PARIS.- Artcurial will present some exceptional works of art by influential XXth Century artists in its major sales of Impressionist & Modern Art and Post-War & Contemporary Art, to be held on Tuesday 8 December and Wednesday 9 December.

Impressionist & Modern Art
Odette Magliano, who was Henri Matisse’s assistant during the last two years of his life, until 1954, was offered a number of works of art by the master, that will be presented in Artcurial’s sale. This collection, comprising eight pencil and ink drawings, demonstrate the ways Matisse worked and his insatiable desire to create. They are all representations of a woman’s face, such as the pencil drawing on paper Profil de femme, dating from 1940. Depicted in a pure and elegant style, this classical portrayal is also remarkable for its light-hearted use of ink on cut paper. It is estimated to fetch 60 000 to 80 000 €.

Amongst other outstanding works on paper will be a superb watercolour by Wassily Kandinsky Rectangle orné from 1931. This piece, estimated at 180 000 to 250 000 €, is a perfect example of Kandinsky’s art, demonstrating his philosophy of abstract art accessible to everyone. Another notable piece in the sale will be a wonderful charcoal drawing by Suzanne Valadon, Nu au canapé from 1894, estimated at 15 000 to 20 000 €.

The Impressionist & Modern Art sale will present some beautiful sculptures, including two iconic pieces of furniture-sculpture designed by the Giacometti brothers. Discovered in Balthus’s studio at the Château de Chassy, the celebrated floor lamp Tête de femme by Alberto Giacometti is estimated to fetch between 80 000 and 100 000 € while the intricately designed table with leaves, birds and frogs by Diego Giacometti, one of the artist’s best pieces, is estimated at 150 000 to 200 000 €.

An exceptional piece by Auguste Rodin, a one-off creation made during the artist’s lifetime, is a portrait of the highly respected scientist and politician, Marcellin Berthelot. This bronze bust has remained in Berthelot’s family until now and is estimated to fetch between 60 000 and 80 000 €.




The sale will also provide an opportunity to discover the personal collection of art dealer Maurice and Ida Garnier, comprising a body of work assembled over nearly seventy years. Highlights include one of Edgar Degas’s finest horse sculptures, Cheval marchand au pas relevé. Depicted with anatomical precision and brought to life through a portrayal of movement, this bronze, from an original cast by Hebrard in 1919-1925, is estimated to fetch 100 000 to 150 000 €.

Post-War & Contemporary Art
The prestigious sale dedicated to Post-War and Contemporary Art on 8 December will pay tribute to a major artist in the Lyrical Abstraction movement, Hans Hartung (1904-1989). Artcurial will auction three works by the artist, including T1934-2, an oil on canvas dating from the 1930s, and thus very rar, estimated to fetch between 1 300 000 and 1 800 000 €. The acrylic on canvas, T1989-E39, painted in the final year of his life, demonstrates how the artist continued to evolve and his endless quest for progression. This masterpiece has an estimate of 100 000 to 150 000 €.

Abstract painting is also represented through the brush strokes of a major Asian artist, Chu Teh-Chun, for whom Artcurial has held the European record since December 2019. He integrates classical Chinese painting with Western abstraction. A large and beautiful oil on canvas, Composition n°532 dating from 1974, estimated at 400 000 - 600 000 €, transcribes perfectly the mastery of this artist.

A painter, writer and philosopher, Pierre Klossowki, the brother of Balthus, who is himself the subject of a sale at Artcurial on 8 December, asks questions of the image. An important piece on offer by the artist will be Dans le parc 1, in coloured pencil, created in 1977 in which the philosopher makes a statement on the double themes of morality and the image. It is estimated to fetch between 80 000 and 120 000 €.

A private collection in the sale on 9 December explores the themes of escape, illusion and dreams. This impressive collection contains work by Sean Sully, Andy Warhol, Leonardo Cremonini and Sam Szafran. A magnificent pastel on paper called Escalier de la rue de Seine created in 1981 by Szafran, is estimated between 80 000 and 120 000 €. A watercolour by the artist, Feuillages, with an estimate of 100 000 to 150 000 €, plays with levels of transparency to tell a story of times gone by.

Artcurial will present another private collection, comprising twenty artworks, that covers the Pop Art movement. Three important works by Peter Saul, a critic of consumerism, will be on offer. In Sex dating from 1964 (estimate : 30 000 - 50 000 €), the American artist rejects automation. He is critical of the modern way of life, seeing fast-food as the champion of consumer society in his oil on paper Sloppy Joe from 1990 (estimate : 30 000 - 50 000 €). Finally, the work Somebody else, painted in 1988, asks questions about identity. It is estimated at 80 000 to 120 000 €. Other artists such as Anthony Donaldson, Jeff Keen, Peter Phillips or Maryan are represented.