Old Master
 & 19^th  Century Art

Artcurial is one of the leaders on the international market for Old Masters and 19^th Century Art. Today it has become a major reference for the passionate connoisseurs in the field, alongside the important centres of London and New York. Founded in 2007 by auctioneer and specialist Matthieu Fournier, the Department has developed rapidly, with a turnover of 23.9 million Euros in 2019, many new discoveries, and numerous world records, such as the one achieved in 2019 when Artemisia Gentileschi’s Lucretia sold for €4.8M.

With carefully designed scenography, lectures, and special visits for children, Artcurial has actively promoted the public’s renewed interest in antique paintings and drawings. The work accomplished by Matthieu Fournier and his team has met with great success, with the sale of several important private collections including the Baron Vitta collection in March 2009, the collection of historian Jacques Thuillier in March 2012, and the prestigious Louis Grandchamp des Raux collection, which Matthieu Fournier presided over in 2015. That sale achieved €8.7M, the highest amount reached at a sale of 17^th and 18^th century French painting in over 20 years. Also offered were the collections of Georges Dormeuil (2016), Pierre Hebey (2016), Gaston Delestre (2017), Fernand Lafarge (2019), and Baron Empain (2020).

The department has an excellent working relationship with the most important museums in France and abroad. Highly respected institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre Museum regularly participate in our sales, bearing witness to the remarkable museum quality of the works offered at the sales.