DONNERSTAG, 7. MAI 2026 
May at Drouot: A Month of Artistic Journeys
M ay promises to be a vibrant month at Hôtel Drouot, where non-Western arts, antique ceramics and twentieth-century creations come into dialogue. Through a programme open to a variety of horizons, the institution highlights ensembles that are as distinctive as they are complementary.
From Hopi and Zuni kachinas to Nevers faience, from the Art Nouveau glassworks of Gallé and Daum to the modern sculptures from the Nezondet collection, major works follow one another throughout the sales. An Alexander Calder mobile also punctuates this journey, poetically embodying the spirit of invention of the last century.
Drouot thus continues to affirm its role as a crossroads of the art market, where each sale opens up new perspectives.
Drouot thus continues to affirm its role as a crossroads of the art market, where each sale opens up new perspectives.
An Art Nouveau Flourish: Glassware, Bronzes and Furniture by the Masters of Nancy
Oger-Blanchet - Art Nouveau: Three Collections I May 19 2026
On 19 May, Oger-Blanchet will present a sale entitled Art Nouveau: Three Collections, bringing together a remarkable ensemble of glassware, bronzes and furniture. At the heart of the auction, the great glass manufacturers take centre stage, with Daum, Émile Gallé and the Verreries Schneider, who, from the late nineteenth century to the 1930s, transformed glassmaking into an artistic medium through the development of a naturalistic and decorative visual language.
The sale is not limited to glass alone. It also includes a group of bronzes and decorative works, alongside an important section devoted to furniture, reflecting the richness of exchanges between craftsmen and decorators within the École de Nancy. Through these three complementary ensembles, the auction offers a broad panorama of Art Nouveau and its later developments, revealing the continuity of a style in which nature, material and technical invention remain inseparable.
On 19 May, Oger-Blanchet will present a sale entitled Art Nouveau: Three Collections, bringing together a remarkable ensemble of glassware, bronzes and furniture. At the heart of the auction, the great glass manufacturers take centre stage, with Daum, Émile Gallé and the Verreries Schneider, who, from the late nineteenth century to the 1930s, transformed glassmaking into an artistic medium through the development of a naturalistic and decorative visual language.
The sale is not limited to glass alone. It also includes a group of bronzes and decorative works, alongside an important section devoted to furniture, reflecting the richness of exchanges between craftsmen and decorators within the École de Nancy. Through these three complementary ensembles, the auction offers a broad panorama of Art Nouveau and its later developments, revealing the continuity of a style in which nature, material and technical invention remain inseparable.
The Nezondet Collection – In the Service of Committed Art
Farrando - Monique & Jean-Pierre Nezondet Collection I May 20 2026
On 20 May, Farrando will present the collection of Monique and Jean-Pierre Nezondet, assembled with passion since the 1950s. United by a shared love of the arts — she a dentist, he a graduate engineer — the couple explored a wide range of fields, from antique furniture, painting and sculpture to tableware and works from the Far East and Africa, guided by a spirit of curiosity and independence.
The sale will bring together a significant group of works by artists they supported, including Baltasar Lobo, Albert Féraud, Antoine Poncet and Ladislas Kijno. Alongside them, more discreet figures from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Pierre Gastaud and Jacques Vimard, enrich the selection, reflecting a strong appreciation for artists who were sometimes overlooked yet essential to the vitality of the period. Among the highlights is Stella, a gilt bronze sculpture by Baltasar Lobo, cast by Susse in an edition of eight (no. 2/8), distinguished by the balance of its forms and the softness of its volumes (estimate: €15,000–20,000).
On 20 May, Farrando will present the collection of Monique and Jean-Pierre Nezondet, assembled with passion since the 1950s. United by a shared love of the arts — she a dentist, he a graduate engineer — the couple explored a wide range of fields, from antique furniture, painting and sculpture to tableware and works from the Far East and Africa, guided by a spirit of curiosity and independence.
The sale will bring together a significant group of works by artists they supported, including Baltasar Lobo, Albert Féraud, Antoine Poncet and Ladislas Kijno. Alongside them, more discreet figures from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Pierre Gastaud and Jacques Vimard, enrich the selection, reflecting a strong appreciation for artists who were sometimes overlooked yet essential to the vitality of the period. Among the highlights is Stella, a gilt bronze sculpture by Baltasar Lobo, cast by Susse in an edition of eight (no. 2/8), distinguished by the balance of its forms and the softness of its volumes (estimate: €15,000–20,000).
A Previously Unseen Calder at Auction
Oger-Blanchet - Modern Collections I May 22 2026
At a time when the Fondation Louis Vuitton is devoting an exhibition to Alexander Calder, Oger-Blanchet will offer on 22 May a mobile created by the artist in 1974. Remaining unseen on the public market until now, this small-scale sculpture boasts a particularly valuable provenance. It was gifted by the artist to Mrs H. before remaining in the same family for more than fifty years. The work will be offered at auction for the first time, with an estimate of €80,000–120,000.
At a time when the Fondation Louis Vuitton is devoting an exhibition to Alexander Calder, Oger-Blanchet will offer on 22 May a mobile created by the artist in 1974. Remaining unseen on the public market until now, this small-scale sculpture boasts a particularly valuable provenance. It was gifted by the artist to Mrs H. before remaining in the same family for more than fifty years. The work will be offered at auction for the first time, with an estimate of €80,000–120,000.
The Rougerie Collection, a Tribute to Nevers Faience
Tessier & Sarrou et Associés - Paintings, Furniture and Art Objects / Nevers Faïence Collection | May 22 2026
On 22 May, Tessier & Sarrou et Associés will present the Rougerie Collection dedicated to Nevers faience, assembled with rigour and sensitivity and reflecting an informed appreciation of French decorative arts. In the post-war years, the Rougerie couple, driven by shared curiosity, began building their collection through encounters and discoveries at auctions, gradually focusing their attention on Nevers.
The ensemble brings together plates, ewers, vases and historiated plaques, illustrating the richness of Nevers faience, heir to Italian majolica and shaped by French, Flemish, Persian and Chinese influences. The “Persian” decoration, with its floral and animal motifs on deep blue grounds, sits alongside mythological and religious scenes, while certain pieces, such as those with “candle stain” decoration, stand out for their modernity. This collection thus reveals a golden age of French faience, at the crossroads of painting and sculpture.
On 22 May, Tessier & Sarrou et Associés will present the Rougerie Collection dedicated to Nevers faience, assembled with rigour and sensitivity and reflecting an informed appreciation of French decorative arts. In the post-war years, the Rougerie couple, driven by shared curiosity, began building their collection through encounters and discoveries at auctions, gradually focusing their attention on Nevers.
The ensemble brings together plates, ewers, vases and historiated plaques, illustrating the richness of Nevers faience, heir to Italian majolica and shaped by French, Flemish, Persian and Chinese influences. The “Persian” decoration, with its floral and animal motifs on deep blue grounds, sits alongside mythological and religious scenes, while certain pieces, such as those with “candle stain” decoration, stand out for their modernity. This collection thus reveals a golden age of French faience, at the crossroads of painting and sculpture.
Hopi and Zuni Kachina Dolls and Masks
Tessier & Sarrou et Associés - Tribal Art | May 27 2026
On 27 May, Tessier & Sarrou will present a sale dedicated to Native American art, highlighting a rare ensemble of kachina masks and figures from the Hopi and Zuni cultures of the American South-West. From a private collection, this selection offers a particularly illuminating insight into a ritual system central to the social, religious and agricultural organisation of these peoples.
Appearing in Pueblo villages from the thirteenth century onwards, kachinas embody invisible entities linked to nature, ancestors and the forces governing the balance of the world. Their presence forms part of a ceremonial cycle that structures community life, particularly between winter and summer, when dances and rituals ensure the continuity of the seasons and the prosperity of crops. Among the works offered, several groups illustrate the major themes of this belief system. Some figures are associated with fertility and agricultural cycles, evoking rain, vegetation and seasonal renewal, while others belong to a more martial register linked to the protection of the community and the memory of conflict embedded in the history of these cultures.
On 27 May, Tessier & Sarrou will present a sale dedicated to Native American art, highlighting a rare ensemble of kachina masks and figures from the Hopi and Zuni cultures of the American South-West. From a private collection, this selection offers a particularly illuminating insight into a ritual system central to the social, religious and agricultural organisation of these peoples.
Appearing in Pueblo villages from the thirteenth century onwards, kachinas embody invisible entities linked to nature, ancestors and the forces governing the balance of the world. Their presence forms part of a ceremonial cycle that structures community life, particularly between winter and summer, when dances and rituals ensure the continuity of the seasons and the prosperity of crops. Among the works offered, several groups illustrate the major themes of this belief system. Some figures are associated with fertility and agricultural cycles, evoking rain, vegetation and seasonal renewal, while others belong to a more martial register linked to the protection of the community and the memory of conflict embedded in the history of these cultures.
Exhibition - A Selection of Works Chosen by Judith Touitou
Esprits Libres | from 18 to 22 May 2026
As part of the major spring sales, Hôtel Drouot unveils a new edition of its Œuvres Choisies exhibition with Free Spirits, presented from 18 to 22 May. Conceived as an open and fluid journey, this selection of around one hundred works reflects the diversity and boldness that define Drouot. Curated by Judith Touitou, a figure from the world of fashion, the exhibition adopts a distinctly cross-disciplinary approach, where works engage in dialogue beyond periods and categories. Furniture, sculpture, paintings and archaeological objects are brought together in a refined scenography that encourages unexpected and sensitive associations.
Among the highlights is a rare group of furniture by Diego Giacometti, whose emblematic pieces illustrate his poetic and sculptural language. They are shown alongside major works of modern sculpture, including a bronze from The Burghers of Calais by Auguste Rodin and a dancer by Edgar Degas, embodying the full subtlety of movement.
Among the highlights is a rare group of furniture by Diego Giacometti, whose emblematic pieces illustrate his poetic and sculptural language. They are shown alongside major works of modern sculpture, including a bronze from The Burghers of Calais by Auguste Rodin and a dancer by Edgar Degas, embodying the full subtlety of movement.
