France

The Aguttes (25/23% buyer’s premium) Old Masters auction on June 28 at Drouot was led by a Murillo oil on canvas depicting the Christ child as The Good Shepherd.

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.

After a world-wide pre-sale tour that took in three continents, a five-day public viewing in Paris and over two weeks of live and online sales, on June 23 the curtain finally came down on Christie’s Paris (26/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) summer auction series of the collection of Hubert de Givenchy (1927-2018).

Asian art ‘circus’ moves to French capital for dealer shows and auctions in early June

A Picasso drawing found in a cupboard has been sold at a French auction house for €158,000 (£135,000) or €192,759 including buyer’s premium.

This Italian maiolica plate painted with a profile portrait of man and an inscribed scrolling ribbon comes from Deruta and dates from the early 16th century.

Museums and collectors were not deterred by the Paris event’s date being pushed back.

One of the highlights of Sotheby’s Asian art auction to be held in its Paris room on June 16 will be this jade seal carved with the imperial symbol of a dragon, estimated at €100,000-150,000.

French capital follows the examples of New York and London for a dedicated week of events

Collections drawn from two of Hubert de Givenchy’s residences are to be sold by Christie’s this month in a series of live and online auctions.

On June 14 in Paris Bonhams will hold the first of four sales from the collection of Claude de Marteau which will be on view during the Printemps Asiatique Paris event.

Aponem is holding a sale at Drouot on June 15.

One of the potential top lots in Artcurial’s Asian art auction in its Paris saleroom on June 8 will be a large 5ft 7in x 2ft 11in (1.72m x 89cm) lacquered wood panel by the Vietnamese lacquer artist Nguyen Khang (1912-89).

Christie’s is holding an Asian art sale in Paris on July 6 and will be exhibiting works from the auction at the Pagoda during the Printemps Asiatique.

One of only a small number of drawings by Michelangelo still remaining in private hands sold for €20m (£16.9m) at Christie’s Paris last week.

Single sale offers two notable collections featuring Italian maiolica and French faience

Pictured here are two examples of provenanced Chinese imperial works of art that achieved high prices in the French capital this spring.

Specialist toy sales held in April on either side of the Atlantic have yielded some notable prices for items from two specific categories: toys relating to Popeye and a collection of toy boats.