Francis Briest

Co-Chairman of Auction House

Partner

Auctioneer

Francis Briest has been a qualified auctioneer since 1979. In 2001 he linked up with Artcurial, to be joined in 2002 by Hervé Poulain and Rémy Le Fur then, in 2005, by François Tajan, with whom he is now co-chairman of Artcurial auction house.

He is also President of the “Les Amis du Donjon de Vez” and organizes annual exhibitions of modern and contemporary sculpture at this listed historic monument: Calder in 1996, Dubuffet in 1997, Miro in 1998, American sculpture in 2004, and Alberto Giacometti in 2005.

He is a leader in his specialist field of Modern & Contemporary Art, and has been at the forefront of French auctioneering for over 25 years.

François Tajan

Co-Chairman of Auction House

Partner

Auctioneer

François Tajan chose a career in auctioneering in 1990, when he joined his father Jacques at the family auction firm, organizing Art Deco sales that soon became his specialty. Three years later he took charge of the Modern Art department and other 20th century fields including Contemporary Art, Comic Strips, Photography and Design.

He decided to quit Tajan SA in 2005, after 15 years as first an associate, then chairman of the board. After joining Artcurial as Co-Chairman, he now oversees sales of Art Deco, Jewelry, Comic Strips and Arms & Historical Souvenirs.

Hervé Poulain

Partner

Auctioneer

Hervé Poulain qualified as an auctioneer in 1969. He cuts a familiar figure in the art world, and has directed sales in every field with wit and brio for over 30 years. He is an authority on the market for Vintage Cars and Design.

By marrying his two passions—speed and contemporary art—he invented the concept of Art Cars. He has taken part in the Le Mans 24 Hour Race on eleven occasions, driving cars painted by such famous artists as Calder, Lichstenstein, Stella, Arman, Warhol and César.

Hervé Poulain has also written five books on art: L’art et l’automobile (1973), Un siècle de peinture française (1976), Une collection d’avance (1986), L’art, la femme et l’automobile (1989), Mes Pop Cars (2006).

Interview of Hervé Poulain >

Isabelle Bresset

Associate Director

Isabelle Bresset joined the Artcurial team in 2009.  After qualifying as a commissaire-priseur in 1995, she spent 12 years working for Christie’s in Paris, contributing to the firm’s rapid development in France, and earning acclaim both for her auctioneering skills.

Showcased during the sale of the Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé Collection at the Grand Palais – and for her expertise, professionalism and market knowledge, acquired through many years spent handling prestigious collections. Isabelle is now Head of of Artcurial’s Department of Furniture & Decorative Objects, whose sale of the Jean Rossignol Collection in 2006 included what remains the most expensive piece of furniture ever acquired at auction in France. A more recent highlight was the sale of a Louis XVI Coromandel lacquer commode for nearly €450,000 on 15 December 2010.

Martin Guesnet

Associate Director

Has a dual, Franco-German cultural background and is passionate about contemporary creation. He was an actor in German avant-garde theater for ten years before devoting himself to art full-time.

After working for Galerie Notre-Dame des Fleurs from 1986 to 1993, he directed the Karsten Greve gallery in Paris. Francis Briest contacted him in 1998 with a view to developing auctions of Contemporary Art in France.

Fabien Naudan

Associate Director

After studying in the United States and France, he began a career in fashion, first with Paul Smith, then at A.P.C. His passion for contemporary furniture prompted him to launch the firm’s Design department in 2002. After just three years of activity, the department was number one in Europe.

In November 2005 he engineered the hugely successful sale “Light Is More: a century of lighting”, featuring the personal collection of designer Ingo Maurer.