2025: A Year of Records and Rediscoveries
This momentum reflects an exceptional season, marked by major discoveries and previously unseen works that captivated collectors and institutions alike. Nine million-euro auctions punctuated the year, consecrating masterpieces by modern masters and historic pieces, including the highest auction result recorded in France in 2025.
Olivier Lange, Chief Executive Officer of the Drouot Group: “With a total of €769 million and growth of 16% compared with 2024, Drouot confirms its leading position on the art market. The year 2025 continues the momentum initiated in 2024, driven by a clear strategy of expansion. The digital platform drouot.com recorded growth of more than 17%, reaching €384.2 million and thereby strengthening its position as the European leader in the field of furniture and works of art. The Bagnolet saleroom, dedicated to routine sales and opened in November 2024, hosted 55 auctions, generating €2.5 million in sales.”
Alexandre Giquello, President of Drouot: “In a complex political and economic context, the Hôtel Drouot distinguished itself this year through a series of major discoveries: a rediscovered Picasso, a previously unknown Renoir, an unpublished drawing from the Italian Renaissance, and a personal relic of Emperor Napoleon – all crowned by exceptional results. Numerous sales also opened a window onto more distant cultures, sometimes still little explored. Driven by the commitment of passionate collectors, certain fields have thus gained broader recognition, with hammer prices exceeding expectations and, for several lots, prices set to become benchmarks, such as the world record achieved for the Brazilian artist Rego de Monteiro.”
A record-breaking auction in France
Kept secret within a private collection since its acquisition directly from the artist in 1944, the fascinating portrait of Dora Maar by Picasso, Buste de femme au chapeau à fleurs, with its intense colours, caused a sensation. Hammered down at more than €32 million, it appeared on the market for the very first time (Lucien Paris).
Previously unseen and rediscovered works
The 2025 sales were marked by major discoveries and works that had remained out of sight for decades, revealing new facets of art history. Among the highlights, the sale of Napoleon I’s sabre – a historically charged masterpiece created by the master armourer Nicolas Noël Boutet – sparked a passionate bidding battle before reaching €4.7 million. Presented by the Emperor to Emmanuel de Grouchy in 1815, it had remained in his descendants’ possession until its presentation last spring at the Hôtel Drouot (Giquello).
Another spectacular discovery was a drawing by Daniele da Volterra, a pupil of Michelangelo. This study for one of his frescoes at Trinità dei Monti, from an estate in the Nantes region, set a new world record for the artist when it soared to €4.1 million (Millon).
A drawing by Eugène Delacroix also returned to the light. Études de lions couchés, documented but never exhibited since 1864, was rediscovered in a family residence and sold for €455,000 (Daguerre Val-de-Loire).
Finally, an unpublished still life by François Boucher, Nature morte au vanneau huppé et au combattant varié, the only still life known by the artist, was sold for €273,000, revealing a lesser-known facet of the King’s First Painter (Pescheteau-Badin).
In another field, that of Impressionist masterpieces, Pierre‑Auguste Renoir also left his mark on the season with L’enfant et ses jouets – Gabrielle et le fils de l’artiste, Jean. This moving painting, never exhibited nor listed, belonged to Jeanne Baudot, the painter’s close friend and only pupil. Presented for the first time at public auction, it was sold for €1.8 million (Christophe Joron‑Derem).
Gustave Caillebotte likewise captivated collectors with Pommiers en fleurs, Petit Gennevilliers, painted in 1892 and sold for €1.1 million. Preserved for more than sixty years in a private Parisian collection, this canvas had been exhibited only once, at the Durand‑Ruel retrospective.
Modernity was illustrated by Pierre Soulages. A powerful composition from 1956 doubled its high estimate to reach €1.8 million. Kept for several decades in the collection of Walter A. Netsch before entering a first European collection in 1990, this work belongs to a period sought after by collectors, when the artist was renewing his pictorial technique (Digard Auction).
The auctions also celebrated unexpected discoveries, such as Deux femmes, an ink on silk by Tran Binh Loc, a major figure of modern Vietnamese art, which set a world record at €1.2 million (Mirabaud – Mercier).
Pre-emptions by French museums
French institutions confirmed their commitment by carrying out nearly 140 pre-emptions over the year. Among them, two stone bas‑reliefs executed by Ossip Zadkine in 1927 for a Parisian private mansion decorated by André Groult were acquired by the Zadkine Museum: Femmes et chiens (€351,000) and Trois cerfs (€325,000) (Ader).
Another highlight was the dispersal of an unpublished body of drawings and writings by Pierre Fontaine, a Neoclassical architect, shedding light on the genesis of the Empire style. A total of €1.7 million rewarded this exceptional ensemble, comprising 900 sheets contested by both institutions and private collectors (Thierry de Maigret).
A year confirming the vitality of the market
These results illustrate Drouot’s strong power of attraction, where history, rediscoveries and world records come together. Driven by emblematic auctions and previously unseen works, 2025 stands out as a benchmark year, confirming Drouot’s place at the heart of the international art market.
Dans un autre registre, celui des chefs-d’œuvre impressionnistes, Pierre-Auguste Renoir a également marqué la saison avec L’enfant et ses jouets – Gabrielle et le fils de l’artiste, Jean. Cette toile émouvante, jamais exposée ni répertoriée, appartenait à Jeanne Baudot, grande amie et unique élève du peintre. Présentée pour la première fois en vente publique, elle a été adjugée 1,8 million € (Christophe Joron-Derem). Gustave Caillebotte a également séduit les collectionneurs avec Pommiers en fleurs, Petit Gennevilliers, peint en 1892 et adjugé 1,1 million €.Conservée plus de soixante ans dans une collection privée parisienne, cette toile n’avait été exposée qu’une seule fois, lors de la rétrospective Durand-Ruel.
La modernité s’est illustrée avec Pierre Soulages. Une composition puissante de 1956 a doublé son estimation haute pour atteindre 1,8 million €. Conservée durant plusieurs décennies dans la collection de Walter A. Netsch avant de rejoindre une première collection européenne en 1990, cette œuvre s’inscrit dans une période recherchée par les amateurs, au moment où l’artiste renouvelle sa technique picturale (DIGARD AUCTION). Les enchères ont également consacré des découvertes inattendues, comme Deux femmes, encre sur soie de Tran Binh Loc, figure majeure de l’art moderne vietnamien, qui a battu un record mondial à 1,2 million € (Mirabaud – Mercier).
Préemptions des musées de France
Les institutions françaises ont confirmé leur engagement en réalisant près de 140 préemptions au cours de l’année. Parmi elles, deux bas-reliefs en pierre exécutés par Ossip Zadkine en 1927 pour un hôtel particulier parisien décoré par André Groult ont été acquis par le musée Zadkine : Femmes et chiens (351 000 €) et Trois cerfs (325 000 €) (Ader). Autre moment fort : la dispersion d’un fonds inédit de dessins et écrits de Pierre Fontaine, architecte néoclassique, éclairant la genèse du style Empire. 1.7 million € ont récompensé cet ensemble exceptionnel, fort de 900 feuilles disputées aussi bien par les institutions que par les collectionneurs privés (Thierry de Maigret).
Une année qui confirme la vitalité du marché.
Ces résultats illustrent la force d’attraction de Drouot, où se conjuguent histoire, redécouvertes et records mondiaux. Portée par des enchères emblématiques et des œuvres inédites, 2025 s’impose comme une année de référence, confirmant la place de Drouot au cœur du marché de l’art international.
