Fine arts Paris opens for its fifth edition, with new disciplines

...including non-western artistic scenes; scenography by Jacques Garcia; and the annual off-site Parisian fine arts week.

On view until November 11, 2021 | Carrousel du Louvre, Paris

On view until November 11, 2021, Fine Arts Paris – the Paris-based specialist art fair dedicated to the fine arts from Antiquity to modern times – returns for a fifth edition in its emblematic venue, the Carrousel du Louvre. The premier destination for fine arts in Paris, the fair brings together once more the most prominent dealers in their fields. A reunion of some 60 exhibitors, and alongside its returning participants – Steinitz, Xavier Eeckhout, and Marianne Rosenberg – the fair welcomes 21 new dealers among which De Jonckheere, Christian Deydier, Robilant + Voena, Tanakaya, Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh, Laocoon Gallery & W. Apolloni, as well as jewelers Véronique Bamps and Walid Akkad. This expanded edition presents an expert selection of painting, drawing, and sculpture, alongside new disciplines including fine jewelry, rare books, and for the first time, non-Western art scenes; a curated scenography by acclaimed French interior designer Jacques Garcia; and the annual Fine Arts Week, in collaboration with notable museums and institutions across Paris.

THE PARISIAN ART FAIR FOR OLD MASTERS Old Master paintings are one of the best-represented segments at Fine Art Paris. The highlights this year include the first ever market appearance of Frans Francken the Younger’s The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite (circa 1607) presented by Galerie De Jonckheere (Geneva); Galerie G. Sarti (Paris)’s triptych by Simone di Filippo, precious testimony to the training of this major figure in Bolognese painting of the second half of the 14th century; a noteworthy feminist painting by Marguerite Gérard, witness to the gradual emancipation of women throughout the 18th century, at Galerie Eric Coatalem (Paris); a collection of Flemish paintings from the 16th through the 18th century for Florence de Voldère (Paris)’s first presentation at the fair – to cite but a few notable displays among which those of F. Baulme Fine Arts (Paris); Didier Aaron (Paris); Galerie Terrades (Paris); Talabardon & Gautier (Paris); and more.

SCULPTURE AT FINE ARTS PARIS Old and Modern sculpture alike have repeatedly made their mark at Fine Arts Paris. Joining for the first time this year are prominent dealers Laocoon Gallery & W. Apolloni (London, Rome) and Robilant + Voena (London, et al.), the latter with a curated selection bringing together 19th-century painting and sculpture. Galerie Malaquais (Paris) presents an exceptional set of 15 sculptures by Aristide Maillol – the result of a 15-year-long dive into the work produced by the trio he formed with dealer Ambroise Vollard and bronze founder Florentin Godard; a dedicated selection of works by Roger Godchaux at Xavier Eeckhout (Paris), marking the publication of the very first catalogue raisonné dedicated to this once marginal, now rediscovered sculptor; alongside the booths of Univers du Bronze (Paris); Lancz Gallery (Brussels); and Galerie Sismann (Paris) INTO THE 19TH CENTURY Fine Arts Paris showcases once again the grandeur of the 19th century through remarkable presentations from De Bayser (Paris), with an in situ portrait by Jean-Léon Gérôme; a dive into the long-decried world of the demi-mondaines through the eyes of Henri Gervex at Galerie Charvet (Paris); an in-depth study of light and color by Alfred Dehodencq shown by Edouard Ambroselli (Paris); alongside Fabienne Fiacre (Paris) and first-time participant Paul Prouté (Paris).

REVIEWING MODERN ART Completing its far-reaching overview of the fine arts, Fine Arts Paris also dedicates a focus to Modern Art – this year, as shown by specialist dealers Brame & Lorenceau (Paris) with works by Hans Hartung (1904—1989); Galerie de la Présidence (Paris) through Sonia Delaunay (1885—1979) and Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (1908—1992); Galerie Seine 55 (Paris) with Pierre Soulages (1919); Ditesheim & Maffei (Neufchâtel); Rosenberg & Co (New York); Galerie Laurentin (Paris, Brussels); to cite only a few.

APPROACHING THE DECORATIVE ARTS Returning this year is Antoine Béchet (Paris), the widely considered specialist in old picture frames, alongside Royal Provenance (Paris), with a rare presentation of 1812 Sèvres porcelain plate crafted for Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte’s personal dinner service. Also participating are first-time exhibitors Galleria Dei Coronari (Rome) and Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz (Paris, New York), leading international specialist in antique wallpapers.

JEWELRY MAKES ITS DEBUT AT FINE ARTS PARIS This year’s edition brings forth new disciplines, among which fine jewelry, represented by three prominent, widely distinct profiles, who nevertheless share the understanding of jewelry as a form of art. While Véronique Bamps (Monaco) presents some of the rarest antique jewelry on the market, Walid Akkad (Paris) demonstrates his expertise in jewelry as a craft which he follows from the drawing and modeling to the sculpting, treating his pieces as he would sculptures. Frédérique Mattei (Paris)’s “sculptures to wear” complete this selection, harmoniously bringing together civilizations, eras, and materials alike to construct wearable universes of her own. LOOKING TO NON-WESTERN ART SCENES The fair is delighted to introduce for the first time non-Western artistic scenes, as represented by three reputed European dealers. Looking to East Asia, Paris-based Tanakaya presents a selection of prints by some of the greatest Japanese drawers of the 18th through to the 20th centuries while Galerie Christian Deydier (Paris) showcases an exceptional Chinese bronze from the 18th century BC. Mixing pieces from four continents, Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh (Brussels) expands a cabinet d’amateurs, with pieces ranging from pendants to furniture. SCENOGRAPHY Complementing its outstanding selection of exhibitors, Fine Arts Paris invites visitors to immerse in the world of the fine arts. Acclaimed French interior designer and decorator Jacques Garcia has been commissioned for the fair’s scenography – bringing his sober and elegant touch to the Carrousel du Louvre’s entrance under the notable glass pyramid of the Louvre. Rooting his design in the history of the site, he takes inspiration from the 14th-century defense system revealed when the Carrousel was first built, bringing forth a both oneiric and theatrical contemporary atmosphere involving 14 mineral and vegetal elements subtly dispersed across the space.

FINE ARTS WEEK First launched in 2018, Fine Arts Paris once again hails the Semaine des Beaux-Arts, Fine Arts Week, an off-site itinerary organized in partnership with over 20 leading institutions and museums across Paris and its region, among which the Musée du Louvre, Maison Victor Hugo, Musée Condé, Musée de l’Armée, the Château de Fontainebleau, and the Emile Hermès Collection. ATTENDING THE FAIR ONLINE Finally, and after a widely successful launch in 2020 with over 20,000 visitors, Fine Arts Paris Online is for a second time hosted on the fair’s website, facilitating connectivity between dealers and visitors unable to attend the physical fair.