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XXE BIENNALE DES ANTIQUAIRES P A R I S CAROUSELL DU LOUVRE DU 15 SEPT. AU 1 OCTOBRE 2000

OPENING OF THE 20th ANTIQUE DEALERS' BIENNIAL IN PARIS The 20th Biennale des Antiquaires opened in Paris on September 15th 2000 in a glamorous atmosphere though extraordinary pieces shown by exhibitors seemed quite rare. Thanks to financial and stock market positive results worldwide works of art have been much in demand during the past three years. All the more, with France's opening up to the international competition of auctions, the antique trade in Paris has been indeed considered as a much-coveted activity.

Paris is still a myth and is in the process of regaining its status as a major cultural pole of the art market, organisers of the Biennale, which is due to last until October 1st, pinpointed.

Thanks to this event, Paris has been exerting an attraction for the players of the markets of both old and modern art, especially foreign dealers who are making business while visiting the Biennale where the most important French professionals feel obliged to mark their presence even if some of them will just break even in counter-balancing exhibition costs.

According to Jacques Perrin, Vice-President of the National federation of Antique dealers and Chairman of the Organisation committee of the Biennale, French professionals must pursue a true self-examination roughly every five years, while retaining a set of values built on conscientiousness and quality.

He added that sales sites on the Internet were interesting to watch for the time being but did not really think that this phenomenon would revolutionize the art trade, as it was inconceivable to purchase articles of great value on the Net. “Nothing can replace the direct contact between the piece itself and the dealer, which is often love at first sight. However, the Internet has the merit of providing a great sum of information and can therefore sometimes trigger collectors' vocations or draw people's attention to objects which they then travel see”, he noted.

Bronze Bust of Silenus, Greek, IIItrd to Ist Century B. C Galerie Blondeel-Deroyan

Jacques Perrin said he considered antique shows as the best competitors of public auctions because they also were events open to the public and intended for art lovers who could see in a few hours some of the most handsome objects, which exist in the world on display in a single location. Claude Blaizot, President of the national Antique dealer's Union and of the Biennale, said the impact of such event was due not only to its tradition of prestige and quality, but also to its capacity to rejuvenate.

Noting the presence of new exhibitors, he said that many dealers managed to acquire an international clientele at the Biennale where they met and won new collectors.

The French art market seems more open to competition and though the Biennale has been welcoming 23 new participants one must take into account the fact that there is now a shortage of great quality pieces, which are often bought by museums. This problem has been masked by good economic results and the arrival on the market of new collectors, mostly tycoons of the new technologies sector, who have been interested mainly by modern and contemporary art. Prices have risen tremendously on the art market during the past five years but the shortage of extraordinary stuff cannot be compensated for.

Virgin with Christ child with St Nicolas of Bari and St Stephen

There is however an atmosphere of optimism and true enthusiasm at the Biennale, which will record at least 90,000 visitors from all over the world.

The 116 French and foreign dealers gathering in the Carrousel du Louvre compound are certainly among the best in the world. Whether it be furniture or paintings, antique works, Chinese archaeology or primary art, jewels or illustrated books, carpets, weapons, silver or stamps, in all domains, exhibitors attempt to offer a selection which epitomizes their exactingness and meets the public's expectations though most items are tagged at prices that are well beyond those recorded at auction.

Furniture, objects of art and memorabilia from all eras are among the major trends of this event but there has been an increasing number of dealers specialised in antique and modern paintings, drawings and sculpture as well as Art Nouveau and Art Deco items.

Specialists in ceramics, faience and porcelain, like those of the arts of the Far East and the First Arts exhibiting at the Biennale have been experiencing a true craze with collectors and museums.

Considered in France and internationally as a monumental “tour de force”, the Biennale preserves its identity and impact due to a renewed quality requirement and the diversity of the artistic fields represented. It also reflects the vitality of the French art market and contributes to the enhancement of Paris' position in this sector though visitors will not see many extraordinary pieces as they did over a decade ago.

This year, a Belgian interior designer, Christophe Decarpentrie, has been in charge of the overall interior design of the Biennale. With his enthusiasm for the Baroque, his feelings for classicism, his inclination for the designers of the 1940s and his pronounced love of travel, he has designed a Biennale around the theme: “Paris… crossroads of the continents”.

The continents are evoked symbolically using a colour dominant: garnet reds like wine for “Europa”, the whites and beiges of cotton and corn for “America”, tobacco hues for “America Latina”, herbal greens for “Asia” and dark browns evoking coffee for “Africa”.
Detail of mahogany cabinet 17th Century
(Gallerie De Jonckheere)

Overall, the Biennale offers an interesting insight on many forms of art, especially 18th Century furniture, archaeological objects, silver pieces and Old masters and 19th and 20th Century paintings. There are many things to wet the appetite of buyers but only a few magnificent pieces such as the “Hercules table”, a Louis XVI oval piece of furniture with a yellow marble top decorated the heads of four lions resting on as many Hercules' beetles exhibited by Bernard Steinitz, the “Prince” of French antique dealers. Steinitz is so much attached to this piece that he reportedly refused a 10 million FF (US $ 1,33 million) offer from Christie's owner François Pinault.

Visitors admired only a few good Renaissance sculptures but were lucky to see some extraordinary pieces shown by the Ariadne Galleries from New York, notably some Greek and Roman museum quality sculptures as well as a rare set of Gallo-Roman enamel pieces and a spectacular mosaic scene representing a bridge over a river with woman bathing (Syria or Turkey, 1st Century A.D). Opposite his stand, the Galerie Brimo de la Roussilhe was exhibiting some fine Limoges and Mosan enamels from the 12th and 13th centuries and an oak sculpture of the Virgin and Christ child (Paris circa 1330).

"The rest during the flight in to Egypt"
by Giambattista Pittoni
(Jacques Leegenhoek)

There are also a certain number of excellent Old masters paintings notably by the Master of Frankfurt, a Flemish artist working circa 1500, representing the Virgin with Christ child, a painting from the studio of Roger van der Weyden showing the Annunciation (Jacques Leegenhoeck), an Adoration of the Magi, nativity and Annunciation by the Master of Fiesole, last quarter of the 15th Century (G. Sarti) and the interior of a church by 17th Century Dutch master Emmanuel de Witte (Noortman).

Archaeological objects offered at the Biennale are certainly the best pieces shown at the Biennale alongside those presented by Ariadne Galleries. Blondeel Deroyan from Paris showed some fine Greek and Roman bronze sculptures, notably a statuette of Dionysus (2nd Century A.D) and a quite modernistic head mask (Luristan 1000 B.C) as well as a granite diorite statue of an Egyptian administrator (13th Dynasty, 1782-1650 B.C).

There have been many splendid 15th and 16th Century Book of Hours exhibited by Bresset or Sam Fogg while modern and Impressionist paintings have been shown in quantity though only a few are of museum quality.

Overall the Biennale seems to be of a good vintage though demanding collectors might be disappointed. This did not prevent John Herring, the man who advises many of them, to come from New York. He has been above all impressed by Art Deco pieces and by a Picasso painting shown by the Galerie Vallois. He said that at least 30 exhibitors deserved an A+. Still he has not seemed ecstatic regarding most modern paintings exhibited in the Carrousel du Louvre.

While the Biennale was opening its doors it was rumoured that, Charles Bailly, one of the biggest Parisian dealers of Old Masters and modern paintings, was thinking about moving to Switzerland apparently because he was tired of the attitude of French tax authorities.