FRANÇOIS I (1708-1765) duke of Lorraine, then Emperor of Austria. L.S., Vienna March 6, 1765, to the Commissaire de Chateaufort; 1 page in-fol. in French, address with seal of arms under paper. Order to intervene with the French government in favor of "Claude Heissen, Knight of the military order of St. Louis," instructing the commissioner "to make the steps you will consider appropriate [...] But in case his request does not seem to you to be well-founded, or that you encounter difficulties, you will not insist on this object, wanting to avoid all discussions which could have consequences...

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.