Gisela Franz Osterwald (1916-2012), 1987 " Sylvesterball 1986/87 Bad Pyrmont Kurhaus", oil/linen, framed, RG 73x80 cm She was born in Enger in Westphalia in 1916, the daughter of cigar manufacturer Karl Osterwald. Her great-aunt was the painter Gabriele Münter, Wassily Kandinsky's partner. Gisela Franz-Osterwald painted portraits and watercolors from an early age. However, she only began to study art at the age of 45. During her life, she got to know numerous important artists such as Salvador Dalí and Oskar Kokoschka personally.

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.