Key Takeaways from the Interview with Jérôme Duvillard

The Hammer Days

From March 16 to 24, the SYMEV (Syndicat des Maisons de vente volontaires) organizes the Journées Marteau (Hammer Days). 9 days to introduce the general public to the auctioneer profession and the various activities of auction houses. As part of this, IESA arts&culture students are organizing a charity auction of chocolate sculptures on March 24 at the Hôtel Drouot.

Our Career Interview

This event is also an opportunity for Connaissance des Arts and IESA arts&culture to talk about the auctioneer profession with Jérôme Duvillard, auctioneer in Mâcon and member of the SYMEV.

During this interview, he discusses his passion for appraising works of art, the new legislation regulating the art trade and more specifically auctions, and auctioneer training.

The auctioneer profession:

He or she has three main duties:

  • Inventorying and appraising: he or she inventories all the goods submitted (by court decision or by a private individual), records their provenance, dates the period of manufacture, notes the name of the craftsman or artist and estimates their value to set the starting price at the sale.
  • Organizing sales: he or she approaches potential buyers by activating the network built up over time, produces the catalog of the objects put up for sale and manages the advertising of the sale in the press.
  • Driving up the bidding: the ability to build an interesting inventory and a good clientele, skill in presenting objects, and the knack for driving up the bidding… all reveal his or her talent.

Which Program to Become an Auctioneer?

To become an auctioneer, you must hold a double degree: in law and art history, law and applied arts, law and archaeology, or law and fine arts. One of these degrees must correspond to a minimum of Bac+3 level, the other to Bac+2 level.

> To become an auctioneer, discover our Bac+3 art market program: Bachelor in Art Expertise and Trade

Next, you must pass the entrance exam for the auctioneer traineeship (held once a year), which includes written admissibility tests and oral admission tests. You can only take this exam 3 times. Following this paid 2-year traineeship (including 6 months in a judicial auctioneer’s office), a certificate of satisfactory completion is issued by the Conseil des ventes: it allows you to practice the profession, in particular to conduct voluntary sales of objects at public auction. To conduct judicial sales, the auctioneer must then pass the aptitude exam for the profession of judicial auctioneer.

> Discover other auctioneer testimonials: Delphine Bisman and Matthieu Lamoure