France

The Paris drawings fair 'Salon du Dessin' has been postponed until the end of May because of the coronavirus alert, but some specialist auctions that are scheduled to coincide with the event are still going ahead at the time of writing.

Works by the French artist Jean Arp (1886-1966) form the main constituent of the 81-lot sale of the Greta Stroeh collection to be offered by Christie’s Paris rooms on Mar 26.

A rare example of newly discovered bronze by a French Renaissance sculptor will be making an appearance at the rostrum on April 1 in Paris.

This damask towel measuring 3ft 5in x 2ft 5in (1m x 75cm) and decorated with wreaths of fleur de lys and a central bouquet of roses will feature in Osenat’s La Royauté à Versailles auction, to be held in Versailles on April 5.

A sale at Oise Enchères yielded a strong price for a bronze by the French sculptor Louis Hottot (1829-1905).

A collection of automaton advertising panels formed by two dedicated enthusiasts over a 20-year period will go under the hammer on March 12 at Drouot in Paris in a sale mounted by Auction Art Rémy le Fur.

One of the highest prices of 2019 achieved by French auction house Beaussant Lefèvre (27% buyer’s premium inc VAT) was the €310,000 (£262,710) paid for this impressively tall 4ft 1in (1.25m) high pair of gilt bronze mounted, footed and covered vases.

Rare 18th century French silver from the golden age of production was a feature of the collection of Renée and Louis Biron offered by Ader (28% buyer’s premium) at Drouot in Paris.

Dedicated collections boost Sotheby’s as it tops list of French auction turnover figures.

A newly discovered painting by Giuseppe de Ribeira (1591-1652) has been uncovered in a private home by the Paris auction firm Daguerre.

March is when Paris turns its attention to the world of drawings and works on paper.

This opal, diamond, enamel and 18ct yellow gold choker, c.1898, is textbook René Lalique (1860-1945).

Artcurial holds a sale of Old Master and 19th century paintings in Paris on February 4. The opening 200 lots of this auction is given over to antique picture frames and two unusual entries are made from 18th century French faience rather than wood.

BiblioMania has been running for six years in Paris and this biannual 80-exhibitor fair is a magnet for book and ephemera lovers, principally for the sheer variety of the stock on offer.