Hélène Rihal joined Christie’s in 2004 after having graduated in History of Art. As an expert in 18th century French drawings, with a focus in the graphic artworks of Charles Parrocel, she joined the Old Master Paintings department before becoming Specialist in the Old Master Drawings department in 2006.
With over 10 years of experience, Hélène was instrumental in some of the most remarkable sales at Christie’s Paris, including a private drawings collection from 1500–1900 in 2007 (€ 2,100,000) and the Pierre Bergé & Yves Saint Laurent sale in 2009. She led the remarkable drawings section in auctions such as the Trésors de la collection Veil Picard (€9,700,000). In 2015, she assisted in the sale of a study for the famous painting the Death of Socrates in the Old Master Drawings New York auction. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which owns the painting, acquired the drawing for US$593,000.
She was involved in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts drawings exhibition in Paris, Une Dynastie de Peintres, les Parrocel (2008) and she also wrote several essays for the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Marseille exhibition catalogue, L’art et la manière. Dessins français du XVIIIe siècle (2018).
