2026年4月24日星期五 
Around Jean Paulhan: A Panorama of 20th-Century Art
A udap & Associés will offer on 24 April a sale devoted to Modern Paintings and 20th-Century Decorative Arts, bringing together a particularly rich selection of paintings, sculptures and works of art.At the heart of the sale are works from the collection of Jean Paulhan.
A key figure in French publishing, he served as secretary, then editor-in-chief and managing director of La Nouvelle Revue française. Above all, he remains one of the major names in French literary criticism.
Jean Paulhan was director of La Nouvelle Revue Française from 1925 to 1940, and again from 1953 until his death in 1968. It was there that he met Germaine Pascal, who became his second wife in 1933. A discoverer of many writers, his interest in painting developed particularly during the Occupation.
In 1942, he discovered Georges Braque, followed by Jean Dubuffet and Jean Fautrier, for whom he wrote the foreword to the catalogue of the exhibition organised in 1943 by René Drouin’s gallery in Paris. Jean Paulhan was at once a collector of paintings, an art critic, and a friend to many artists. His personal collection included numerous works by his friends, as well as portraits of himself and his wife by his contemporaries.
At the intersection of painting and sculpture, the sale brings together works of varied sensibilities. From the Jean Paulhan collection, an oil on canvas by Marie Laurencin (lot 70, estimate: €6,000–8,000) delicately illustrates her poetic world of ethereal female figures, while an important bronze by Jean Fautrier (lot 76, estimate: €20,000–30,000) asserts a more material presence, characteristic of his plastic research.
This diversity continues with a work by Félix Bonnet, known as Tobeen (lot 65, estimate: €12,000–18,000), depicting a vineyard scene in the Basque Country. Faithful to his singular language, the artist transposes a traditional subject into a composition of geometrised forms and warm tones, revealing a personal approach to Cubism infused with a certain lyricism.
The sale also opens onto a more international dimension with a group of paintings by Greek artists, from Tsarouchis to Fassianos, whose compositions—between figuration and stylisation—testify to the vitality of the Mediterranean scene in the 20th century. This pictorial scope is echoed by a marked interest in the decorative arts, illustrated by glass creations by René Lalique and Daum-Nancy, where formal research meets technical mastery.
Finally, certain works punctuate the sale with emblematic highlights, such as the iconic Ours blanc by François Pompon (lot 130, estimate: €15,000–18,000), produced in biscuit by the Sèvres manufactory, as well as a witty drawing by Sempé (lot 129, estimate: €3,000–5,000). Together, these works form a coherent ensemble which, beyond its diversity, reveals the constant dialogue between the arts throughout the 20th century.
Jean Paulhan was director of La Nouvelle Revue Française from 1925 to 1940, and again from 1953 until his death in 1968. It was there that he met Germaine Pascal, who became his second wife in 1933. A discoverer of many writers, his interest in painting developed particularly during the Occupation.
In 1942, he discovered Georges Braque, followed by Jean Dubuffet and Jean Fautrier, for whom he wrote the foreword to the catalogue of the exhibition organised in 1943 by René Drouin’s gallery in Paris. Jean Paulhan was at once a collector of paintings, an art critic, and a friend to many artists. His personal collection included numerous works by his friends, as well as portraits of himself and his wife by his contemporaries.
At the intersection of painting and sculpture, the sale brings together works of varied sensibilities. From the Jean Paulhan collection, an oil on canvas by Marie Laurencin (lot 70, estimate: €6,000–8,000) delicately illustrates her poetic world of ethereal female figures, while an important bronze by Jean Fautrier (lot 76, estimate: €20,000–30,000) asserts a more material presence, characteristic of his plastic research.
This diversity continues with a work by Félix Bonnet, known as Tobeen (lot 65, estimate: €12,000–18,000), depicting a vineyard scene in the Basque Country. Faithful to his singular language, the artist transposes a traditional subject into a composition of geometrised forms and warm tones, revealing a personal approach to Cubism infused with a certain lyricism.
The sale also opens onto a more international dimension with a group of paintings by Greek artists, from Tsarouchis to Fassianos, whose compositions—between figuration and stylisation—testify to the vitality of the Mediterranean scene in the 20th century. This pictorial scope is echoed by a marked interest in the decorative arts, illustrated by glass creations by René Lalique and Daum-Nancy, where formal research meets technical mastery.
Finally, certain works punctuate the sale with emblematic highlights, such as the iconic Ours blanc by François Pompon (lot 130, estimate: €15,000–18,000), produced in biscuit by the Sèvres manufactory, as well as a witty drawing by Sempé (lot 129, estimate: €3,000–5,000). Together, these works form a coherent ensemble which, beyond its diversity, reveals the constant dialogue between the arts throughout the 20th century.
