FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2026 
The Marcel Lecomte Library at Hôtel Drouot
O n Friday, November 20, the Ferri auction house will be offering for sale the library of collector and dealer Marcel Lecomte. For this fourth auction session, nearly five centuries of artistic creation are revealed through rare books, spanning from the Renaissance to the 1960s.
Incunabula, first editions, illustrated books, handwritten letters… This library bears witness to Marcel Lecomte’s discerning eye. Throughout the collection, literature and the visual arts engage in dialogue, intersect and enrich one another. An affinity summed up by the famous Latin expression Ut pictura poesis(“As is painting, so is poetry”).
Among the highlights of the sale are Los Caprichos by Francisco de Goya, a complete series of engravings published in 1799, estimated at €100,000–120,000. Poetry also occupies a prominent place, with a remarkable illustrated edition of the poems of Alain Chartier, dating from 1490 and estimated at €30,000–40,000. From another era and another artistic world, Pablo Picasso captivates us with his expressive line in Le Siège de Jérusalem by Max Jacob, estimated at €20,000–25,000.
Among the highlights of the sale are Los Caprichos by Francisco de Goya, a complete series of engravings published in 1799, estimated at €100,000–120,000. Poetry also occupies a prominent place, with a remarkable illustrated edition of the poems of Alain Chartier, dating from 1490 and estimated at €30,000–40,000. From another era and another artistic world, Pablo Picasso captivates us with his expressive line in Le Siège de Jérusalem by Max Jacob, estimated at €20,000–25,000.
Beyond their rarity, certain copies stand out for the traces they bear of their own history, including autograph dedications, original drawings, collector’s bindings and previously unpublished correspondence. Octave Mirbeau’s novel Sébastien Roch offers a striking example, with its binding adorned with three portraits of the author, drawn and signed by Auguste Rodin. An exceptional lot bringing literature, sculpture and the art of the book into dialogue, estimated at €10,000–12,000.
Far more than a collection of antique books, Marcel Lecomte’s library traces the history of the relationships between literature, painting, printmaking and bibliophily. It also reveals the richness of the exchanges between writers and artists, whose works have engaged in dialogue and nourished one another over the centuries.
From the rarity of the editions to the strength of the connections they weave between disciplines, this sale highlights the discerning eye of a collector who became a custodian and ambassador of cultural heritage. Each book tells part of the history of publishing, but also of the ideas, encounters and artistic forms that have shaped its creation.
Far more than a collection of antique books, Marcel Lecomte’s library traces the history of the relationships between literature, painting, printmaking and bibliophily. It also reveals the richness of the exchanges between writers and artists, whose works have engaged in dialogue and nourished one another over the centuries.
From the rarity of the editions to the strength of the connections they weave between disciplines, this sale highlights the discerning eye of a collector who became a custodian and ambassador of cultural heritage. Each book tells part of the history of publishing, but also of the ideas, encounters and artistic forms that have shaped its creation.
