Top Auction Houses: Artcurial

New year – new section for our blog. Artsper presents the history of the most important fine art auction houses in the world and explains how they work. We’re not nationalists, but we’ll start with French house Artcurial though.

Hotel Marcel Dassault, 7 rond-point des Champs Elysées

Artcurial is formed of three auctioneers: Maitre Briest, Maitre Poulain et Maitre F. Tajan; it is the first art sales operator in France, and it shares more than 50% of the public sales French market with Sotheby’s and Chrities France (according to the Artprice 2012-2013 report).  Artcurial is an independent, non listed house, and its main shareholder is the Dassault Group. Since its creation in 2002, just after the liberalization of the French market in 2000, the house has been located in the Hotel Marcel Dassault, 7 rond point des Champs-Elysées. The initiator of the project, Francis Briest, was joined by Herve Poulain, Remy Le Fur and François Tajan.

The Briest Poulain Tajan house is specialized in over 20 sectors and organizes about one hundred sales a year, open to the public. Artcurial is, the leader of comics sales in France, (a new sector), and of automobile sales, thanks to the expertise of Maître Poulain.

Some notable records selected by Artsper:

2,634,764 € taxes included, sold on December 6, 2011. Jean-Michel BASQUIAT (1960-1988) Santo, 1985, Oil on panel. Record price for a work of the artist sold in (continental) Europe.

124, 100 € taxes included, sold on October 29, 2011. Pierre Culliford alias Peyo (1928-1992) Johan et Pirlouit La flûte à six Schtroumpfs (The flute with Six Smurfs, India ink, 39.4 x 28.3 cm).  World Record for a work of Peyo.

789, 400 € taxes included, sold on June 13, 2011. Ferrari 275 GTB/4, Pininfarina, 1968.

168,900 € taxes included, sold on November 26, 2011. Georges Rémi alias Hérgé (1907-1983), Les aventures de Tintin – Le secret de la licorne (The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn), 1944, India Ink, gouache and watercolor, 14.5 x 37 cm)

471,400 € taxes included, sold on October 24, 2011. Jean Prouvé (1901-1984) Grand repos armchair, 1930, 91 x 71 x 108 cm).  World Record for a piece of furniture by Jean Prouvé.