Classic Week

  • Event date 5 - 22 November
  • Event location Paris
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Classic Week at Christie’s Paris, which concluded on 22 November, achieved a total of €10,702,330 across just three sales.

Highlight of the week, The Exceptional Sale, featuring 38 lots, exceeded its high estimate, reaching a total of €7,660,060. This unmissable event for collectors of masterpieces delivered remarkable results, starting with the star lot: a rare pair of consoles stamped René Dubois from the collection of Count Alexandre Stroganoff, which sold for €2,581,000, setting a record for 18th-century furniture sold in France in 2024. Other notable successes include a pair of Louis XIV pedestals attributed to André-Charles Boulle, which tripled its initial estimate to reach €655,200, and a Louis XV fireplace screen attributed to Nicolas Heurtaut, likely commissioned by the Marquise de Pompadour in 1760, sold for €226,800, against an estimate of €40,000-60,000.

Another standout moment was the preemption by the Mobilier National of a tapestry from the Manufacture Royale de la Savonnerie in exceptional condition, for €441,000. Meanwhile, a Kiwi in agate, gold, and diamonds by Fabergé captivated bidders, selling for €378,000, more than five times its low estimate.

Haute Couture also made waves with two world records, including one for an iconic Paul Poiret ensemble. The renowned Minaret outfit, dated 1913, was acquired by the Museo de la Moda in Chile for €352,800, nearly ten times its estimate.

In the Old Masters: Paintings – Drawings – Sculptures sale, which totaled €3,042,270 across 43 lots, several works stood out. Among them, Portrait of a Woman by Nicolas de Largillierre, looted during the war and recovered by the Monuments Men in 1945 before being restituted to the Rothschild family. This historically significant work sparked intense bidding and was finally sold for €529,200, far exceeding its estimate of €50,000-80,000. Another highlight was the Portrait of Elisabeth de Valois (1545–1568) by Jooris van der Straeten, which achieved €264,600, more than three times its starting estimate.

Finally, among the sculptures, the sale of a Standing Youth, also known as Narcissus, a 16th-century piece from the Quentin collection, impressed by fetching €88,200, against an estimate of €20,000-30,000.

To conclude, the online sale offered its own surprise, with a Lion’s Head by Rosa Bonheur selling for €107,100, over four times its high estimate.

A Collecting Odyssey: Property from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art

The private collection of Christian Levett will be offered across six sales from December 2023 to December 2024 with works of art spanning antiquities to contemporary sculptures.

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A Collecting Odyssey: Property from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art

Lost Paris: Stories of World War II Art Looting and Recovery

This project provides a snapshot of the Parisian art world before, during and after the Occupation. It features the stories of Jewish collectors and art dealers whose art was looted by the Nazis during World War II and passed through the Jeu de Paume, where the art historian Rose Valland kept secret notes on their destinations. She would be integral to the recovery of these artworks and others for many years to come.

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Classic Week: London

Spanning art from antiquity to the 21st century, Classic Week returns this winter with a series of live and online sales celebrating human creativity and expression.

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