Salon du Dessin has a fantastic history. Probably the oldest fair dedicated to a single medium still in existance, the Salon du Dessin was in 2018 in its 27th year. Twenty-seven years of growth of evolution. Twenty-seven years of traditions.
During the seven days of the salon, the Palais Brongniart was literally packed with art on paper collectors and museum curators. 14,500 visitors (+11.5%) manage to reach the very heart of Paris, overcoming one of the worst French strike in recent years.
It was worth it. Many exceptional drawings from the 16th to the 20th centuries were on display. With red dots covering price lists hours after hours the total reported sales topped €1.2m (£1m) at the end of the fair.
Some of the highest prices includes Modèle au canapé vert (1915) by French painter Edouard Vuillard. This very colorful pastel was sold €260,000 (£225,000) by British dealer Stephen Ongpin Fine Art. It was presented at auction at Sotheby’s London in June last year: bought in. Also from Stephen Ongpin a Sanguine by Hubert Robert found a buyer €120,000 (£100,000).
Modern art – more and more present every year – reached the €100,000 mark several time during the week. A drawing by Picasso was sold by Galerie AB on the very first hours of the opening. At the exact same time, Galerie Zlotowski was trading Les plongeurs (1941) by Fernand Léger; Helene Bailly Gallery a drawing from 1958 by Dalí: Allégorie, étude pour la robe de Gala posant en madone.
The success was total for Salon du Dessin this year: attendance, quality, atmosphere, sales. Bravo!