Fine Art Paris kicks off the autumn art fairs
Around a hundred galleries are exhibiting works ranging from a few thousand euros for engravings, multiples and prints to a few worth millions: the majority of the works on offer are priced below 200,000 euros
From 18 to 23 September, the prestigious setting of the Grand Palais provides the backdrop for Fine Art Paris, the first autumn art fair in Europe. As the English title suggests, the aim is to attract galleries and visitors from beyond Paris’s borders – a goal that has been achieved this year with the presence of several galleries from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Spain and the US. Italian galleries are notably absent, despite having been present in the past, perhaps due to the proximity of the Florence Antiques Biennale. In terms of periods and cultures, the predominance of French galleries gives a strong boost to local art, with a wide range of French informalist painting and 20th-century bronze sculptures on offer.
The prices quoted by the approximately one hundred participating galleries range from a few thousand euros for engravings, multiples and works on paper – particularly those featured in the ‘curated’ section of new proposals (Nouveaux Horizons), such as the drawings presented by the Fa Presto gallery (under the 10,000-euro mark), to a few works worth millions, whilst the majority of the works on offer are priced below the 200,000-euro mark.
Works worth millions
The exception is the Landau International Gallery, which firmly positions itself in the multi-million-euro bracket, with works by artists such as Miró, Picasso, Magritte and Dubuffet that have already been exhibited on several occasions at various prestigious art fairs. Also in this category is the commercial gallery Opéra, which is presenting two monumental wall pieces measuring over 3 metres: a brightly coloured composition by Niki de Saint Phalle from 1969, with an asking price of over 1.5 million dollars, and a 1972 composition by Dubuffet priced at 3.4 million euros. The exhibition dedicated to Picasso at the Galerie de l’Institute also features several portraits of his two muses, Jacqueline and Dora Maar, with prices running into the hundreds of thousands of euros.
The French 20th Century
The most extensive selection is undoubtedly that of post-war local art. Among these, the highlight is the exhibition organised by Galerie Bert, which is staging a small exhibition entitled ‘Cocteau Galaxy’, bringing together a selection of the artist’s works alongside those of his contemporaries and friends, such as Dalí, Picasso and Picabia. The Dina Vierny gallery presents, in a visually striking manner, a dialogue between the colourful geometries of Serge Poliakoff, – featuring two gouaches priced at 130,000 euros each, and a smaller oil painting at 120,000 euros – and the sculptures and drawings of Maillol.
An intimate dialogue also unfolds at the Galleria Mala in Nice, which presents an excellent comparison between Hans Hartung (twice, before and after the turmoil of the Second World War) and his wife Anna-Eva Bergman, whose prices are now aligning with those of her already better-known husband: from one wall, you can choose one of several monochromatic works on paper (prices ranging from 22,000 to 60,000 euros), whilst the oil paintings on offer range from 150,000 euros up to 295,000 for the larger historical works on linen featuring metallic elements. These are meditative works with a restrained colour palette, an elegant yet not immediately striking style, reflecting the turbulent period experienced during the war.
Galerie Omagh takes a different approach, showcasing just one artist, Mithe Espelt, an Occitan artist who recently passed away at over 90 years of age, with radiant works straddling the line between art and design, such as the mirrors on offer at 5–45,000 euros, and the ceramic boxes priced between 5,000 and 7,000 euros. Among the Parisian galleries, there is no shortage of those dedicated to non-European arts, including the Aborigene Galerie, which is offering for sale works from the collection of its founder Nicolas Andrin, a small anthology ranging from small works on eucalyptus from the 1950s and 1960s, priced at several thousand euros, right up to the now well-established Emily Kngwerrey whose medium-sized works from 1993 command 160,000 euros.
Italian players
The absence of Italian galleries has resulted in a reduction in the number of Italian artists at the fair. There are a few works on paper by Fontana, as well as an unusual small sculpture of his, ‘Natura’, from 1963 (in an edition of 90), consisting of two parts with a bullet hole, offered at 22,000 euros by the Alexis Lartigue gallery. The most interesting work is presented by the Terrades gallery: a distinctive composition of figures by Depero ‘I Martellatori’ in garish colours (asking price 70,000 euros), probably painted in 1924 and retouched and signed in 1948, with a history of ownership in South America after being exhibited at the second São Paulo Biennial in Brazil: the labels on the reverse bear witness to this fascinating international history. A similar asking price (60,000 euros) is set for a dreamlike nocturnal composition by Casorati offered by the Drylewicz gallery. The New York-based Rosenberg gallery is also showcasing a couple of Italian artists with a drawing by Alighiero Boetti and a sculpture by Manzù. The Xavier Eeckhout gallery pays tribute to the Bergamo-born Attilio Nani with his large copper fireplace surround, modelled on wood and featuring animal figures; the work found a buyer within the first few hours of the fair opening.
