Tajan

The highlight of Tajan’s (25/20/12%buyer’s premium) Old Masters auction held on June 22 was an impressive large-scale modello created by the Italian artist Francesco Solimena (1657-1747) in preparation for his painting for the ceiling of San Domenico Maggiore, in Naples.

Genre scene sets a new high for French artist inspired by Dutch and Flemish paintings.

The personal desk set of the artist/decorator Paul Dupré Lafon (1900-71) will feature in the sale of Decorative Arts to be held by Tajan on November 23.

Two auction houses, Christie’s and Tajan, are collaborating for a November 22 sale in Paris of Old Master paintings and drawings from the collections of the Marcille family.

Two Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) drawings created national news last week as Christie’s posted a record for a sketch by the great master in London while a court in Paris is to determine whether another can be legally exported from France.

Some of the world’s most famous Old Master paintings have been highly regarded for many centuries, carrying a reputation that has led to them being replicated and copied by other artists – sometimes soon after their creation.

A highlight of the Asian Art sale at Tajan will be this still-life of a pot of primroses, apples and porcelain by Chinese artist Pan Yu Liang (1895-1977).

The Madoura pottery founded by Suzanne and Georges Ramié in Vallauris, a village in the south of France renowned for pottery production, was a popular place for many artists in the post-war years. From 1948-55 Pablo Picasso lived in Vallauris and divided his time between painting and creating ceramics at Madoura.

This painting by Le Pho (1907-2001) will be one of the highlights of the Asian works of Art sale to be held by Tajan on December 7 in Paris.

Wifredo Lam’s untitled piscine painting from 1974 will be offered in the Modern Art auction to be held by Tajan in its Paris rooms on November 24.

Pictured here is one of a pair of Art Deco consoles by Gilbert Poillerat (1902-88) from c.1938 that will feature in a sale of 20th century Decorative Arts to be held by Tajan in its Paris rooms on November 17.

Christo (1935-2020) is famous for the series of monumental projects to wrap landmarks around the world undertaken with his wife and collaborator Jeanne-Claude (1935-2008).

Tajan (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) held a recent sale offering three paintings by Léonard Tusguharu Foujita (1886-1968).

This 1890s Japoniste-style photograph frame in brown patinated bronze applied with gilt branches of stylised myosotis is by the Paris firm of Maison Millet.

Every year Paris plays host to a December Asian art auction series with a raft of sales at the Drouot auction centre and at the independent rooms across the French capital.

This portrait by Nicolas Régnier (1588-1657) of a richly attired lady possibly depicts Maria Farnese and appears to have been executed when the artist was in Modena where he painted several portraits of members of the d’Este court.

This gouache is one of around 10 drawings, watercolours and gouaches by René Gruau, the Italian-born fashion illustrator who was renowned for his Paris haute couture and promotional illustrations, which will feature in Tajan’s Paris auction of modern drawings on May 15.

December is one of two key periods in the French calendar when the auction houses concentrate their sales of Asian art. Pictured here is a selection of highlights and unusual pieces coming up for sale this month in the Paris rooms.