France

A sale to be held by Jack-Philippe Ruellan in Vannes in Brittany will feature this Olympic torch from the 10th Winter Olympics held in Grenoble in 1968.

On March 23 Christie’s France, in association with booksellers Jacques Quentin (Geneva) and Benoît Forgeot (Paris), will offer the first part of the poetic library of Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller.

January proves to be a busy month in France including 37 sales at the Drouot in a fortnight

This canine portrait 'Minnay' by Edouard Manet (1832-83) will be offered for sale by Drouot Estimations on February 26.

The Cluny Museum in Paris, dedicated to works of art from the Middle Ages, pre-empted two items in a Pierre Bergé & Associes sale of Haute Epoque in Paris.

Two paintings by the French artist Albert Marquet (1875-1947) performed successfully at auctions in two different French cities in the space of 24 hours.

Sold for €160,000 (£144,145) was a letter sent by Félix Régamy to his brother Frédéric including a drawing of Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine in England.

France has changed its export licensing system for cultural goods, increasing the value thresholds and removing some red tape.

Two Diego Giacometti (1902-85) bronze tables from an ‘important collection’ in Sydney appeared in a Paris auction after being consigned via an Australian saleroom.

Two-sided picture now heading to Dijon museum after being given definite attribution

This painted wooden sign dated to the 18th century was one of the highlights of a sale held by the Hôtel des Ventes de Nîmes (22.2% buyer’s premium) in the southern French city.

This small carved boxwood domed box features in the sale of antique furniture and works of art at Aguttes in Neuilly on December 21.

Five bidders – two Americans, one French and one Cypriot – competed to secure a small 15th centry devotional oil on panel of the Virgin and Child by the Italian artist Lazzaro Bastiani.

The highlight of a sale of jewellery and silver at Peschetau Badin (27% buyer’s premium) on December 1- 2 in Paris was this gold ‘four dragonflies’ brooch by René Lalique.

This oil on canvas by Pierre Bonnard from 1908 will be offered as part of Besch Cannes Auction’s December 27-31 series of Prestige sales.

In the second half of the 19th century, the Normandy coast became a popular destination for Parisians keen to make an excursion from the capital and to enjoy the new leisure activity of sea bathing.