Explore the World of Auctions during European Heritage Days at Hôtel Drouot
The highlight will be the opportunity to admire, ahead of its November sale, an exceptional masterpiece by the Bolognese master Guido Reni, David Contemplating the Head of Goliath, recently rediscovered by auction houses Millon and Artcurial, in collaboration with the Turquin expert cabinet.
This weekend offers multiple ways to discover our iconic institution while celebrating European Heritage Days.
Behind the Scenes Tour: Discover the Inner Workings of Hôtel Drouot
Dates and times: Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour
Number of participants: 40
Guide: Anne Kolivanoff, certified auctioneer and professor at Drouot Formation
Language : French
The tour: Step through the doors of Hôtel Drouot and explore the behind-the-scenes workings of this one-of-a-kind institution. Throughout the day, this temple of auctions is in constant motion, becoming morning and evening the stage for a meticulously choreographed ballet of handlers, transporters, auctioneers, and their teams. From the delivery dock to the corridors, from the hydraulic freight elevators — some of the first in Paris — to the vast storage areas of the Magasinage, artworks circulate in a perfectly orchestrated flow.
As you progress through the visit, you will gain insight into the daily operations of Hôtel Drouot and the logistical challenges involved in the annual sale of some 300,000 artworks and objects. A stop at the archives will immerse you in the rich and unique history of this emblematic venue, open to the public since 1852. At Drouot, even the backstage is a spectacle!
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Discovery Tour: The World of Hôtel Drouot
Dates and times: Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September at 10:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 3:15 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Number of participants: 35
Guide: Alexandre Bakker, speaker from Des Mots et Des Arts
Language : French
The tour: Hôtel Drouot invites you to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of auctions. Step inside this iconic institution, a cornerstone of the art market, and discover its history and evolution, the organisation of sales, and the intricacies of the auctioneer’s profession. You will be guided through the exhibitions and auctions at Hôtel Drouot, gaining a full appreciation of the diversity of artworks and collectibles from all periods and styles. After this tour, the secrets of the auction world will be yours!
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Visit: The Essence of the Collections – Antonio Seguí and African and Oceanic Arts
Dates and times: Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September at 11:15 a.m.
Duration: 45 minutes
Number of participants: 30
Auction house: Millon
Guide: Serge Reynes, expert in African and Oceanic arts
Language : French
Theme: On 22 September, the auction house Millon will disperse part of the remarkable collection of African, Oceanic, and pre-Columbian art amassed throughout the life of Argentine artist Antonio Seguí (1934–2022). Comprising nearly 200 pieces, the collection reveals Seguí’s discreet yet profound passion for forms and presences from elsewhere.
Sculptures, masks, fetishes, and ritual objects tell another story of Seguí, staged in his Arcueil studio-home: that of a sensitive gaze, free from trends, in search of formal power and authenticity. The painter considered each object as a living being: “When I become attached to an object, I do not imagine it could remain alone… I stop when there is no more space.” Seguí would orchestrate these objects into true compositions, sometimes grouped by culture, sometimes chosen simply for their visual impact. This passion for Antonio Seguí’s collection will be shared with you by Serge Reynes.
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Visit: The Essence of the Collections – Classical Art Between Devotion and Representation
Dates and times: Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September at 12:00 p.m.
Duration: 45 minutes
Number of participants: 30
Auction houses: Euvrard & Fabre and Baron Ribeyre & Associés
Guides: Guillaume Euvrard and Pauline Ribeyre, auctioneers, accompanied by their experts
Language : French
Theme: Classical registers, from Italian Renaissance sculpture and religious painting to French decorative arts, will be highlighted during European Heritage Days through exhibitions of several collections from discerning collectors and families of art enthusiasts.
Baron Ribeyre & Associés will present a collection including around ten paintings from the Tuscan, Genoese, Bolognese, and Roman schools, with the Madonna and Child as the central subject, along with some fifteen High Period objects, featuring prominently figures of Christ, saints, and angels.
Meanwhile, Euvrard & Fabre invite visitors to explore classical décor in two contrasting settings: an urban private mansion on the Left Bank and a rural manor in the Loire Valley. Highlights include a charming panel by Paolo de Matteis, a Louis XV armchair from the Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, and a rare and impressive tapestry, August, or the Harvesters’ Wages, from the Les Saisons Lucas series.
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Expert Workshop: Japanese Animation at Auction
Date and time: Saturday 20 September at 4:45 p.m.
Duration: 45 minutes
Number of participants: 30
Auction house: Nouvelle Étude
Guide: Florian Bourguet, comic book and animation expert
Language : French
Workshop: Many of us have fond memories of Japanese cartoons, from Goldorak to Naruto, Dragon Ball, or One Piece. Since the 1970s, Japanese animation has been an integral part of childhood and youth culture. But do you know how an animated series is made? Are you familiar with dougas, cels, or Toei, and did you know that these pieces of animation history sometimes appear at auction?
Nouvelle Étude organises an annual auction dedicated to Japanese animation during European Heritage Days. Florian Bourguet, the expert for the sale, will guide you through this fascinating world, exploring its history and explaining original cels and drawings. Take the opportunity to leave with a piece of your childhood at the auction on Sunday!
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Auctioneer Workshop: Paris, My Love
Dates and times: Saturday 20 September at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday 21 September at 4:45 p.m.
Duration: 45 minutes
Number of participants: 30
Auction house: Lucien Paris
Guide: Christophe Lucien, auctioneer
Language : French
Workshop: For its 15th edition, the Paris Mon Amour sale celebrates the French capital and its incomparable heritage through the exceptional collection assembled over 35 years by François Peyrat, dedicated to the most beautiful and most visited Universal Exposition, that of 1900. Decorative objects, models, posters, photographs, books, and memorabilia bear witness to this extraordinary era.
Adding to these treasures is an important collection of 19th-century and Belle Époque urban furniture from various Parisian collections: fountains, benches, trash bins, taxi stands, street signs… and even a Morris column. Decorative elements from the Métro, cafés, restaurants, shops, as well as artworks evoking the City of Light, complete the homage—a vibrant celebration of the heritage of the world’s most beautiful capital.
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Expert Workshop: The Circus in Images
Date and time: Sunday 21 September at 3:00 p.m.
Duration: 45 minutes
Number of participants: 30
Auction house: Tessier Sarrou & Associés
Guide: Laurence Dantec, poster expert
Language : French
Workshop: Step into the colourful world of the circus through the collection of Pierre Robert Lévy (1920–2010), one of France’s leading circus historians and co-founder of the Club du Cirque. His passion, pursued with both scholarship and wonder, led him to assemble posters and paintings, with a particular focus on clowns. Each piece reflects a facet of circus history—from legendary families and iconic big tops to famous or forgotten performers. Beyond the objects themselves, Lévy sought human traces, gestures, and emotion. Fantastic beasts, acrobatic feats, flamboyant typography: circus posters capture their eras, blending popular art and mass culture. Laurence Dantec’s workshop opens a window onto a world of laughter, emotion, and memory.
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Weekend Auctions
The Prunier Restaurant Cellar – Wines & Oenology
Date and time: Saturday 20 September at 2:00 p.m.
Room: 12
Auction house: Tessier Sarrou & Associés
Expert: Ambroise de Montigny
Sale: The wine world takes centre stage with the dispersion of the cellar of Paris’s iconic Prunier restaurant on Avenue Victor Hugo. Since 1872, Prunier has been more than a table—it is a discreet witness to Parisian history, an Art Deco setting for gastronomic rituals, where great vintages have always played a key role in post-theatre dinners, ambassadorial luncheons, and festive nights. The cellar has housed numerous gems—Bordeaux Premiers Grands Crus, champagnes, spirits—including a 1907 Heidsieck & Co Monopole bottle, a survivor of a 1916 Baltic Sea shipwreck.
Japanese Animation
Date and time: Sunday 21 September at 2:00 p.m.
Room: 11
Auction house: Nouvelle Étude
Expert: Florian Bourguet
Sale: Across 300 lots, Nouvelle Étude will transport visitors to the heart of Japanese pop culture. Many of us have fond memories of Japanese cartoons—from Goldorak to Naruto, Dragon Ball, and One Piece. Since the 1970s, Japanese animation has been central to the childhood and adolescence of many. Nouvelle Étude, assisted by expert Florian Bourguet, organises an annual auction dedicated to Japanese animation during European Heritage Days. Whether it’s an original drawing, a douga, or a cel, seize the chance to leave Drouot with a piece of your adolescence!
GrandPalaisRMN Art Workshops
Date and time: Sunday 21 September at 4:00 p.m.
Room: 7
Auction house: Millon
Sale: For European Heritage Days, Millon organises a capsule auction in partnership with the Grand Palais RMN Art Workshops. Lots include casts from the Grand Palais RMN Moulding Workshop, which recently celebrated 230 years of expertise. Produced using methods combining tradition and modernity, these reproductions showcase the institution’s excellence. The sale will also include prints from the chalcography workshop, the “ultimes”, the very last prints made from engraved copper plates before 1848.
