The "Semaine du Dessin": two sales at Artcurial

25/3/25 - Art market - Paris - On foot, on horseback and by car, art lovers began the ritual procession between galleries and auction houses this weekend, with the Champs-Élysées roundabout being an unmissable stop: Artcurial even decided to split up this year, organising an initial sale this Wednesday exclusively dedicated to old and modern prints before devoting itself to paintings and sculptures the following day. Two names prized by specialists are there to pique the interest of potential buyers: Maurice Gobin and Marcotte d’Argenteuil! An expert and dealer, the former is hailed in the Lugt for its "marvellous collection", of which some of the highlights are known to be kept in the Louvre, from the Horse Attacked by a Lion to the Scene of Cannibalism on the Raft of the Medusa, acquired by dation twenty years ago (see the news item of 9/12/24). Géricault, a true hero of the Gobin collection, was treated so badly by French museums this year (see the article) that we should be delighted to see the artist in the spotlight these days, at Nicolas Schwed’s (see the news item of 23/3/25) as with this London horse (ill. 1) presumably harnessed to the carriage from which it was drawn. Despite its solid estimate, everything about this beautiful sheet with its highly original framing and enviable pedigree is captivating: you can see the mark of His de La Salle!

1. Théodore Géricault (1791-1824)
London Draught Horse Seen from the Rump
Watercolour over black pencil lines - 26 x 18.5 cm
On sale at Artcurial on 26/3/25
Photo: Artcurial

See the image in its page

Although the French 19th century takes the lion’s share in this selection, it is Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s leopard (ill. 2) that everyone is looking at. This one seems familiar to us, even if it did not appear in the very recent exhibitions at the Condé Museum (see the article) and the Château de Fontainebleau (see the article), but we are very familiar with the final composition, exhibited at the…