The 120 antiques dealers and gallery owners of the Carré Rive Gauche open their doors to art lovers and strollers on Thursday, December 6 from 18h. On this occasion, discover the Carré Rive Gauche newsletter, produced by first-year Art Market students as part of the partnership between IESA and the Association des antiquaires du Carré Rive Gauche.
The Carré Rive Gauche
Since the 60s, the Carré Rive Gauche has continued to welcome many professionals, drawn by its history, but above all by its friendly atmosphere.
The streets rue des Saints-Pères, rue de l’Université, rue du Bac, and quai Voltaire delimit this unusual place, which was once the gardens of Queen Margot. If you look up, you will no doubt notice with delight a few period remnants, including townhouses built in the 17th century. Prestige, prestige!
Today there are more than 150 galleries. Many of them have gained international renown, and some have been established for several generations already. Together, they offer a genuine panel of art objects, fruits of every era, but also of every geography. Whether you are a collector or a casual stroller, there is no doubt that your curiosity will always find something to satisfy it.
Initially independent, some shopkeepers decided to band together in 1978 to create the Association du Carré Rive Gauche. Among them: Olivier Delvaille, son of Josette Delvaille, owner of one of the oldest shops. Made up of gallery owners and antiques dealers, it prioritizes the quality and age of the objects. It also represents an act of trust for customers. The Association regularly organizes events to promote and energize the neighborhood. The festivities begin in spring with the 5 days of the Objet d’Art, and end in December on the occasion of Saint Nicholas Day. Last June, the 30th anniversary of the Carré Rive Gauche was celebrated, proof of its perpetual renewal and vitality.
But if the Carré lives, it is first and foremost thanks to the public, and everyone counts on it for their activity to continue and grow… The story is only just beginning.
Coraline Dufois, Sophie Mahon, Aurélie Metayer
Antoine Laurentin, memory of a Kandinsky
23 Quai Voltaire
Antoine Laurentin, art dealer and collector at the Carré Rive Gauche, welcomed us to tell us about one of the most powerful memories of his career.
It was a 1913 oil painting signed Wassily Kandinsky: Red Circle. This kind of acquisition poses a terrible dilemma for an enthusiast, and Antoine Laurentin had to make his choice. Keep the painting in his personal collection or, more reasonably, sell it, the Russian artist’s market value being among the highest in the world. The painting was extraordinary. It had, the dealer explains, a real power of fascination both over himself and over visitors to the gallery. With a black background against which two large red circles stood out, it literally hypnotized its viewers and even overshadowed the surrounding works. This association of shapes and colors, with this pared-down quality that was both very zen and very complex, was Kandinsky’s trademark. It raised, confides Antoine Laurentin, a metaphysical question and lifted us to a higher level: that of intellectual reflection.
But the painting had to be sold. A heartbreak that many art dealers have to resign themselves to. They are often torn between the desire to keep the work for their own collection and the opportunity to find a buyer, in the hope of unearthing an even more exceptional piece in the future. Despite the years that have passed, this painting remains the most bewitching work that Antoine Laurentin has ever been given to see. It will forever remain a great memory. And a pleasant regret, too!
Stéphanie Deydier
Catherine Canavese, a true Carré woman!
23, rue des Saints-Pères
On the occasion of Saint Nicholas Day, the Carré Rive Gauche once again celebrates its 30 years of partnership in its own way. Catherine Canavese, a dealer, warmly opens the doors of her gallery on rue des Saints-Pères to share a few of her secrets…
Catherine entered the art world through the back door; after combing the capital’s flea markets for nearly 20 years, she finally opened her own gallery in June 2001 at 6 rue des Saints-Pères, stronghold of Parisian antiques dealers: "I battled for a long time with the previous owner, who was reluctant to give up the location he had occupied for more than 27 years. I really felt the need to sell better quality to a more discerning clientele," she confides. From then on, she steered her collection more toward 19th- and 20th-century furniture and painting, and for the past seven years has been reaching an increasingly diverse clientele.
"What has changed? Fewer Americans but a more diverse foreign clientele, above all in search of knowledge; they mostly buy on impulse." On this point, she recalls a recent anecdote with a customer: "Back in the United States, the gentleman phoned me to confirm the purchase of a work and realized, just before hanging up, that he had forgotten to ask me the price…" When you love something, you don’t count the cost!
Catherine Canavese is not just a member; she has been on the Carré Rive Gauche board since she joined: "A partnership with the Carré gives us better recognition in the eyes of the public, and in a way a guarantee of purchase. We also become better known there thanks to events and promotions that the board tries to create every year with the budget allocated to us."
Yet being a woman in this field has not always been easy. "I had to fight harder, women have less right to make mistakes, and even today, some clients mostly trust our male counterparts."
Without a doubt, with Catherine Canavese, times are going to change!
Justine Marvanne, Marion Sailhen
Curiosities for the Carré’s curious
Galerie Vauclair - 36, rue de l’Université
Once through the door, we marvel at Laurence Vauclair’s thousand and one curiosities. This small Carré Rive Gauche gallery, usually specialized in barbotine ceramics, has been transformed for the duration of a tribute into a wonderful cabinet of curiosities.
Indeed, Brigitte Benderitter, an emblematic figure of the Carré Rive Gauche, a great "popess" of Gallimard publishing, adored by journalists, passed away on February 13, 2007. She left behind the treasures she had accumulated throughout her life. From a child’s coffin handle to angel wings made of goose quill, by way of a stuffed squirrel mischievously holding a hazelnut in its hands, you don’t know where to look: the Vauclair gallery comes alive!
"Brigitte, when she went to enjoy her daily glass of champagne, liked to walk past the gallery. Her big game," continues Laurence, "was guessing the price of the objects." There is no doubt that, had she glanced at the window today, she would have been delighted to discover the two magnificent royal cranes enthroned there. The cherry on the cake (or the strawberry in the champagne!): they have been lovingly – and humorously – christened Brigitte and Laurence.
Thus, from November 23 to January 18, the Vauclair gallery is simultaneously putting up for sale its own collection of ephemera and that of Brigitte Benderitter. To our great delight during the Saint Nicholas season.
Danielle de Charnacé, Samantha Bergen, Louis Blanc Francard
In the footsteps of the Middle Ages… a detour to Jacqueline Boccador’s gallery
1, Quai Voltaire
An immense library stands at the back of the room. Medieval tapestries hang everywhere. Religious sculptures seem to stare at us, all in a very intimate atmosphere.
Knowledge, history, and the past seem to float in the air of the almost sacred room, so much so that we feel we are taking a leap through time. Seated at the desk, a woman is winding an old clock. Without a doubt, we are at Jacqueline Boccador’s, an expert in medieval and Renaissance art.
When Jacqueline Boccador begins to speak, the magic of the place takes hold even more. While recounting the lineage of the kings of France, she explains what learning history means: a close link with the appreciation of works of art.
She also asserts that aesthetic pleasure is not always explicable. An illustration: she is passionate about a 15th-century sculptor, Jean Della Huerta, image-maker to the Duke of Burgundy. Admittedly he was an artist of no great renown. But she cannot explain the love she bears him, proof that taste, in matters of art, is fundamentally subjective. Through the simple exercise of her passion, she gives body and life back to a medieval creator. This is how, through any work of art whatsoever, Jacqueline Boccador knows how to retrace history and invites us to do the same.
Alizée Le Pannérer, Clémentine Lavernhe, Karina Popova, Cindy Epiard
Paul Toupet Exhibition, from December 6, 2007 to January 12, 2008
Galerie Debruille-Zlotogora, utterly thriving…
3, rue de Lille
It is in this gallery on rue de Lille, in the very heart of the Carré Rive Gauche, that Luc Debruille and Alain Zlotogora, two partners and friends, created a space oriented toward 20th-century furniture. Luc, who has been on the premises for six years, previously worked at the Saint-Ouen flea market.
As for Alain, he had a space at the Louvre des Antiquaires. He tells us: "I was at the Arts Déco, and in reality the Louvre didn’t quite suit me. The neighborhood is very expensive, and I felt like I owned a sort of luxury stall at the flea market, too cramped and permanently on display, as if I were working in an aquarium! In a gallery, the atmosphere is completely different; you feel at home. With Luc, we tried to present things that suited us: he was more into the 40s-50s, I followed, and now we work with more modern things.
The Carré’s main asset is a general sense of closeness. People know us, they come back to see us, there is a real type of clientele and market here. Karl Lagerfeld, for example, who has his headquarters right next door, is a client very interested in the Decorative Arts. And although he has had several collections, we have sold him works and then found them in magazines in one of his photos. One day he even arrived in a Hummer with his whole little troupe, including a model, who posed in front of the exhibition of a Japanese artist from our gallery. He is a very pleasant person to work with, simple, interested, and attentive to the evolution of our collections. He is one of the people we enjoy rubbing shoulders with at the Carré Rive Gauche."
We would be happy to return the compliment to our host. A date is set for a glass of champagne!
Interviewed by Julia Mancini and Zakaria Jabar.
19h: End of the day at the Carré
Atmosphere, atmosphere…
The principle of a Carré gallery owner? Always the same: I don’t count my time. That’s why the shutters often come down later than the hour posted on the storefront. But who cares! Everyone knows that one or the other will be waiting, in a corner of the Café des Saints-Pères around salted popcorn – a mandatory ritual.
The simple, friendly atmosphere of the place allows art market professionals to chat among themselves: "I’d rather buy something I like than have to defend something I don’t," says one; "Did you spot the bullfighting paintings at Drouot? You should go and see them!" retorts the other. Any occasion is a good one to extend the day. No respite for the passionate! Everyone experiences the after-closing break at the Saints-Pères as they see fit. Although… it must be admitted that, in recent weeks, conversations invariably turn to the evening of December 6: "Where are you with your Saint Nicholas preparations?"; "Did you see the posters for the Paul Toupet show at the Debruille gallery? Luc really outdid himself!"
Without a doubt, these art lovers have the privilege of having developed two senses to perfection. Sight first: a particular eye for the object, of course, but also a kindly eye for those who share the same love. Touch next: the antiques dealer is someone who feels, strokes, and turns over the object to share that rare moment of learning conveyed by the material and the artist’s talent.
The soul of Rue de Lille seems to wander through the café. It takes shape in each of the gallery owners who knock back a drink there. Listen closely… Perhaps you will hear their voices… But before this sweet moment of rest, there was a whole day to get through: welcoming curious strollers, sharing knowledge… and preparing the Saint Nicholas evening. Don’t even imagine the state of the basements, back rooms, or warehouses as such an event approaches! Pieces amassed here and there are ready to celebrate their day of glory, proudly displayed in the middle of the windows, within sight of everyone. Open your eyes!
Camille Bruneau, Caroline Tallard
Interview with Carlos Moïta, IESA alumnus
29, rue de Lille
D.Room was born from the meeting of two enthusiasts, Carlos Moïta and Edouard Demachy, at the world antiques fair of the Saint-Ouen flea market. These two complementary gallery owners, who say they "came from the flea market," have found the key to a promising future. Coffee and a tankette coffee table accompany our pleasant conversation with one of them. Carlos Moïta answered our questions with freshness and ease.
D.Room is a rather original name… Where does it come from?
When Edouard and I worked on quai Voltaire, we only had one room. It was really cramped (laughs). That’s why we wanted to call our galleries, which are at the flea market and at the Carré Rive Gauche, "D.Room" as in "the room." It was a reference to our beginnings, as is the logo, which depicts a key.
You have plenty of unusual objects in your gallery. Which one will you present for Saint Nicholas Day?
A large dish by Gilbert Portanier, a famous 20th-century ceramist. We found it not long ago, and it is the first time we are exhibiting a piece by this artist in our gallery. It is a very beautiful terracotta piece, painted and entirely in relief.
The Carré Rive Gauche has an international reputation for luxury antiques. Do 20th-century decorative arts find their clientele?
Yes, 20th-century furniture is gradually finding its place. This period does – it is true – reach a younger and broader clientele. Moreover, over the past year, six or seven young galleries have just opened, which clearly shows there is demand. But the Carré Rive Gauche remains a luxury space all the same, and a certain clientele still does not dare venture into it. They prefer certain corners of Paris, like Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which seem more accessible and more contemporary. It is events like Saint Nicholas Day that help the Carré build up its momentum.
Interview conducted by Juliette Giovannoni, Leonore Vassor, Morgane Bouland, Charlotte Desvaux
Alcora plaques, 1727-1749.
21, Quai Voltaire
Michel Vandermeersch, a father-and-son expert and gallery owner in antique ceramics at the Carré, tells us about his finest memory:
"I first put together a collection of 80 Alcora pieces for a client. It included two extremely rare pieces depicting scenes from Cervantes' Don Quixote. I then helped him part with it, making sure not to scatter this coherent and, frankly, exceptional ensemble! Indeed, in order to keep the collection intact, I contacted the Hispanic Collection Museum. But for lack of funds, the museum could not acquire the whole. The museum owned a 13th-century ivory Virgin, on loan to the Metropolitan Museum. After discussions and disagreements, the Metropolitan ended up buying the Virgin, which allowed the Hispanic Collection Museum to finance the purchase of the Alcora pieces. That is how I managed to sell this ensemble without altering its homogeneity and, consequently, its heritage value. And that is how this fabulous collection, originally assembled for private hands, is now accessible to all!"
Interviewed by Valentine Beraud-Sudreau, Mathilde de Chasteigner, Candice de l’Epine, and Adèle Gorgatchev.
IESA students thank the board of the Carré Rive Gauche association as well as all the antiques dealers and gallery owners who welcomed and advised them.
They also invite you to join them in May for the three days of the Carré Rive Gauche where, as last year, they will organize tours to discover the Carré’s specialties and the antiques dealers and gallery owners who represent them in different languages (German, English, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Russian, etc.) on Sundays at 11h and 15h.
Don’t forget to visit the IESA alumni who work in the Carré Rive Gauche
Marie-Alexandrine Yvernault • Leila Badr • Virginie Hagué • Olivier Lamy-Chabolle • Carlos Moita • Jean-Philippe Horard • Nicolas Grégoire • Bénédicte Nègre • Cyrille Poitier • Xavier Delesalle • Vincent Hourton.