Grégoire de Thoury, former IESA student
Grégoire de Thoury, a former IESA student, completed a Bachelor in Art Expertise and Trade specializing in Ancient Art.
He now heads the Furniture, Sculpture and Decorative Arts Department at the Aguttes auction house.
He returns to the Cultural Innovation Campus at the end of the month to teach Master 2 Expert in Marketing and Distribution of Artworks and Professional Master in Art Market students.
We asked him about his career path.
- Which program did you complete at IESA?
A student at IESA from 2011 to 2014, I received the Bachelor in Art Expertise and Trade training there. From the second year, I joined the Furniture & Decorative Objects specialization offered by the school; I had the opportunity to produce the Catalogue Raisonné of sculptor Stanislas Lami (1858-1944) as my final thesis.
- What did IESA bring you?
Through its very embodied and concrete pedagogy, IESA allowed me to acquire an excellent culture of the art object by systematically placing it in its historical and usage context. The courses were highly relevant and laid the groundwork for my current career as an ambassador and transmitter of the object. The professionalizing dimension of the program also proved decisive in building a network that still supports me today.
- What is your job now?
After starting my own company upon leaving IESA, I joined a major auction house, where I headed the Furniture | Sculpture and Decorative Arts department for three years and joined its management committee. Today I head the Furniture | Sculpture & Decorative Arts department at the Aguttes auction house.
- Can you introduce the course you will be teaching at IESA?
It will explain all the processes involved in designing an auction catalog from A to Z, covering general and specific principles depending on specialties and formats.
- Why Is This Important for Ancient and Modern Art Master Students?
Producing an auction catalog, whether print or digital, is the most representative exercise of the work of all auction houses: it is the ultimate result of all the appraisal work and negotiations undertaken before the sale. As soon as it is produced, the catalog becomes the main sales tool and determines the official record.
Knowing this process is essential for anyone who wants to work in the public sales market.
