand animals. This highly detailed manuscript provides valuableinformation on the art of travelling at the beginning of the 16thcentury. With assets like these, it fired museums, collectors and theinternational market with enthusiasm, finally going to the library ofa French buyer. Chantal Humbert


Pilgrimage to Jerusalem

€492,000 “Voyage en Terre sainte” (Journey to the Holy Land), 360-pagemanuscript, written in ink in 1532 and 1533 by a companion of Denis Possot duringhis journey to Jerusalem, format: in-quarto, unbound.

GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL I N° 1466

HD

N° 14 I GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL 67



Fabergé braceletThis gold and enamel rigid cuff bracelet, sold for €32,219

after a high estimate of €6,000 in a sale at Paris-Drouoton 18 April, bears witness to the House of Fabergé'swide-ranging sources of inspiration (Drouot-Estima-tions auction house). Here, taking neither the Europeof the Enlightenment nor traditional Russian art asreferences, the celebrated jeweller drew inspirationfrom the Eurasian steppes inhabited by Scythians.This bracelet was made in around 1900 in the jewel-ler's St Petersburg workshop, probably by Erik Kollin.

In the Pan-Russian exhibition of 1882 in Moscow,Fabergé had already presented a replica of a gold

bracelet from the fourth century BC, which was one ofthe Scythians' treasures. Some twenty years later, this

archaeological vein continued to be popular on the banksof the Neva.


Castelbajac's Order of Saint Alexandre NevskyDespite a solid estimate of between €80,000 and €120,000, there was a battle for this Knight of the Order of SaintAlexander Nevsky insignia right up to €198,272 at Paris-Drouot on 18 April (Beaussant – Lefèvre). The recipient wasBarthélemy Dominique Jacques Armand, Marquis de Castelbajac, Major General and diplomat. In 1849, he wasappointed Minister Plenipotentiary, then French Ambassador in Russia. This high dignitary did not succeed in avoidingthe Crimean War, which pitted Russia against the Ottoman Empire, France and Britain. Nevertheless, in February 1854,Nicolas I made him a Knight of the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky. The Tsar stipulated in the letter of appointmentaccompanying the jewel and the plaque sold that although Castelbajac's efforts had not been crowned with success,he very much wished "to acknowledge this, and offer conspicuous proof of my feelings of genuine esteem andfriendship for you"… Founded in 1725, with a single class, the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was the second highestRussian award, and much coveted. The Tsar used it with discretion, awarding it only on rare occasions, usually to diplo-mats he wished to honour. Sylvain Alliod



HD

LIEFERANT DES KÖNIGSHAUSES VON ITALIEN

AUKTIONSHAUS ANDREAS THIES EKSteingaustr. 18 • D-73230 Kirchheim unter Teck • GERMANY • Tel. +49 1 71 / 2 66 27 81 • Fax +49 70 21 / 48 40 52

E-Mail: [email protected] • www.andreas-thies.de

IMPORTANT SALE OF FINE ORDERS, MEDALS AND MILITARY ANTIQUES ON MAY 11, 2012 CATALOG € 60 OR FREE AT www.andreas-thies.de

Russia: Order of Saint Catherine Austria: Order of the Golden Vleece

Austria: Jewelled Badge of a Knight of the Teutonic Order

Persia: Aaftaab Order

Legion of Honour: 2nd Repubic Breast Star

Order of the Westphalian Crown, ca. 1810

France: Order of the Iron Crown, First Empire

French Napoleonic Red Lancers Czapska

Prussia: Gardes du Corps Offi cer‘s Helmet, 1809

Russia: St. George Bravery Sword Bavaria: „Hartschiere“ – Guard Helmet

Prussia: Gardes du Corps Offi cers Helmet, ca. 1900

Consignments are always invited!For confidential consignment inquiries, please feel free to contact us directly in Germany

or via one of our international representatives (pls. see below)!

Free consignment shipping to Germany – if delivered or sent to our location in Garden City Park, NY 11040 (10 miles east of JFK Airport)

Free shipping for any major consignment from the U.K.! You just pack – we do the rest!

Dance Organ by Decap(Estimate: € 5.000 – 8.000 / US$ 6,000 – 10,000)

Bavarian »Front Struggler« Wall Clock, c. 1740

(Estimate: € 2.000 – 2.500 /

US$ 2,600 – 3,200)

»Comtoise Clock« with Large Swiss

Musical Movement(Estimate: € 3.000 – 4.000 /

US$ 3,800 – 5,000)

Early Painted-Dial Iron Clock with Alarm, c. 1700(Estimate: € 2.000 – 3.000 /

US$ 2,500 – 4,000)

Rare Italian Iconic Motor Scooter by »Rumi Scoittalo«, 1953

(Estimate: € 4.000 – 6.000 / US$ 5,000 – 7,500)

Large Bavarian »Tower Clock« (approx. 3 m / 120 in. high)(Estimate: € 2.500 – 4.000 /

US$ 3,500 – 5,000)

Terrific Collection of »Gambling Machines«e.g. 'Jackpot Penny Ball Gum Vender', 1932,

and: 'Mills Silent War Eagle', 1931.

Deluxe Phonograph »Edison Opera«, 1911

(Estimate: US$ 5,000 – 6,500 / € 4.000 – 5.000)

Early Complete Surgical Trepanning Set, c. 1785

(Estimate: € 6.000 – 8.000 / US$ 7,500 – 10,000)

Original American Casino Slot Machines, c. 1950Life-size vulcanized rubber figures: 'Bandit' (1,78 m / 70 in.) and 'Sheriff' (1,70 m / 69 in.), with 'Mills High

Top' slot machines. – Top condition!(Estimate: € 15.000 – 20.000 / US$ 20,000 – 26,000 / each)

»Olivetti M1«, 1911Exceptional rare 1st model!(Estimate: € 5.000 – 8.000 /

US$ 6,500 – 10,000)

Working Model »The Eng-lish Execution«, c. 1928

Coin-operated automaton, the picture signed H. Taylor, 1928(Estimate: € 7.000 – 10.000 /

US$ 9,000 – 13,000)

Excellent Collection of Early »Locks«, 16 – 19th Century

Fine English Chiming Bracket Clock with 8 Bells and 5 Spiral Gongs

(Estimate: € 2.800 – 3.500 / US$ 3,500 – 4,500)

Gramophone with SpectacularIlluminated Mirror Front, c. 1920

Extraordinarily rare!(Estimate: US$ 5,000 – 8,000 /

€ 4.000 – 6.000)

Legendary Cipher Machine »Enigma«,

c. 1938Fully working model

which influenced WWII so dramatically!

(Estimate: € 15.000 – 25.000 / US$

20,000 – 30 ,000)

Attractive Life-Sized Hollywood Decoration Figures: »Charlie Chaplin«, »Marilyn Monroe«, »Humphrey Bogart«, »Groucho Marx« as a Golf Player, etc.

(Estimate: € 500 – 800 / US$ 600 – 1,000 / each)

Fine Silver-gilt Singing Bird Automaton by Bruguier, c. 1835

Superb collector's item. (Estimate: US$ 22,000 – 32,000 / € 18.000 – 25.000)

»Hammonia«, 1882First German typewriter. Giant rarity!

(Estimate: € 10.000 – 15.000 / US$ 13,000 – 18,000)

The Sensational Model Railway by Swiss Josué Droz, 1920

Entirely handmade unique specimen: 3 locomotives, 30 passenger and freight cars, main station and freight depot, signal tower, engine house, platforms, bridge, turntable, tracks and overhead wires (400 m/1,300 ft.

each), switches, signals, transformer etc. – all handmade in 18,000 working hours over 12 years! – Total area of layout: 6 x 16 meter = 96 m²,

or 1,033 sq. feet (!). (Estimate: € 50.000 – 100.000 / US$ 65,000 – 130,000)

Original Mechanical Window Displays by Steiff

Several different large automata (up to 1,80 meter / 70 in. high)

(Estimate: € 1.200 – 2.500 / US$ 1,500 – 3,500)

Superbly decorative Gramophone

w./ »Pathé-Soundbox«(Estimate: US$ 2,000 – 3,000 /

€ 1.500 – 2.500)

Fine Musical Gold Vinaigrette, c. 1810

A spectacular objet de vertu. (Estimate: US$ 15,000 – 20,000 /

€ 12.000 – 15.000)

Unusual Ballroom Gramophone, c. 1920(Estimate: US$ 2,000 – 3,000 / € 1.500 – 2.500)

Piano-Orchestrion »J. Klepetar, Prague«, c. 1900

2 wooden barrels with 8 tunes each. (Estimate: US$ 6,500 – 10,000 /

€ 5.000 – 8.000)

The Specialists in »Technical Antiques & Fine Toys«P.O. Box 50 11 19, 50971 Koeln/Germany · Tel.: +49/2236/38 43 40 · Fax: +49/2236/38 43 430

Otto-Hahn-Str. 10, 50997 Koeln (Godorf)/Germany · e-mail: [email protected] · Business hours: Tue – Fri 9 am – 5 pm

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT OUR INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES:England: Tel: (07779) 637317 * Brian Chesters, Tel. 07970-004774 or: 01253-640843 * [email protected]

U.S.A.: Lee Richmond, Tel. (703) 796-5544 * Fax (703) 766-0966 * [email protected]: Murakami Taizo, Tel./Fax (06) 6845-8628 * [email protected]

Australia & New Zealand: Dieter Bardenheier, Tel./Fax -/64/(09) 817-7268 * [email protected]: Jiang Feng, Tel. (0086) 13862062075 * [email protected]

France: Pierre J. Bickart, Tel. (01) 43 33 86 71 * [email protected]: Polyguide Ltd. Moscow, Tel. (925) 740-66-03, Tel/Fax (985) 999-93-55, [email protected]

Barrel Organ »H. Pettersen, Copenhagen«, c. 1910

Excellent working condition. (Estimate: US$ 5,000 – 8,000 / € 4.000 – 6.000)

Welcome to our 121st Specialist Auction!The No. 1 in »Technical Antiques«:

Specialty Auctions

»Office Antiques«»Science & Technology«»Fine Toys & Automata«

26 May 2012

»Cavallino Rampante«, the Full-Sized Wooden Trademark of Ferrari, Maranello, Modena, Italy – A giant rarity

in this size!(Estimate: € 6.000 – 9.000 /

US$ 7,500 – 10,000)

Swiss Pocket Watch w./Musical Movement, c. 1900

Estimate: US$ 1,500 – 2,500 / € 1.200 – 1.800

Large Singing Bird Automaton with Silver Cage

(Estimate: € 3.200 – 4.000 / US$ 4,000 – 5,000)

For more information please visit from end of April 2012 our website: www.Breker.com/New Highlights, and YouTube.com: Auction Team Breker

Fully illustrated bilingual (Engl.-German) COLOUR Catalogue available against prepayment only: Euro 28.– (Europe) or Euro 39.– (approx. US$ 55.– / Overseas)

(Bank draft, cash or by Credit Card with CVV and expiry date: Mastercard/Visa/AmEx)

Astronomical Nautical Compass, c. 1860

Made by 'Lilley & Son, London'. 12 ½ in high.

(Estimate: € 1.500 – 2.500 / US$ 1,800 – 3,000)

Large Domed Singing Bird Automaton, c. 1900

(Estimate: US$ 2,600 – 4,000 / € 2.000 – 3.000)

Coin-Operated ScalesSeveral models, e.g. by National Novelty Co.

('Lollipop-style'), c. 1905(Estimate: € 1.000 – 3.000 /

US$ 1,300 – 4,000)

»Burrel Traction Engine«, 1920Working ¼ scale model, very detailed.

(Estimate: € 8.000 – 10.000 / US$ 10,000 – 13,000)

Limousine »Karl Bub, Nuremberg (No. 1273)«

54 cm / 21 in. long! One of the largest tin toy cars ever made.

(Estimate: € 4.500 – 7.000 / US$ 6,000 – 9,000)

AUCTION TEAM BREKER

Gustave Vichy: Monkey Marquis Harpist, c. 1880Musical automaton in superb all original condition, 19 in. (48 cm) high.(Estimate: € 3.000 – 5.000 / US$ 4,000 – 6,500)

Juke-Box »Wurlitzer 1080 (Colonial)«, 1947

One of the nicest juke box designs ever.(Estimate: € 10.000 – 12.000 /

US$ 13,000 – 15,000)

Steam Locomotive »Märklin Nr. 1020 (0 Gauge)«, 1895

Early, hand-painted! 12,5 cm / 31 1⁄3 in. long.(Estimate: € 2.000 – 2.500 / US$ 2,600 – 3,200)

Extensive Collection of classical »Pharmaceutical

& Medical Collector's Items«, 17 – 19th century

»De Dion: Vis-à-Vis« by Jouet Français,

Paris, c. 190024 cm / 9 ½ in. long.

Black Forest Flute Clock w./Automata, c. 1820

(Estimate: US$ 5,500 – 7,500 / € 4.500 – 6.000)

Extraordinary Phalibois Automaton »Dancer on

a Chair«, c. 1890With 'stereo' musical accompaniment. –

(Estimate: € 20.000 – 30.000 / US$ 25,000 – 40,000)

THE MAGAZINE AUCTION RESULTS INTERNATIONAL

Where ? Hong Kong

When ? 4 April

Who ? Sotheby’s

How much ? HK$1.2 billion

USEFUL INFO

World record for a Song ceramic

period, a yellow-glazed bowl went for HK$26.9 M. Theday ended with two collections; the first formed thesixth catalogue of a seemingly inexhaustible assort-ment of scholarly items, including a bamboo brush potfrom the late 17th century (HK$4.8 M), this bronzeincense-burner from the Chenghua period (HK$4.2 M)and at HK$3 M, an early Qing jade paperweight in theshape of a duck, formerly in the George Bloch collec-tion. In the same spirit of the first, the second collec-

tion revealed a reticulated jade plaque from theSong period, which obliterated its modest esti-mate when it soared to HK$3 M. The appetite ofChinese enthusiasts for objects reflecting theage and excellence of their civilisation seems as

insatiable as ever… Xavier Narbaïts

HK$ 207,860,000 An Ru Guanyao lobed brush washer,Northern Song dynasty.

WORLD RECORD FOR A SONG CERAMIC

These four sales of Chinese works of art tookplace on the same day in Hong Kong, total-ling some HK$1.2 billion: half the overallresult of a well-filled session that alsoincluded jewellery and modern and

contemporary art from south-east Asia and China.That day, the star was a celadon ceramic bowl from theSong period. Formerly in the Clark collection in Japan,it largely exceeded all hopes when it fetched HK$207.86 M (around US$ 26.5 M - triple its estimate): anout-and-out record for a piece from this period. In thethird part of the sale, more ceramics were dispersed,this time from the Meiyintang collection. A Xuandebowl 15 cm in diameter may not have been the mostspectacular item in the catalogue, but its great age, theperfection of its proportions and the quality of its deco-ration (two dragons on a background of waves) meantthat it achieved the top price in the sale, HK$112.7 M.Meanwhile, far from such heights but from the same

HD


AUCTION RESULTS INTERNATIONAL THE MAGAZINE

Bréal’s Silver CupThis historic ‘Bréal’s Silver Cup’, awarded to the winnerof the first ever modern Olympic Marathon race in1896, achieved an astounding €655,454 at Christie’s,South Kensington on 18th April. This broke the worldrecord price for Olympic memorabilia sold at auction. Itwas put on sale by the grandson and namesake of thecup’s winner, Spyro Louis. After a heated contest atauction, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation finallycarried off the tiny cup, which stands a mere 15 cmhigh. The organisation has said that it will remain inGreece and will be suitably displayed in the Founda-tion’s upcoming Cultural Centre. Other highlights fromthe sale included a vintage advertisement poster fortransport to the first Olympics in London, which wentfor €18,373, and an Olympic torch from the 1948London games, which achieved €7,655. John Price

HD


MAGAZINE

THE MAGAZINE NEWS


The Palais de Tokyo reopens

which only a month from the pre-opening was atangled mass of scaffolding. Before enjoying varyingfortunes, from 1937 this "huge fallow plot" housed theMusée National d’Art Moderne, which hosted artists ofthe time like Picasso, Matisse and Brancusi. The buildinghas thus rediscovered its vocation: living art. Its missionis to promote creation by all generations in France, "fromJulio Le Parc, 82, to Benoît Pype, 28, not forgetting artistsin mid-career who need a helping hand onto the inter-national stage," says the director. After work by the archi-tects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, who hadrenovated the first part of the building in 1990, thevenue, with its extensive loft-style perspectives, theatre,four cinemas and numerous nooks and crannies, hasretained the non finito aspect of a space that is "frugal,and thus inventive", says Jean de Loisy. One of the aimsis for "life to really develop here", he says. You can havelunch in one of the two restaurants, have a drink orwatch a fashion show. "No specific territories have been allocated. The place can be constantly adapted accor-ding to the artists. It's a matter of inventing new exhibi-tion principles," he continues. The real programme ofthe Palais de Tokyo will kick in after the ContemporaryArt Triennial taking place there until 26 August, whichwill even spill over into the neighbouring areas andsuburbs. In September, the Palais will be staging athemed exhibition entitled "Détours de l’imaginaire".Three monographic exhibitions are also scheduled, onedevoted to Fabrice Hyber. The "Modules" of the PierreBergé/Yves Saint Laurent Foundation, a kind of creativespawning ground, will host twenty-five young artistseach year. After this running-in period, an experimentalprogramme will be launched in June 2013 entrustingthe entire Palais to around fifteen young curators from

On 12 and 13 April, Paris's huge futurecontemporary art venue opened its22,000 m2 for a preview. We talk to itsdirector Jean de Loisy. "This is a greatopportunity for artists: it will be the

biggest art centre in Europe," says Jean de Loisy, the newdirector of the Palais de Tokyo, who took over theproject last June when Olivier Kaeppelin resigned. Anindependent exhibition commissioner and formercurator at Beaubourg, this dynamic fifty-year-old hasbeen turning his hand to everything in this huge project,

Jean de Loisyat the Palais deTokyo during therenovation work.

© B

ertr

and

Gua

y/A

FP

within and outside France, whose brief will be to intro-duce new talents to us. In September and October 2013,carte blanche will be given to a major French artist(whose identity remains secret for the moment) throu-ghout the Palais. Then, artists from the world of film,theatre and fashion will be invited to discuss new exhibi-tion principles. Another example of the opennessmentioned by Jean de Loisy is the arrival of the Berlingroup "Forgotten Bar", who for three months will beoffering a different exhibition each day of artists living inFrance. At the same time, works by major emergingfigures and creators will be installed for around a year atthe Palais, to create "slowness", as the director puts it, "incounterpoint to the succession of 30 to 40 artists". In hisview, it's a question of avoiding "conventional exhibitionprogrammes conceived as boxes to be filled in, and

NEWS THE MAGAZINE


HD

In figuresThe Palais de Tokyo has a budget of €13 million. The Ministry of Culture provides half. The remaining 50% is therefore self-financed. Tough but possible, says Jean de Loisy, who is banking on 500,000 visitors each year. Ambitious!

Peter Buggenhout (b. 1963), "On theMetaphor of Grow", Ausstellungsansicht,Frankfurter Kunstverein, 2011.

© F

rank

furt

er K

unst

vere

in. C

ourt

esy

of G

aler

ie L

aure

nt G

odin

, Par

is, a

nd K

onra

d Fi

sche

r Gal

erie

, Ber

lin. N

orbe

rt M

igul

etz

THE MAGAZINE NEWS


symbolic value will certainly be the major exhibitionplanned at the Louvre in 2014, "in every room in themuseum", he says, to illustrate the scope of the project.Based on an idea of Jacques Attali's, "the history of thefuture", this will demonstrate how artists of yesteryearand the present day see the future. As the director of thePalais explains, "It consists of breaking down the artificialbarrier that exists between the past and the present."Jean de Loisy has also announced an exhibition with theMusée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 2015; andthanks to a renewed agreement, intelligent coordina-tion has been set up with the Centre Pompidou: "Whenwe present Julio Le Parc, it will exhibit Soto; when we put the spotlight on Parreno, they will focus onHuyghe." However, the Palais de Tokyo will be careful toavoid an exclusive focus on the French capital andintends, as its director promises, "to be a bridgehead tothe regions." In September 2013, an exhibition isprogrammed with France's twenty-two FRACs (regionalcontemporary art funds). Art schools will also benefitfrom the spotlight in 2012, firstly with the restorationdepartment of the Avignon Beaux-arts School, poeti-cally dubbed the "Consolation of objects". In collabora-tion with Lyon, this will also involve the launch of anaward to be staged every year with an art school. Therewill also be a very hands-on presence in the regions withthe various Palais de Tokyo curators, christened"workshop plunderers" by their President, who will goand visit artists all over France in liaison with the FRACsand art centres. Last but not least, and this is completelynew, those considered "singular"… As we see, thesebridges are highly topical. Furthermore, Jean de Loisyhas blithely crossed the one leading to the Musée duQuai Branly on the other side of the Seine, where he iscurator of the exhibition "Les Maîtres du désordre"running from 11 April to 29 July, where ethnologicalobjects rub shoulders with contemporary works of art."It's fascinating to see how shamanistic objects have aneffect on the people who look at them: they are activeobjects that affect us psychically,' he says. He considersthat "today, artists are anthropologists who study ourcollective situation." An argument that does notpreclude a certain element of respect: "In fact, the realbridges are the artists." Molly Minewww.palaisdetokyo.com

promoting a way of living with art". He feels that"contemporary art ought to have a real place in our lives,even to the extent that it bothers us. It does not have adecorative purpose; it ought to liven us up, in the realmeaning of the word, and give us a soul." Unlike thosewho think that French artists are not very visible on theglobal stage, Jean de Loisy thinks positively, emphasi-sing that four generations are now present at the sametime. He lists them: "One: Morellet and Le Parc; two:Boltanski and Buren; three: Huyghe, Parreno, Foster andHyber; four: Tatiana Trouvé and Cyprien Gaillard. Thishasn't happened for fifty years." He adds that it is time to"increase our attention to French artists". The Parisianstructure is also invited to create exhibitions abroad. Forexample, next December, Marc-Olivier Wahler will bethe curator for a presentation of the French scene in LosAngeles. No turning in on itself: every three months, thePalais de Tokyo plans to invite foreign emerging artists,including Damir Ocko from Croatia and Ryan Ganderfrom Britain in September. The Pavillon's action will bemaintained, with a residence for ten artists and twocurators, who will be taking a close look at France. At thesame time, Jean de Loisy aims to develop synergiesthroughout France. One event with considerable

Maxime Rossi (b. 1980), "Soft Soto", 2011.

© C

ourt

esy

of th

e ar

tist

W

NEWS THE MAGAZINE


Ulla von Brandenburg (b. 1974),"Curtain", 2007, at the exhibition "The World as a Stage", ICA, Boston, 2008.

© C

ourt

esy

of G

aler

ie a

rt: c

once

pt, P

aris

THE MAGAZINE DESIGN


Lacloche gallery a groundbreaking experiment

raised his awareness of the relationship between thearts, architecture and useful objects, a theme thatFrançois Mathey, the head curator at the Musée desArts Décoratifs in Paris, probed in 1962 with "Anta-gonisms 2, the Object", which followed the contro-versial 1960 contemporary painting show "Antago-nisms". Its intention was to celebrate "a renaissanceof forms" corresponding to a "new art of living" andmaking a total break with the postwar Good Designtrends. Mathey brought together a veritable jumbleof furniture, objects, jewellery, dresses, etc., somebelonging to artists, and added original creationssuch as César's famous television and Brô's whim-sical, highly unorthodox secretary. This was lightyears away from the curator's 1963 "IndustrialForms" show.With his ready-mades, Marcel Duchamp turnedindustrial products into artworks. Soon afterwards,at the beginning of the 1960s, the New Realistspondered the relationship between artist andobject. Later, Pierre Restany conceptualised "objects-plus" -everyday objects cum art works. Breakingdown the walls between disciplines was becomingmore popular. In 1961 sculptor Philippe Hiquilymade his first pieces of furniture. Three years laterJeannine de Goldschmidt’s Saint-Germain-des-Présgallery showed François-Xavier Lalanne's Rhino-cretary, followed in 1965 by his first sheep benches.The same year, Jacques Lacloche went even furtherby using his gallery to host a total experimental inte-gration of the arts. Ragon curated a "Furnished PlaceVendôme Studio " entirely created by paintersJames Guitet and Nikos, seconded by sculptors PolBury, Louis Chavignier, Jürgen Schneyder, Kosice

An October 1969 article by Doris Herzigin New York's Newsday began with theheadline "Frenchman Starts DesignRevolution". Instead of a frenziedyoung man raising a clenched fist and

condemning bourgeois society, the picture illustra-ting the story showed a respectable-looking, quietlyseated 68-year-old gentleman in a suit and tienamed Jacques Lacloche. But the chair looks muchless classic. It belongs to the "Module 400" seriesdesigned by Roger Tallon. A pivoting, one-leggedbase, polished aluminium and industrial foamrubber with the sweet-sounding name of "spaz-molla" were part of the revolution the headlineheralded. It occurred on the Left Bank, of course, buton rue de Grenelle instead of the Latin Quarter. In1967 Lacloche, the latest in a long line of jewellerswith a shop in Place Vendôme since 1875, left thatvery elitist address for 24 rue de Grenelle. In the1950s he became interested in contemporary art,particularly abstract work by Polish artists. InDecember 1959, he took a big step and turned thefirst floor of his jewellery into a gallery to exhibitworks by Jan Lebenstein, Petlevski, Gieriowski andothers. Michel Ragon, then a critic at Arts, frequentlyvisited and became friends with Lacloche, who

READING“Hommage à la galerie Lacloche, de Marc du Plantier à Roger Tallon. Designdes années 60-70”, catalogue published for the February 2012 Sotheby’sexhibition at the Charpentier Gallery in Paris. Price: €15.

DESIGN THE MAGAZINE


HD

Made by the Galerie Lacloche, RogerTallon, "Module 400", ca. 1966, helical staircase, tables and chairs inpolished aluminium, and glasses by the designer for Daum.

DR

THE MAGAZINE DESIGN


became a producer, seeking out workshops able tomeet artists and designers' requirements at a mode-rate cost, for there was never any question ofmaking deluxe editions for a well-heeled clientele.That accounts for the gallery's move across theSeine to the Left Bank. A Module 400 chair cost 420francs (around €460 in today's money), the Elephantchair just 1,000 francs (around €1,100 in today'smoney) - much less than the prices gallery owners,for whom Lacloche paved the way, currently chargefor limited series by contemporary designers. Thespeciality house Florent Jeanniard, responsible for aSotheby’s exhibition in homage to the gallery inFebruary, picked up the jeweller's spirit thatLacloche kept for the packaging, "veritable box-settings for jewels". The producer also became adistributor. The non-exhaustive list of items heoffered includes tables by Marie-Claude deFouquières, Nicolas Schaefer's "Lumino" and theA.J.S. Aérolande group's inflatable furniture.Lacloche also designed furniture in glass and Altu-glas, such as the coffee table featured at the 1966show with Philolaos' vessels on it. He took part in the46th Salon des Arts Décoratifs in 1968, organised a1969 show based on the theme of space and lightand opened a gallery in New York's Macy’s depart-ment store the same year. In 1974 Francis Laclochejoined his father, pursuing the production policy,devoting one-man shows to four artists - GeorgesJeanclos, Sacha Ketoff, Max Wimmer et MichelGérard - and holding group shows based on thethemes "The Portrait" and "Fear". The adventureended in 1982 as a new design era dawned.

Sylvain Alliod

and Tloupas Philolaos. Guitet, for example, made apainting-relief-bookcase that attracted a lot of atten-tion. Mathey came running. In 1966 the catalogue ofthe gallery's new show announced: "FrançoisMathey and Michel Ragon present 'The object 2, forcontemporary furniture', with the kind collaborationof Baroness Élie de Rothschild." The kinship with theMusée des Arts Décoratifs show was clear. So wasthe point of the exhibition, which Ragon summedup as: "Offering the public objects directly designedby contemporary artists, and not objects based oncontemporary art and crafted by decorators." Philo-laos designed spice boxes and bottles, AliciaPenalba an hors-d’œuvre dish, Caroline Lee a make-up lamp, Martine Boileau a table and a "dervish tray",Alicia Moï glasses, Philippe Hiquily a table, and so on.The most emblematic pieces were Rancillac'sElephant wing chair and the "Module 400" seriesthat Tallon had originally designed for a nightclub.The decorator Marc du Plantier, who designed metaland Altuglas chairs, and Georges Patrix were theonly exceptions to the "all-artist" rule. Lacloche then

Made by the Galerie Lacloche, glass and metaltable by Philippe Hiquily (born 1925), ca. 1967,with an aluminium hors-d’œuvre dish by AliciaPenalba (1913-1982), ca. 1967, "Module 400" bookcase by Roger Tallon, 1966,with stainless steel spice boxes by TloupasPhilolaos (1923-2010) on its shelves.

DR

NEWS IN BRIEF THE MAGAZINE


Jean Girel revisits Chinese ceramicsJean Girel is one of the great masters of contemporary ceramics, acclaimed far beyond his native country, France. The National Palace Museum of Taipei in Taiwan has dedicated a gallery to him. The artist's work carries on directlyfrom those who rediscovered ancestral ceramic techniques, thanks to Art Nouveau. His own creations evoke the refine-ment of the Song dynasty. Maison Gérard, in collaboration with the Galerie Arcanes in Paris, is now exhibiting piecesfrom the "Bestiary", "Bird" and "Landscape" series, the latter inspired by Joachim Patinir's poetic paintings from theRenaissance. To be contemplated without moderation… Sylvain Alliod

Until 24 May, "Jean Girel: ceramics", Maison Gérard, 43 & 53 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003. www.maisongerard.com

HD

W

© J

oshu

a D

alsi

mer

THE MAGAZINE THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW


Artemisia Gentileschi

Behind their curiosity, perhaps your contempora-ries are frightened of you, aren't they?(Appalled.) "Behind their curiosity." What do you think Iam, a freak, a fair-ground attraction or something? I'mthe cheekiest artist you'll find from miles around. Sincepeople always look at me with a mocking gleam intheir eye anyway, why not be as provocative as I can,painting what all those men wouldn't dare to, even intheir wildest dreams? Beheadings turn their stomachsand the expressive force of a vengeful look disturbsthem. They think I'm Judith and they're scared of beingHolofernes! (Laughs). So, yes, I think they're afraid ofme. But it serves them right!

You mentioned your father, Orazio. Tell us a littlemore about him. An outstanding painter, an outstanding father and an outs-tanding man. He taught my brothers and I how to draw inhis studio. I started at a time when he was really working inthe vein of Caravaggio, and of course that rubbed off onme, but I added a more personal touch to that very realisticworld. I've always had a more naturalistic style, like Anni-bale Carraci. (Reflecting). Yes, I hold the Bolognese schoolin high regard (Cheerful). A visionary man who paints is inturn a good painter. My father was one of them, and hegave me support, come hell or high water. Even nowadays,very few people think a woman can do intelligent work.And yet, where do you think the popular expression "tosleep on it" comes from, for example? Because at night awoman whispers advice into her man's ear that helps himlive his own life (energetic and forceful). Look, let's notdwell on this matter forever; put down something like,'Thanks to her tenacity and relentless work she wonrespect and esteem, etc.' and that'll be just fine!

TO SEE"Artemisia (1593-1654), The Power, Glory and Passions of a Female Painter",musée Maillol-Dina Vierny Foundation, Paris - Until 15 July.www.museemaillol.com

W

Naples, 1649. We caught up with the headstrong artist inthe studio where she has been working for several weeks.

La Gazette Drouot: You're the third female artist,after Madame Grès and Sophie Calle, to participatein our imaginary interviews. Why do woman artistsget such short shrift?Artemisia Gentileschi: You tell me! I feel we deservetwice as much recognition for what we do. I've neverheard of Madame Grèce or Sophie what's-her-name,but I'm sure your magazine has featured less deservingmale artists. Give me two or three names and I'll tellyou what they're worth.

I have a short memory. Let's move on, if you don’t mind. That's it, dodge the question to hide your shame! Youknow as well as I do that our century keeps womendown and in the kitchen! So imagine a female painterlike me breaking into the all-male art community.Goodness knows how much perseverance I needed tobe the first woman admitted to the Florence Academyof Design. (Pensive) I wasn't lucky enough, like myfather, to know Caravaggio, but my painting owes hima great deal. Although he was never attracted towomen I know that the sight of an extraordinary pain-ting could send him into flights of inner ecstasywithout his caring about who painted it.

THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW THE MAGAZINE


© C

urtis

Gal

lerie

s, M

inne

apol

is, M

inne

sota

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654),"Autoportrait au luth" c.1615-1619,oil on canvas, 65.5 x 50.2 cm.

HD

THE MAGAZINE THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW


Artemisia Gentileschi,“Giuditta e la fantescaAbra con la testa diOloferne”, 1617-18, oil on canvas,114 x 93.5 cm, Florence,Galleria Palatina.

© S

tudi

o Fo

togr

afic

o Pe

rott

i, M

ilano

/Su

conc

essi

one

del M

inis

tero

per

i Be

ni e

le A

ttiv

ità C

ultu

rali

THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW THE MAGAZINE


Artemisia Gentileschi, “Judith and Holofernes”, c1612, oil on canvas, 159 x 126 cm. Naples, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte.

© F

otot

eca

Sopr

inte

nden

za p

er il

PSA

E e

per i

l Pol

o m

usea

le d

ella

citt

à di

Nap

oli

Thanks for the advice. Your maidservant warnedme when I came in and yet, I'm dying to ask you aquestion. Don't bother, I already know what it is. I hope this satisfiesyour colleagues' curiosity and that they stop botheringme about this. Since I'm not the one who should feelguilty, I talk freely about the matter without beatingabout the bush, although that took some time. Yes, I wasraped. By a painter, Agostino Tassi, who was my mentorand was supposed to marry me, against my will of course.But he backed out. My father sided with me and broughtcharges against him. I'll spare you the details (bitter). In theend the brave man was sentenced to just a year in prison,which of course he never served. There, now you knowthe whole story. Can we talk about something else now?

About cheerier things, like your arrival in Florence For example! A little while later they found me a moresuitable mate. As time went by I think I even came tolove him. Ah, Florence is so different from Rome, whereI grew up. Real connoisseurs, like the Medici, placedtheir trust in me. That's worth all the gold in the worldand gives you a strength you never knew you had. I was 21 and the world was mine.

Then why did you go back to Rome six years later? Circumstances, my children, my father… Sometimesthings take off and you don't really know why. But I'vestill got strong ties with Tuscany. I also kept up an episto-lary relationship with that big brain Galileo. Meanwhile,my style changed and increasingly came out from under(looking for her words) 'caravaggist' influences, if you'llexcuse the neologism. As time went on I had the chanceto discover the works of Simon Vouet and Pietro daCortone. And then don't forget about Naples, nine yearslater, a city of real art lovers. I got some really nicecommissions there. It was a new life for me, when I couldat last take time out to enjoy family life while continuingto do beautiful projects, such as decorating the cathe-dral, which helped me expand my imagination.

Like Van Dyck, you went to London to serve CharlesI of England. Wrong! I went there to join my father, who was a painterat the court. (Laughing). I just tagged along! But he

asked me to work with him on the commissions the kinghad asked him to do, so you might say I played a bit partin that great privilege. Later I heard that the kingacquired some of my works, but I don't know any morethan that.

What would you like to be remembered for fivecenturies from now? (Caught off guard) Now there's a question that'soriginal and complex at the same time (pensive). Ifghosts exist, I'd like to haunt some of the places thatshow my work to eavesdrop on what people say aboutthem. I'd like to hear how surprised they are that such acandid hand as mine could paint such bloody scenes.You've got to be a bit cheeky to be a female painter inthe 17th century, don't you think? You've got to denythe impossible, sail over the horizon, get off the beatentrack, shrug off scorn as if it were nothing. Realfreedom is that which you take, not which you beg for.

Interview by Dimitri Joannidès

THE MAGAZINE THEMA


The rating of Artemisia Gentileschi

€216,860 Attributed to Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654), "The Death of Lucretia", oil on canvas, 93 x 94.5 cm. Paris, 26 June 2009, Piasa auction house. Cabinet Turquin.

For Francesco Solinas, joint director with Roberto Contini of the essential catalogue for the Artémisia Gentileschi exhibition at the MuséeMaillol à Paris, the artist, the greatest of women painters, initiated a new genre focused on the image of strong, beautiful, virtuouswomen from Biblical stories, Bathsheba and Lucretia, to whom the artist readily lent her features. Collected by major figures of her time,including Cosimo II of Florence and Prince Don Antonio Ruffo, her paintings sold for considerable sums. Today, the artist's standing stillsuffers from the problematic question of attribution. But the exhibition, first staged in Milan, has led to the discovery of several previouslyunknown pictures in private collections. The market moved into action, culminating today in the £419,500 obtained for a portrait of awoman playing the lute, possibly a self-portrait, sold in 1999 (Sotheby's): a long way behind the prices of paintings by her father Orazio…Gender equality was not yet the rule! However, time is working in favour of Artemisia's output, and the eminent Francesco Solinaspredicts that her rating will unquestionably rise. Stéphanie Perris-Delmas

THEMA THE MAGAZINE


€216,750 Artemisia Gentileschi, "Betsabea al bagno", oil on canvas, 288 x 228 cm.

Milan, 14 June 2011. Sotheby's auction house.

€76,880 Artemisia Gentileschi, "Allegoria dell'Astronomia", oil oncanvas 97.5 x 72.5 cm. Rome, 12 June 2008. Bloomsbury Auctions.

€34,000 Attributed to Artemisia Gentileschi, "Bildnis der HeiligenKatharina", oil on canvas, 76 x 67 cm. Munich, 3 December 2010.Hampel Fine Art Auctions.

€121,135 Artemisia Gentileschi, "Virgin and Child", oil on canvas, 116 x 89.5 cm.Paris, 26 February 2010, Catherine Charbonneauxauction house. Mr. Dubois.

THE MAGAZINE INSIDE THE MUSEUM


heavens and blessed lands called “dongtian fudi”were parallel worlds on or inside the Earth where theimmortals lived and harmony reigned. This is some ofthe background that nurtured the scholars' imagina-tions. In addition, the rock, like the mountain, wasconsidered a witness to the forces that created theever-changing universe, and their caves werethought of as the vehicles of the life force. The firststones collected came from Lake Taihu near the cityof Suzhou, but soon China's outstanding geologicalwealth in various rocks, including many differentkinds of limestone, opened up new prospects. Thefirst work on the topic, Yunlin Shipu (Compendium ofStones from the Cloud Forest), compiled in the 12thcentury, listed over a hundred, but in fact collectorswere always interested in the same five or six kinds ofstones, with a few additions for a more colourfulrange in the last Qing dynasty. The show echoes thatselection, which, with a few rare exceptions, empha-sizes the three main genres: Taihu, Lingbi and Ying.Almost all the stones on display at the Musée Guimetare from a single collection that a contemporaryChinese scholar, Zeng Xiaojun, passionately put toge-ther over the years, just as his forerunners did in thepast. He did not focus on a single category of itemsbut collected various objects, the Chinese scholar'sparaphernalia. We cannot reasonably date the rocks,which naturally express their geological age, butpetromaniacs - for that is how the texts and poems

It seems that works from China, especially anythingbearing the Manchu stamp, are in vogue thesedays. But there is another China, which has alwayskept itself aloof from the dusty world. This showfocuses on the China of scholars and their rela-

tionship to the wonders of nature. Among them,rocks have a unique place because they possess a rawquality prized by minds familiar with Taoist philo-sophy and are invested with a tremendous dream-creating power. First, by virtue of the Chinese beliefthat there is a natural link between the macrocosmand microcosm, they came to represent the world ofimmortals. That development occurred between the third and second century, when the Chineseimagined that world as a group of mountain-islandsin the middle of the sea. A little later the rock, a minia-ture mountain, appeared in gardens. There was just asmall step from there to the studio, and it was quicklytaken. All artists had to do was to find a smaller rockbut one that still looked like a mountain. Then itbecame possible, just sitting in the studio, to embarkupon a journey of the mind by scanning the bumps,caverns and narrow paths to which the stone'spresence and particular texture gave life. A relatedphenomenon, rock collecting, appeared around theeighth century. By contemplating a stone lying on atable or in a garden the artist took an "imaginary hike"called “wo you”, a term coined to describe landscapepainting by Zong Bing (375-443), one of the genre'strailblazers. The numinous power with which moun-tains and exceptional landscapes have always beeninvested in China gave rise to a highly precise sacredgeography that Taoism developed between the fourth and eighth century. A total of 118 cave-

Scholar’s rocks the routes of art in China

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

I "Scholar’s rocks the routes of art in China", Musée Guimet,Paris Until 25 June. www.guimet.fr

W

INSIDE THE MUSEUM THE MAGAZINE


HD

Screen standing on a base,knotty root, Qing Dynasty75.5 x 59.8 cm.Xiaogushan guan studio collection.

DR

THE MAGAZINE INSIDE THE MUSEUM


history and poetry on the programme of a competi-tive examination open to all for the recruitment ofcivil servants, a breeding ground of creative talentthroughout China's history. The fall of the HanDynasty in 220 and the ensuing unrest, bitter proof ofthe failure of Confucianism, prompted scholars toturn towards the texts of Taoist philosophy andcosmology. These impenitent individualists were soin love with freedom, nature and poetry that theywould risk their lives for the most trivial matter. Inaround 260 A.D., a group of them got into the habit ofgathering at a friend's house in the countrysidewhenever possible. The strength of conviction, loveof beauty, culture and courage displayed by theseeccentric "seven sages of the bamboo forest" exertedsuch fascination that their portraits became standardfeatures of the iconography on tombs between thefourth and sixth centuries, alongside those of the

devoted to them, or that they wrote themselves,describe them - know the history of their passion sowell that they provide the guidelines. Moreover, theoften imperious desire to give the stones names ledtheir owners to engrave them right into the rock itselfor on their stands when they came into fashion at theend of the Ming Dynasty. The inscriptions sometimeshelp to identify one or more successive owners, butthe new vogue for scholars' stones has also led to arise in the number of forgeries in China and theUnited States. These ideas are at the heart of the scho-lars' appreciation for stones but they do not explaineverything. Another phenomenon, the "scholarlyspirit", or shiqi, came into play in the third century.This stemmed from the second century before ourera, when Emperor Wudi, who made Confucianismthe State doctrine, officially created a large class ofscholars who had studied the works of literature,

"Small artfully carved" stone, xiaolinglong shiLingbi stone (?), Song Dynasty, 20 x 9.5 x 6 cm,zitan wood stand, 4 x 4 cm. Collection of Mrs. and Mr. Ian Wilson.

DR

immortals, with whom they were lumped together.Afterwards, they never stopped inspiring painters.Nor did two events closely associated with the mani-festation of the scholarly spirit: the meeting at WangXizhi's orchid pavilion in 353 and the resignation in405 of Tao Yuanming, who gave up his civil servicecareer to live in the countryside and devote himself topoetry. Wang Xizhi became the prince of calligraphyfor all time, Tao Yuanming the prince of poetry.Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty a political situa-tion similar to that of 220 and the threat, whichshortly afterwards became a reality, of Manchu domi-nation, sparked a powerful nationalist revival, one ofwhose manifestations was an upsurge in the scho-larly spirit. Writing accessories had always beenchosen with care, but henceforth even more atten-tion was paid to their formal perfection, whether ornot they were the work of nature. Old bronzesengraved with characters, seals, oddly-shaped butpotentially useful wood or roots found in the wild andgourds evoking hermits and immortals were mixed.Stones were put into paintings. The earliest portrait -the auspicious dragon stone, xianglong shi tu, madeby Emperor Huizong, who ruled from 1101 to 1125 -dates back to the Song period, but the genre, some-times accompanied by plant or animal elements, didnot really come into its own until the Ming Dynasty.The show features several examples, as well asportraits by contemporary Chinese painter Liu Danand landscapes based on his impassioned perceptionand observation of the mineral world, which inspiredhim to make creations of dizzying depth that touchour hearts because they imperceptibly speak to us ofthe origins of the world, of our worlds and of ouruncertain future. Zeng Xiaojun's works, like those ofLiu Dan, are based on the same scholarly spirit thatinspired their forerunners but the methods and tech-

INSIDE THE MUSEUM THE MAGAZINE


Landscape in ink, vertical scroll, ink on paper 1991, Liu Dan, born1953, 236.7 x 121.8 cm (without the frame), Harvard ArtMuseum/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Acquired thanks to the generosity of Alexandra Munroe and RobertRosenkranz (law school, class of 1965) in honour of Henry WhitneyMunroe (class of 1943). Inv. 2005.87. D

R

niques fully belong to our world while perpetuatingthe unique, wonderful relationship between man andnature without distorting it. The exhibition will haveachieved its goal if that bond shows through with allits force and continuity on an itinerary that will takevisitors from direct confrontation with the stones toan intimate understanding of the scholarly spirit withwhich they are inextricably linked.

Catherine Delacour head curator, China department

THE MAGAZINE EXHIBITIONS


Turner inspired light

Turner continuously worked on trying tocapture the effects of light by studyingthe techniques of Claude Le Lorrain.London's National Gallery tells the story ofthat inspiration. Claude and William. Put

together, the forenames sound as though they couldbelong to heroes in a novel. The first (1600-1682) and

the second (1775-1851) were never able to meet, buttheir relationship is obvious in their work. JosephMallord William Turner had such boundless admira-tion for Claude Gellée, known as Le Lorrain, that youmight be forgiven for mistaking some of their pain-tings for one another, particularly “Paysage avecJacob, Laban et des filles” (Landscape with Jacob,Laban and His Daughters) (oil on canvas, 143.5 x 251.5cm), which the French artist painted in 1654, and“Appulia cherchant Appalus, d’après Ovide” (AppuliaIn Search of Appulus, After Ovid), an 1814 oil on canvas(148.5 x 241 cm). Turner seems to have painted hiswork from memory, recalling the one by Le Lorrain.He had studied the details but preferred ruins to clas-sical temples. The tones are darker than those ofClaude - the British usually call him by his forenamerather than "Le Lorrain", as in France - but the appea-rance may match what he actually saw because thevarnish was removed in the 20th century. Turnerdiscovered Le Lorrain's landscape on a visit to WilliamBeckford's Fonthill estate when he was 25. The sightof “Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen ofSheba” is said to have moved him to tears. The youngartist then tried to understand and grasp the classicalpainter's technique by studying how he captured the play of light and placed his trees. In one of hissketchbooks he reproduced a Le Lorrain painting inwatercolour, “Paysage de l’arrivée d’Enée devantPallantum” (Landscape with the Arrival of Aeneas at

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775˗1851), "Banks of the Loire",1829, oil on canvas, 71.3 x 53.3 cm.©

Wor

cest

er A

rt M

useu

m, W

orce

ster

, Mas

sach

uset

ts. B

eque

st o

f The

odor

e T

and

Mar

y G

. Elli

s 19

40.5

9

EXHIBITIONS THE MAGAZINE


Pallanteum), 1675, but left out the embarkation andthe figures to focus solely on the trees. Turner's stylemay have evolved, but he never stopped taking inspi-ration from paintings by the artist he had chosen ashis master, using a wide range of techniques, fromlarge oils on canvas to mezzotints, etchings, waterco-lours, gouaches and drawings. The National Gallery ishosting a show on the relationship between the twoartists: "Turner Inspired: In the Light of Claude". The70 paintings and works on paper, including 13 by Le

Lorrain, 10 by his followers and 47 by Turner, plusdocuments, primarily focus on the French artist'sthemes. We can gradually see how Turner assertedhis own style, relentlessly working on sunrays and theeffects of light on landscapes as well as water, whichelicited so much rejection, admiration and amaze-ment from his contemporaries. Le Lorrain had put thesun in his compositions; Turner took the liberty oftransposing the Frenchman's Italian landscapes tothe English countryside. He worked with white paint

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775˗1851),"Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Night", 1835, oil on canvas, 92.3 x 122.8 cm.

© Im

age

cour

tesy

of t

he B

oard

of T

rust

ees,

Nat

iona

l Gal

lery

of A

rt, W

ashi

ngto

n, D

C W

iden

er C

olle

ctio

n 19

42.9

.86

HD

THE MAGAZINE EXHIBITIONS


to capture light, which was a breakthrough at thetime. On his first journey to Italy, in 1819, Turner usedwatercolours to study the transparent effects he laterfeatured in his oils. His light effects became evenmore free-spirited on his second journey, in 1838.That is what drew most of the critics' attention, parti-cularly in his views of a Venice so ethereal they are nolonger but luminous impressions. The 1835 canvasKeelmen Heaving in Coals by Night probably reachesperfection. It is so bright, at first glance all you see isthat the light is nocturnal. The scene shows steve-dores loading coal on the banks of the Tyne, the

Claude Le Lorrain (1604/5?˗1682), “Landscape with the Father of Psyche sacrificing at the Temple of Apollo”, 1662, oil on canvas, 174 x 221 cm.Anglesey Abbey, The Fairhaven Collection (The National Trust).

© A

ngle

sey

Abb

ey, C

ambr

idge

shire

/Nat

iona

l Tru

st P

hoto

grap

hic

Libr

ary/

John

Ham

mon

d/Th

e Br

idge

man

Art

Lib

rary

I National Gallery, London - Until 5 June, exhibition catalogue(in English) published by the National Gallery, “TurnerInspired: In the Light of Claude”, by Ian Warrell, with contri-butions from Philippa Simpson, Alan Crookham and NicolaMoorby - bound, 144 pp. Price: £25.www.nationalgallery.org.uk

W

harsh glare of their torches contrasting with the softmoonlight. Here again, the unconventional play ofperspectives gives the rays a mood found only inthese works. Bertrand Galimard Flavigny

NEWS IN BRIEF THE MAGAZINE


German and Italian drawings

Renaissance drawings This exhibition, running until 17th June in the GettyMuseum’s West Pavilion, presents art from the GermanRenaissance and consists of 43 pieces by Schongauer, Durerand Lucas Cranach the Elder and others, taken from theGetty’s own drawing collection. This era of German art ismost famous for its development of the “cult of the line”,which saw greater emphasis on the importance of linearforms such as swells, tapers and flourishes. The exhibitionincludes works from Albrecht Durer, who is perhaps themost famous German artist from this period. As a youngman he travelled to Italy to absorb Italian Renaissance Art,and became the first German artist to successfully masterthe depiction of the human anatomy and the naked figure.This is also an important exhibition because it featuresdrawings by artists whose works are rarely seen outside ofEurope and covers a huge range of themes, from peasantlife to courtly love. One of the most significant pieces in thecollection is a portrait of a cleric by Hans Holbein theYounger, one of the only examples of Holbein’s work inAmerica. Most of the artist’s works are actually in the Britishmonarchy’s Royal Collection, where they have been kept formany centuries. www.getty.edu

© T

he J

. Pau

l Get

ty M

useu

m, L

os A

ngel

es

Italian works on paperUntil the 8th July, The Art Institute of Chicago will be presenting a collection of 197 Italian works on paper dating fromthe late 15th Century to the 19th Century, amassed by Chicago connoisseur Anne Searle Bent over the last 30 years.Although drawings mainly had practical uses for artists, such as a means of practice or preparation for larger composi-tions, their fascinating immediacy and the insight they provide into the artists’ minds have led to them becomingmasterpieces in their own right. It is the collector’s hope that such an exhibition will allow newcomers to the genre to‘capture the sublime’ - to enjoy the magic generated by these beautiful drawings. www.artic.edu John Price

Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, 1472 - 1553), "Portrait of a Man", about 1530, oil on paper, 26.2 x 20 cm.

W

HD

THE MAGAZINE MEETING


Georgia Russell an angel with a scalpel

path to art. "I was good with my hands and wanted todo fine arts," she says in French tinged with a slightaccent. At 24 she graduated from Scotland's Aber-deen University with a BA before enrolling inLondon's Royal College of Arts, which in 1999 senther on a month-long residence at the Cité internatio-nale des Arts in Paris, where she would stroll alongthe banks of the Seine browsing the used-book stallsdiscovering old volumes and ephemera, anencounter that sparked the driving force behind herwork. Armed with an MA in printmaking, the nextyear she applied for another, longer residence at theCité internationale des Arts. Since then she has beenin Paris, where she lives and works. Meanwhile, shehas exhibited in London at the London Art Fair andthe England & Co gallery, Copenhagen, Edinburgh,Ontario in Canada, the US and Basel, Switzerland. Thegalleries Dukan & Hourdequin in Marseille andKarsten Greve in Paris and Cologne have shown herwork and London's Victoria & Albert Museumpurchased several of her compositions. Ms. Russellcuts paper the way a sculptor does stone. "I constructmy work by building up layers," she says. "My gesturebecomes the drawing." Her creations can be read onat least two levels: the material's very meaning, and

She wields a scalpel the way other artistshandle a brush. From her cuts are bornpoetic, voluptuous works, oftendisplayed like trophies. Remember hername. At a time when some contempo-

rary artists are surfing the wave of irony or "obliga-tory" subversion, she seems like an alien. "She" isGeorgia Russell, a 37-year-old Scottish artist with anangel’s face and scissor hands. In October the GalerieKarsten Greve in Paris devoted a show to her work.Her fingers are like blades. To get that way, first shearmed herself with pencils and colours and worked invarious other media, including prints and video. Oneof her grandfathers was a jazz singer who passed hislove for notes that sound like words on to her. Throwan architect father and an encouraging family intothe mix, and the stage was set for her to pursue the

Georgia Russell in her studio,Argenteuil, 2011.

READINGGeorgia Russell 2010, exhibition catalogue, Galerie Dukan & Hourdequin,published by the Galerie Dukan & Hourdequin, Marseille, 2010.

DR

MEETING THE MAGAZINE


HD

Georgia Russell (born in 1974), “L’Inconnue”, 2011, cut book and acrylic on cable under Plexiglas.

THE MAGAZINE MEETING


formal stage is completed, the artist often frames it inPlexiglas or glass. She designs three kinds of objects:those that she puts between two plates with little ifany fixation, those that she puts under a bell jar andthose that she displays in the open air. The first arephotographic prints that she cuts up like lace untilthe represented image emerges, held between twoplates whose powerful reflection is part of the work(“Distance”, 2011). "I like the mirror effect it createsbecause it forces you to look past the visible," sheexplains. Her impressive, dreamlike sculptures ofbooks, veritable explosions of filaments, bring tomind, by turns, jellyfish rising up out of the books'guts (“Le Sage”, 2011) or African fetishes or masks(Untitled Atmosphere, 2011) resting in their sacredenclosures after being used. These works, like thosemade from music scores, make us think of flags butalso of nets torn by wind and time (“Drapeaux”, 2011).All of them have one thing in common: slashing,which only looks destructive, allows the artist to expe-riment with the light and energy the material releasesafter being cut. "I try to capture light in my seascapesor clouds," she says. This "negative" work becomes apositive process that frees internal forces. Keepingthem under a bell jar is also meaningful. "I read SylviaPlath's book The Bell Jar, which is about beingtrapped in a bubble, and found it poetic," she says."My creations acquire additional power there." Ms.Russell does not "attack" any book but choosessymbolic titles such as The Lover, The Second Sex,Eroticism and Madame Bovary. "They say my work isfeminine, but I'm not a feminist," she says. "It's morethan that. I'm interested in religion, philosophy andliterature - that endless world I wanted to enter whenI was younger - and in the overwhelming amount ofinformation we're subjected to." In her commentsone senses a regret that she intelligently exorcises.Her works trapped in Plexiglas or her thread-like nets

its metamorphosis into a new form "I undo one imageto make it into another". First, she scans the chosenimage, apart from the books, among pictures, oldpostcards, music scores or friends' photographs inorder to make "big prints with subtle, elaborately-worked colours". Then she whips out her scalpel,which glides along in her fingers, making precisemovements of varying amplitude, whose music is thesoundtrack of her days. "I use the same number 11blade for five to 10 minutes,' she explains. "After that,I have to change it, so I've got a lot of them." Big jarsfull of the sharp instruments sit on the edge of herworktable. "Sometimes I put some paint behind myphotos," she says, "which colours my object-sculp-tures" (“L’Inconnue”, 2011, “L’Érotisme”, 2011). Shedoes not use traditional brushes, although "I missworking the material that way a little". Once the

Georgia Russell, “Le Sage”, cut book on cable under Plexiglas.

© C

ourt

esy

gale

rie K

arst

en G

reve

TO SEEThe Galerie Karsten Grève will exhibit Georgia Russell's creations at Art HongKong from 17 to 20 May, Art 43 Basel from 14 to 17 June, and FIAC Paris from18 to 21 October.

and values. It plays with languages by freeing themfrom their discursive principle, offering us an unprece-dented alternative to the immaterial book. Her workshave a sense of movement recalling AmericanAbstract Expressionism and, through her metamor-phosis of objects, a clear kinship with Surrealism andNew Realism. The young artist, who looked up toNancy Spero and Robert Rauschenberg when she firststarted out, is anything but a vengeful warrior. If sheattacks objects, it is to weave them into a new fabricof our dreams. Virginie Chuimer-Layen

have a force beyond aesthetics. She never under-mines the objects' essence; "all of them have a story".The volumes whose vitality she extracts addresstopics that are pillars of our society, including love,writing, memory, history and art. Her landscapes andnudes give off vibrations through the knife's action,which creates hollow spaces as well as relief. She hasjust finished a private commission, Sumo, HelmutNewton's monumental book of photos of womenlimited to 10,000 signed copies. It was an almostsurgical operation, understandably so, since she useda scalpel. But it was also exhilarating for an artist whonurtures a physical relationship with her creations."When I cut, I caress," she says. "I have a sensual, living,often tender relationship with the page." Her art isnot limited to cutting paper, far from it. It ploughsrepetitive furrows to seek new spatial relationships,speaks to us of passing time, and tackles our ideals

MEETING THE MAGAZINE

Georgia Russell, “Sign of life”, 2011, cut photos on Kozo paper under Plexiglas.

© C

ourt

esy

gale

rie K

arst

en G

reve


I Galerie Karsten Grève, 5, rue Debelleyme, Paris 3, tel. +33 (0)1 42 77 19 37, www.galerie-karsten-greve.com

Galerie Dukan & Hourdequin, 24, rue Pastourelle, Paris 3, tel. +33 (0)9 81 33 49 85, www.dukanhourdequin.com

THE MAGAZINE TRENDS


When writers dabble with the brush

the writers who nourish our imagination. Honourwhere honour is due! And let us render to Victor whatis Hugo's. Because in this respect, few writers can boastof knowing such success. And the author of "Les Misé-rables" explored all the resources of ink, far beyond thenovel. Despite a preference for architectural drawing,Hugo sketched numerous landscapes, portraits andcaricatures. In 1863, he even published an anthology ofhis finest ink drawings, with a preface by ThéophileGautier. But it would be wrong to forget all those who,like him, switched from pen to brush with ease. Toreturn to Théophile Gautier: who remembers that theauthor of "Émaux et Camées” (Enamels and Cameos)first wanted to be an artist, to such an extent that heput "man of letters and painter" on his passport as hisprofession? But fate decided otherwise. The defenderof "art for art's sake", Gautier became the poet we allknow. However, he consoled himself by forging closerelationships with a large number of artists, and conti-nued to draw for his own pleasure. Charles Baudelaire,meanwhile, amused himself with the "awful rubbishthat literary men have fun scribbling". And yet he, too,yielded several times to the siren call of drawing. Hispublisher, an art critic and the first collector of thepoet's drawings, used to say of him that he was a "cari-caturist in the real meaning of the word." Though lesscaustic than the author of "Les Fleurs du mal" (TheFlowers of Evil), Alfred de Musset was an excellentdraughtsman as well. In her personal diary, GeorgesSand – another incomparable draughtswoman –reports that Eugène Delacroix told her that he "wantedto copy the little sketches in Alfred's album", as he soadmired the writer's skill with the pencil. As to theother great Alfred of the 19th century, de Vigny, we

As Napoleon said, "A good drawing isbetter than a long speech". Little did heknow how right he was... We seem tohave forgotten that writing arose fromdrawing, and the language on the rocks

of prehistoric caves came long before the words of theprophets. Let us take a quick look at the inner world of

€3,198 Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), "Visage", 1962, pastel withdedication to Richard Quadras, 34 x 26 cm. Marseille, 19 December 2009. Leclere auction house.

cence after being wounded in the war", says expertAlain Nicolas in the Belfond sale catalogue (at Artcurialon 14 February this year). Another poet anddraughtsman close to Picasso was Max Jacob, whodrew sketches based on photographs. In 1922, writingto Francis Poulenc, Max Jacob said: "I am belatedlybecoming a real painter... it's horrible! Somethingbetween Corot and an immodest Monet." To discoversome of his works, you will need to visit the Musée desBeaux-arts in Quimper, his native town. Anothermuseum you should not ignore, if you want to getcloser to another great writer and draughtsman, is theMusée Paul-Valéry in Sète. This contains oils andpastels by Valéry, who illustrated several of his bookshimself, including the famous "Cimetière marin"

catch him writing: "If I were a painter, I would want tobe a dark Raphael: angelic form, dark colouring". Inshort, nearly all 19th century poets and writers werefascinated by art, from Gérard de Nerval, who drewlively sketches with a free, sure hand, to Verlaine withhis bitter self-portraits, to Maupassant, whosedrawings bear witness to his love of sailing.

Drawing as poetry

In the early 20th century, Guillaume Apollinaire wasthe first to give drawing a prominent place in his poeticworld. With his calligrammes, the poet, an intimatefriend of the avant-garde painters, aimed to combinetext and image. To do this, he laid out the verse onpaper in such a way as to create a drawing of the samesubject. "I think this is something really new," he wroteto Picasso in July 1918, in a calligramme letter featuringa pipe and a paintbrush. The poet also left a number ofhighly modern, sometimes naive watercolours "almostexclusively produced in 1916 (…) during his convales-

TRENDS THE MAGAZINE


€75,640 Victor Hugo (1802-1885), "Paysage au pont près de Salm, le château dans le fond", 1862-1863, brown ink, pen, brown wash and watercolour on paper, 13.5 x 25 cm. Paris, Drouot, 12 December 2007. Piasa auction house. Cabinet de Bayser.

READING“Les plus belles lettres illustrées”, Roselyne de Ayala and Jean-Pierre Guéno,éditions de la Martinière, Paris, 1998.

HD

THE MAGAZINE TRENDS

(The Graveyard by the sea). Drawing occupied a veryspecial place in the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry too.When he was 20, he devoted all his free time to it! He would then get his mother to give her opinion,telling her: "I draw all day long, and as a result, thehours seems very short to me." But he still found thetime to write and publish "Le Petit Prince" (The LittlePrince) in a version illustrated… by himself!

The mask beneath the pen

But in the 20th century Jean Cocteau was indisputablyone of the most prolific artists of this kind – and artlovers who frequent Drouot will not say otherwise! Thepoet who did a bit of everything never stoppeddrawing, saying "My drawings are writing that hasbeen unpicked and put together in a different way".Expert Alain Nicolas tells us that while a great manydrawings by Cocteau have come down to us, his water-colours are far rarer. Enthusiasts take note! But whycontinue with this form of creation a century afterHugo? Very simply because for Cocteau, as for others,Robert Desnos first and foremost, drawing was an inte-gral part of the exploration process in poetry. Take theSurrealist poet Paul Eluard who, with Jacques Prévert,was one of the first to try his hand at collage. We find inhis writing the same kind of unexpected, mischievousassociations that Max Ernst adopted in his paintings.There was total cross-fertilisation between the arts, asexemplified by Raymond Queneau, who in 1946 tookpart in the collective exhibition "Si vous savez écrire,vous savez dessiner" (if you know how to write, youknow how to draw) staged by La Pléiade-NRF. In otherwords, there is always a draughtsman slumberingwithin a writer. This was true for a certain generation:that of Guitry, Ionesco and Henri Michaux (whose frot-tage and ink drawings on paper can be found in manya modern art sale at Drouot), or the German writerGünter Grass. The Nobel Prize-winner for Literature in1999, with a diploma from the Fine Arts School ofDüsseldorf, saw his writing take over from his artisticexpression at the end of the Fifties. As to whether othercontemporary authors devote themselves to drawing,it's hard to know. Will they come forward after readingthis article? Dimitri Joannidès


TRENDS THE MAGAZINE


€43,910 Paul Verlaine (1844-1896), "Couple de singes etautoportraits simiesques", 1893, pen and ink on paper, 17 x 23 cm, Belfond collection, agence Rue-des-Archives. Paris, Hôtel Marcel Dassault, 14 February 2012. Artcurial - Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan auction house. Mr. Nicolas.

Gazette International 14

Documents

Transcript of Gazette International 14