A view of Fine Arts Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre in 2019.
French fairs team up for single event
Two French fairs have merged and plan their first event in November.
Fine Arts Paris & La Biennale will be the first edition of a new show at Carrousel du Louvre from November 8-13, moving to the Grand Palais Ephémère in November 2023 and finally returning to the renovated Grand Palais in November 2024.
The merger of the two fairs was the initiative of the RMNGrand Palais.
The Agence d’Événements Culturels, which currently manages the Salon du Dessin and Fine Arts Paris (created in 1991 and 2017 respectively) will be responsible for organising the new fair.
The SNA (Syndicat National des Antiquaires), organiser of La Biennale at the Grand Palais since 1962, will also be involved and will organise a gala dinner (as it had done in the past). An honorary committee will work on cultural programming and public relations around the fair.
Anthony Du Boulay dies at 92
The well-known auctioneer, academic and collector, Anthony du Boulay (1929- 2022) has died, aged 92.
A specialist in Chinese works of art, he worked at Christie’s from 1949-80 (for 13 years as president of the Geneva office) and served several terms on the council of the Oriental Ceramic Society. Sales from his collection were conducted at Bonhams in 2003 and Duke’s in 2019.
A service of thanksgiving will be held at 2.30pm on Friday, February 18, at St George’s Fordington, Dorchester.
Saleroom helps to recover Bacchus
The 1st century bronze of Bacchus as a child wrapped in his panther skin has been returned to Musée du Pays Châtillonnais with the help of TimeLine Auctions.
Essex saleroom TimeLine Auctions and a Dutch art detective have worked together to return a stolen Roman statue to France after it was missing for 50 years.
The 1st century bronze of Bacchus as a child was stolen in December 1973, along with 5000 Roman coins, from Musée du Pays Châtillonnais in France.
Due to the length of time past and the fact it had traded hands many times, the former owner in Austria had legal title.
However, following research and negotiations between the saleroom and art detective Arthur Brand, the bronze was returned.
Under French law a percentage of the value of the returned item must be paid to the person who is returning the object. This was a considerable sum and half was paid by the local authority in Chatillon and the rest was donated by TimeLine.
The 15½in high (40cm) statue was dug up on the site of the Gallo-Roman village of Vertillum in eastern France in 1894 and appeared at many shows and exhibitions over the years before it was stolen in the raid in 1973.
Wallman back at RM Sotheby’s
Peter Wallman has rejoined RM Sotheby’s.
Classic car auction house RM Sotheby’s has re-hired Peter Wallman as chairman of UK & EMEA at the firm.
He left five years ago and worked at auction firm LastBid, as a consultant and his own firm PJ Wallman Classic Sporting Motor Cars & Motor Boats.
Wallman originally joined RM Sotheby’s in 2007.
Tate Ward launches art department
Benedict Tomlinson of Tate Ward.
Auction house Tate Ward has hired Benedict Tomlinson to launch a Modern and Post-war art department.
Located on Brick Lane in Shoreditch, Tate Ward focuses on urban and Contemporary art, wine, fashion and jewellery.
The new department will hold four sales per year, with the first taking place on March 28. Consignments are still being accepted.
Tomlinson was previously director at Robilant + Voena, the Old Masters and Modern art gallery in Mayfair, for five years. He left last summer.
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1 UK Ivory Act soon to be enforced
2 Anger as Sotheby’s closes pension scheme
3 RAF Museum buys medals awarded to last surviving Tirpitz attacker from 617 (Dambuster) Squadron
4 Futuristic London Transport from 1926 poster stars in our pick of six auction highlights
5 Hubert de Givenchy collection comes to Christie’s
In Numbers
555.55
The number of carats in The Enigma, a black diamond sold at Sotheby’s last week for a premium inclusive £3.161m in a single lot online auction. The firm said it was paid for in cryptocurrency and soon after the sale blockchain entrepreneur Richard Heart declared on Twitter that he was the buyer.
