Old Master
& 19^th Century Art

Artcurial is one of the leaders on the international market for Old Master and 19^thCentury 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.

Each year Artcurial organises four sales that are devoted to the Old Masters and the 19^th century, which are concurrent with major art events in Paris such as the Salon du Dessin and Paris Fine Art, which draw collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world.

The Department also holds complimentary and confidential valuation days all year long, both in France and throughout Europe. Every semester, a selection of works may be viewed in preview showings in our branch offices in Brussels, Munich, Vienna, Milan, and Monaco.

Matthieu Fournier

Auctioneer, Associate Director
Phone +33 1 42 99 20 26
mfournier@artcurial.com

Elisabeth Bastier

Specialist
Phone +33 1 42 99 20 53
ebastier@artcurial.com

Matthias Ambroselli

Junior Specialist
Phone +33 1 42 99 20 26
mambroselli@artcurial.com

Contacts

Margaux Amiot

Administrator
Phone +33 1 42 99 20 07
mamiot@artcurial.com

Flora Burquier-Chamot

Junior Administratror
Phone +33 1 42 99 20 07
fburquier@artcurial.com

News

Triumph for the Old Master & 19th Century Art sales

The Old Master & 19^th Century Art sales were a huge success with an exceptional result of €31,7M / $34,8M, confirming the department’s leading position in this speciality.

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A Masterpiece by Chardin, 18th Century French Icon

Under the hammer of Matthieu Fournier and with the expertise of Cabinet Turquin, the highly coveted still life by Jean-Siméon Chardin, The basket of Wild Strawberries, fetched for an impressive €24,381,400 / $26,830,512.

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Charles Auzoux Collection, The intimate of the artists of his time

Artcurial was pleased to present the Charles Auzoux Collection, which was auctioned on 24^th March. Composed of nearly one hundred sculptures, paintings and drawings, the collection included major artworks by Dalou, Carpeaux, Carriès, Desbois, Lançon and Bastien-Lepage, showing the admiration Charles Auzoux had for these artists.

Gabriel Loppé, “high-mountain“ Painter

Artcurial was pleased to present two monumental artworks by Gabriel Loppé, the famous “haute-montagne” painter, at the Old Master & 19^th Century Art sale, which took place on 23^rd March.

For the love of the 18th century portrait

The Private Collection One Hundred Portraits for a Century, which was auctioned on 15^th February, offered a complete overview of French society in the 18^th century, including personalities from the Enlightenment, such as Louis XV, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, as well as wine-growers, painters, doctors or even clergymen.

Discover the Old Master department in pictures

Upcoming auctions:
February & March 2022
Free and confidential valuations all year long

Mona Lisa, in the Footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci

On 9^th November, Artcurial offered at auction an exceptional Mona. Incredibly faithful to the original, this version, painted around 1600, highlights the early fascination for Leonardo da Vinci and his work.

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The Penitent Magdalene by Salaì reaches €1.7M

On Wednesday 18^th November, an important discovery in the history of art came under the hammer of Matthieu Fournier: the Penitent Magdelene by Leonardo da Vinci’s closest collaborator, Gian Giacomo Caprotti, better known as Salaì. Identified by art historians, this oil on panel, one of very few works attributed to Salaì, is imbued with an intimate understanding of Leonardo’s technique. This coveted masterpiece sold for €1.7M, a new world record for the artist.

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