Nathalia GONTCHAROVA (1881-1962) Saint-Pierre Draft of Saint-Pierre's costume for the unrealized ballet Liturgie , planned by Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes Watercolor, gouache and gold leaf on paper pasted on cardboard, signed upper left, annotated Lausanne/Ouchy, and dated 20/6/ 1915 upper right, minor soiling 53.5 x 38 cm In 1914 Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes had taken refuge in Switzerland. The ballet was to be choreographed by Léonide Massine; for the music, Diaghilev had first thought of Stravinsky, then of traditional Orthodox liturgical chants. Only the models and set by Goncharova remain.

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.