LA VILLEGILLE (Paul Arthur NOUAIL De), French archaeologist. (Paris 1803 - 1882) - Autograph letter signed, PARIS this 10 June 1850 - 1p in-8° - "Sir... I will be very grateful to you to lend me the Italian work on the tortures of which you spoke to me the other day. If this is not an abuse of your complaisance, and if it is not too voluminous. I would ask you to take it with you tomorrow, Tuesday, to the Bibliothèque Sainte Geneviève, where I will borrow it with the treatise on the Cross which you are willing to entrust to me..."

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.