Jean-Désiré Bascoulès (1886-1976) Ottoman house in Algiers Oil on canvas signed lower right 46 x 61 cm French painter born in Perpignan and trained in Fernand Cormon's studio, Jean-Désiré Bascoulès settled permanently in Algiers in the early 1920s. While Orientalism offered a fantasized vision of the Orient, Bascoulès took a more post-orientalist approach, producing works that were as close to reality as possible. In the early 1930s, he was awarded the Grand Prix artistique d'Algérie and the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur for Arts and Letters (MLD).

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.