Gazette International 14

Gazette Drouot
I NT E RNAT I ONAL
NUMBER 14
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THE MAGAZINE CONTENTS
CONTENTS
UPCOMING
The Asian Spring with imperial items, especially an
Qianlong Emperors album which will be sold at
Drouot. The famous Pincus, Gunter Sachs,
Ortiz-Patino and Ren Clment collections, and the
jewels in Geneva, including the beau Sancy,
a pear double rose-cut stone of 34,98ct...
NEWS
On 12 and 13 April, Paris' huge future contem-
porary art venue inaugurated its 22,000 m
2
as a
preview. We talk to its director Jean de Loisy.
76
8
ART MARKET - MAGAZINE
RESULTS
A succession of records for Lalanne, Tlmaque,
Klein, Stravinsky or for a Song ceramic.
The silverware of the Jourdan-Barry collection like
the tribal art of Claude Meyer or a manuscript
which narrates the pilgrimage to Jerusalem
achieved a good result...
36
DESIGN
Well before 1968, the Galerie Lacloche
revolutionised design by breaking down barriers
between disciplines and launching a non-elitist
production policy.
80
CONTENTS THE MAGAZINE
TRENDS
When writers dabble with the brush...
Let us take a quick look at the inner
world of the writers who nourish our imagination.
102
EXHIBITIONS
Turner continuously worked on trying to capture
the effects of light by studying the techniques of
Claude Le Lorrain. London's National Gallery tells
the story of that inspiration.
94
MEETING
An angel with a scalpel. She wields a scalpel the
way other artists handle a brush. From her cuts
are born poetic, voluptuous works, often
displayed like trophies. Remember her name:
Georgia Russell.
98
IMAGINARY
After Milan, Paris celebrates the Italian artist,
Artemisia Gentileschi. On this occasion, the
beauty painter welcomes us into his studio...
84
INTERVIEW
From left to right Bertrand Guay/AFP - Studio Fotografico Perotti, Milano/Su concessione del Ministero per i Beni e le Attivit 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-Franois Picard I Editorial Manager Stphanie Perris-Delmas (perris@gazette-drouot.com) I Distribution Director Dominique Videment
Graphic Design Sbastien Courau I Layout-artist Nadge Zeglil (zeglil@gazette-drouot.com) I Sales Department Karine Saison(saison@gazette-drouot.com) I Internet Manager Christopher Pourtal
Realization Webpublication I The following have participated in this issue: Sylvain Alliod, Virginie Chuimer-Layen, Catherine Delacour, Anne Foster, Chantal Humbert, Bertrand Galimard Flavigny, Dimitri Joannids,
Caroline Legrand, Molly Mine, Xavier Narbats, John Price, Sophie Reyssat. I Translation and proofreading: 4T Traduction & Interprtariat, a Telelingua Company 93181 Montreuil. I La Gazette Drouot - 10, rue du Faubourg-
Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France Tl. : +33 (0)1 47 70 93 00 - gazette@gazette-drouot.com. 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 BUYERS 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.
Stphanie Perris-Delmas
EDITORIAL MANAGER
D
R
THE MAGAZINE EDITORIAL
Commi s s ai res - Pri s eurs
E x p e r t p r s l a c o u r d a p p e l
ROUILLAC
CHEVERNY 10 & 11 June 2012
Modern Art
Masterpieces from the Ren Clment Collection
The 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, Muse de lOrangerie, 1930.
London, The Stafford Gallery, 1939.
FIND THE CALENDAR OF UPCOMING AUCTIONS
W
UPCOMING
AUCTIONS
THE MAGAZINE UPCOMING AUCTIONS
Eugne Printz timeless elegance
Eugne Printz (1889-1948),
pyramid-shaped chest of drawers
with Brazilian rosewood veneer,
copper handles, wrought iron base,
84.5 x 114 x 40 cm.
Estimate: 10,000/15,000.
E
ugne Printz may not be as famous as
Frank or Dupr-Lafon, but he was an
interior designer who respected French
taste, in the same vein as Ruhlmann, and
promoted a certain modernity. He also
stood out from his contemporaries by defining new
forms. He owed his training to his father, who owned
a workshop in Faubourg Saint-Antoine, and took over
this workshop after his fathers death. From 1925, he
exhibited furniture with a highly modern touch. He
rapidly became interested in decoration in general,
and produced collections for America, Mexico,
England and Belgium, as well as receiving several
commissions from the Mobilier
National and private customers
such as the Princesse de
Clermont-Tonnerre for
her private apartments at
the Chteau 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 with
meticulous skill. He frequently integrated silver or
leather panels and lacquered works by his friend Jean
Dunand into his designs, and also made use of exotic,
rare woods like ebony from Gabon, kekwood and
palm wood, which he used so often that it practically
became his trademark. Every item was in total
keeping with its environment. With this piece which
will be sold on 11 May, in Paris-Drouot (Piasa), Printz
unites the soft curves of its metal base with the sober,
pyramid-shaped design of its drawers in a piece that
is a perfect example of his art. Anne Foster
UPCOMING AUCTIONS THE MAGAZINE
11
N 14 I GAZETTE DROUOT INTERNATIONAL
Prophetic Landscape by Paul Serusier
B
efore becoming a movement, the
Nabis were a group of friends whose
relationship began during their
adolescence. Paul Srusier, Maurice
Denis, Ker-Xavier Roussel and
douard Vuillard, together with Thade
Natanson and Marcel Proust, all met at the
Concordet school in the Rue du Havre, Paris: an
elite establishment where students flourished
and developed their artistic skills. In 1883, now
with a diploma under his belt, Srusier applied to
the Acadmie Julian. There the young man met
up with a number of his old school friends. The
training methods were still academic, but the
atmosphere was friendly and encouraged
competition. Therefore, when Srusier presented
Le Talisman in the autumn of 1888, there was
much excitement. He had stayed all that summer
in Pont-Aven, a place much appreciated by
artists. Achieving an award at the Salon, he
quickly joined the avant-garde group now living
at the Gloanec boarding house. One of them was
mile Bernard. He encouraged Srusier to
present his work to their mentor Paul Gaugin.
Filled with enthusiasm, Gaugin invited the young
artist to an outdoor painting session in the Bois
dAmour, where Le Talisman came into being.
The piece is a synthetic landscape from the early
stages of the Nabi group and the first of a long
list of innovative paintings that include this Bois
rouge which will be sold in Brest on 5 May
(Thierry-Lannon & Associs). It has remained
in a Breton collection since it was acquired at
Brest in 1980. Caroline Legrand
Paul Srusier (1864-1927), Le Bois rouge,
circa 1895, oil on cardboard mounted on canvas,
120 x 60 cm. Estimate: 80,000/120,000.
12
S
aint-Exupry is a cult author, celebrated
around the world. Why? Because he
wrote the most beautiful, timeless and
modern of fairytales which can be read by
people of all ages: "The Little Prince". We
can add to this the exciting, dangerous, turbulent life
that the author led up until his disappearance, when
his aeroplane crashed in the Mediterranean. One can
understand the fascination that he has aroused
amongst readers of all languages and dialects - there
are some 220 translations! The book was written in
New York during the Second World War. Under the
guise of a childrens story, the text contains philoso-
phical concepts, political allegories and lots of poetry.
The manuscript is preserved at the Pierpont Morgan
Library. The National Library in France has only a typed
copy. It is rare, therefore, to find some written pages
from this mythical work. Amongst a fine ensemble of
manuscripts - such as Pilote de guerre estimated at
250,000 - and the letters of Saint-Ex, we have two
pages that include an unpublished text (second page)
Antoine de Saint-Exupry (1900-1944), draft
of The Little Prince, circa 1941. Manuscript with
two paper pages "Fidelity Onion Skin".
Estimate: 40,000/50,000.
Where ? Paris, Htel Marcel Dassault
When ? 16 May
Who ? Artcurial - Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan auction house
How much ? 1,6M
USEFUL INFO
and several variants of chapters XVII and XIX. One can
therefore discover the first idea the author had for one
of the Earth dwellers encountered by the Little Prince: a
crossword fan instead of a businessman. The man, who
is too busy to converse, only gives monosyllabic
responses to questions. For days he has been looking
for a six-letter French word, beginning with G, corres-
ponding to the definition Gargling. We should not try
to find a proper synonym but focus instead on the
mans simple pleasures A. F.
Two pages of The Little Prince
HD
13
I
n the early years of the 17th century, the still life
was not yet a "display window" of luxury objects.
At that time a genre much prized by the bour-
geoisie, Catholic and Protestant alike, it conveyed
many messages to its owners, as it did to its
viewers. While the food and objects depicted were
part of their daily lives and are perceived as such
nowadays, each element had a religious connotation
for them: a moral component whose codes are a
mystery to us today. The prepared table may be a
reference to the wedding at Cana; the grapefruit
could evoke the bitterness of the Fall, and the wine
could symbolise the Eucharist but also wealth,
conviviality or drunkenness. The butterfly enlivening
the foreground is evidence of the period's love of
vanities: associated with the love of good food, it
reminds us that life is transitory. This is a composition
that describes the everyday life of Man and his place
Where ? Moulins
When ? 21 May
Who ? Enchres Sadde auction house. Cabinet Truquin
How much ? 120,000/150,000
USEFUL INFO
in creation. At a time when still life painters were
developing a colourful palette, Osias Beert the Elder
kept to a range of neutral, almost monochrome
tones. Acclaimed during his lifetime as one of the
most prominent painters of flowers and still lifes, he
was not subsequently appreciated until the 20th
century. Around thirty works are attributed to him in
addition to eight signed paintings. His still lifes,
executed with great simplicity, contrast with the
opulence and vibrant colours of his baskets and
vases of flowers. Objects are placed in the same
plane, and modelled and linked together by a single
light. This austere approach was unfashionable in a
world 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 a
table top with 'Venetian-style' glasses and bowl", oil on oak
panel, 58 x 92 cm.
HD
14
A neglected aspect of Lon Cauvy
consisted of a large furniture collection, part of which
was auctioned in 1994 and bought by the Agde town
council. It is therefore quite an event to see a piece of
bedroom furniture from 1898 going up for sale. It will
take place on the 25th May, at Paris-Drouot (Ader -
Nordmann). Apart from the chairs, these pieces by
Lon Cauvy are decorated with embossed, engraved,
patinated, polychromed, gold-lined leather panels.
The cabinets were made by Paul Arnavielhe accor-
ding to the artists designs. It was not until the Decora-
tive Art Exhibition in 1925 that Lon Cauvy's decora-
tion for the Algerian pavilion appeared. Anne Foster
E
veryone knows the Orientalist painter
Lon Cauvy, the first director of the Villa
Abd-el-Tif in Algiers, but very few people
know that he was also a furniture designer.
Born in Montpellier in France, he returned
to his home town in 1896 after completing his artistic
training with history painter Albert Maignan. Until
1906, he exhibited embossed leather furniture in
numerous Salons. He mixed in local avant-garde
clubs, like the improvised cabaret club Le Caveau des
Dix, which is probably where he met Emmanual
Laurens, a rich medical student from Agde. Laurens
had inherited a property on Belle-Isle in his
home town and became his young
friends first patron, asking him to
provide the decoration and furni-
ture for the residence a genuine
manifesto for Art Nouveau
known ever since as the
Chteau Laurens. Lon Cauvy
adopted the stylistic explora-
tions of Gustave Serrurier-Bovy,
whom he had possibly met
during a trip to Belgium. This
commission, produced in 1898,
Lon Cauvy (1874-1933). Bedroom furniture
consisting of a pair of beds, a bedside table, a
cupboard, 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
>
15
Where ? Paris-Drouot- Room 4
When ? 14 May
Who ? Gros & Delettrez auction house.
Cabinet Chombert & Sternbach
USEFUL INFO
>
protected the myriad daily outfits of holidaying
coquettes from the trials and tribulations of travelling.
The catalogue of the Paris exhibition tells us that Sarah
Bernhardt's Brazilian tour required 200 trunks! Models
from the time of the actress are presented in the cata-
logue, but the lion's share is devoted to the company's
contemporary collections. Throughout its history, the
Vuitton brand (whose artistic director has been Marc
Jacob since 1997) has constantly sought novelty,
joining forces with several big names in contemporary
art in order to do so. So you can walk off sporting a
butterfly bag revamped by Richard Prince (850), or a
speedy bag customised by Murakami (1,000) or
Stephen Sprouse (1,100). Stphanie Perris-Delmas
HD
Louis Vuitton
Champs-lyses
no.727419
Wardrobe trunk in
stencilled
monogram canvas,
with beech wood
slats and lozine trim,
55 x 55 x 128 cm.
Estimate:
12,000/15,000.
P
aris, the eternal capital of luxury 54,830
visitors have already flocked to the Muse
des Arts Dcoratifs to admire the creations
of celebrated luggage-maker Louis Vuitton.
But just to admire because, obviously,
nothing is for sale. But you can make up for this a short
distance away at the Htel Drouot, where a number of
emblematic models will be on offer in a sale entirely
dedicated to the brand. An opportunity to acquire
some of the Paris company's legendary creations, such
as the famous Rue Scribe "steamer" trunk in vuittonite
(2,300 or 3,500), or the Avenue Champs-lyses sten-
cilled monogram canvas wardrobe trunk (illustrated),
one of the stars of the 291 lots in the sale. They are
nostalgic reminders of a time when this type of luggage
Videos
4
One hundred per cent Louis Vuitton
Friday, May, 11
th
2012 at 2.00 pm - Paris, Drouot-Richelieu - room 4
XIX
TH
, ORIENTALIST AND MODERN PAINTINGS
ASIAN, RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN SCHOOLS
AGUTTES
Ne u i l l y Dr o u o t L y o n
AGUTTES
NEUILLY
164 bis av. Ch. de Gaulle
92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine
Tl. : + 33 1 47 45 55 55
Fax : + 33 1 47 45 54 31
AGUTTES
LYON
13 bis place Jules Ferry
69006 Lyon
Tl. : + 33 4 37 24 24 24
Fax : + 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
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AUCTION CONTACT
Diane de KARAJAN
Tl. : + 33 1 41 92 06 48
karajan@aguttes.com
Charles LAUNAY (XIX)
Oil on panel, signed
9 5/8 x 7 in.
Henri Jean PONTOY (1888-1968)
Gouache, signed and dated
9 5/8 x 7 in.
Jules Ren 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 in.
Eugne GALIEN-LALOUE
sous le pseudo Louis DUPUY
(1854-1941)
Oil on panel, signed - 14 x 17 in.
IBAN
10 5/8 x 13 in.
Paul Elie GERNEZ ( 1888-1948)
Pastel, signed
19 x 28 3/8 in.
Constantin RAZOUMOV
13 x 7 in.

ZAO WOU KI (n en 1921)
color lithograph EA VII/XV
countersigned
30 x 22 in.
Albert Joseph PENOT
9 5/8 x 5 in.
Igor MITORAJ ( n en 1944)
Bronze w/ patina,
signed,nA64/1000 HC
Haut : 11 5/8 in.
Alain BONNEFOIT (n en 1937)
39 x 31 in.
Pierre Louis CADRE (1890-1962)
39 x 25 5/8 in.
Abdelkader GUERMAZ (1919-1996)
35 x 46 in.
TRAN VAN HA
16 x 3 5/8 in.
Alexandre IACOVLEFF
(1877-1939)
Mixed media , stamped
44 x 24 7/8 in.
Wednesday, May, 23
th
2012 at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm - Paris, Drouot-Richelieu
ASIAN ART
AGUTTES
Ne u i l l y Dr o u o t L y o n
AGUTTES
NEUILLY
Tl. : + 33 1 47 45 55 55
Fax : + 33 1 47 45 54 31
AGUTTES
LYON
13 bis place Jules Ferry
69006 Lyon
Tl. : + 33 4 37 24 24 24
Fax : + 33 4 37 24 24 25
Viewing time - Drouot-Richelieu - room 4 : Tuesday 22
th
from 11:00 am to 06:00 pm
Catalogue on www.aguttes.com - www.gazette-drouot.com
Aude LOUIS CARVES
+ 33 1 41 92 06 43
louis@aguttes.com
CONTACT
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XVIII
th
century bowl in duca porcelain
D : 19.5 cm
French collection of XVIII
th
century jades
Important French collection of XVIII
th
century Chinese
snuff bottles
Important XVIII
th
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 (n en 1921)
Oil on canvas. 65 x 116 cm S
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AGUTTES
SALE WEDNESDAY 20
th
JUNE HOTEL DROUOT
IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN PAINTINGS
19
th
CENTURY & ORIENTALIST PAINTINGS
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR CONFIDENTIAL AND COMPLIMENTARY APPRAISALS
Takanori OGUISS (1901-1986)
Oil on canvas. 61 x 46 cm
Contacts tude
CHARLOTTE REYNIER
Tl. : 01 41 92 06 49
reynier@aguttes.com
AGUTTES
NEUILLY
AGUTTES
LYON BROTTEAUX
13 bis, Place Jules Ferry
69006 Lyon
DIANE DE KARAJAN
Tl. : 01 41 92 06 48
RUSSIAN PAINTINGS
RUSSIAN PAINTERS FROM SCHOOL OF PARIS
Vera ROCKLINE (1896-1934) Vue de Tiis. Oil on canvas. 89 x 65 cm
20
Jeanne and Ferdinand Moch collection
fond of the gentle style of the master Impressionist.
Here this charcoal "Femme au corsage rouge et au
chapeau noir" (400,000/600,000) is one of twenty-
seven works from the former Moch collection to be
sold on 22 May in Paris (Christie's). The whole collec-
tion, which includes works by Monet, Bonnard,
Pissarro, Matisse and Chagall, is expected to fetch
between between 2.7 and 4.2M. The painter from
Cagnes definitely has star billing, with a portrait of
Gabrielle and Renoir's son Jean, done in charcoal and
pastel (200,000/300,000), and a landscape in the
south of France (300,000/500,000), where the artist
and his family went to live in 1903.
Where ? Paris
When ? 22 May
Who ? Christies
How much ? 2,7/4,2M
USEFUL INFO
A
fter making a fortune in the French wool
trade in the wake of the Great War,
Jeanne and Fernand Moch became
fervent art collectors during the inter-war
years. Their masterpieces included
Auguste Renoir's Nu sur les coussins, also known as
the "Grand Nu", now in the Muse d'Orsay. The eter-
nally youthful painter was greatly admired by the
couple, who possessed several of his works. Like the
Barnes, 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 black
hat",1894, signed upper right, pastel on paper, 55 x 47cm.
Estimate: 400.000 600.000.
FromAncient Egypt
Where ? Paris - Drouot
When ? 30 May
Who ? Binoche and Giquello auction house. Mr Kunicki
How much ? 700.000/1M
USEFUL INFO
>
21
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 not
known, we do know that their geometric uniformity
would go on to inspire several great 20th
century artists such as Brancusi,
Picasso and Modigliani, meaning
that the figurines artistic signifi-
cance alone makes it well
worth its sizeable estimate.
John Price
T
here can be no doubt that this sale will be as
intriguing as it is vast. It will consist of 265
wonderfully diverse lots amassed by two
expert collectors, some of which date from
as far back as the third millennium B.C. Beau-
tiful pieces from Ancient Egypt will make up a large part
of the collection, including an extremely rare ensemble
of 38 gold and glass paste rosettes incrusted with carne-
lian, which were from the tombs of three wives of the
pharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 B.C.), estimated at
between 40,000 and 50,000. This element of rarity is
common to all of the lots in this sale, some of which are
strikingly 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 the
very few examples which remains fully intact. The sale
will not only throw up some aesthetically pleasing but
Hippopotamus figurine in
blue earthenware, Egypt,
Middle Kingdom, 12th-13th
Dynasty, ca. 1850-1700 av.
J.-C. L.7.5 cm.
Estimate: 8,000/12,000.
22
An illuminated Tuscan Mahzor
T
he Mahzor a Hebrew word meaning
circle - refers to a liturgical book contai-
ning prayers for religious festivals and
holy days. It differs from the Siddur, which,
according to Gabrielle Sed-Rajna, exclusi-
vely contains daily prayers. This Hebrew manuscript
was illuminated in Tuscany in around 1490. It consists
of 442 pages lavishly decorated by Florentin Boccar-
dino the Elder and his assistants, who later worked for
Lorenzo the Magnificent. The Italian Mahzorim
mainly date from the 15th century, a time when the
Jewish community in Florence flourished under the
protection of the Medici. They were chiefly made for
personal use. The arms painted on the inside of the
book have not yet been identified, but are those of an
important Florentine Jewish family, and contain tradi-
tional symbols. The most richly illustrated of all the
Italian manuscripts is the Rothschild Mahzor, which
can be compared with the example being sold on 11
May. It contains hymns, liturgical poems and prayers
Probably Florence, Giovanni Boccardi, known as Boccardino
the Elder (1460-1529) and his workshop, circa 1490. Mazhor
in Hebrew, illuminated manuscript on vellum. Italian binding
from 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 INFO
for the Passover, Sukkot, Yom Kippur, Shabbat, Rosh
Hashanah, Shavuot and Hanukkah; in addition there is
the blessing in the name of God, the one hundred
daily blessings, extracts from the Book of Esther and a
commentary in Hebrew and Aramaic on the death of
Moses. The gilded binding and wax painting was done
in the second half of the 16th century. Anne Foster
HD
23
T
his rich sarpech belonged to Barbara
Hutton, dubbed the poor little rich girl
because of her troubled private life. The
American beauty inherited a colossal
fortune from the Woolworth family of the
"Five and Dime" stores, which made her the richest
woman in the world at that time. As well as titles of
ownership, she also collected men, with no fewer
than seven husbands, including the charming Cary
Grant. Barbara Hutton had another passion: jewellery.
Thanks to her millions, she could afford the finest
specimens such as Marie-Antoinette's pearl necklace,
Catherine the Great's emerald necklace, the Roma-
novs tiara and the 40-carat Pasha diamond. This 19th
century Indian jewel, also belonged to her. It came
from her seventh and last husband, Prince Pierre
Raymond Doan Vinh na Champassak, son of a Vietna-
mese father and a French mother. They met in
Tangiers. 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, set
with nineteen diamonds, twelve cabochon rubies
including two as pendants, and an emerald; 19th
century Indian work., 18 ct. 98.50g.
Estimate: 20,000/30,000.
Where ? Paris-Drouot
When ? 30 May
Who ? Coutau-Bgarie auction house. Mr Flandrin
USEFUL INFO
young husband. An ephemeral love that did not
prevent Barbara Hutton from being generous As
witness this delightful sarpech, among other things.
This typically Indian jewel was worn by Hindu nobles
and princes, fixed onto a headband as shown in
numerous Ottoman miniatures. This one, set with
nineteen diamonds, twelve rubies and an emerald,
features a royal cobra, symbol of immortality.
Provenance Barbara Woolworth-Hutton
HD
>
24
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 their
mouths water. It was a present from the Chinese general
and statesman Li Hong Zhang to Prince Gong, Yixin,
who acted as regent for the young emperor Tongzhi
together with the Dowager Empress Cixi. Estimated at
400,000/600,000, this jade also passed through the
hands of the famous Japanese dealer Yamanaka & Co.
The piece has a sizeable rival in the shape of a Qianlong
period jade seal from the "San Xi Tang" (The hall of the
three rarities) room in the Forbidden City (1M).
HD
The indispensable scholar's tool
The creator of this admirable brush pot made brilliant use of the effects of
the material, a jade with subtle brown/rust tones (250,000/350,000). It
shows three Taoist Immortals, carrying their attributes, frolicking in an
idyllic landscape. The scene unfolds, as in a scroll painting, to reveal a new
stage of the tale on each side. It dates from the reign of the Qianlong
Emperor, 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 of
Ernest James Wythes, who lived first at Copped Hall, Epping, Essex, then at
Wood House.
For Asian Week, the British auctions houses have brought together a choice selection, but they are not
the only ones to have concocted a kingly feast for Asian buyers - as we see in these pictures.
25
Yuan vase
This red and white porcelain Yuhu-
chunping vase from the Yuan
dynasty (4,000/6,000) is part of an
Asian art sale staged by the Maison
Artcurial at the Htel Dassault on
11 June. Enthusiasts can also
acquire various other pieces, inclu-
ding a 17th century celadon jade
mountain (12,000/15,000), and a
carved rhinoceros horn libation cup
from the Qing dynasty (30,000/40,000).
The Jiaqing stamp
Christie's is offering a selection of Asian pieces over four
days, from 15 to 18 May, in London: nearly 400 lots with
estimates ranging from 1,000 to over 1M. The finest
pieces display excellent provenances, such as that of
the late 7th Earl of Harewood for a coral-ground famille
rose jardinire bearing the Qianlong stamp
(200,000/300,000). But all eyes will be on these two
imperial Famille Rose vases from an English collection
(800,000/1.2M). Bearing the Jiaqing stamp, these
provide further evidence of the excellence achieved by
craftsmen during the last glittering years of the Qian-
long reign. Here a landscape scene is admirably framed
by two decorative registers.
Doucai enamels
These China bottle vases will be one of the stars in
the Claude Aguttes auction house's sale of Asian art
in Paris on 23 May (40,000/50,000). Bearing the
imperial 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 arts
but also a tactful politician. Eager to establish his
reign in the Chinese tradition, the monarch, of
Manchu origin, encouraged recourse to the styles of
the past; a form of historicism in the empire of the
"Middle Kingdom". These vases are decorated with
entrancing enamels in doucai (literally, "contrasting
colours"), a technique that first appeared in the 15th
century under the Xuande emperor. Chinese porce-
lain is considered to have reached a peak during
his reign, in both technical and aesthetic terms.
26
The Qianlong Emperor's album
We owe a particularly rich editorial work to the Qian-
long Emperor. A considerable scholar, poet, patron
and calligrapher, he was responsible for numerous
publications, one of the most famous being an album
of his favourite views of Yuanmingyuan, the celebrated
Summer Palace. The emperor also took an interest in
his huge empire, and commissioned a series devoted
to its various ethnic minorities. And now, here is the
album, a witness to the diversity of population in the
various provinces of the Empire... Entitled "Zhi Gong
Tu", it will be sold on 12th June in a Paris sale at Drouot
(Joron-Derem). It was part of the former collection of
Langweil, a well-known dealer during the Thirties. The
sixty-eight plates show minorities, civil servants and
Chinese nobles in pairs, together with their descrip-
tions in Manchu and Chinese: a presentation method
also used for the scroll "Foreign envoys Bearing
Tributes", this time dedicated to the representatives of
each foreign country, and now in the National Palace
Museum of Taipei. The album here bears three of the
emperor'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, a
collection of the emperor's seals. An
extremely rare piece in the history of
China, the album is sure to exceed its
estimate: 150,000/180,000.
From the Wanli reign
This meiping vase dates from the Wanli
reign (1573-1620), a period when porcelain
gradually became more widespread, and
production increased accordingly to meet
this new demand. This vase, for sale on 23
May in Angers with Franois Branger
(15,000/20,000), has a rare cloisonn enamel
decoration that should not go unnoticed by
connoisseurs. Stphanie Perris - Delmas
An Imperial album: Zhi Gong Tu, Juan Wu, China,
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, Juan
Wu", three imperial seal marks impressed on yellow
ground gold-speckled paper, and the names of
ministers Guan Bao and Jie Fu, 39 x 34.2 cm.
HD
27
F
rom Jeux interdits to Passager de la pluie,
Ren Clement's films always appealed to the
public, with well-shaped scenarios, dark,
poetic atmospheres and great attention to
detail. 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 war
interrupted his work, but he picked up the camera again
in 1946 for La Bataille du rail, which won a prize at
Cannes. This was the first of a long string of successes.
With his earnings (after tax) the filmmaker decided to buy
a painting after every film, if he could. The first was a
picture by Marquet, Le port de Marseille et Notre-Dame-
de-la-Garde, painted in around 1917-1918. Ren
Clment certainly appreciated well-composed paintings
of this kind. Other paintings from his collection are to be
sold in a sale in Cheverny. They include a small landscape
by Le Douanier Rousseau (25,000), a Vlaminck from
Kees Van Dongen (1877 - 1968), "Portrait de femme
au collier et 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, Portrait
de Madeleine Grey, 1929, is decidedly worth studying.
The painting, acquired in 1975, evokes the charming and
beautiful women who acted in front of his camera. Made-
leine Grey was a well-known opera singer. Her friend
Ravel praised her in one of his letters to the conductor
Ernest Ansermet: She is one of the most remarkable
performers, with an attractive voice, pleasantly powerful
and very clear. And most importantly, she has perfect
diction. Thanks to her, the public heard in Shhrazade
more than just a symphonic poem. Anne Foster
The artistic fancies of Ren Clment
HD
Where ? France, Chteau de Cheverny
When ? 10 June
Who ? Rouillac auction house.
Cabinet Brame et Lorenceau.
How much ? 800,000/1M
USEFUL INFO
>
AISIXA BIARB
BHPARB
Bt\IIIE
7, Rond-Point des Champs-lyses 75008 PARIS
Tl. : +33 (0)1 42 99 20 20 | Fax : +33 (0)1 42 99 20 21
contact@artcurial.com | www.artcurial.com
ORIENTAL LIGHTS
TUESDAY 5 JUNE 2012 8 PM
7, RCMO - PClMT OES CMANPS - ELYSEES 7600B PARlS
ETIEXXE BIXET, TBE tEB tRSSIX
0il cn canvas, x J00 cn Lst. . E 300,000 400,000
BRIBHAX
tAFFI BIXET (2)
ERXST IRARBET
XAIIIY RtSSEAt
\ERStBAFFEIT
wAAEX
wASBIXTX (2)
wERTBEIHER
Specialist:
Olivier Berman
Contact :
Alexia de Cockborne
+33 (0)1 42 99 16 21
adecockborne@artcurial.com
Preview :
By appointement a
fortnight before the sale
Sunday 3 and Monday 4
June, 11am 7pm
Tuesday 5 June,
11am 5 pm
ACKEIN
CRUZ HERRERA (2)
BtFY IRARBT
EDY IERAXB (8)
Agrment CVV
du 25/10/2001
MAJORELLE AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES 2
TUESDAY 5 JUNE 2012 8 PM
7, RCMO - PClMT OES CMANPS - ELYSEES 7600B PARlS
JAtqtES HAJREIIE, HARKET IX HARRAKEtB
0cuache, 8J,3 x J01,3 cn Lst. . E 250,000 350,000
HAJREIIE (8)
HAXTEI (5)
PXTY
QUINQUAUD
THE MAGAZINE UPCOMING AUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL
30
Where ? London
When ? 22 and 23 May
Who ? Sothebys
How much ? 20M
USEFUL INFO
Sachs a glittering playboy and a genuine art lover
H
eir to a considerable fortune, the late
Gunter Sachs was one of the glittering
playboys of the Sixties, and his second
marriage to Brigitte Bardot earned him the
envy of the entire male race But the
flamboyant faade hid "a genuine art lover" (Pierre
Restany), who comes to light through this sale of part of
his collection. At its heart we find the Pop movement,
mainly represented by Andy Warhol. Sachs met him in
around 1960, and staged his first exhibition in Hamburg
in 1972. As the artist sold nothing, Sachs secretly bought
half the works exhibited! Warhol now holds majestic
sway 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 Richard
Avedon (40,000/60,000). Also worth mentioning: "Great
American nude" by Tom Wesslmann (1.2/1.8 M), before
we move on to the new realists, including two Kleins
from the "Feux" series (500,000/700,000 and
300,000/400,000), a "Violon coup en longueur" by
Andy Warhol (1928-1987), Brigitte Bardot, signed and
dated A.W.74 on the overlap, acrylic and silkscreen ink on
canvas, 120 x 120 cm. Estimate: 3-4M.
Arman (60,000/80,000) and works by Rotella, including
a "Cloptre" that should sell for around 40,000. For
good measure, we should also mention a "Concetto
Spaziale" 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 roaring
on a chair by Diego Giacometti (30,000/50,000), whose
console could fetch up to 300,000: also the low estimate
for a lady's writing desk bearing the Ruhlmann stamp.
Last but not least to time the sale? a superb "Pendule
mystrieuse 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
31
I
choose works because something in them speaks
to me," said David Pincus, who died last year. They
say a lot: the outstanding group of paintings,
sculptures, prints and photographs he and his
wife, Gerry, a massed during their 50-year
marriage is above all a true art lover's collection. The
fact that this collection which will be sold on 8 May,
in New York (Christies) 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 recognise
the importance of an artist like Warhol. The collec-
tion focuses on abstract expressionism but also
includes more contemporary works. Its highlight is
Rothko's 1961 Orange, Red, Yellow, estimated at
around $40M and the artist's most important work to
appear on the market since the 2007 Rockefeller
collection auction (that went for $72.8). It features
the "vibrating" aspect indissociable from his finest
paintings.
The Pincuses could not do without a Pollock but
waited until the late 1960s, when they acquired one
from a famous Chicago art lover, A. H. Maremont.
Purchased through the intermediary of H. Diamond,
No. 28 ($20/30M) features black and silver tones
striped with the artist's famous red, white and yellow
drippings; a comparable painting has not come up
for auction since 1997. Likewise, it has been 20 years
since a Barnett Newman as important as Ornament V
($10-15M), a painting with an irreproachable pedi-
gree because the Pincuses bought it directly from
Annalee Newman, has appeared on the market. The
four 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 12
million dollars. More contemporary works include
several paintings by Anselm Kiefer, who became a
friend 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. All
in all, this is a flawless collection reflecting the impec-
cable choices of impassioned art lovers. Xavier Narbats
David Pincus Collection
HD
THE MAGAZINE UPCOMING AUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL
32
By Froment-Meurice
After the fine results of a first sale last year, this new auction at Vevey (Alps Art
auction and Millon auction house) on 15th May seems bigger (nearly 320 lots) and
above all "richer", with an impressive selection combining signed or anonymous
pieces and high quality stones. Three striking rings proudly sport France's colours on
the 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 from
Burma: the estimates for the three items will not be communicated. However, prices are
quoted 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 of
sapphires (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 and
diamonds in around 1960 (CHF 180,000/190,000). Xavier Narbats
The beau Sancy
Sotheby'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 last
November This year the auction house is putting one of the finest
diamonds 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 royal
houses. Owned by Nicolas de Harlay, Seigneur de Sancy, who had
acquired it in Constantinople, it was sold to Henri IV, who presented it to
Marie de Medici. The Beau Sancy thus adorned the crown of the Queen of
France at her coronation in 1610. It subsequently passed into the hands of
the Orange-Nassau family, then to the crown of England, and then to the
royal house of Prussia. It is expected to fetch $2-4M. This sale will be
preceded the day before by the dispersion of Suzanne Belperron's
personal collection of some 60 pieces one of the most remarkable
private collections devoted to the work of the celebrated jewellery
designer, ranging from emblematic items to the most personal creations.
HD
Videos
4
The best jewels of the season
Collection of watches by Breguet
For 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 European
collection of the finest order, as it contains two pieces of museum quality. One
of them, in gold, signed "Breguet et fils" (Breguet and son) (no. 2667), is the
first watch with two movements created by Abraham Breguet. Of the
three he made, two are now in the Museum of Jerusalem, one of which
was designed for the King of England, George IV. This will be offered
at CHF800,000/1.4M. The other star is this flat "half-quarter repeating
watch with equation of time" (no. 4111) produced by Breguet and
his son Louis-Antoine Breguet between 1790 and 1830, initially for
the banker Peyronnet, then sold to the Comte Charles de
L'Espine (CHF800,000/1,4M). We shall be keeping a close eye on the
results of this sale, which promises to be a major event especially
since Breguet is not the only star. Alongside this exceptional collec-
tion, other choice pieces will be the subject of keen attention, like a
rare gold "two crown world time wristwatch with 24 hours indication
and cloisonn enamel dial depicting a map of North America" by Patek
Philippe (CHF1.6/2.6M).
The Lily Safra collection
After the remarkable success of the Elizabeth Taylor
collection last December in New York, Christie's has
been entrusted with the sale in Geneva on 14th May of
the widow of banker Edmond Safra, answering to the
tender name of Lily, who is continuing the philan-
thropic work of her late husband. The proceeds from
the sale of seventy items of jewellery (estimated at
CHF18.2M) will go to twenty charity organisations.
It will be hard to choose between these marvels, which
include three dazzling solitaires (one of 34.05 ct esti-
mated at CHF3.2/4.5M), a Chaumet ring adorned with a
cushion-cut ruby (31.21 ct) that once belonged to Luz
Mila Patino (CHF2.7/4.5M), a large number of antique
jewellery items including a 19th century necklace contai-
ning emeralds and diamonds (CHF1/1.6M). And for the first
time on the market, creations by the "Matisse of jewellery",
the billionaires' jeweller Joel Arthur Rosenthal (Jar), will be up
for auction, with eighteen pieces especially created for Lily Safra.
They include a camellia-shaped brooch composed of rubies and
diamonds (CHF1M/1.3M). Stphanie Perris-Delmas
HD
33
DPARTEMENT :
Elonore ASSELINE
5, avenue dEylau - 75116 Paris
Tl. : +33 (0)1 47 27 76 71
easseline@millon-associes.com
EXPERT : LUCIEN ARCACHE
Mob. : + 33 (0)6 11 17 77 25
l.arcache@orange.fr
orientalisme@millon-associes.com
CONSULTANT RECHERCHES
Anne-Sophie JONCOUX
ORIENTALISM
Monday, 4th june 2012
Paris, Htel Drouot - Room 5
www.millon-associes.com
catalogue online
Lebba
Morocco, Fs.
19th century
13 x 27 cm

Ottoman Tombaq Ewer
Turkey, circa 1800
High : 36 cm
Joseph SEDLACEK (1789-1854)
Women in harem
69 x 106 cm

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35
J
aime Ortiz-Patio, the billionaire, fine-art
collector and founder of the famous Valder-
rama Golf Club, has been passionately buil-
ding this extraordinary collection of golf art
and memorabilia for the last 25 years. It
undoubtedly brings the history of golf alive and
consists of approximately 400 lots, which are expected
to reach at least 2M, on 30 May in London (Christies).
The star of the show has to be the preparatory oil
sketch of The Golfers by Charles Lees (1800-1880),
which is on display in the Scottish National Portrait
Gallery. It was painted to commemorate the 150th
anniversary of the Grand Match competition at St
Andrews, 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 would
not be complete without golf equipment, and there
are certainly some very fine examples, including an
extremely rare 17th century square toe iron, one of
only twenty recorded to exist (estimate: 80,000-
120,000), and a Morris Putter that once belonged to
Tom Morris and his son, the two most celebrated golf
champions who between them won eight Open
Championships (estimate: 40,000 to 70,000). The
sale also includes magnificent historical documents,
such as the very rare 1793 edition of Thomas Murchi-
sons comic epic The Goff. An Heroi-Comical Poem. In
Three Cantos, estimated between 25,000-35,000.
If you are an art collector or an aficionado, you just
cant miss this auction. John Price
The Origins of Golf The Ortiz-Patio collection
Charles Lees, R.S.A. (1800-1880),
The finished sketch for The Golfers
A Grand Match played on the St
Andrews Links by Sir David Baird, Bt.
and Sir Ralph Anstruther, Bt. of
Balcaskie, against Major Playfair and
John Campbell, Esq., of Glensaddell, in
1850: Finished sketch 39.4 x 62.2 cm.
Estimate: 120,000 - 180,000.
HD
AUCTION
RESULTS
FIND AUCTION RESULTS ON THE INTERNET
W
THE MAGAZINE AUCTION RESULTS
38
262,500 Marc Newson (born
1963), honeycombed Voronoi
console, 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
E
ntitled "Les Florilges", the programme of
sales organised by the Cornette de Saint
Cyr auction house lasted five days and was
a great success, with contemporary art
gaining the lions share at 3,490,250,
followed by design, which brought in 956,313. The
highest price of 262,500 was reached by Marc
Newson console (illustrated), which was a French
record for the designer. It is a limited edition made in
2007 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 "Brche de
baerne" marble resting on five steel and lacquered
wood legs. It is the third highest price ever achieved by
the designer throughout the world. Contemporary art
was dominated by 375,000 for an acrylic on canvas
by Roman Opalka from 1965, 325,000 for a Dollar
Sign from 1982 by Warhol made from polymer acrylic
and serigraphic ink on canvas, and a pastel done in
coloured pencils from 1987 by Robert Combas - "Les 4
peluches de lav Maria". Street art was also very
popular, with 74% of the lots finding an owner and a
world record being achieved by Seen with Silver
Surfer Destiny,a monumental aerosol on canvas from
2009, sold for 115,000. In the jewellery section, the
Alain Delon collection of watches more than quadru-
pled its estimated price by reaching 443,875.
A Chinese buyer pushed an Audemars Piguet Royal
Oak made from steel with a slate dial and self-winding
mechanism. Sylvain Alliod
AUCTION RESULTS THE MAGAZINE
39
New record for Lalanne
164,700 - 152,500 Franois-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008),
"Deux Moutons", 1997 edition, signed bronze and epoxy
stone sculptures, one of 250, one numbered 116 /250, the
other 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
A
fter grazing in a residence in the Gulf of
Saint Tropez, these two sheep have been
adopted for 317,200. They are well
preserved, and were made by sculptor
Franois Xavier Lalanne, creator of a
surrealist bestiary. At the beginning of the Sixties, he
put together a world of animals as strange as that of
"Alice in Wonderland". One fine morning in 1965, the
first woolly Sheep graced the artist's living-room in
the Impasse Robiquet, before being entitled Pour
Polyphme at the Salon de la jeune peinture. In Paris,
they have a rural character reminding Franois-Xavier
of the quiet meadows in his home region of Agen.
These tender, peaceful sheep signified the return of
smoothness and purity to sculpture. In 1968, the artist
Bill 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 Mnils: a play on
the metaphor. Franois-Xavier Lalanne also created
sheep for all seasons for his family to serve as garden
sculptures; made from epoxy concrete, they can graze
in the fields in any weather. Adopted by the fashion-
able milieu and the New York jet-set, they rapidly
spawned descendants such as these Sheep.
Contested by bidders in the room as well as by tele-
phone, one of them quadrupled its estimate, while the
other went for five times the estimated price to an
enthusiastic collector. This was a new world record for
an epoxy stone sheep, released in 1997.
Chantal Humbert
HD
40
T
he name Meyer evokes precious
marquetry work and porcelain with rich
gilt bronze mountings more than Oceanic
art. And yet Claude Meyer son of Michel
and brother of Oscar took a decided inte-
rest in contemporary art, design and sculpture. When
his collection of tribal art appeared in the auction
house, it raised a total of 862,413. Previously belon-
ging to his father, the Afro-Portuguese spoon shown
in the photo went for 37,499. The simple oblong form
of the bowl seems to indicate a Sapi origin (Sierra
Leone), and the piece could thus date from 1490 to
1530. It is an item hitherto unknown in the limited
corpus of ivory Afro-Portuguese works. The main part
of the collection was from Oceania. The highest bid in
the sale, 43,750, went to a Kanak apouema ceremo-
nial mask (New Caledonia) consisting of a face-shield
in monoxide wood with a face featuring coffee-bean
eyes, 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 Berg & Associs auction house.
Mr. Vanuxem
How much ? 862,413
USEFUL INFO
teeth, and attachment holes holding a fibre neck-
shield, a headdress and a beard in human hair, and a
notou pigeon feather costume. The Kanaks stayed in
the running at 30,000 with a ridge spire from a cere-
monial case in houp wood, carved with the face of an
ancestor in the centre of a cosmogonic composition.
As for the Maoris, the prize went to a green nephrite
hei tiki pendant at 25,625. Sylvain Alliod
Claude Meyer collection
HD
Matre Mathilde SADDE-COLLETTE
Qualified auctioneer
BOURBON TREASURES
Costumes from the 18
th
, 19
th
and beginning of the 20
th
century
Sales at public auction
MONDAY,
MAY 21
th
THURSDAY, JUNE 21
th
, 2012
This painting comes from a property in the area of Moulins in the Auvergne region
and will be on display until 14
th
May 2012 at the ric TURQUIN valuations office,
69 Rue Sainte Anne - 75002 PARIS
Osias BEERT
the Elder
Antwerp, 1580 - 1624
Still life of dishes of
oysters, roast chicken,
sweetmeats and dried
fruits placed on a table
with a Venetian style jar
and glasses. Two piece
oak panel, non reinforced
58 x 92 cm. Split with
small bare spots.
Estimate
120 000 / 150 000
Collection of Mr L. (2nd part) - Approximately 300 lots
ENCHRES SADDE
S i n c e 1 9 0 8
16 Rue Rgemortes - 03000 MOULINS
T. + 33 (0)4 70 44 05 28
F. + 33 (0)4 70 44 53 80
sadde-collette@interencheres.com
S.V.V agre N2002-132
See all our sales at www.interencheres.com/03003
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MOULINS 03000
FRANCE
42
The scent of China
Art from Ancient China was honoured on the 21st April
with a sale in Cannes dedicated entirely to an impor-
tant collection from the south of France (Azur Enchres
Cannes), which brought in a total of 915,434. The
highest bid went to this 25-kilogram oil burner. Presen-
ting large, moveable handles, the body depicts superb
dragons, which were imperial symbols; they are adorned
with sacred pearls standing out from a background of ruyi
clouds. Rich in symbols, this oil burner, estimated at 7,000,
was strongly contested between the room and telephone
bidders. After fierce competition in the sale, it finally went for
164,813 to a foreign buyer. Chantal Humbert
From the Savonnerie
The 134 lots sold during this sale in Paris, on the 20th April, brought in
7,195,963 (Sothebys). 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 Products
from the East, more commonly known as the Savonnerie. Its owner has
now been identified: it was in fact, the ambassador for Saint Sige in
France, Cardinal Giovanni Francesco Guididi Bagno (1578-1641), who
signed a contract on the 18th January 1631 with Simon Lourdet, owner of
a factory in Chaillot. Its colours - a deep red for the border and a deep
yellow for the middle - are rare. The floral decoration is a product of
oriental influence, whereas the borders with flower baskets and masks are
Western motifs. It very much foreshadows the Louis XIII carpet style, like
the deep brown one preserved at the Louvre Museum.
HD
43
Rose de France
How can you tell an artistic piece by mile Gall from an industrially
produced item? By the way the glass is worked, naturally, but also by its
price. Objective evidence was provided by the 154,100 that went to this
small Rose de France model vase in colourless crystal with pink overlay,
sold on 3 April in Paris (Drouot - Claude Aguttes). The artistic pieces were
produced in very small quantities and it is likely that no more than six or
eight copies of this vase were made. One is now in the Toshio Kitazawa
collection in Japan; another, which came from the former Brugnot
collection, featured in a sale in Geneva in 1988, while a third with
similar decoration but a different shape was sold in June 1992 at
Sothebys, sporting as pedigree the former collection of the dealer
Barry Friedman. The "Rose de France" series shows flowers at
different 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, Lon Simon.
It is now one of the star items in the Muse de lcole de Nancy.
Young Oriental from the Cairo rebellion
With its shining sabre, this drawing by Girodet was the subject of a fierce
battle taking it up to 90,697 on 11 April in Paris (Drouot - Baron - Ribeyre
& Associs, Farrando - Lemoine). Featuring in the artist's post-mortem
sale in April 1825, this is a preparatory drawing for the figure of the Young
Oriental in "La Rvolte 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 the
Palais des Tuileries. Mingling heroism and exoticism, it played a role in
constructing the Napoleonic legend. The action depicted took place in
October 1798 when the French were fighting the rebels, who at this point
had been driven into the Great Mosque in Cairo during the popular upri-
sing triggered by Bonaparte's new tax measures. Sylvain Alliod
HD
HD
44
Abstraction in the limelight
935,560, doubling its estimate. Nothing was left to
chance with Jean Hlion. While the artist took liber-
ties with the pure geometric abstraction of
Mondrian by leaving his lines incomplete and refu-
sing to close the circle of his curves , he still aimed
for a mathematically-constructed composition,
where the impression of movement is generated by
primary colours. "Tensions circulaires n 1", (illus-
trated), thus marks a milestone in the history of the
Abstraction-Creation movement. An enthusiast
happily paid 446,112 to become its owner. Nicolas
de Stal had a completely different approach. The
temptation of figuration is evident in "Le Lavandou",
an oil on panel, whose small format did not prevent
it from raising 396,500. This work was painted in
1952, when the artist was at the peak of his success
and creativity. While abstraction took up the lion's
share of the day, it was not the only successful area.
A work by Bernard Rancillac, the master of narrative
figuration, went for 223,056 - a record for a pain-
ting by the artist (Artnet base). With " verser au
dossier de laffaire", it is not only a painting, but also
casts light on an event that disrupted the political
scene in the Sixties: the Ben Barka affair. The artist
echoes the press in this acrylic on canvas and mirror:
its title distorts that of an article on the inquiry publi-
shed in LExpress in 1966, and a portrait of the victim
published in the media is presented alongside the
main painting. The work (illustrated), intended as a
kind of report, borrows its visual processes from
photography and strip cartoons, with the dramatic
aspect of the kidnapping accentuated by crude
blocks of colour, tight framing and a theatrical pers-
pective. Sophie Reyssat
T
he lyrical abstraction Zao Wou-ki, the
geometrical forms of Jean Hlion and
the informal landscapes of Nicolas de
Stal were the particular focus of bidding
on the 15 April in Versailles (Versailles
auctions), at a special contemporary art sale where
72% of the lots found takers, and which finally
totalled 4,412,714. The undisputed star of the day
was Zao Wou-ki. His compositions have accustomed
us to a certain dizziness produced by his effects with
materials, evoking the power of the elements.
Hypnotising art lovers, the work finally went for
446,112 Jean Hlion, "Tensions circulaires n 1", 1931-1932,
oil on canvas, dated 32, 75 x 75 cm.
HD
45
223,056 Bernard Rancillac,
" verser au dossier de laffaire",
1966, acrylic on canvas and
mirror, two parts, signed and
dated, countersigned, titled and
dated on the back, 162 x 130 cm
and 46 x 38 cm (detail).
46
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 -
Lefvre). Examples in gold are infinitely rarer than those in silver.
It celebrates the peace treaty signed with Sweden on 3 August
1790, the imposing, martial bust of Catherine II rubbing shoulders
with the highly peaceful symbol of an olive branch on the back,
surrounded with a laurel wreath and the motto "For everlastingly
friendly relations " As we know, this wish came to nothing, as
the Napoleonic Wars reshuffled the cards and forced Sweden to
cede 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 magnanimously
proposed 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 forever
A 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 cut
diamond adorning it was accompanied by a certificate from the Gemo-
logical Institute of America indicating its colour, D an exceptionally
perfect white and its purity, VS1 (Very Small Inclusion I). This is an
important detail, because the stepped facet cut makes any impurities in
the stone even more visible. Closer to the natural form of diamonds in the
rough, it enables the stone to diffuse a subtler, softer light. The emerald cut
takes its name from the eponymous stone, which is fragile and highly sensitive
to 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
47
Persian, year 1233 of the
Hegira (1817-1818). Gilt brass
astrolabe signed, diam.
8.4 cm.
At a meeting point of influences
B
idders did not lose their way in devoting
57,340 to this Persian astrolabe from the
early 19th century. There is no other
extant item by its maker, but an astrolabe
made by his father, Muhammad Sadiq
ibnAli Naqi, is now in the National Museum of
American History in Washington. This carries the date
1775-1776 and is marked with the same descriptive
formula,"al-haqq bishr", which perhaps means "he
who announces the truth". This astrolabe is engraved
with a geographical table with the names of thirty-five
cities; the rete has leaf-shaped indexes for sixteen stars
with their names, and it is equipped with five tympa-
nums. While its highly meticulous decoration reflects
the tradition of the Iranian style, the use of tympanums
with double projection and the relief-decorated kursi
show 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
48
HD
49
T
he sale of the Count and Countess Niel's
collection raised 2,078,600 (87% by lot;
91% by value). As we remember, the
couple 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 oils
on canvas with a cheerful touch and subjects that
were unusual, being revolutionary: "La Journe des
brouettes et la Fte de la Fdration nationale, le 14
juillet 1790, au Champs-de-Mars". Sold for 169,000,
these paintings illustrate the first revolutionary cele-
bration, "Wheelbarrow Day", depicting the colossal
work undertaken in preparing the Champ de Mars to
receive some 400,000 people. At 73,000, the esti-
mate was doubled for an oil on panel, "Les jardins du
Petit Trianon avec le Belvdre Versailles et une
jeune femme prsume Marie-Antoinette se prome-
nant", the identity of the accompanied female stroller
169,000 Hubert Robert (1733-1808), "La Journe des
brouettes et la Fte de la Fdration Nationale, le 14 juillet
1790, 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's
suggestion. Hubert Robert was not the only one to
provide subjects based on Versailles: Claude-Louis
Chatelet even attracted the preference of the Muse
National du Chteau de Versailles, which paid
133,000 for an oil on canvas entitled "Le Rocher et le
Belvdre Versailles en 1786". An oil on canvas by
Nicolas de Largillierre, "Portrait de Jean de La
Fontaine g de 73 ans", tripled its estimate at
157,000. Meanwhile, the furniture was dominated
by the 109,000 that went to a Louis XVI bergre in
moulded, carved gilt wood, delivered to Madame
Elisabeth for her apartments in the Chteau de
Compigne. This has a flat back and torus legs.
Sylvain Alliod
The Count and Countess Niels Collection
Spectacular stone wall clock
Made in the middle of the Enlightenment, this chased gilt bronze wall
clock combines technical perfection and aesthetic quality. One of the
most 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 of
shrewd 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 Enchres-Auxerre Estimations).
The face is signed by Louis I Montjoye, one of the
most skilled clockmakers during the reign of Louis
XV. After a tough battle between several collec-
tors, it comfortably doubled its estimated price.
Sold for 235,880, it will now while away the
hours in a Belgian residence. Chantal Humbert
Alabaster Virgin Mary from Nottingham
In the Middle Ages, alabaster gave rise to a prosperous industry. Sculpted
in 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 in
England 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 upon
Trent and Nottingham, where alabaster production was so important that
the 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 sought
after in the sale on 15 April at Louviers (Jean-Emmanuel Prunier). It is
similar to the statues now in the Evreux and Rouen museums. Estimated
at around 30,000, it attracted a devoted collector from across the Atlantic
and went for 84,265.
HD
51
HD
UPCOMING AUCTION
LOUIS VUITTON
Specialist
Chombert & Sternbach
16, rue de Provence - 75009 Paris
Tl. 01 42 47 12 44 - Fax : 01 40 22 07 36
chombert-sternbach@luxexpert.com
Contacts
Me Delettrez
+33(0)1 47 70 83 04
+33(0)6 24 60 80 00
GROS & DELETTREZ
Auctionneers
GROS & DELETTREZ
22, rue Drouot 75009 Paris
Tl. : + 33 (0)1 47 70 83 04
Fax : + 33 (0)1 45 23 01 64
contact@gros-delettrez.com
www.gros-delettrez.com
SVV - Agrment n2002-033
14 may 2012
Htel Drouot - Room 4
Trunk
fashion
Bags
ACCESSories
Luggage
AUCTION IN PARIS - HTEL DROUOT
9 rue Drouot - 75009 Paris - France
TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012
A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL ALBUM, ZHI GONG TU, JUAN WU
CHINA, 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, Juan
Wu", the first and second pages with three imperial sealmarks impressed on yellow ground gold-speckled paper, the two
following 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
=]/[.[[
Q1735-1796
q7.j{7]Jj5|@[[
[y76]{@]|][{E/:]]@=j(|\|.=.|.
@@/Q|j..j@]./|[#+)[)=\./@.@@/j.
.j]|.|=#|[):)34]{/j/5j|-/}.@\j|)]j-[
Christophe Joron-Derem
46, rue Sainte-Anne - 75002 Paris - France - Agrment du CVV : n2002-401
Tl. : +33(0)1 40 20 02 82 - Fax: +33(0)1 40 20 01 48
contact@joron-derem.fr
Pierre Ansas
Anne Papillon dAlton
+ 33 (0)6 25 84 56 34
ansaspasia@hotmail.com
Philippe Delalande
+ 33 (0)6 83 11 24 71
delalande.philippe@neuf.fr
AUCTIONEER
Viewing on request, and on internet: www.joron-derem.fr
EXPERTS - CONTACT
54
Jourdan-Barry collection
540,750 French
silver-gilt ecuelle, cover
and stand, Thomas Germain, Paris,
1722-1723, l. 31 cm, 1,845 g.
restricted circle of keen antique art collectors. A tireless
researcher, Raymond Jourdan-Barry wrote the first
book on the silversmiths of Aix-en-Provence, a seminal
work published in 1974. His son Pierre continued to
add to the family collection. The most eagerly-awaited
piece was a covered silver gilt ecuelle (bowl) and stand
(1.8 kg; Paris, 1722-1723) made by the illustrious
Thomas Germain. At 540,750 it remained below its
estimate, and went to join a European collection. Of
the six ecuelles by the silversmith listed between 1735
T
his sale entirely devoted to silverware
raised 4.1 M: one of the highest scores
ever achieved in this speciality at
Sotheby's in Paris. The Raymond and
Pierre 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 in
the top ten were bought by private collectors from
Europe and Asia. The Jourdan-Barrys were a ship
broking family from Marseille who belonged to the
55
and 1748, only two have survived; one in silver
belonged to the Jourdan-Barry collection (the lots sold
represented only a part of the ensemble amassed by
the two collectors), while the other is now in the
Louvre. One of the most dramatic bids in the sale,
144,750, went to a large virtuoso silver pot ladle
(506g; Paris 1749-1750) by Edme-Pierre Balzac, with a
shell-shaped bowl, an openwork twisted rope handle
and an appliqu olive branch. This came from the
David David-Weill collection. Pierre Jourdan-Barry had
a particular affection for ewers with matching basins.
186,750 was paid by an Asian buyer for a silver set (2.2
kg; Bayonne, c.1734-1735) by Jean Delane: a pedestal
model with a spout emphasised by the mask of a
bearded river divinity. Another Asian buyer pushed the
price up to 156,750, tripling the estimate, for a silver
covered terrine dish with liner and stands (5.3 kg; Paris,
1784-1785) by Jean-Baptiste Chret, with chased
appliqu 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 silverwork
making up the lion's share. The most impressive bid
went to a mid-16th century Venetian silver cup (400g;
diam. 23.7 cm) which was pushed up to 82,350 by the
European market after an estimate of 12,000. Of great
sobriety, this is simply engraved with coats of arms in a
leafy setting including the initials and emblems of the
patron 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 Large
silver pot ladle by
Edme-Pierre
Balzac, Paris,
1749-1750,
l.41.8 cm. 506 g.
HD
56
Attributed to Weisweiler
This Parisian sale, on the 17th April, totalled 4,777,200 for 310 lots (Christies). 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-rendered
marble top (l. 75cm). These two pieces stand out as a result of their gilded bronze decoration, the doors decorated with
the figure of Ceres on the one and the figure of Pomona on the other. One side of each cabinet has a portrait of Louis
XIV and the other has one of Louis XV. In the possession of the family of the Marquis Lonce de Vog (1805-1877),
prior to this, they had most certainly belonged to the collection of Quentin de Craufurd (1743-1819). S. A.
HD
57
T
he name Borghse evokes a past as rich
as it was extravagant. These twenty lots,
which came from Giovanna Ruffini
Borgnini Valletti, the granddaughter of
Scipion Borghse and Thodora Martini,
sold for a total of 630,000. The portrait by Giovanni
Piancastelli, which depicts Scipions brother Marcan-
tonio V, exceeded its estimate and reached 146,875.
Piancastelli was brought in to teach the children in the
painting how to draw, and to conduct the inventory of
the family collections. In 1886, he was in charge of their
transfer to the villa Pinciana and after the sale in 1902
of a part of the estate, he became the first curator of
the Borghse Gallery in Rome. The Portrait dAdelade
de la Rochefoucauld from 1854, by Giovanni Battista
Canevari, went for 77,500. Remember that this
Frenchwoman, the mother of Scipion and Marcan-
tonio, married the prince Franois Aldobrandini
Borghse. She was amongst the first foreign ladies to
marry into one of the greatest Italian families. The
"Portrait of Guendaline Catherine Talbot" (1817-1840),
146,875 Giovanni Piancastelli (1845-1926), "Portrait du
prince Marc-Antoine Borghse 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 INFO
the wife of Marcantonio, garnered 72,500, the
highest of its estimated price range. The quality of this
canvas could well be compared to the works of Cane-
vari, who, as we know, made several portraits of the
members of the family. Guendaline Talbot Borghse,
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 towards
the poor. She died from cholera at the age of 23.
Sylvain Alliod
Borghse family portraits
58
The Dotremont collection and others
403,200 Herv Tlmaque
(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 times
nuanced, as is the case with this picture. The artist
had learnt this gilding technique in 1949 and 1950 at
Robert Sauvage, a frame makers in London. In 1957,
he returned there in order to improve his skills.
He used wooden panels upon which he would apply
gold using a pressure that would more or less retain
their original square shape. In certain cases, the gold
leaves would produce a faint outline like coins. For
Klein, gold is the material that leads to the immate-
rial, its double aspect highlighting the promise of
eternity, which he represents as currency, and the
T
his contemporary collection totalled
4,841,350. The eighteen pieces from the
collection of Belgian businessman
Philippe Dotremont (1898-1966) alone
reached 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 French
record 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 Realism
is well known; many of them are therefore sold in
other countries. Klein produced no more than forty-
six Monogolds in various sizes between 1959 and
WORLD RECORD
HD
59
American, is in a private collection, and the last was
destroyed by the artist as a way of demonstrating his
break away from surrealism. Portrait de famille
remains attached to this theme and is inspired by the
Father Ubu figure in Alfred Jarrys play. According to
its 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 shown
by the picture. In a conference given in 1959 at the
Sorbonne by the architect Werner Ruhnau - with
whom he worked on the architecture of the air - he
defined gold as both the means of accessing the
absolute and returning to the body and the fluid
which brings it to life - blood. In the same year, he
made his first immaterial pictorial sensitivity zones;
space sold for the price of twenty grams of gold, for
which the buyer would receive an ownership certifi-
cate, made and signed by the artist. The artist would
then throw the gold powder and the buyer had to
destroy his receipt. These were art works in the form
of happenings, though this picture is clearly not one
of those. It does still challenge the concept of a work
of art and the value thereof, for with all costs
included, he valued this one square centimetre of
gold at 937; a gram of gold was worth around 40
on the market. Is art more expensive than gold? In
the 14th century, Nicolas Flamel was attributed the
creation of the philosophers stone, and in the 20th
century Yves Klein transformed art into gold (if not
the other way round). In the Dotremont collection
there were other artists who reached totals beyond
their estimated prices, such as Auguste Herbin,
whose oil on canvas from 1951, Non II, trebled its
estimate by achieving 182,700. A unique painted
and enamelled piece of earthenware from 1945 by
Joan Mir, estimated at 20,000, actually made
153,700.
Herv Tlmaque: a world record
Apart from the Dotremont collection, there were
other notable results. In first place was a world record
(source: Artnet) achieved by a Herv Tlmaque
diptych oil on canvas from 1962 sold at 403,200.
On the website huffingtonpost.fr, Alexia Guggmos
says that this piece is one of the most well known
works by the Franco-Haitian painter, reproduced in
the magazine "La Brche". It was exhibited at Docu-
menta in Kassel along with four works from the
period 1962-1963, marking the beginning of his pop
work. My Darling Clementine is kept at the
Pompidou Centre, La Bote dallumettes is kept at
the Hunterian Art Gallery, the third, No title, the Ugly
60
Blanc de Chine
Chinese Buddhist figures were not only incarnated in bronze,
but also in porcelain and with the same success: estimated
at 4,000, this immaculate Guanyin finally rose to 210,664 on
4 April in Paris (Drouot - Beaussant - Lefvre). Shown seated in
lalitasana on a rock beside a book, the figure dates from the
reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722). It also bears two
stamps, one of them meaning "may virtue reign over all, even
sinners". Guanyin was the Chinese equivalent of Avalokites-
vara, goddess of mercy and protector of children. She is often
described as dressed in white, even though in ceramics
many statuettes representing Buddha and other divini-
ties or figures were produced in "blanc de Chine"
(China White). This term applies to ceramics
produced in the Dehua district in the province
of Fujian, a region that contains a very pure
white clay known as "milk white". Ceramic
production began during the 11th
century in Dehua, and began speciali-
sing in Buddhist subjects in the 13th
century. In the 16th century, technical
improvements enabled the production
of larger statuettes covered with a
thick ivory glaze.
Qianlong and Buddhism
The six-character stamp of the Qianlong Emperor
featured on this bronze, representing Guhyasamaja
Akshobhyavajra in yab-yum with his Sakti, was surely a
reason for the remarkable price of 272,624 it obtained
on 4 April in Paris (Drouot - Beaussant-Lefvre), after an
estimate of no more than 30,000. Qianlong's reign was
the most brilliant of the Manchu Qing dynasty. He
strongly proclaimed his Buddhist faith and his interest in
its 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 deeper
personal investment, as witness the emperor's tomb, the
subject of a recent study by China and Tibet specialist
Franoise Wang. While the outside of the sepulchre
respects the traditional architecture of imperial Chinese
mausoleums, the inscriptions ornamenting it give the
whole unit an unusually Buddhist character. These are in
Tibetan or "lantsa" characters. Their study has elucidated
a number of themes, including a reference to Indo-
Tibetan Buddhist funerary rites. Sylvain Alliod
61
Where ? Paris - Rossini Room
When ? 12 April
Who ? Rossini auction house.
Mme Papillon dAlton, Mr. Ansas
How much ? 1,115,280
USEFUL INFO
Stamps of the Qianlong Emperor
China, powder blue porcelain vase decorated with
gold and panels of white porcelain, two with
calligraphy, Qianlong stamp of doubtful
authenticity, h. 31.5 cm.
HD
C
hina once more caused a sensation with
this little porcelain vase, which rocketed
up to 1,115,280 after an extremely
modest 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 two
calligraphed poems. With regard to its possible imperial
origin, it will be remembered that Qianlong was a consi-
derable scholar who composed poems and copied
sutras, as witness the album he calligraphed himself,
which went for 1.7M at Drouot on 30 March. Qianlong
had a whole series of reference books executed listing
all the Chinese skills: painting and calligraphy, books,
bronzes and antique coins, ceramics, geography and
texts, whether historical, philosophical or literary. This
vase falls into several of these categories: the arts of
porcelain, painting and poetry. Small wonder it so
inspired the bidding! Sylvain Alliod
62
63
64
The landscape from St Petersburg to Rome
T
he 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 by
Feodor Matveff, a Russian painter whose
name was often erroneously spelt Fedo Matveev. This
result is the highest ever achieved by the artist on Artnet.
Only four works by Matveff were actually sold: Sothebys
sold one of his oil on panel paintings from 1821 for
44,450, bearing the signature of the artist but presented
as being from the Neapolitan School from the 19th
century. 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 the
250th anniversary of his birth, Matveev is considered to
be one of the precursors of the Russian landscape school
of painting, along with Simon Shchedrin (1745-1804).
Matveev was the son of a soldier and studied painting
between 1764 and 1778 at the Academy where he
without doubt came into contact with Shchedrin. He
graduated in 1779 and then left immediately for Rome,
where he attended courses at the Fine Arts Academy
before starting on his own two feet. He spent most of his
time in Italy, creating landscape descriptions of the
peninsula in a very classical vein. Matveev had without
doubt paid much attention to the works of Nicolas
Poussin, as demonstrated by this painting. S. A.
334,584 Feodor Matveff
(1758-1826),"Vue du Campo
Vaccino", 1816, oil on canvas,
70.5 x 99 cm
65
dore in Jeanne Lanvin's collection, sold in December
2008 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
P
ainted in Nice in 1928, this painting by
Theodore Stravinsky, the eldest son of
Igor Stravinsky, achieved a world record.
After their exile in Switzerland during the
Great War, the Stravinsky family settled
in France, where the young Theodore took lessons
from his father's friends. Derain taught him how to
handle a brush and Picasso how to use his eye, while
two Swiss painters, Ren Auberjenois and Alexandre
Cingria, set him on a path halfway between Classi-
cism and Cubism, enabling him to find his own style.
The composer likewise adopted a more classical
style in the Twenties, as can be seen in his Octet for
wind instruments of 1923. After staying with Coco
Chanel in Garches, the Stravinskys lived between
1924 and 1931 in Nice, where the climate was bene-
ficial for the health of Igor's wife. This was where "La
Famille" was painted in 1928. A drawing by Theo-
A record for a quartet
Where ? Paris- Drouot - Room 7
When ? 20 April
Who ? Millon & Associs auction house.
Mme Ritzenthaler
USEFUL INFO
T
he 21st April, in Villefranche-sur-Sane, this manuscript
generously surpassed its estimate of 11,000 (Enchres
Rhne Alpes E.R.A.). This very rare piece had been in the
library of a keen collector of Orientalist works. Written
with fine humanitarian feeling, it narrates the pilgri-
mage to the Holy Land undertaken by Denis Possot, the parish
priest at Coulommiers, and continued by one of his companions,
Charles Philippe de Champarmoy. The account of the journey was
printed in Paris in 1536 by Regnault Chaudire, and reprinted in the
19th century by Schefer. After leaving in the spring of 1532, the
pilgrims travelled through Dijon, Lyon and Chambry and reached
Venice, where they boarded a ship that was going to Cyprus. From
there, they stopped in Jaffa before carrying on to Jerusalem. On
their return, Possot unfortunately died in Candia from a contagious
disease, taking half his companions with him. Charles Philippe, Lord
of Champarmoy and Granchamp, a rich merchant from Lyon, then
took up the account of the pilgrimage; on the way back, he
describes escaping from a Turkish squadron before reaching
France. This manuscript, on the market for the first time, is accom-
panied by a page with the note: written and drafted by the Prior of
the Franciscan monks of Beaune in the Franche-Comt. It contains
240 more pages than the two printed accounts. Like a diary, it
recalls day-to-day events and describes encounters, places, plants
and animals. This highly detailed manuscript provides valuable
information on the art of travelling at the beginning of the 16th
century. With assets like these, it fired museums, collectors and the
international market with enthusiasm, finally going to the library of
a French buyer. Chantal Humbert
Pilgrimage to Jerusalem
492,000 Voyage en Terre sainte (Journey to the Holy Land), 360-page
manuscript, written in ink in 1532 and 1533 by a companion of Denis Possot during
his journey to Jerusalem, format: in-quarto, unbound.
66
HD
67
Faberg bracelet
This gold and enamel rigid cuff bracelet, sold for 32,219
after a high estimate of 6,000 in a sale at Paris-Drouot
on 18 April, bears witness to the House of Faberg's
wide-ranging sources of inspiration (Drouot-Estima-
tions auction house). Here, taking neither the Europe
of the Enlightenment nor traditional Russian art as
references, the celebrated jeweller drew inspiration
from 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,
Faberg had already presented a replica of a gold
bracelet from the fourth century BC, which was one of
the Scythians' treasures. Some twenty years later, this
archaeological vein continued to be popular on the banks
of the Neva.
68
Castelbajac's Order of Saint Alexandre Nevsky
Despite a solid estimate of between 80,000 and 120,000, there was a battle for this Knight of the Order of Saint
Alexander Nevsky insignia right up to 198,272 at Paris-Drouot on 18 April (Beaussant Lefvre). The recipient was
Barthlemy Dominique Jacques Armand, Marquis de Castelbajac, Major General and diplomat. In 1849, he was
appointed Minister Plenipotentiary, then French Ambassador in Russia. This high dignitary did not succeed in avoiding
the 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 appointment
accompanying 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 and
friendship for you" Founded in 1725, with a single class, the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was the second highest
Russian 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
69
HD
LIEFERANT DES KNIGSHAUSES
VON ITALIEN
AUKTIONSHAUS ANDREAS THIES EK
Steingaustr. 18
D-73230 Kirchheim unter Teck
GERMANY
Tel. +49 1 71 / 2 66 27 81
Fax +49 70 21 / 48 40 52
E-Mail: afthies
@
t-online.de
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
Ofcers Helmet, 1809
Russia: St. George Bravery Sword Bavaria: Hartschiere
Guard Helmet
Prussia: Gardes du Corps
Ofcers 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. 1950
Life-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, 1911
Exceptional 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 Spectacular
Illuminated Mirror Front, c. 1920
Extraordinarily rare!
(Estimate: US$ 5,000 8,000 /
4.000 6.000)
Legendary Cipher
Machine Enigma,
c. 1938
Fully 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, 1882
First German typewriter. Giant rarity!
(Estimate: 10.000 15.000 /
US$ 13,000 18,000)
The Sensational Model Railway
by Swiss Josu 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 m,
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. / Path-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: Auction@Breker.com Business hours: Tue Fri 9 am 5 pm
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT OUR INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES:
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Australia & New Zealand: Dieter Bardenheier, Tel./Fax -/64/(09) 817-7268 * dbarden@orcon.net.nz
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Barrel Organ H. Pettersen,
Copenhagen, c. 1910
Excellent working condition. (Estimate:
US$ 5,000 8,000 / 4.000 6.000)
Welcome to our 121
st
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 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 Scales
Several models, e.g. by
National Novelty Co.
('Lollipop-style'), c. 1905
(Estimate: 1.000 3.000 /
US$ 1,300 4,000)
Burrel Traction Engine, 1920
Working 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. 1880
Musical 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
Mrklin 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--Vis
by Jouet Franais,
Paris, c. 1900
24 cm / 9 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. 1890
With '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 ? Sothebys
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. The
day ended with two collections; the first formed the
sixth catalogue of a seemingly inexhaustible assort-
ment of scholarly items, including a bamboo brush pot
from the late 17th century (HK$4.8 M), this bronze
incense-burner from the Chenghua period (HK$4.2 M)
and at HK$3 M, an early Qing jade paperweight in the
shape 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 the
Song period, which obliterated its modest esti-
mate when it soared to HK$3 M. The appetite of
Chinese enthusiasts for objects reflecting the
age and excellence of their civilisation seems as
insatiable as ever Xavier Narbats
HK$ 207,860,000 An Ru Guanyao lobed brush washer,
Northern Song dynasty.
WORLD RECORD FOR A SONG CERAMIC
T
hese four sales of Chinese works of art took
place on the same day in Hong Kong, total-
ling some HK$1.2 billion: half the overall
result of a well-filled session that also
included jewellery and modern and
contemporary art from south-east Asia and China.
That day, the star was a celadon ceramic bowl from the
Song period. Formerly in the Clark collection in Japan,
it largely exceeded all hopes when it fetched HK$
207.86 M (around US$ 26.5 M - triple its estimate): an
out-and-out record for a piece from this period. In the
third part of the sale, more ceramics were dispersed,
this time from the Meiyintang collection. A Xuande
bowl 15 cm in diameter may not have been the most
spectacular item in the catalogue, but its great age, the
perfection of its proportions and the quality of its deco-
ration (two dragons on a background of waves) meant
that it achieved the top price in the sale, HK$112.7 M.
Meanwhile, far from such heights but from the same
HD
72
AUCTION RESULTS INTERNATIONAL THE MAGAZINE
Brals Silver Cup
This historic Brals Silver Cup, awarded to the winner
of the first ever modern Olympic Marathon race in
1896, achieved an astounding 655,454 at Christies,
South Kensington on 18th April. This broke the world
record price for Olympic memorabilia sold at auction. It
was put on sale by the grandson and namesake of the
cups winner, Spyro Louis. After a heated contest at
auction, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation finally
carried off the tiny cup, which stands a mere 15 cm
high. The organisation has said that it will remain in
Greece and will be suitably displayed in the Founda-
tions upcoming Cultural Centre. Other highlights from
the sale included a vintage advertisement poster for
transport to the first Olympics in London, which went
for 18,373, and an Olympic torch from the 1948
London games, which achieved 7,655. John Price
HD
73
MAGAZINE
THE MAGAZINE NEWS
76
The Palais de Tokyo reopens
which only a month from the pre-opening was a
tangled mass of scaffolding. Before enjoying varying
fortunes, from 1937 this "huge fallow plot" housed the
Muse National dArt Moderne, which hosted artists of
the time like Picasso, Matisse and Brancusi. The building
has thus rediscovered its vocation: living art. Its mission
is to promote creation by all generations in France, "from
Julio Le Parc, 82, to Benot Pype, 28, not forgetting artists
in 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 had
renovated the first part of the building in 1990, the
venue, with its extensive loft-style perspectives, theatre,
four cinemas and numerous nooks and crannies, has
retained the non finito aspect of a space that is "frugal,
and thus inventive", says Jean de Loisy. One of the aims
is for "life to really develop here", he says. You can have
lunch in one of the two restaurants, have a drink or
watch 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 of
the Palais de Tokyo will kick in after the Contemporary
Art Triennial taking place there until 26 August, which
will even spill over into the neighbouring areas and
suburbs. In September, the Palais will be staging a
themed exhibition entitled "Dtours de limaginaire".
Three monographic exhibitions are also scheduled, one
devoted to Fabrice Hyber. The "Modules" of the Pierre
Berg/Yves Saint Laurent Foundation, a kind of creative
spawning ground, will host twenty-five young artists
each year. After this running-in period, an experimental
programme will be launched in June 2013 entrusting
the entire Palais to around fifteen young curators from
O
n 12 and 13 April, Paris's huge future
contemporary art venue opened its
22,000 m
2
for a preview. We talk to its
director Jean de Loisy. "This is a great
opportunity for artists: it will be the
biggest art centre in Europe," says Jean de Loisy, the new
director of the Palais de Tokyo, who took over the
project last June when Olivier Kaeppelin resigned. An
independent exhibition commissioner and former
curator at Beaubourg, this dynamic fifty-year-old has
been turning his hand to everything in this huge project,
Jean de Loisy
at the Palais de
Tokyo during the
renovation work.

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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 openness
mentioned by Jean de Loisy is the arrival of the Berlin
group "Forgotten Bar", who for three months will be
offering a different exhibition each day of artists living in
France. At the same time, works by major emerging
figures and creators will be installed for around a year at
the Palais, to create "slowness", as the director puts it, "in
counterpoint to the succession of 30 to 40 artists". In his
view, it's a question of avoiding "conventional exhibition
programmes conceived as boxes to be filled in, and
NEWS THE MAGAZINE
77
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In figures
The 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 the
Metaphor of Grow", Ausstellungsansicht,
Frankfurter Kunstverein, 2011.

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THE MAGAZINE NEWS
78
symbolic value will certainly be the major exhibition
planned at the Louvre in 2014, "in every room in the
museum", he says, to illustrate the scope of the project.
Based on an idea of Jacques Attali's, "the history of the
future", this will demonstrate how artists of yesteryear
and the present day see the future. As the director of the
Palais explains, "It consists of breaking down the artificial
barrier that exists between the past and the present."
Jean de Loisy has also announced an exhibition with the
Muse dArt Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 2015; and
thanks to a renewed agreement, intelligent coordina-
tion has been set up with the Centre Pompidou: "When
we present Julio Le Parc, it will exhibit Soto; when
we put the spotlight on Parreno, they will focus on
Huyghe." However, the Palais de Tokyo will be careful to
avoid an exclusive focus on the French capital and
intends, as its director promises, "to be a bridgehead to
the regions." In September 2013, an exhibition is
programmed with France's twenty-two FRACs (regional
contemporary art funds). Art schools will also benefit
from the spotlight in 2012, firstly with the restoration
department 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 an
award to be staged every year with an art school. There
will also be a very hands-on presence in the regions with
the various Palais de Tokyo curators, christened
"workshop plunderers" by their President, who will go
and visit artists all over France in liaison with the FRACs
and art centres. Last but not least, and this is completely
new, those considered "singular" As we see, these
bridges are highly topical. Furthermore, Jean de Loisy
has blithely crossed the one leading to the Muse du
Quai Branly on the other side of the Seine, where he is
curator of the exhibition "Les Matres du dsordre"
running from 11 April to 29 July, where ethnological
objects rub shoulders with contemporary works of art.
"It's fascinating to see how shamanistic objects have an
effect on the people who look at them: they are active
objects that affect us psychically,' he says. He considers
that "today, artists are anthropologists who study our
collective situation." An argument that does not
preclude a certain element of respect: "In fact, the real
bridges are the artists." Molly Mine
www.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 a
decorative purpose; it ought to liven us up, in the real
meaning of the word, and give us a soul." Unlike those
who think that French artists are not very visible on the
global stage, Jean de Loisy thinks positively, emphasi-
sing that four generations are now present at the same
time. He lists them: "One: Morellet and Le Parc; two:
Boltanski and Buren; three: Huyghe, Parreno, Foster and
Hyber; four: Tatiana Trouv and Cyprien Gaillard. This
hasn't happened for fifty years." He adds that it is time to
"increase our attention to French artists". The Parisian
structure is also invited to create exhibitions abroad. For
example, next December, Marc-Olivier Wahler will be
the curator for a presentation of the French scene in Los
Angeles. No turning in on itself: every three months, the
Palais de Tokyo plans to invite foreign emerging artists,
including Damir Ocko from Croatia and Ryan Gander
from Britain in September. The Pavillon's action will be
maintained, with a residence for ten artists and two
curators, who will be taking a close look at France. At the
same time, Jean de Loisy aims to develop synergies
throughout France. One event with considerable
Maxime Rossi (b. 1980), "Soft Soto", 2011.

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NEWS THE MAGAZINE
79
Ulla von Brandenburg (b. 1974),
"Curtain", 2007, at the exhibition
"The World as a Stage", ICA, Boston, 2008.

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THE MAGAZINE DESIGN
80
Lacloche gallery a groundbreaking experiment
raised his awareness of the relationship between the
arts, architecture and useful objects, a theme that
Franois Mathey, the head curator at the Muse des
Arts Dcoratifs 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 renaissance
of forms" corresponding to a "new art of living" and
making a total break with the postwar Good Design
trends. Mathey brought together a veritable jumble
of furniture, objects, jewellery, dresses, etc., some
belonging to artists, and added original creations
such as Csar's famous television and Br's whim-
sical, highly unorthodox secretary. This was light
years away from the curator's 1963 "Industrial
Forms" show.
With his ready-mades, Marcel Duchamp turned
industrial products into artworks. Soon afterwards,
at the beginning of the 1960s, the New Realists
pondered the relationship between artist and
object. Later, Pierre Restany conceptualised "objects-
plus" -everyday objects cum art works. Breaking
down the walls between disciplines was becoming
more popular. In 1961 sculptor Philippe Hiquily
made his first pieces of furniture. Three years later
Jeannine de Goldschmidts Saint-Germain-des-Prs
gallery showed Franois-Xavier Lalanne's Rhino-
cretary, followed in 1965 by his first sheep benches.
The same year, Jacques Lacloche went even further
by using his gallery to host a total experimental inte-
gration of the arts. Ragon curated a "Furnished Place
Vendme Studio " entirely created by painters
James Guitet and Nikos, seconded by sculptors Pol
Bury, Louis Chavignier, Jrgen Schneyder, Kosice
A
n October 1969 article by Doris Herzig
in New York's Newsday began with the
headline "Frenchman Starts Design
Revolution". Instead of a frenzied
young man raising a clenched fist and
condemning bourgeois society, the picture illustra-
ting the story showed a respectable-looking, quietly
seated 68-year-old gentleman in a suit and tie
named Jacques Lacloche. But the chair looks much
less classic. It belongs to the "Module 400" series
designed by Roger Tallon. A pivoting, one-legged
base, polished aluminium and industrial foam
rubber with the sweet-sounding name of "spaz-
molla" were part of the revolution the headline
heralded. It occurred on the Left Bank, of course, but
on rue de Grenelle instead of the Latin Quarter. In
1967 Lacloche, the latest in a long line of jewellers
with a shop in Place Vendme since 1875, left that
very elitist address for 24 rue de Grenelle. In the
1950s he became interested in contemporary art,
particularly abstract work by Polish artists. In
December 1959, he took a big step and turned the
first floor of his jewellery into a gallery to exhibit
works by Jan Lebenstein, Petlevski, Gieriowski and
others. Michel Ragon, then a critic at Arts, frequently
visited and became friends with Lacloche, who
READING
Hommage la galerie Lacloche, de Marc du Plantier Roger Tallon. Design
des annes 60-70, catalogue published for the February 2012 Sothebys
exhibition at the Charpentier Gallery in Paris. Price: 15.
DESIGN THE MAGAZINE
81
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Made by the Galerie Lacloche, Roger
Tallon, "Module 400", ca. 1966,
helical staircase, tables and chairs in
polished aluminium, and glasses
by the designer for Daum.
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THE MAGAZINE DESIGN
82
became a producer, seeking out workshops able to
meet artists and designers' requirements at a mode-
rate cost, for there was never any question of
making deluxe editions for a well-heeled clientele.
That accounts for the gallery's move across the
Seine to the Left Bank. A Module 400 chair cost 420
francs (around 460 in today's money), the Elephant
chair just 1,000 francs (around 1,100 in today's
money) - much less than the prices gallery owners,
for whom Lacloche paved the way, currently charge
for limited series by contemporary designers. The
speciality house Florent Jeanniard, responsible for a
Sothebys exhibition in homage to the gallery in
February, picked up the jeweller's spirit that
Lacloche kept for the packaging, "veritable box-
settings for jewels". The producer also became a
distributor. The non-exhaustive list of items he
offered includes tables by Marie-Claude de
Fouquires, Nicolas Schaefer's "Lumino" and the
A.J.S. Arolande group's inflatable furniture.
Lacloche also designed furniture in glass and Altu-
glas, such as the coffee table featured at the 1966
show with Philolaos' vessels on it. He took part in the
46th Salon des Arts Dcoratifs in 1968, organised a
1969 show based on the theme of space and light
and opened a gallery in New York's Macys depart-
ment store the same year. In 1974 Francis Lacloche
joined his father, pursuing the production policy,
devoting one-man shows to four artists - Georges
Jeanclos, Sacha Ketoff, Max Wimmer et Michel
Grard - and holding group shows based on the
themes "The Portrait" and "Fear". The adventure
ended in 1982 as a new design era dawned.
Sylvain Alliod
and Tloupas Philolaos. Guitet, for example, made a
painting-relief-bookcase that attracted a lot of atten-
tion. Mathey came running. In 1966 the catalogue of
the gallery's new show announced: "Franois
Mathey and Michel Ragon present 'The object 2, for
contemporary furniture', with the kind collaboration
of Baroness lie de Rothschild." The kinship with the
Muse des Arts Dcoratifs show was clear. So was
the point of the exhibition, which Ragon summed
up as: "Offering the public objects directly designed
by contemporary artists, and not objects based on
contemporary art and crafted by decorators." Philo-
laos designed spice boxes and bottles, Alicia
Penalba an hors-duvre dish, Caroline Lee a make-
up lamp, Martine Boileau a table and a "dervish tray",
Alicia Mo glasses, Philippe Hiquily a table, and so on.
The most emblematic pieces were Rancillac's
Elephant wing chair and the "Module 400" series
that Tallon had originally designed for a nightclub.
The decorator Marc du Plantier, who designed metal
and Altuglas chairs, and Georges Patrix were the
only exceptions to the "all-artist" rule. Lacloche then
Made by the Galerie Lacloche, glass and metal
table by Philippe Hiquily (born 1925), ca. 1967,
with an aluminium hors-duvre dish by Alicia
Penalba (1913-1982), ca. 1967,
"Module 400" bookcase by Roger Tallon, 1966,
with stainless steel spice boxes by Tloupas
Philolaos (1923-2010) on its shelves.
D
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NEWS IN BRIEF THE MAGAZINE
83
Jean Girel revisits Chinese ceramics
Jean 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 directly
from those who rediscovered ancestral ceramic techniques, thanks to Art Nouveau. His own creations evoke the refine-
ment of the Song dynasty. Maison Grard, in collaboration with the Galerie Arcanes in Paris, is now exhibiting pieces
from the "Bestiary", "Bird" and "Landscape" series, the latter inspired by Joachim Patinir's poetic paintings from the
Renaissance. To be contemplated without moderation Sylvain Alliod
Until 24 May, "Jean Girel: ceramics", Maison Grard, 43 & 53 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003. www.maisongerard.com
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THE MAGAZINE THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW
84
Artemisia Gentileschi
Behind their curiosity, perhaps your contempora-
ries are frightened of you, aren't they?
(Appalled.) "Behind their curiosity." What do you think I
am, a freak, a fair-ground attraction or something? I'm
the cheekiest artist you'll find from miles around. Since
people always look at me with a mocking gleam in
their eye anyway, why not be as provocative as I can,
painting what all those men wouldn't dare to, even in
their wildest dreams? Beheadings turn their stomachs
and the expressive force of a vengeful look disturbs
them. They think I'm Judith and they're scared of being
Holofernes! (Laughs). So, yes, I think they're afraid of
me. But it serves them right!
You mentioned your father, Orazio. Tell us a little
more about him.
An outstanding painter, an outstanding father and an outs-
tanding man. He taught my brothers and I how to draw in
his studio. I started at a time when he was really working in
the vein of Caravaggio, and of course that rubbed off on
me, but I added a more personal touch to that very realistic
world. I've always had a more naturalistic style, like Anni-
bale Carraci. (Reflecting). Yes, I hold the Bolognese school
in high regard (Cheerful). A visionary man who paints is in
turn a good painter. My father was one of them, and he
gave 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 "to
sleep on it" comes from, for example? Because at night a
woman whispers advice into her man's ear that helps him
live his own life (energetic and forceful). Look, let's not
dwell on this matter forever; put down something like,
'Thanks to her tenacity and relentless work she won
respect and esteem, etc.' and that'll be just fine!
TO SEE
"Artemisia (1593-1654), The Power, Glory and Passions of a Female Painter",
muse Maillol-Dina Vierny Foundation, Paris - Until 15 July.
www.museemaillol.com
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Naples, 1649. We caught up with the headstrong artist in
the studio where she has been working for several weeks.
La Gazette Drouot: You're the third female artist,
after Madame Grs and Sophie Calle, to participate
in our imaginary interviews. Why do woman artists
get such short shrift?
Artemisia Gentileschi: You tell me! I feel we deserve
twice as much recognition for what we do. I've never
heard of Madame Grce or Sophie what's-her-name,
but I'm sure your magazine has featured less deserving
male artists. Give me two or three names and I'll tell
you what they're worth.
I have a short memory. Let's move on, if you dont mind.
That's it, dodge the question to hide your shame! You
know as well as I do that our century keeps women
down and in the kitchen! So imagine a female painter
like me breaking into the all-male art community.
Goodness knows how much perseverance I needed to
be the first woman admitted to the Florence Academy
of Design. (Pensive) I wasn't lucky enough, like my
father, to know Caravaggio, but my painting owes him
a great deal. Although he was never attracted to
women I know that the sight of an extraordinary pain-
ting could send him into flights of inner ecstasy
without his caring about who painted it.
THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW THE MAGAZINE
85

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Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654),
"Autoportrait au luth" c.1615-1619,
oil on canvas, 65.5 x 50.2 cm.
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THE MAGAZINE THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW
86
Artemisia Gentileschi,
Giuditta e la fantesca
Abra con la testa di
Oloferne, 1617-18,
oil on canvas,
114 x 93.5 cm, Florence,
Galleria Palatina.

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THE IMAGINARY INTERVIEW THE MAGAZINE
87
Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and Holofernes,
c1612, oil on canvas, 159 x 126 cm.
Naples, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte.

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Thanks for the advice. Your maidservant warned
me when I came in and yet, I'm dying to ask you a
question.
Don't bother, I already know what it is. I hope this satisfies
your colleagues' curiosity and that they stop bothering
me about this. Since I'm not the one who should feel
guilty, I talk freely about the matter without beating
about the bush, although that took some time. Yes, I was
raped. By a painter, Agostino Tassi, who was my mentor
and was supposed to marry me, against my will of course.
But he backed out. My father sided with me and brought
charges against him. I'll spare you the details (bitter). In the
end the brave man was sentenced to just a year in prison,
which of course he never served. There, now you know
the 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 more
suitable mate. As time went by I think I even came to
love him. Ah, Florence is so different from Rome, where
I grew up. Real connoisseurs, like the Medici, placed
their trust in me. That's worth all the gold in the world
and 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 Sometimes
things take off and you don't really know why. But I've
still 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'll
excuse the neologism. As time went on I had the chance
to discover the works of Simon Vouet and Pietro da
Cortone. And then don't forget about Naples, nine years
later, a city of real art lovers. I got some really nice
commissions there. It was a new life for me, when I could
at last take time out to enjoy family life while continuing
to do beautiful projects, such as decorating the cathe-
dral, which helped me expand my imagination.
Like Van Dyck, you went to London to serve Charles
I of England.
Wrong! I went there to join my father, who was a painter
at the court. (Laughing). I just tagged along! But he
asked me to work with him on the commissions the king
had asked him to do, so you might say I played a bit part
in that great privilege. Later I heard that the king
acquired some of my works, but I don't know any more
than that.
What would you like to be remembered for five
centuries from now?
(Caught off guard) Now there's a question that's
original and complex at the same time (pensive). If
ghosts exist, I'd like to haunt some of the places that
show my work to eavesdrop on what people say about
them. I'd like to hear how surprised they are that such a
candid hand as mine could paint such bloody scenes.
You've got to be a bit cheeky to be a female painter in
the 17th century, don't you think? You've got to deny
the impossible, sail over the horizon, get off the beaten
track, shrug off scorn as if it were nothing. Real
freedom is that which you take, not which you beg for.
Interview by Dimitri Joannids
THE MAGAZINE THEMA
88
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 Artmisia Gentileschi exhibition at the Muse
Maillol Paris, the artist, the greatest of women painters, initiated a new genre focused on the image of strong, beautiful, virtuous
women 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 still
suffers from the problematic question of attribution. But the exhibition, first staged in Milan, has led to the discovery of several previously
unknown pictures in private collections. The market moved into action, culminating today in the 419,500 obtained for a portrait of a
woman 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 Solinas
predicts that her rating will unquestionably rise. Stphanie Perris-Delmas
THEMA THE MAGAZINE
89
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 on
canvas 97.5 x 72.5 cm. Rome, 12 June 2008. Bloomsbury Auctions.
34,000 Attributed to Artemisia Gentileschi, "Bildnis der Heiligen
Katharina", 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 Charbonneaux
auction house. Mr. Dubois.
THE MAGAZINE INSIDE THE MUSEUM
90
heavens and blessed lands called dongtian fudi
were parallel worlds on or inside the Earth where the
immortals lived and harmony reigned. This is some of
the background that nurtured the scholars' imagina-
tions. In addition, the rock, like the mountain, was
considered a witness to the forces that created the
ever-changing universe, and their caves were
thought of as the vehicles of the life force. The first
stones collected came from Lake Taihu near the city
of Suzhou, but soon China's outstanding geological
wealth in various rocks, including many different
kinds of limestone, opened up new prospects. The
first work on the topic, Yunlin Shipu (Compendium of
Stones from the Cloud Forest), compiled in the 12th
century, listed over a hundred, but in fact collectors
were always interested in the same five or six kinds of
stones, with a few additions for a more colourful
range in the last Qing dynasty. The show echoes that
selection, which, with a few rare exceptions, empha-
sizes the three main genres: Taihu, Lingbi and Ying.
Almost all the stones on display at the Muse Guimet
are from a single collection that a contemporary
Chinese scholar, Zeng Xiaojun, passionately put toge-
ther over the years, just as his forerunners did in the
past. He did not focus on a single category of items
but collected various objects, the Chinese scholar's
paraphernalia. We cannot reasonably date the rocks,
which naturally express their geological age, but
petromaniacs - for that is how the texts and poems
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t seems that works from China, especially anything
bearing the Manchu stamp, are in vogue these
days. But there is another China, which has always
kept itself aloof from the dusty world. This show
focuses 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 raw
quality prized by minds familiar with Taoist philo-
sophy and are invested with a tremendous dream-
creating power. First, by virtue of the Chinese belief
that there is a natural link between the macrocosm
and microcosm, they came to represent the world of
immortals. That development occurred between
the third and second century, when the Chinese
imagined that world as a group of mountain-islands
in the middle of the sea. A little later the rock, a minia-
ture mountain, appeared in gardens. There was just a
small step from there to the studio, and it was quickly
taken. All artists had to do was to find a smaller rock
but one that still looked like a mountain. Then it
became possible, just sitting in the studio, to embark
upon a journey of the mind by scanning the bumps,
caverns and narrow paths to which the stone's
presence and particular texture gave life. A related
phenomenon, rock collecting, appeared around the
eighth century. By contemplating a stone lying on a
table or in a garden the artist took an "imaginary hike"
called wo you, a term coined to describe landscape
painting by Zong Bing (375-443), one of the genre's
trailblazers. The numinous power with which moun-
tains and exceptional landscapes have always been
invested in China gave rise to a highly precise sacred
geography that Taoism developed between
the fourth and eighth century. A total of 118 cave-
Scholars rocks the routes of art in China
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
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"Scholars rocks the routes of art in China", Muse Guimet,
Paris Until 25 June. www.guimet.fr
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INSIDE THE MUSEUM THE MAGAZINE
91
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Screen standing on a base,
knotty root, Qing Dynasty
75.5 x 59.8 cm.
Xiaogushan guan
studio collection.
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THE MAGAZINE INSIDE THE MUSEUM
92
history and poetry on the programme of a competi-
tive examination open to all for the recruitment of
civil servants, a breeding ground of creative talent
throughout China's history. The fall of the Han
Dynasty in 220 and the ensuing unrest, bitter proof of
the failure of Confucianism, prompted scholars to
turn towards the texts of Taoist philosophy and
cosmology. These impenitent individualists were so
in love with freedom, nature and poetry that they
would risk their lives for the most trivial matter. In
around 260 A.D., a group of them got into the habit of
gathering at a friend's house in the countryside
whenever possible. The strength of conviction, love
of beauty, culture and courage displayed by these
eccentric "seven sages of the bamboo forest" exerted
such fascination that their portraits became standard
features of the iconography on tombs between the
fourth and sixth centuries, alongside those of the
devoted to them, or that they wrote themselves,
describe them - know the history of their passion so
well that they provide the guidelines. Moreover, the
often imperious desire to give the stones names led
their owners to engrave them right into the rock itself
or on their stands when they came into fashion at the
end of the Ming Dynasty. The inscriptions sometimes
help to identify one or more successive owners, but
the new vogue for scholars' stones has also led to a
rise in the number of forgeries in China and the
United States. These ideas are at the heart of the scho-
lars' appreciation for stones but they do not explain
everything. Another phenomenon, the "scholarly
spirit", or shiqi, came into play in the third century.
This stemmed from the second century before our
era, when Emperor Wudi, who made Confucianism
the State doctrine, officially created a large class of
scholars who had studied the works of literature,
"Small artfully carved" stone, xiaolinglong shi
Lingbi stone (?), Song Dynasty, 20 x 9.5 x 6 cm,
zitan wood stand, 4 x 4 cm. Collection of Mrs.
and Mr. Ian Wilson.
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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 Wang
Xizhi's orchid pavilion in 353 and the resignation in
405 of Tao Yuanming, who gave up his civil service
career to live in the countryside and devote himself to
poetry. Wang Xizhi became the prince of calligraphy
for 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, which
shortly afterwards became a reality, of Manchu domi-
nation, sparked a powerful nationalist revival, one of
whose manifestations was an upsurge in the scho-
larly spirit. Writing accessories had always been
chosen with care, but henceforth even more atten-
tion was paid to their formal perfection, whether or
not they were the work of nature. Old bronzes
engraved with characters, seals, oddly-shaped but
potentially useful wood or roots found in the wild and
gourds evoking hermits and immortals were mixed.
Stones were put into paintings. The earliest portrait -
the auspicious dragon stone, xianglong shi tu, made
by 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, did
not really come into its own until the Ming Dynasty.
The show features several examples, as well as
portraits by contemporary Chinese painter Liu Dan
and landscapes based on his impassioned perception
and observation of the mineral world, which inspired
him to make creations of dizzying depth that touch
our hearts because they imperceptibly speak to us of
the origins of the world, of our worlds and of our
uncertain future. Zeng Xiaojun's works, like those of
Liu Dan, are based on the same scholarly spirit that
inspired their forerunners but the methods and tech-
INSIDE THE MUSEUM THE MAGAZINE
93
Landscape in ink, vertical scroll, ink on paper 1991, Liu Dan, born
1953, 236.7 x 121.8 cm (without the frame), Harvard Art
Museum/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Acquired thanks to the generosity of Alexandra Munroe and Robert
Rosenkranz (law school, class of 1965) in honour of Henry Whitney
Munroe (class of 1943). Inv. 2005.87.
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niques fully belong to our world while perpetuating
the unique, wonderful relationship between man and
nature without distorting it. The exhibition will have
achieved its goal if that bond shows through with all
its force and continuity on an itinerary that will take
visitors from direct confrontation with the stones to
an intimate understanding of the scholarly spirit with
which they are inextricably linked.
Catherine Delacour
head curator, China department
THE MAGAZINE EXHIBITIONS
94
Turner inspired light
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urner continuously worked on trying to
capture the effects of light by studying
the techniques of Claude Le Lorrain.
London's National Gallery tells the story of
that inspiration. Claude and William. Put
together, the forenames sound as though they could
belong to heroes in a novel. The first (1600-1682) and
the second (1775-1851) were never able to meet, but
their relationship is obvious in their work. Joseph
Mallord William Turner had such boundless admira-
tion for Claude Gelle, known as Le Lorrain, that you
might be forgiven for mistaking some of their pain-
tings for one another, particularly Paysage avec
Jacob, Laban et des filles (Landscape with Jacob,
Laban and His Daughters) (oil on canvas, 143.5 x 251.5
cm), which the French artist painted in 1654, and
Appulia cherchant Appalus, daprs Ovide (Appulia
In Search of Appulus, After Ovid), an 1814 oil on canvas
(148.5 x 241 cm). Turner seems to have painted his
work 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 of
Claude - the British usually call him by his forename
rather than "Le Lorrain", as in France - but the appea-
rance may match what he actually saw because the
varnish was removed in the 20th century. Turner
discovered Le Lorrain's landscape on a visit to William
Beckford's Fonthill estate when he was 25. The sight
of Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of
Sheba is said to have moved him to tears. The young
artist then tried to understand and grasp the classical
painter's technique by studying how he captured
the play of light and placed his trees. In one of his
sketchbooks he reproduced a Le Lorrain painting in
watercolour, Paysage de larrive dEne devant
Pallantum (Landscape with the Arrival of Aeneas at
Joseph Mallord William Turner (17751851), "Banks of the Loire",
1829, oil on canvas, 71.3 x 53.3 cm.

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EXHIBITIONS THE MAGAZINE
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Pallanteum), 1675, but left out the embarkation and
the figures to focus solely on the trees. Turner's style
may have evolved, but he never stopped taking inspi-
ration from paintings by the artist he had chosen as
his master, using a wide range of techniques, from
large oils on canvas to mezzotints, etchings, waterco-
lours, gouaches and drawings. The National Gallery is
hosting a show on the relationship between the two
artists: "Turner Inspired: In the Light of Claude". The
70 paintings and works on paper, including 13 by Le
Lorrain, 10 by his followers and 47 by Turner, plus
documents, primarily focus on the French artist's
themes. We can gradually see how Turner asserted
his own style, relentlessly working on sunrays and the
effects of light on landscapes as well as water, which
elicited so much rejection, admiration and amaze-
ment from his contemporaries. Le Lorrain had put the
sun in his compositions; Turner took the liberty of
transposing the Frenchman's Italian landscapes to
the English countryside. He worked with white paint
Joseph Mallord William Turner (17751851),"Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Night", 1835, oil on canvas, 92.3 x 122.8 cm.

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THE MAGAZINE EXHIBITIONS
96
to capture light, which was a breakthrough at the
time. On his first journey to Italy, in 1819, Turner used
watercolours to study the transparent effects he later
featured in his oils. His light effects became even
more 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 no
longer but luminous impressions. The 1835 canvas
Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Night probably reaches
perfection. It is so bright, at first glance all you see is
that 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).

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National Gallery, London - Until 5 June, exhibition catalogue
(in English) published by the National Gallery, Turner
Inspired: In the Light of Claude, by Ian Warrell, with contri-
butions from Philippa Simpson, Alan Crookham and Nicola
Moorby - bound, 144 pp. Price: 25.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
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harsh glare of their torches contrasting with the soft
moonlight. Here again, the unconventional play of
perspectives gives the rays a mood found only in
these works. Bertrand Galimard Flavigny
NEWS IN BRIEF THE MAGAZINE
97
German and Italian drawings
Renaissance drawings
This exhibition, running until 17th June in the Getty
Museums West Pavilion, presents art from the German
Renaissance and consists of 43 pieces by Schongauer, Durer
and Lucas Cranach the Elder and others, taken from the
Gettys own drawing collection. This era of German art is
most famous for its development of the cult of the line,
which saw greater emphasis on the importance of linear
forms such as swells, tapers and flourishes. The exhibition
includes works from Albrecht Durer, who is perhaps the
most famous German artist from this period. As a young
man he travelled to Italy to absorb Italian Renaissance Art,
and became the first German artist to successfully master
the depiction of the human anatomy and the naked figure.
This is also an important exhibition because it features
drawings by artists whose works are rarely seen outside of
Europe and covers a huge range of themes, from peasant
life to courtly love. One of the most significant pieces in the
collection is a portrait of a cleric by Hans Holbein the
Younger, one of the only examples of Holbeins work in
America. Most of the artists works are actually in the British
monarchys Royal Collection, where they have been kept for
many centuries. www.getty.edu

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Italian works on paper
Until the 8th July, The Art Institute of Chicago will be presenting a collection of 197 Italian works on paper dating from
the 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 becoming
masterpieces in their own right. It is the collectors 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.
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THE MAGAZINE MEETING
98
Georgia Russell an angel with a scalpel
path to art. "I was good with my hands and wanted to
do fine arts," she says in French tinged with a slight
accent. At 24 she graduated from Scotland's Aber-
deen University with a BA before enrolling in
London's Royal College of Arts, which in 1999 sent
her on a month-long residence at the Cit internatio-
nale des Arts in Paris, where she would stroll along
the banks of the Seine browsing the used-book stalls
discovering old volumes and ephemera, an
encounter that sparked the driving force behind her
work. Armed with an MA in printmaking, the next
year she applied for another, longer residence at the
Cit internationale des Arts. Since then she has been
in Paris, where she lives and works. Meanwhile, she
has exhibited in London at the London Art Fair and
the England & Co gallery, Copenhagen, Edinburgh,
Ontario in Canada, the US and Basel, Switzerland. The
galleries Dukan & Hourdequin in Marseille and
Karsten Greve in Paris and Cologne have shown her
work and London's Victoria & Albert Museum
purchased several of her compositions. Ms. Russell
cuts paper the way a sculptor does stone. "I construct
my work by building up layers," she says. "My gesture
becomes the drawing." Her creations can be read on
at least two levels: the material's very meaning, and
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he wields a scalpel the way other artists
handle a brush. From her cuts are born
poetic, voluptuous works, often
displayed like trophies. Remember her
name. At a time when some contempo-
rary artists are surfing the wave of irony or "obliga-
tory" subversion, she seems like an alien. "She" is
Georgia Russell, a 37-year-old Scottish artist with an
angels face and scissor hands. In October the Galerie
Karsten Greve in Paris devoted a show to her work.
Her fingers are like blades. To get that way, first she
armed herself with pencils and colours and worked in
various other media, including prints and video. One
of her grandfathers was a jazz singer who passed his
love for notes that sound like words on to her. Throw
an architect father and an encouraging family into
the mix, and the stage was set for her to pursue the
Georgia Russell in her studio,
Argenteuil, 2011.
READING
Georgia Russell 2010, exhibition catalogue, Galerie Dukan & Hourdequin,
published by the Galerie Dukan & Hourdequin, Marseille, 2010.
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MEETING THE MAGAZINE
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Georgia Russell (born in 1974), LInconnue, 2011, cut book and acrylic on cable under Plexiglas.

THE MAGAZINE MEETING
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formal stage is completed, the artist often frames it in
Plexiglas or glass. She designs three kinds of objects:
those that she puts between two plates with little if
any fixation, those that she puts under a bell jar and
those that she displays in the open air. The first are
photographic prints that she cuts up like lace until
the represented image emerges, held between two
plates whose powerful reflection is part of the work
(Distance, 2011). "I like the mirror effect it creates
because it forces you to look past the visible," she
explains. Her impressive, dreamlike sculptures of
books, veritable explosions of filaments, bring to
mind, by turns, jellyfish rising up out of the books'
guts (Le Sage, 2011) or African fetishes or masks
(Untitled Atmosphere, 2011) resting in their sacred
enclosures after being used. These works, like those
made from music scores, make us think of flags but
also 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 releases
after being cut. "I try to capture light in my seascapes
or clouds," she says. This "negative" work becomes a
positive process that frees internal forces. Keeping
them under a bell jar is also meaningful. "I read Sylvia
Plath's book The Bell Jar, which is about being
trapped in a bubble, and found it poetic," she says.
"My creations acquire additional power there." Ms.
Russell does not "attack" any book but chooses
symbolic titles such as The Lover, The Second Sex,
Eroticism and Madame Bovary. "They say my work is
feminine, but I'm not a feminist," she says. "It's more
than that. I'm interested in religion, philosophy and
literature - that endless world I wanted to enter when
I was younger - and in the overwhelming amount of
information we're subjected to." In her comments
one 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 image
to make it into another". First, she scans the chosen
image, apart from the books, among pictures, old
postcards, music scores or friends' photographs in
order to make "big prints with subtle, elaborately-
worked colours". Then she whips out her scalpel,
which glides along in her fingers, making precise
movements of varying amplitude, whose music is the
soundtrack of her days. "I use the same number 11
blade for five to 10 minutes,' she explains. "After that,
I have to change it, so I've got a lot of them." Big jars
full of the sharp instruments sit on the edge of her
worktable. "Sometimes I put some paint behind my
photos," she says, "which colours my object-sculp-
tures" (LInconnue, 2011, Lrotisme, 2011). She
does not use traditional brushes, although "I miss
working the material that way a little". Once the
Georgia Russell, Le Sage,
cut book on cable under Plexiglas.

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The Galerie Karsten Grve will exhibit Georgia Russell's creations at Art Hong
Kong from 17 to 20 May, Art 43 Basel from 14 to 17 June, and FIAC Paris from
18 to 21 October.
and values. It plays with languages by freeing them
from their discursive principle, offering us an unprece-
dented alternative to the immaterial book. Her works
have a sense of movement recalling American
Abstract Expressionism and, through her metamor-
phosis of objects, a clear kinship with Surrealism and
New Realism. The young artist, who looked up to
Nancy Spero and Robert Rauschenberg when she first
started out, is anything but a vengeful warrior. If she
attacks objects, it is to weave them into a new fabric
of 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 address
topics that are pillars of our society, including love,
writing, memory, history and art. Her landscapes and
nudes give off vibrations through the knife's action,
which creates hollow spaces as well as relief. She has
just finished a private commission, Sumo, Helmut
Newton's monumental book of photos of women
limited to 10,000 signed copies. It was an almost
surgical operation, understandably so, since she used
a scalpel. But it was also exhilarating for an artist who
nurtures 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 is
not limited to cutting paper, far from it. It ploughs
repetitive 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.

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Galerie Karsten Grve, 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
102
When writers dabble with the brush
the writers who nourish our imagination. Honour
where honour is due! And let us render to Victor what
is Hugo's. Because in this respect, few writers can boast
of knowing such success. And the author of "Les Mis-
rables" explored all the resources of ink, far beyond the
novel. Despite a preference for architectural drawing,
Hugo sketched numerous landscapes, portraits and
caricatures. In 1863, he even published an anthology of
his finest ink drawings, with a preface by Thophile
Gautier. But it would be wrong to forget all those who,
like him, switched from pen to brush with ease. To
return to Thophile Gautier: who remembers that the
author of "maux et Cames (Enamels and Cameos)
first wanted to be an artist, to such an extent that he
put "man of letters and painter" on his passport as his
profession? But fate decided otherwise. The defender
of "art for art's sake", Gautier became the poet we all
know. However, he consoled himself by forging close
relationships with a large number of artists, and conti-
nued to draw for his own pleasure. Charles Baudelaire,
meanwhile, amused himself with the "awful rubbish
that literary men have fun scribbling". And yet he, too,
yielded several times to the siren call of drawing. His
publisher, an art critic and the first collector of the
poet's drawings, used to say of him that he was a "cari-
caturist in the real meaning of the word." Though less
caustic than the author of "Les Fleurs du mal" (The
Flowers of Evil), Alfred de Musset was an excellent
draughtsman as well. In her personal diary, Georges
Sand another incomparable draughtswoman
reports that Eugne Delacroix told her that he "wanted
to copy the little sketches in Alfred's album", as he so
admired the writer's skill with the pencil. As to the
other great Alfred of the 19th century, de Vigny, we
A
s Napoleon said, "A good drawing is
better than a long speech". Little did he
know how right he was... We seem to
have forgotten that writing arose from
drawing, and the language on the rocks
of prehistoric caves came long before the words of the
prophets. Let us take a quick look at the inner world of
3,198 Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), "Visage", 1962, pastel with
dedication to Richard Quadras, 34 x 26 cm.
Marseille, 19 December 2009. Leclere auction house.
cence after being wounded in the war", says expert
Alain Nicolas in the Belfond sale catalogue (at Artcurial
on 14 February this year). Another poet and
draughtsman close to Picasso was Max Jacob, who
drew sketches based on photographs. In 1922, writing
to Francis Poulenc, Max Jacob said: "I am belatedly
becoming a real painter... it's horrible! Something
between Corot and an immodest Monet." To discover
some of his works, you will need to visit the Muse des
Beaux-arts in Quimper, his native town. Another
museum you should not ignore, if you want to get
closer to another great writer and draughtsman, is the
Muse Paul-Valry in Ste. This contains oils and
pastels by Valry, who illustrated several of his books
himself, including the famous "Cimetire marin"
catch him writing: "If I were a painter, I would want to
be a dark Raphael: angelic form, dark colouring". In
short, nearly all 19th century poets and writers were
fascinated by art, from Grard de Nerval, who drew
lively sketches with a free, sure hand, to Verlaine with
his bitter self-portraits, to Maupassant, whose
drawings bear witness to his love of sailing.
Drawing as poetry
In the early 20th century, Guillaume Apollinaire was
the first to give drawing a prominent place in his poetic
world. With his calligrammes, the poet, an intimate
friend of the avant-garde painters, aimed to combine
text and image. To do this, he laid out the verse on
paper in such a way as to create a drawing of the same
subject. "I think this is something really new," he wrote
to Picasso in July 1918, in a calligramme letter featuring
a pipe and a paintbrush. The poet also left a number of
highly modern, sometimes naive watercolours "almost
exclusively produced in 1916 () during his convales-
TRENDS THE MAGAZINE
103
75,640 Victor Hugo (1802-1885), "Paysage au pont prs de Salm, le chteau 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 illustres, Roselyne de Ayala and Jean-Pierre Guno,
ditions de la Martinire, Paris, 1998.
HD
THE MAGAZINE TRENDS
(The Graveyard by the sea). Drawing occupied a very
special place in the life of Antoine de Saint-Exupry 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, the
hours seems very short to me." But he still found the
time to write and publish "Le Petit Prince" (The Little
Prince) in a version illustrated by himself!
The mask beneath the pen
But in the 20th century Jean Cocteau was indisputably
one of the most prolific artists of this kind and art
lovers who frequent Drouot will not say otherwise! The
poet who did a bit of everything never stopped
drawing, saying "My drawings are writing that has
been unpicked and put together in a different way".
Expert Alain Nicolas tells us that while a great many
drawings by Cocteau have come down to us, his water-
colours are far rarer. Enthusiasts take note! But why
continue with this form of creation a century after
Hugo? 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 the
Surrealist poet Paul Eluard who, with Jacques Prvert,
was one of the first to try his hand at collage. We find in
his writing the same kind of unexpected, mischievous
associations that Max Ernst adopted in his paintings.
There was total cross-fertilisation between the arts, as
exemplified by Raymond Queneau, who in 1946 took
part in the collective exhibition "Si vous savez crire,
vous savez dessiner" (if you know how to write, you
know how to draw) staged by La Pliade-NRF. In other
words, there is always a draughtsman slumbering
within 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 many
a modern art sale at Drouot), or the German writer
Gnter Grass. The Nobel Prize-winner for Literature in
1999, with a diploma from the Fine Arts School of
Dsseldorf, saw his writing take over from his artistic
expression at the end of the Fifties. As to whether other
contemporary authors devote themselves to drawing,
it's hard to know. Will they come forward after reading
this article? Dimitri Joannids
104
TRENDS THE MAGAZINE
105
43,910 Paul Verlaine (1844-1896), "Couple de singes et
autoportraits simiesques", 1893, pen and ink on paper,
17 x 23 cm, Belfond collection, agence Rue-des-Archives.
Paris, Htel Marcel Dassault, 14 February 2012.
Artcurial - Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan auction house. Mr. Nicolas.

Gazette International 14

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Gazette Drouot

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