Paris Ritz Auction

I went early to visit the Ritz Auction at Artcuriel.

The RITZ PARIS AUCTION preview was over 2 weeks ago at ARTCURIAL, Rond Point, Champs-Elysées. I thought there would be long lines. Instead it was me & the TV crews.

They were still setting up 17 display rooms.

The rooms were designed and sketched by decorator, Vincent Darré. He's standing in La Suite Windsor.

Utterly gorgeous. You can’t see the Windsor's little brown suede dog bed for sale.

The Scott Fitzgerald suite.

Back in the studio I started painting from hundreds of photos.

Et voila.

Le Salon Proust. Someone walked by and strummed the harp

I took so many pictures of the Ritz 'Marthe' pattern china (they changed the color from green to blue with the new renovation). Its available in their hotel boutique. I thought I would be painting this.

I was enthralled with Ritz chaises 🪑 

There were many, many chairs to paint.

How did the auction go? 

It was a grand success.

Almost 9 million dollars earned.

7 times the estimation. 

13,000 visiters during the 4-day viewing. 

5 days of sales. 

3,500 lots of 10,000 objects dispursed. 

100% sold. 

60% sold to foreigners in 53 countries. 

50% sold through the internet. 

The natural light in the Artcurial is simply gorgeous. You feel you’re wafting through the old Ritz.

Do visit Artcuriel’s auctions. Outstanding.

An archival picture of Mademoiselle Coco Chanel's suite.

Vincent Darré's version her bedroom with her ❤️ red lacquer Chinoiserie.

They didn’t mind my sitting in one of Chanel's chairs 🪑 and sketching.

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Loupot exhibit, Bibliotheque Forney, Depot Vente Map

The Roaring 20s (l'Années Follies) are hot in Paris right now.

A free exhibit of master poster designer, Loupot is on at Bibliotheque Forney, 1, rue Figuier, 4e

Rodin et la Danse

If you want to learn figure drawing copy Rodin, the master of the fluid line.

Last week. I saw a preview of the new, RODIN ET LA DANCE at the musee Rodin, 77 rue de Varenne.

An inspiring selection of 50 drawings plus maquettes, antiquities, photographs exploring the sculpture's fascination with art of dancing and movement.

Rodin surrounded himself with leading dancers of his day like Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Nijinski, often performing for him in his studio.

He adored the Royal Ballet of Cambodia when they visited Paris for the World Fair. Rodin sketching as a young dancer performs.

Rodin studied dance movements, the body's tensions, balance and imbalance.

Expressing the life force of the body, its vital energy.

Pieces from Rodin's collection of antiquities reflect his interest in the body's relationship to space.

The repetition of forms on a Grecian urn

Especially captivating his interest in awkward movements, imbalance.

Greek and Roman figurines showing the rhythmic flow of drapery on the moving figure

A marvelous quickie doodle on a hotel pad

Such an expressive economy of line. These could easily be contemporary modern dancers.

Really a glorious indepth exhibit offering many clues to Rodin's mythical sculptures, its on until the 22nd of July.

Last week was a triple-header of exciting exhibits and this week could be the same. Tomorrow is the preview of the THE RITZ PARIS auction at ARTCURIAL, Rond Point. The sale takes place from the 17th to 21st April. More info to come tomorrow post-preview.

What I wouldn't give for one cup and saucer. I had hot chocolate at the Ritz bar in 2009 and 2011.

Do I dare bring along Bear 🐻 to the Ritz preview tomorrow PBers ?

Art Paris Art Fair 2018

Last Wednesday was a bit like today...drizzly…its easy to stay inside and draw. But ART PARIS was opening.

Grand Palais is always a treat no matter how stay-at-home you feel.

Such a fantastic, airy space. Everybody was there. Long, long lines waiting to get. Plenty of pkids!

So much color. Always uplifting.

More color.

A plastic bottle montage.

Wall of eyes + round objects.

A gallery of Corbusier watercolor drawings.

What Parisians are wearing is half of the show.

Champagne chariots stratigically placed.

A 'thank you' note from Swiss kinetic artist Jean Tinguely painted on corrugated cardboard to a Brazilian client.

Loose, casual drawings, look like they were drawn with a branch. I felt like I paint with a pin.

Armin's tubes of yellow ochre encased in plexiglass.

More color - bold, splashy paintings from a Frankfurt gallery, Die Galerie.

On the way home seen in the metro station - Marimeko's bold, splashy prints at Uniglo. I got the one the dotty one on the left. The ISLE OF DOGS poster could have been in the show. 

Next year I won't hesitate to go to ART PARIS.