Old Master
& 19th Century Art
Artcurial is one of the leaders in the international market for Old Master and 19th Century Art. Today, Artcurial is, alongside the auction houses of London and New York, a major reference for collectors and connoisseurs.
Founded in 2007 by Matthieu Fournier, the department has grown rapidly and reached a turnover of €47m by 2022. It is constantly making discoveries and setting world records, such as the €4.8m result achieved in 2019 for Artemisia Gentileschi’s Lucretia or the €24m obtained for Jean Siméon Chardin’s The Basket of Wild Strawberries in 2022.
The work carried out by Matthieu Fournier and his team has been rewarded by the success of important private collections brought to auction such as those of Baron Vitta (2009), the historian Jacques Thuillier (2012), the prestigious Louis Grandchamp des Raux Collection (2015), as well as the collections of Georges Dormeuil (2016), Pierre Hebey (2016), Gaston Delestre (2017), Fernand Lafarge (2019), Baron Empain (2020), and more recently, Baron and Baroness Vaxelaire (2022).
In addition, the department maintains excellent relationships with major French and international museums. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to the Louvre, institutions regularly pre-empt lots during Old Masters sales, emphasising the museum quality of the works auctioned.
Each year, the department organises its sales in conjunction with major events such as the Salon du Dessin and Paris Fine Art, which bring together collectors and art lovers from all over the world. Artcurial has actively contributed to the public’s renewed interest in old paintings, sculptures and drawings with its carefully planned displays, lectures and visits reserved for children.
Artcurial’s specialists are at your disposal for free and confidential valuations of your works of art, paintings, drawings and sculptures by old masters.
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An exceptional marble sculpture by Antonio Canova at auction
On 20th March 2024, Artcurial’s Old Master & 19th Century Art department will hold its prestige spring sale, featuring an exceptional marble sculpture by Antonio Canova entitled Head of Calliope or Presumed portrait of Marie-Louise of Habsburg, Empress of the French as Calliope.
€12M for the Old Master & 19th Century Art sale
On 22nd November 2023, the Old Master & 19th Century Art department auctioned a remarkable selection of paintings, drawings and sculptures. Under the hammer of Matthieu Fournier, the sale totalled €12M.
Fragonard: a rediscovered masterpiece
As every year, the Old Master & 19th Century Art department h its prestige sale in conjunction with Fine Arts Paris and La Biennale, on 22nd November 2023. The sale featured a masterpiece by Jean-Honoré Fragonard: The Sacrifice to the Minotaur. Estimated €4,000,000 - 6,000,000, this oil on canvas has been kept in the same family for over a century. An exceptional, unpublished still life by Louyse Moillon and a Saint John the Evangelist by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was also offered for sale.
Hubert Robert: discover four exceptional red chalk drawings
Artcurial was pleased to present an exceptional set of four red chalk drawings by Hubert Robert between 1758 and 1760, for sale on 22nd March 2023. Preserved in the same family for 200 years, they were unveiled to the public for the first time.
An exceptional still life by Frans Snyders for sale at Artcurial
Artcurial was pleased to present for sale an exceptional still life by Frans Snyders on 22nd March 2023. This majestic composition is the quintessence of the painter’s art, who reveals himself as a loving observer of nature and a great artist mastering space, light and the precise representation of feathers, furs, fruits, and flowers.
€47M in 2022 for the Old Master & 19th Century Art sales
The last three Old Master & 19th Century Art auctions of 2022, including two collections, totalled €10.8m, marking an exceptional year for this speciality.
A Sculpture by Pajou at Auction
On the occasion of its prestige sale on 9th November 2022, the Old Master & 19th Century Art department invited you to discover an exceptional terracotta by Augustin Pajou entitled “Love dominating the elements”.
An Apartment overlooking the Seine, the collection of a Parisian amateur
On 25th November 2022, Artcurial auctioned the private collection of a Parisian amateur. Among the highlights of the sale, a magnificent and rare pair of flask-form vases from the Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795), and previously owned by Baron James de Rothschild at the Château de Ferrières, was presented. Remarkable Chinese porcelains and enamels, elegant 18th century pieces of furniture and works of art and an exceptional set of drawings by Théophile Steinlen completed this unique collection.
Records & Results
1,290,400 €
23 mar. 2022
1,745,000 €
18 nov. 2020
517,400 €
16 jun. 2020
604,200 €
16 jun. 2020
