Old Master
& 19th Century Art
Artcurial established itself during the 2010s as one of the leaders in the international market for Old Masters and 19th century art. Today, alongside London and New York, our Parisian auction house is regarded as a key reference among enthusiasts.
Founded in 2007 by auctioneer Matthieu Fournier, the department has experienced rapid growth, achieving a turnover of €47 million in 2022. It continues to make discoveries and set world records, such as the €4.8 million realised in 2019 for Artemisia Gentileschi’s Lucretia or the €24.5 million achieved in 2022 for Jean Siméon Chardin’s Basket of Wild Strawberries, which remains the current world record for an Old Master French painting at auction.
The work carried out by Matthieu Fournier and his team has been recognised through the success of auctions featuring significant private collections, including those of Baron Vitta (2009), 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, the collection of Baron and Baroness Vaxelaire (2022) and the miniature collection of Pierre Jourdan-Barry and the Marie and Félix Bracquemond archive (2024).
Furthermore, the department maintains trusted relationships with major French and international museums. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to the Louvre, institutions frequently participate in sales, highlighting the museum-quality works on offer. Notably, in 2024, French museums secured 78 pre-emptions in our Old Masters & 19th Century Art sales.
The department organises its auctions annually to coincide with major events such as the Salon du Dessin in March and Paris Fine Art in November, bringing together institutions, collectors, and enthusiasts from around the world. With carefully curated presentations, conferences, children's tours, and more, Artcurial actively contributes to the public's renewed interest in paintings, sculptures, and drawings from past centuries. The department’s commitment to in-depth work on the artworks entrusted to it is exemplified by richly documented catalogues for each sale, consistently praised by clients.
Artcurial's specialists are at your disposal for free and confidential valuations of your artworks, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures by Old Masters and 19th century artists.
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