ABOLITIONIST - Etienne POVEREL (1738-1795, lawyer and politician, together with his colleague Sonthonax, while they were Civil Commissioners of the Republic in Saint-Domingue, the first abolitionist) / Autograph letter signed, 3 p large in-8 plus address page (letter purified with vinegar for sanitary reasons), Bordeaux, August 23, 1760, to his cousin de Laroze in Saint-Cyr-Laroche: He was a young lawyer in Bordeaux at the time, and asked his correspondent to intercede with his father, President Laroze, King's Counselor in Bordeaux: "Please talk to him about the desire and need I have to work in Bordeaux in order to get out of trouble, as I have no resources there other than my work, and he can provide me with more than anyone else if he sees fit".

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.