TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2026 
The Collection of Lawyer and Connoisseur Pierre Cardin at Auction
O n Tuesday, November 3, the auction house Mirabaud-Mercier presents the collection of lawyer Pierre Cardin at the Hôtel Drouot.
Born in Canada, collector Pierre Cardin pursued a distinguished career as an international lawyer, specialising in business law across the aerospace, space and defence industries. His professional life took him between Montreal, Paris, Toulouse, Brussels, New York and Washington. A career deeply rooted in both North America and Europe, a dual heritage that is naturally reflected in his collecting choices.
Abstraction is one of the collection’s recurring themes, as illustrated by Eau-forte V by Pierre Soulages, estimated at €5,000–8,000, and Entrelacs by Jean Miotte, estimated at €4,000–6,000.
From Europe to Quebec, the collection spans several generations and artistic movements of the post-war period, from CoBrA to Kinetic Art and Op Art, from the expressive freedom of the Automatistes to more structured forms of abstraction. Paris and Montreal hold a particularly prominent place, reflecting the close ties that brought the French and Quebec art scenes together throughout the 20th century.
Materiality is another defining feature of the collection, explored through stone and bronze, as well as wool, silk and crystal. The Aubusson tapestries demonstrate how an age-old craft could be harnessed in the service of modernity (estimated at €8,000–12,000). One of these, woven by Pinton Frères, was created as part of the commissions undertaken for Air France to furnish the interiors of its aircraft.
Two silk squares by Josef Albers, a leading figure of the Bauhaus, published by Hermès, further this exploration of colour and form. The pair is estimated at €1,200–2,000.
Silverware also features in the collection, notably a silver flatware service in the Normandy pattern by Jean Puiforcat, created circa 1934 (estimated at €20,000–30,000). With its pure lines and restrained ornamentation, it illustrates how Art Deco transformed everyday objects into expressions of modernity. Evoking the great transatlantic ocean liner, it is a natural fit for the collection of a seasoned traveller.
Paintings and sculptures bring the collection into the present day, extending its scope to contemporary art. Sculpture holds a particularly important place, ranging from the purity of a major Japanese white marble abstract composition to geometric bronzes, organic forms, stylised figuration and more contemporary explorations.
Whether in stone, bronze, ceramic or crystal, the same sensitivity to material, balance and the inherent rightness of form runs throughout the collection.
Two works, whose juxtaposition seems almost prophetic, offer a more direct connection to North America: a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (estimated at €2,000–4,000), who reigned as Queen of Canada from 1953 to 2022, and an American flag assembled from collaged, miniature advertising photographs (estimated at €600–800).
The collection of Inuit art adds another strong dimension to this ensemble. Its works, often imbued with humanity and humour, reflect the collector’s deep attachment to his native country and its diverse cultures.
Taken as a whole, the collection paints a portrait of a discerning aesthete and reveals, beyond the diversity of its origins, a singular and consistent pursuit: the rightness of form, the presence of material and the beauty of an object.
Abstraction is one of the collection’s recurring themes, as illustrated by Eau-forte V by Pierre Soulages, estimated at €5,000–8,000, and Entrelacs by Jean Miotte, estimated at €4,000–6,000.
From Europe to Quebec, the collection spans several generations and artistic movements of the post-war period, from CoBrA to Kinetic Art and Op Art, from the expressive freedom of the Automatistes to more structured forms of abstraction. Paris and Montreal hold a particularly prominent place, reflecting the close ties that brought the French and Quebec art scenes together throughout the 20th century.
Materiality is another defining feature of the collection, explored through stone and bronze, as well as wool, silk and crystal. The Aubusson tapestries demonstrate how an age-old craft could be harnessed in the service of modernity (estimated at €8,000–12,000). One of these, woven by Pinton Frères, was created as part of the commissions undertaken for Air France to furnish the interiors of its aircraft.
Two silk squares by Josef Albers, a leading figure of the Bauhaus, published by Hermès, further this exploration of colour and form. The pair is estimated at €1,200–2,000.
Silverware also features in the collection, notably a silver flatware service in the Normandy pattern by Jean Puiforcat, created circa 1934 (estimated at €20,000–30,000). With its pure lines and restrained ornamentation, it illustrates how Art Deco transformed everyday objects into expressions of modernity. Evoking the great transatlantic ocean liner, it is a natural fit for the collection of a seasoned traveller.
Paintings and sculptures bring the collection into the present day, extending its scope to contemporary art. Sculpture holds a particularly important place, ranging from the purity of a major Japanese white marble abstract composition to geometric bronzes, organic forms, stylised figuration and more contemporary explorations.
Whether in stone, bronze, ceramic or crystal, the same sensitivity to material, balance and the inherent rightness of form runs throughout the collection.
Two works, whose juxtaposition seems almost prophetic, offer a more direct connection to North America: a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (estimated at €2,000–4,000), who reigned as Queen of Canada from 1953 to 2022, and an American flag assembled from collaged, miniature advertising photographs (estimated at €600–800).
The collection of Inuit art adds another strong dimension to this ensemble. Its works, often imbued with humanity and humour, reflect the collector’s deep attachment to his native country and its diverse cultures.
Taken as a whole, the collection paints a portrait of a discerning aesthete and reveals, beyond the diversity of its origins, a singular and consistent pursuit: the rightness of form, the presence of material and the beauty of an object.
