Briscadieu

A 35-Year Career

It all began in 1981 when, following his professional internship in Bordeaux, Alain Briscadieu was appointed auctioneer in Auch (Gers). There, he established and expanded the Auch-en-Gascogne auction house and organized numerous sales of regional furniture. He handled the dispersal of renowned collections—such as those of Odilon Lannelongue, Defert Dumesnil, and Clémentine Poret—and organized specialized sales covering bibliophily, coins, fine wines, musical instruments, and themes close to his heart, such as Spain and bullfighting. He also developed expertise and sales services for industrial and agricultural equipment.

In 1994, he returned to the Bordeaux firm where he had started his career, this time as a partner. He remained there until the profession was reformed in 2002, at which point he founded his own voluntary auction company, the Hôtel des Ventes Bordeaux Sainte-Croix. He thus operated with a dual role: as an auctioneer authorized for voluntary sales and as a court-appointed auctioneer.

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A Family Affair

His daughter Anne joined him in 2008, followed in 2010 by his son Antoine, who brought with him experience gained at Sotheby’s in Paris. Together, they modernized the firm and introduced live online auctions—a first for Bordeaux! They conducted major sales of Asian art and organized several landmark events featuring regional artists (Bordeaux paintings) as well as furniture and objets d’art (such as the *Petit Hôtel Labottière* sale).

Their goal? To carry on their traditional business while upholding their long-standing areas of expertise and their family values. Keen to break with convention, they contribute—in their own way—to charity auctions benefiting the Bordeaux Food Bank and the UBB Training Center, aiming to support these organizations in their missions.

In late 2015, Antoine and Anne joined forces to take over their father’s auction house. Antoine performs the dual role mandated by law, serving as both an auctioneer authorized for voluntary sales and a court-appointed auctioneer.

Anne serves as the primary point of contact for buyers and sellers, handling sale organization, file management, and inquiries regarding upcoming auctions. The siblings are now committed to bringing a fresh, innovative dynamic to their profession, reaching new audiences to demonstrate just how accessible auctions can be. Democratizing the auction process and breathing new life into it—that is their vision for the future of the firm, led by Bordeaux’s youngest auctioneer.