Enfilade

Mal Lui Veut mal Lui Tourne dit le Bon Homme Richard. Sujet Mémorable des Révolutions de l’Univers. Le Commerce de la Grande Bretagne sous la forme d’une Vache, engraving 225 × 265mm. A cow representing Britain’s commerce is having its horns cut off by an American, as a Dutchman milks it and a Spaniard and Frenchman wait with bowls. An Englishman wrings his hands. A British lion lies asleep as a pug urinates on it. In the background brothers Admiral Richard Howe and General William Howe sit at a table at Philadelphia, with Admiral Howe’s flagship Eagle in dry dock, the two bogged down in the occupation of the city (abandoned after 266 days on June 18th 1788). A reverse copy of a satire published in the Westminster Magazine, 1 March 1788 (BM 5472). See BM Satires 5727. Offered by Grosvenor Prints, £950.

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From the press release for the book fair:

Revolution | Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair

Saatchi Gallery, London, 14–17 May 2026

This year’s Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair will take place at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea from 14 to 17 May. The theme for 2026 is ‘Revolution’, highlighting books, manuscripts, maps, and ephemera relating to all types of revolutions—whether political, cultural, social, or scientific—from approximately 100 international booksellers.

American Revolution

A letter by one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Thomas Paine (1737–1809), whose publication of Common Sense and other pamphlets in the 1770s proved crucial in building support for independence, will be offered by Shapero Rare Books for a six figure sum. Paine was a French Revolutionary, inventor, political philosopher, and statesman, and this letter is from January 1797, written in Paris to Colonel John Fellows (1735–1808), who participated in several major battles during the American Revolutionary War. In this letter he discusses his publications and shares his view that George Washington should retire as president. A first American edition of Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments with an asking price of £15,000 will also be available.

Daniel Crouch will be bringing several Revolutionary War maps including a Plan of Boston and its Environs, which “reflects the true situation of His Majesty’s Army and also those of the Rebels.” It was drawn by an engineer in Boston in October 1775 and carries a price of £45,000. Quaritch is offering the first edition in book form of The Federalist Papers, the single most important work of American political philosophy, making the case for ratifying the US Constitution in the wake of the Revolution. This copy is preserved in its original boards, as issued, uncut and largely unopened.

A copper engraving by Edinburgh-born engraver and reform-leaning Whig Malcolm Rymer (1775–1835), printed on a vivid yellow silk ‘handkerchief’ from 1812 maps the Age of Revolutions during the Reign of George III, including the American Revolution. This visually arresting and minutely detailed chronology presents two concentric spirals radiating from a central portrait of George III, offering a spectacular timeline of a half-century of conflict and “various administrations formed during his reign” embellished with portraits of the King, Pitt, Fox, Nelson, and Wellington. It is available at Peter Harrington Rare Books for £2,500.

French Revolution

Harrison-Hiett Rare Books will be selling a first edition of the scarce album Patrioty, Album politique et allégorique de 1850. It bears the arms of Guillaume Gabriel Pavée de Vendeuvre (1779–1870). Pavée de Vendeuvre was a deputy representing Aube, an industrialist, and noted bibliophile. He owned a Faience and a glass factory. The caricatures here would have appealed to him. Having served as an auditeur under Napoléon, he sat in constitutional opposition and notably signed the “Adresse des 221” that challenged Charles X (£1,150).

Fold the Corner Books offers a handwritten letter from a British spy during the French Revolution, recounting the events on the streets of Paris in January 1791. The first edition of Mary Wollstonecraft’s history of the French Revolution, will be available at Quaritch. The book is based in-part on her own observations in Paris in the 1790s—she was at first sympathetic to the cause but later appalled by the excesses of the Terror. This copy is annotated by William Michael Rossetti, and includes advertisements for Wollstonecraft’s own revolutionary work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Thomas Heneage Art Books is bringing a fascinating record of the systematic looting—or ‘extraction’ as the French called it—of Italy during the Napoleonic conquest, printed prior to the looting of Florence and Naples in Venice in 1799. Page twelve alone lists the removal of the Apollo Belvedere and Laocoön from the Vatican and the four horses from St. Marks, Venice. The removal of art and antiquities began from the spring of 1796 until the Congress of Vienna ordered the restitution of the works in 1815. Over 110 artworks were brought to France from Italy in 1796 alone.

Camden Lock Books specialises in miniature books and among them is a beautifully bound work of a profoundly influential 19th-century Italian revolutionary called Silvio Pellico, a writer, poet, dramatist, and patriot active in the Italian unification. His activism led him to be arrested on the charge of being a member of a secret revolutionary society or carbonari, and was imprisoned for 15 years in Austrian dungeons for conspiring against Habsburg rule. ‘Mes Prisons’ is his memoir of that experience. As a seminal piece of prison literature, it connected the ‘inside’ of confinement to the ‘outside’ world, highlighting the power of writing as resistance. It is priced at £255.

Communist Revolutions

Quaritch will bring a copy of Zritel’, the literary and artistic journal printed, and indeed suppressed during the 1905 Revolution in Russia. It has striking illustrations printed in three colours, with its cover illustration depicting the alliance between workers, soldiers, and sailors and was confiscated by the authorities and shut down soon after this issue.

A fantastic association copy of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro’s conversations on religion with Dominican friar Frei Betto from 1985, warmly inscribed by Castro to the female revolutionary Asela de los Santos, is available at Fold the Corner Books for £2,000.

Other Revolutionary Items

Peter Harrington Rare Books is offering an original flag produced in late 1960s San Francisco to protest American state-sanctioned violence, especially the war in Vietnam. It was probably created by staff of the left-wing magazine Ramparts, who used it as the cover image for their May 1968 issue (£2,750).

In 1901, Mark Twain published a satirical essay in the North American Review titled “To the Person Sitting in Darkness,” which attacked American violence and imperialism in the Philippines. He concluded it by suggesting a new American flag, “with the white stripes painted black and the stars replaced by the skull and crossbones.” A Ramparts article by Twain critic Maxwell Geismar suggested that, had Twain been listened to, “the new century might have been spared 50 years… of what is essentially a race war under the guise of such ambiguous and shifting concepts of nationalism and capitalism” (p. 65). Peter Harrington Rare Books is offering an original flag produced in late 1960s San Francisco to protest American state-sanctioned violence, especially the war in Vietnam. It was probably created by staff of the left-wing magazine Ramparts, who used it as the cover image for their May 1968 issue (£2,750).

Lucius Books will bring the original album cover artwork for the U.S. issue of Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 masterpiece, Electric Ladyland. This album fundamentally changed the landscape of rock music and studio production and pushed the boundaries of psychedelic rock, blues, and experimental soundscapes to new, futuristic heights. It was a groundbreaking album introducing audiences to a style of psychedelic rock rooted in the blues. There will be several dealers bringing items relating to the revolutionary movements during the 1960s and 1970s.

Among the scientific revolution items will be a first edition of Richard Dawkins’s debut book The Selfish Gene, which was published in 1976 and introduced the idea that evolution is best understood from the perspective of genes trying to replicate, rather than organisms struggling to survive. It debunked the then-popular idea that animals behave “for the good of the species,” providing a clear, logical alternative centered on individual gene survival. On its 50th anniversary a copy will be available at Ashton Rare Books for £2,250.

Finally, Butler Rare Books will show the earliest ‘Book of the Dead’ currently in private hands. All other pieces from this manuscript are now housed in museums. It is a large piece of Egyptian papyrus scroll from around 1,500 BCE with hieroglyphics and paintings of Anubis and Horus supervising the weighing of the heart against the figure of Maat.

The fair’s charity partner for 2026 is the Senate House Library and some of the library’s huge archive of materials relating to the theme of revolution in all its forms—from Civil War to the Suffragettes will be on view during Firsts.

Dame Mary Beard, an Honorary Graduate and supporter of Senate House Library, says: “Revolutionary works on paper don’t just recount history—they create it. They show the courage of writers who reshaped ideas and overturned conventions, while imagining better futures. Firsts London celebrates these extraordinary treasures. It gives everyone—not only scholars—a chance to thrill to the dangerous power of words that changed the world.”

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Happy Family (L’Heureuse Famille, alternatively: Young Couple Contemplating a Sleeping Child, The Return Home, or The Reconciliation), oil on canvas, 70 × 89 cm. Estimate: €1,500,000–2,000,000.

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From the press release (8 January) for the sale:

Chefs-d’oeuvre de la collection Veil-Picard, Auction #24451

Christie’s, Paris, 25 March 2026

On March 25, Christie’s is proud to present at auction a group of thirty masterpieces from the collection of Arthur Georges Veil-Picard (1854–1944). Rarely exhibited, this collection—whose works are often known only through black-and-white reproductions—remains among the most mysterious and coveted. Featuring works by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Hubert Robert, Jean-Antoine Watteau, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, and Marie-Suzanne Roslin, the sale brings together the greatest names in 18th-century French painting and could, on its own, embody this golden age of art history in France. A true labor of love for the 18th century, the collection perfectly illustrates the joviality, sense of pleasure, and freedom so characteristic of the period. Estimated at €5–8 million, this exceptional ensemble represents a long-awaited event for collectors in search of masterpieces.

Marie-Suzanne Roslin, Madame Hubert Robert, née Anne-Gabrielle Soos, 1771, pastel. Estimate: €70,000–100,000.

Pierre Etienne, Vice President of Christie’s France and International Director of the Old Masters Department, and Hélène Rihal, Head of the Old Master and 19th-Century Drawings Department, note: “There are works one searches for over many years, desired even without having seen them. This is the case for these museum-quality pieces from the Veil-Picard collection, kept hidden within the family for decades. A heritage preserved with pride, which Christie’s is honored to unveil to the public for the first time. The sale is also an opportunity to pay tribute to Arthur Georges Veil-Picard, who assembled this unique collection purely out of his love for drawing and painting and his taste for marvelous images.”

Banker and brilliant entrepreneur at the helm of the renowned Pernod distillery, Arthur Georges Veil-Picard began building his collection in the early 20th century. A free-spirited collector—almost self-taught, instinctive, and passionate about the 18th century—he gathered important treasures in his private mansion in the Plaine Monceau district of Paris. Over forty years, he created an ensemble that remains a reference worldwide, especially among museum curators and collectors of Old Master paintings and drawings. A discerning connoisseur, Veil-Picard also inherited a lineage of knowledgeable collectors and generous benefactors of Alsatian origin. The Louvre and the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Archéologie in Besançon, the family’s hometown, benefited from this generosity on numerous occasions. Today, many works from the Veil-Picard collection are housed in the Louvre, Versailles, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Among Veil-Picard’s favorite artists, Fragonard best reflects the collector’s jovial character—he owned up to sixteen of his works, five of which are included in the sale. The centerpiece, The Happy Family, perfectly illustrates the ‘Fragonard style’ (€1,500,000–2,000,000). Painted in the 1770s, after the Italian journey that liberated the painter’s manner, this work showcases Fragonard’s lively, spontaneous brushwork. Its tender scene is enhanced by the voluptuousness of a deliberately playful composition. Of the various versions of the work, the one offered here is considered by scholars to be the first and most representative of Fragonard’s palette. Two other versions remain in private collections, and a preparatory study is held at the André Malraux Museum in Le Havre.

Hubert Robert, Madame Geoffrin’s Luncheon.

The same lightness is found in a delightful portrait, The Little Coquette, also known as The Peeping Girl (€400,000–600,000). This mischievous, tilted face offers the quintessence of Fragonard’s art: a painting of pleasure and spontaneity. Beyond its aesthetic and expressive qualities, it boasts a prestigious provenance, having belonged to Hippolyte Walferdin, a great admirer of 18th-century art, and later to Count de Pourtalès—collectors among the most enlightened of their time, still celebrated today. A charming, large wash drawing, Woman with a Dove, also came from Walferdin’s collection before being acquired by the Rothschild family (€200,000–300,000).

Intimate, confidential scenes remain highly prized by lovers of 18th-century painting. Works by Hubert Robert, Madame Geoffrin’s Luncheon and An Artist Presents a Portrait to Madame Geoffrin, perfectly exemplify this taste. Famous for her salon that gathered Enlightenment scholars and artists, Madame Geoffrin embodies the spirit of her century. These two paintings, depicting her in her drawing room and bedroom, brilliantly showcase Robert’s talent for capturing the atmosphere of his time. They are also the last works commissioned by this celebrated patron (estimate on request).

Among the twenty drawings in the collection, a large sheet in red chalk and black stone by Antoine Watteau stands out as a major rediscovery in the artist’s corpus. Illustrated in black and white in the 1996 catalogue raisonné of Watteau’s drawings, it was described there as “from an inaccessible private collection.” Reminiscent of the celebrated Pierrot in the Louvre, this Actor Holding a Guitar under His Arm has never been exhibited publicly (€600,000–800,000). A remarkable and joyful drawing by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin offers a vivid example of his talent as a chronicler of Parisian life. While female nudes were forbidden at the Academy, the artist depicts a painter and his model in the intimacy of the studio (The Private Academy, €150,000–200,000). A pastel by Marie-Suzanne Roslin, one of the rare female academicians of the Enlightenment, presents a delicate portrait of Madame Hubert Robert, née Anne-Gabrielle Soos (€70,000–100,000). Finally, in a more historical vein, the collection also includes two pairs of drawings dated 1783 by Jean-Michel Moreau, illustrating festivities held in honor of the Dauphin’s birth by the royal couple at the Hôtel de Ville (€300,000–500,000) and at the Palais Royal (€70,000–100,000).

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, The Private Academy, 1776. Estimate: €150,000–200,000.

From the press release (28 October), with press reports suggesting a $30million estimate (as noted at the Art History News blog). . .

Canaletto, Venice, the Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day, oil on canvas, 60 × 54 inches.

This monumental, theatrical masterpiece is unquestionably the most spectacular view of Venice painted by Canaletto in England (1746–1755). When the painting last appeared at auction at Christie’s 20 years ago as part of the Champalimaud collection, it justifiably broke all previous auction records for the artist. Venice, the Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day will lead the 4 February 2026 Old Master sales in New York, with a pre-auction view in New York 29 January – 3 February 2026. Daring in composition and dazzling both in its brushwork and colourful palette, the painting was commissioned in around 1754 by the King family (later Earls of Lovelace), in whose possession it remained for almost 200 years. Other canvases from the same decorative scheme are in private collections and museums, including Washington (National Gallery of Art) and Boston (Museum of Fine Arts).

The present picture shows the Feast of Ascension Day, a key date in the Venetian calendar and a subject to which Canaletto frequently returned as it enabled him to bring the pomp and ceremony of the Venetian lagoon to life. This is Canaletto’s last known rendition of the theme from this viewpoint—his first was painted for Britain’s first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole (1676–1745), 1st Earl of Orford, sold at Christie’s, London, in July 2025 for a world record price of £31,935,000 ($43,851,545).

The Global Head of Christie’s Old Masters Department, Andrew Fletcher, said: “It is thrilling to handle the sale of Canaletto’s theatrical masterpiece which, through its scale, colour, and composition, is one of the most visually powerful paintings he ever produced. That it is so impeccably preserved—its paint surface almost as pristine as when it left the artist’s easel—makes it all the more exciting for today’s collectors, who increasingly seek the very best of the best.”

Venice, the Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day will be the leading lot in what promises to be an especially strong Classics Week at Christie’s Rockefeller Center in February. This series of sales will include a number of important single-owner collections coming to the market for the first time, as well as a strong various-owner sales series, in total offering paintings, sculptures, drawings, and antiquities.

The painting will be on on view at the following locations:
• 7–12 November: Christie’s Rockefeller Center, New York, during 20/21 Marquee Week
• 20–21 November: Christie’s Henderson, Hong Kong, during Luxury Week
• 27 November–2 December: Christie’s King Street, London, during Classic Week

This neoclassical bust from Elliot Davies Fine Art offers a good chance to highlight Frieze London and Frieze Masters:

Frieze Masters London

The Regent’s Park, London, 15–19 October 2025

Attributed to Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, Bust of the Young Emperor Nero, after 1734, white carrara marble, 53 cm high (Offered by Elliot Davies Fine Art).

Elliot Davies Fine Art makes its debut at Frieze Masters London with a newly discovered bust of the young Emperor Nero, attributed to Bartolomeo Cavaceppi (ca.1716–1799). Rome’s leading 18th-century restorer and sculptor, Cavaceppi worked closely with Cardinal Alessandro Albani at the Villa Albani, where he restored and made fine copies of the classical antiquities in his collection. The bust is a version of an ancient work in the Albani collection and corresponds to entries in Cavaceppi’s posthumous studio inventories of 1799 and 1802, which record busts of a young Nero in both marble and plaster.

The work will be presented in the fair’s Reflections section, as part of a display inspired by the Sir John Soane Collection in Lincoln’s Inn Fields and curated by Abby Bangser, founder and creative director of Object & Thing. Alongside the Cavaceppi bust, Elliot Davies Fine Art will show a group of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance architectural fragments, as well as paintings and drawings ‘inspired by the antique’—evoking Soane’s eclectic interiors and reflecting Frieze Masters’ ethos of bringing six millennia of art history together under one roof.

More information on the bust is available here»

A leading international dealer and advisor in the fields of European sculpture and antiquities, Elliot also regularly sources British pictures, works of art, and antique furniture for clients and enjoys combining these aesthetics at exhibitions and art fairs. As a writer and researcher, Elliot has published work on important European sculpture, particularly renaissance bronzes and has made numerous major discoveries in these fields. Recently, he has authored the catalogue for the Ömer Koç collection of British art—one of the greatest private collections assembled in recent times. Elliot is available by appointment in York or London.

From the general press release:

Frieze announces the highlights of the 23rd edition of Frieze London and the 13th edition of Frieze Masters, returning to The Regent’s Park from 15–19 October 2025. At Frieze London, audiences will encounter must-see solo projects, artist-led initiatives, and curated sections that bring new perspectives to contemporary practice. Frieze Masters brings together 137 galleries spanning 27 countries, staging rediscoveries, rare masterpieces, and curated sections that open dialogues across centuries. Together, the two fairs will once again transform London into a meeting point for global perspectives and cultural exchange.

Alongside the fairs, Frieze Week will animate the city with a dynamic programme of exhibitions, performances, and events across London’s leading institutions and galleries, reaffirming the capital’s position as a major centre of the international art calendar. . . .

Attributed to the architect Bullet de Chamblain, La Malouinière du Bos, 1715–17, on the River Rance, near Saint-Malo.

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From the press release for the sale:

La Malouinière du Bos: Une Passion Française, Sale 6370

Artcurial, Paris, 23 September 2025, 2.30pm

On September 23rd, 2025, alongside FAB Paris, Artcurial will host the auction of the collection from La Malouinière du Bos, an elegant 18th-century residence nestled on the banks of the River Rance, near Saint-Malo. Around 280 lots—including Old Master paintings, sculptures, furniture, and silverware—reflect thirty years of discerning passion. For over thirty years, the current owners have carefully restored both the interior and exterior of the Malouinière, showcasing their refined taste and incorporating treasures mainly acquired at public auctions. This sale reflects their desire to undertake major renovation work, after which they look forward to breathing new life into the house, redecorating and refurnishing it with the same elegance and attention to detail.

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Allegory of Poetry, oil on canvas 80 × 65 cm. Estimate: €80,000–120,000.

Reflecting a marked appreciation for French artists of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Old Master paintings collection includes several exceptional works. Among them, an Allegory of Poetry by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, destined for the 1774 Salon of the Académie de Saint-Luc, stands out for its delicate brushwork and luminous palette. The painting features a refined portrayal of a young woman, her graceful back subtly revealed as she gazes upward in a moment of inspiration. Equally striking is Une jeune espiègle painted by François-Hubert Drouais, exhibited at the 1771 Salon (no. 61). This tender evocation of the lightness of childhood was a theme cherished by 18th-century French painters from Antoine Watteau to Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

The fertile period of the early 17th century is represented by two remarkable paintings. An oil on canvas attributed to Paul La Tarte depicts a lively market scene, illustrating the influence of the Caravaggesque movement on painters from the Lorraine region. Meanwhile, a Magdalene with the Crucifix (French School, 17th century, workshop of Georges de La Tour) offers valuable insight into a lost original by Georges de La Tour and serves as an important stylistic milestone in the study of his series of Magdalene paintings.

Italian painting will also be prominently featured, with a large history painting by Andrea Casali depicting Moses Saved from the Water, and Madonna in busto by Sassoferrato. Among the works on paper, a charming portrait of Louise Vernet, born Pujol, delicately rendered in black chalk and watercolor by her father-in-law, Carle Vernet will also be offered for sale.

François-Hubert Drouais, La jeune espiègle, oil on canvas, oval format
54 × 46 cm. Estimate: €100,000–150,000

The selection of furniture reflects a sophisticated blend of the finest French craftsmanship of the 18th century and a distinct appreciation for English cabinetmaking of the same period. Noteworthy pieces include a set of four fauteuils à la reine stamped by Claude Chevigny, an elegant pair of monumental Louis XIV giltwood girandole chandeliers, and a restrained George III mechanical architect’s desk attributed to Gillows.

La Malouinière du Bos—built between 1715 and 1717, likely by architect Bullet de Chamblain for Pierre Le Fer de la Saudre and his wife, a member of the renowned Magon shipowners’ family—embodies all the defining features of the grand malouinières of the 18th century. Its classical façade, constructed in finely dressed Chausey granite, is marked by a harmonious and majestic symmetry, animated by a slightly projecting central pavilion. Noble and imposing, the residence overlooks a vast jardin à la française that unfolds toward a bend in the Rance River. All the essential elements of a traditional malouinière are fully preserved at Le Bos: an intact enclosing wall, a chapel, extensive outbuildings, and a landscaped park adorned with sculptures and architectural ornaments.

Built for the greatest shipowners of Saint-Malo, who amassed their fortunes through trade with the East and privateering wars, these pleasure residences served as austere yet majestic settings for their treasures. Jean Bart, Duguay-Trouin, and Surcouf conjure the romantic world of corsairs, where speed, cunning, and flair often triumphed over sheer firepower and heavy artillery. For three centuries, the scent of salt, the sun, and the wind have breathed life into Le Bos. The thunder of cannon fire is recalled by an early 19th-century naval gun brought back from the Far East, inscribed in Chinese characters with the evocative phrase ‘To Split the Mountain’. The clash of boarding and the ring of iron are revived through a group of ceremonial and boarding weapons, their mysterious past hinting at remote isles and marvelous forgotten treasures.

The esprit malouin, a spirit resolutely turned toward the open sea and the discovery of the world, is evoked through a selection of scientific instruments designed to measure space and time. Among them, a mid-19th-century English pair of globes, one terrestrial, the other celestial and a Scottish telescope by Thomas Morton from the same period. The memory of long voyages is suggested by a group of Chinese porcelain plates from the East India Company, as well as by striking imagery such as Eugène Isabey’s During the Storm (1849), where the air, saturated with iodine, conveys the unleashed fury of the elements. In gentle contrast, the painter Arthur David McCormick offers a full-length portrait of a serene sailor, reading a letter, perhaps a romantic one on the quay, moments before setting sail aboard the Invincible.

Exhibition
September 19, 20, and 22 | 11am–6pm
September 23 | 11am–2.30pm

Lot 63: Pair of Louis XVI ormolu-mounted Japanese Kakiemon porcelain pique-fleurs vases (17th century), mounted last quarter of the 18th century, 11 inches high (estimate: €60,000–80,000).

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From the press release for the sale:

Madame Simone Steinitz: The Legacy of Taste, #24067

Christie’s, Paris, 19 June 2025

Christie’s presents the sale Madame Simone Steinitz: The Legacy of Taste, on the 19th of June in Paris, which will be dedicated to the role and influence—still too little acknowledged—of Simone Steinitz, wife of the renowned antiquaire Bernard Steinitz, founder of the eponymous gallery. The sale offers Benjamin Steinitz, now at the head of the gallery, an opportunity to pay tribute to his mother, who throughout her life was much appreciated by leading art historians, collectors, and decorators, such as François-Joseph Graf, Jacques Grange, Peter Marino, Daniel Alcouffe, and Juan Pablo Molyneux. The 130 pieces of furniture and works of art—part of her world and carefully chosen for this auction—are a testament to her unique and elegant taste, as well as well as her discerning eye. They also reflect the talent and refinement with which Simone and Bernard brilliantly combined the expert’s eye with irresistible flair, in the purest tradition of the greatest 18th-century Parisian marchands-merciers.

Since its foundation, the quality and rarity of the pieces presented by the Steinitz gallery in Paris, now on the Rue Royale, have earned a reputation internationally among major art collectors as well as the most prestigious museums. United under one roof, the talents, skills, and expertise of the antiquaire, the art historian, and the master craftsmen have been composing, reinventing, and renewing, since 1968, what is now referred to as the magical ‘goût Steinitz’. The total pre-sale estimate of the sale is €3.3–5.2million.

At the source of the ‘gout Steinitz’ lies the relation with works of art nurtured by Simone Steinitz, which enabled her to develop and cultivate an aesthetic and an innate sense of refinement. She appreciated the materials, the colours, the memories and souvenirs evoked by these objects, making their spirit tangible, evoking a home, more than a gallery. An exceptional residence, the hôtel on the Rue Royale offers the ideal setting to pay tribute to this elegant taste and sense of décor, both intimate and magnificent. The mise-en-scene of the items in the sale, arranged specially at this hôtel for this occasion, is an invitation to engage with the essence of classical beauty and art-de-vivre. It is a celebration of decorative arts from the 17th to the late 19th century, with special focus on the 18th century, the true golden age of French savoir-faire. The result of unwavering rigour, the quality of the pieces echoes the words of Hubert de Givenchy: “Fashion changes, but 18th-century style will endure.”

As with this great collector, the selection of furniture and works of art in this collection reflects a fascination with highly architectural pieces, with a perfect sense of balance, harmony, and a certain nobility. The chosen works convey simplicity and elegance directly derived from the façades of the most beautiful hôtels particuliers. The beauty and richness of the materials, the refinement of the execution, reflect the talent and skills of the greatest French artists of the 18th century—such as Jean-Henri Riesener, Pierre-Philippe Thomire, Jean-François Leleu, and Georges Jacob, to name just a few. Superb examples of seat-furniture are also represented in the collection; herein the 18th century expresses all its refinement and creativity, illustrating the unparalleled talent of great chair-makers.

Numerous royal and other prestigious provenances can be discovered, such as three vases made by King Louis XV himself and his relatives, after a model by his intendant, Pierre-Elisabeth de Fontanieu, as well as a collection of porcelain objects mounted with gilt bronze mounts, reunited by the marchand-mercier Claude-François Julliot for King Louis XVI—not to forget the extraordinary vase mounted by the bronzier Pajot, from the fabled Rothschild collections. In the Age of Enlightenment, the marchand-mercier also became an important innovator in the development of taste. By coordinating the creation of hybrid, sometimes exotic, pieces of furniture and works of art, these pioneering dealers were at the heart of a new dialogue between crafts and creative processes, as well as between East and West.

Edmund Joy, ‘Mr. Joy’s Surprise’ (child’s wardrobe in the form of a doll’s house), 1709, 66 × 58 × 26 inches (Thomas Coulborn & Sons Ltd, UK). A similar piece, also made by Edmund Joy and dated 1712, is part of the V&A collection. The façades of both houses bear a considerable resemblance to Kew Palace in West London, a building formerly known as ‘The Dutch House’.

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From the press release:

The Treasure House Fair

Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, 26 June — 1 July 2025

Next month, Treasure House Fair returns to the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea for a festival of art and culture. Taking place from 26th June until 1st July, London’s much anticipated summer art fair will bring together 70 internationally renowned exhibitors in the fields of fine art, furniture, jewellery, watches, design, and classic cars. From a 50,000-year-old mammoth tusk and a childhood drawing by His Majesty King Charles III to one of the last surviving Union flags of the Battle of Trafalgar and masterpieces by titans of art history, Treasure House Fair reflects the new eclecticism of today’s collectors.

A ‘treasure house’ of the rare and the beautiful, the historic and the cutting-edge, the handpicked works and objects to go on view—all vetted by independent experts—also boasts prestigious provenance, from John Paul Getty to legendary Parisian art dealer Ambroise Vollard. Alongside the exhibitors’ presentations, the fair will stage a series of talks and special displays, including a landmark exhibition on the Bugatti family, a thought-provoking Sculpture Walk and a room at London’s annual showhouse WOW!house, in collaboration with acclaimed British decorator Daniel Slowik.

Thomas Hudson, Portrait of a Finely Dressed Gentleman, ca. 1750, oil on canvas, 50 × 40 inches (Philip Mould & Company, London).

Harry Van der Hoorn, co-founder of the Treasure House Fair and owner of the leading stand building company Stabilo said: “We are proud to carry the baton of our forebears and be part of the long tradition of summer fairs in London. With over a third of international exhibitors and a quarter of newcomers, this third edition corroborates the importance of London for the global trade and the strength of its local market.”

Thomas Woodham-Smith, director and co-founder said: “We like to think of ourselves as a festival rather than an art fair. People come to enjoy the art, meet up and spend time at the restaurant and the bar. It is altogether a social, sybaritic and scholarly experience which in just two years, has become integral to the London Summer social season. A bit like Prince Albert’s 1851 Great Exhibition and the 1951 Festival of Britain, the fair is a celebration of the greatest art and craftsmanship gathered from all four corners of the world.”

From the jewellery house that crafted Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding rings to Wahei Aoyama, the young Tokyo gallerist breaking new ground in the international art sphere, the fair will showcase galleries, working at the apex of their disciplines. The fair will see the return of some of the world’s leading antique dealers, including Ronald Phillips, Richard Green, Osborne Samuel, Wartski, Adrian Sassoon, Butchoff Antiques, MacConnal-Mason, Godson & Coles, Koopman Rare Art, Frank Partridge, S.J. Phillips, Adrian Alan, and Frank Partridge. Together, these galleries will present a spectacular selection of furniture, silver, decorative arts and jewellery, boasting extraordinary provenance and the aura of the greatest makers of their time.

They will be joined by internationally renowned galleries, including three New York institutions: the antique jewellerÀ La Vieille Russie, silver specialists S.J. Shrubsole, and the leading authority in antique porcelain Michele Beiny. Bringing her curatorial flair for merging treasures of the past with contemporary pieces, celebrated interior and furniture designer Rose Uniacke will also unveil her most recent antique and vintage finds.

As per last year, Fine Art will feature strongly, showcased by a roster of internationally renowned specialists in the fields of painting and sculpture. Fourth-generation Mayfair specialists in Old Masters, Impressionist, and Modern art, Richard Green and MacConnal-Mason will be present alongside Sladmore Gallery, specialists in animalier and monumental sculptures, the eminent art dealer and BBC ‘art detective’, Philip Mould, and Willow Gallery, London-based specialists in 15th- and 20th-century European paintings. They will be accompanied by an impressive contingent of modern British art experts, notably Osborne Samuel, Piano Nobile, and Christopher Kingzett.

Also returning are American galleries, such as Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, specialists in early-20th-century art and Rhonda Long-Sharp, a former US attorney turned art dealer who represents young British sculptors. They will be joined by SmithDavidson whose galleries in Amsterdam and Miami renowned for their offering of Australian First Nations Art.

The full press release is available here»