Classic Week is a celebration of art in all its forms, with a series of sales that includes pieces from the 15^th century to the modern day and a deliberately eclectic selection of remarkable items

The sales:

The Exceptional Sale, at 3 PM on 21.11.2023 in Paris

Derniers souvenirs de Ferrières, at 2 PM on 16.11.2023 in Paris and Les greniers de Ferrières online from 7 to 21.11.2023

Livres rares et Manuscrits, incluant une sélection de la bibliothèque de la famille Rothschild, at 2 PM on 22.11.2023 in Paris

Maîtres Anciens : Peintures-Sculptures-Dessins at 2.30 PM on 15.11.2023 in Paris, and online from 2 to 17.11.2023

La Collection Bayreuth: Gold Boxes, online from 9 to 22.11.2023 

Viewings from 11 to 16 November and from 14 to 21 November - 9, avenue Matignon in Paris

The Rothschild Aesthetic, Classic Week’s Leitmotif
The Rothschild aesthetic, will be showcased in a variety of sales, with a selection of remarkable lots in The Exceptional Sale, a magnificent collection of books from the family library in the Livres rares et Manuscrits sale, Paintings, Sculptures and Drawings by Old Masters in the Maîtres Anciens sale, and furniture and objets d’art selected for the Derniers souvenirs de Ferrières and Greniers de Ferrières sales.

• The Exceptional Sale, at 5 PM  on 21.11.2023 in Paris
  
  The Exceptional Sale on 21 November will be the highlight of this year’s Classic Week. This extraordinary sale includes the decorative arts, Old Masters, rare books and manuscripts, Haute Couture, and archaeology. It will adopt the exceptional leitmotif of this week of sales, presenting several rare pieces emblematic of the Rothchild aesthetic from the family’s collections. The 2023 edition of The Exceptional Sale is an unmissable event bringing together around fifty extraordinary masterpieces such as a Louis XIV-era Flemish cabinet (€200,000 - 400,000), a couture bridal gown designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel (€50,000 - 70,000) and 21 volumes of the Cabinet du Roi (1723-1727) originating from the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (€400,000 - 600,000). Click here for the dedicated press release.

• Derniers souvenirs de Ferrières, at 2 PM on 16.11.2023 in Paris and Les greniers de Ferrières online from 7 to 21.11.2023
  
  Following the highly successful Rothschild Masterpieces sales in New York in October, it’s Paris’ turn to present two sales in tribute to the Goût Rothschild. Bringing together over 400 lots, they will feature pieces ranging from the 16^th to the 20^th century: antique and modern drawings and paintings, maiolica, enamels and silverware, furniture and objets d’art, as well as a large number of luxurious pieces by Fabergé. The estimates, ranging from €200 to €100,000, will appeal to a wide range of collectors. Among the key lots in the sales are a clock directly inspired by 16^th century German prunkuhr (€80,000 - 120,000), a Max Ernst sculpture (€15,000 - 20,000), a model of the Hôtel Lambert inside an ostrich egg (estimate €15,000 - 20,000), and an elegant perfume bottle produced by Fabergé in 1900 (€7,000 - 9,000). Download the catalogue here

• Livres rares et Manuscrits, incluant une sélection de la bibliothèque de la famille Rothschild, at 2 PM on 22.11.2023 in Paris
  
  This sale is composed of around 200 lots with around half coming from the Rothschild family library – a collection of rare editions with prestigious origins. These include the Code Civil des Français bound in red Morocco leather sporting the coat of arm of Napoleon 1. This extraordinary volume, printed on vellum, bears the seal of the imperial library (€8,000 -12,000). Fans of royal provenances will also appreciate a dedicated copy of La Chine et les Chinois by Auguste Borget stamped with the monogram of King Louis-Philippe (€1,500 - 2,000) and a volume celebrating the wedding of Louis XV’s eldest daughter with period coloured plates (€15,000 - 20,000).
  These high quality editions include some of the finest travel books ever printed, such as Antiquités mexicaines by Viscount Kingsborough (€20,000 - 30,000) and Oriental Scenery, a work by Thomas and William Daniell devoted to India (144 aquatints, €100,000 - 150,000). There is also a remarkable collection of works by Piranesi bound in red Morocco leather, including Antiquités romaines (€50,000 - 70,000) and a magnificent Flora Graeca, a monumental work by the botanist John Sibthorp, director of the Oxford Botanic Gardens in the 18^th century (966 coloured plates, €80,000 - 120,000). The scientific works in the sale also include a handwritten manuscript by Albert Einstein, written after his theory of general relativity (€60,000-80,000).
  Finally, the auction of a handwritten manuscript of Le Diable au corps by Raymond Radiguet will be a landmark event for the literary world, coinciding with the centenary of the book's publication and the author’s death at the age of 20. This manuscript – extensively corrected by the author and annotated by Jean Cocteau – predates the one in France’s National Library, revealing both the work’s genesis and its autobiographical elements (€300,000 - 500,000). Dedicated media alert here.

• Maîtres Anciens : Peintures-Sculptures-Dessins at 2.30 PM on 15.11.2023 in Paris, and online from 2 to 17.11.2023
  
  La Tentation de Saint Antoine dans une guirlande de fleurs will be the highlight of these two auctions. Painted on an impressive copper plate, this is the work of two emblematic artists from the 17^th-century Flemish School. Jan Brueghel le Jeune (1601-1678), here continuing in the footsteps of his father Jan Brueghel de Velours, created the flower garland motif. In executing the central painting, David Teniers le Jeune (1610-1690) participated in a major European iconographic tradition. He produced several versions of this painting, including those in the Prado Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (€250,000 - 350,000). A portrait by Jacob Levecq (€150,000 - 250,000) and an Immaculate Conception by Pieter Claeissens (€120,000 - 180,000) are also among other beautiful Northern European artworks going under the hammer in Paris on 15 November.
  It will also be an opportunity to rediscover some very fine pieces from major European collections. Renaud abandonne Armide, by Charles-Antoine Coypel (1694-1752), court painter to the king and director of the Académie Royale, is available for sale to the general public for the first time. The work was part of the family collections of Baron Élie Robert de Rothschild for over a century (€200,000 - 300,000). The sale also presents an imposing painting, previously believed to be lost, by his great rival Jean-François de Troy (1679-1752). Judith tenant la tête d’Holopherne is an unusual subject in the work of a historical painter considered to be one of the greatest of his time (€100,000 - 150,000). Interpreted by Troy according to early-18^th-century French taste, the painting represents a distinctly feminine triumph – a version perhaps endorsed through the muse painted by Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757), also presented at the sale. This is the work of one of the most prominent female artists of the 18^th century, appearing in the catalogue for the El triunfo de Venus exhibition at Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (€60,000 - 80,000).
  Finally, Le songe d'Énée, a sketch Jacques-Louis David entrusted to Anne-Louis Girodet (1767-1824) to illustrate a publishing project, is also one of the most beautiful rediscoveries of these sales. Long considered lost, this work, which remained in the artist’s collection until his death, could spark some big surprises during the auction (€50,000 - 70,000).
  Also presented will be a fine selection of enamels, including the Plaque représentant le Baiser de Judas from the former Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection (€20,000 - 30,000). Attributed to Pierre Reymond, it dates from the late 16^th century, as does the Plaque en léger relief représentant la Vierge from the workshop of Léonard Limosin or Pierre Courteys (€7,000 - 10,000). This piece is reminiscent of one from the Rothschild collection, sold at the recent Rothschild Masterpieces auction at Christie’s New York. They may originate from the same triptych and bear striking similarities to works kept at the Louvre.
  Finally, a marble bust from 17^th century Italy probably depicts Fulvia Plautilla, wife of Emperor Caracalla. It will be the highlight of the sales’ sculpture section (€40 000 - 60 000).
  
  
  
• La Collection Bayreuth : Gold Boxes, online from 9 to 22.11.2023
  
  For the first time in Paris, Christie’s is selling an exceptional collection of snuffboxes. The snuffbox, a prestigious object reflecting social rank and a civilisation's sophistication, reached its peak in the 18^th century. Frederick II, King of Prussia, owned nearly a thousand of them. They were crafted from precious materials and produced in an infinite variety of patterns, colours and decorations. La collection Bayreuth : Gold Boxes brings together some 130 snuffboxes estimated from €700 to €80,000 and is therefore accessible to a wide range of collectors.
  Headlining the collection is a Louis XVI-era snuffbox in gold and agate made by one of the greatest goldsmiths of the 18^th century, Pierre-François Drais. His works are held in the collections of some of the most prestigious museums in the world, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (€80,000 - 120,000). One of the rarest pieces in the sale is a gold and lacquer sweet box dating from 1732. It is one of the very earliest pieces imitating Japanese lacquer to be produced in France and is the work of Daniel Gouers, of whom Louis XV was a loyal patron (€50,000 - 80,000).
  From Vienna, buyers can expect to find another gold and pietra dura sweet box made by Aigner in 1793, whose decoration is surprisingly contemporary (€20,000 - 30,000), as well as an early cigarette holder dating from around 1830 (€3,000 - 5,000).
  The pieces in the collection also illustrate the many uses of these valuable objects. An enamelled snuffbox from Bautte et Compagnie, produced for a patron who loved dogs, is the epitome of a luxury item (€20,000 - 30,000) while a German snuffbox enamelled with a view of Dresden makes for a travel souvenir (€8,000 - 12,000). A highly feminine music box dating from 1805-1815 plays a choice of two melodies (€10,000 - 15,000). Finally, the collection features an impressive technical feat in the form of a miniature pendant-herbarium in gold and enamel that contains a magnifying glass for examining flowers and comparing them to the species listed on the enamelled plaque (€2,000 - 3,000).