The house

The art and passion of transmission

Remaining independent, without any external shareholders, Aguttes Auction House has risen over the years to become a major player in the art market. This growth revolves around fundamental values of transparency in mediation, discretion, rigor, and audacity. Founded in Clermont-Ferrand in 1974 by Claude Aguttes, and still a family business with three active children, the firm's team of 60 people is its greatest asset. With its international sales room in the west of Paris and representative offices in Paris, Lille, Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, France west area, Brussels and Geneva, the firm stands out for its personalised service and reactivity. The internalized experts of 17 departments ensure the valuation and sale of major collections, paintings, objects, jewels and exceptional motorcars. With its strong communication skills and 50% international buyers, the company frequently achieves world records. Conscious of the trust its sellers have in the company, it remains at their service first.

Share our passion for auctions. Encounter with Claude Aguttes, president and auctioneer

Our mission

Independent, family-run French auction house

All of the company's collaborators are dedicated to the quest of beauty and to the emotional and intellectual transmission between collectors. Each work of art or exceptional item must be defended to the best of its potential on the market. Obtaining the highest hammer price is the intrinsic objective of auctioneering. Our heads of department are personally committed to honouring their clients' trust by advising them and guaranteeing their interests. This is the DNA of our family company.

Expertise
The company is based on a 50-year experience and 15 specialized departments. We internalise our expertise and are fully competent in the characteristics of the sectors in which we operate. Our experts carry out detailed historical and bibliographical research, and are in contact with the most authoritative international references on the market. The result of this work is a tailored descriptive appraisal and estimate, which enables us to enhance and defend the value of the properties we handle.

International Records
Aguttes specialists define the best strategy for valuing and defending your works of art and exceptional properties: appraisal, valuation, type, place and date of sale, in line with the art market calendar of events. Our organization enables us to implement a dedicated strategy for both high-potential lots and special collections. Finally, each department combines a large-scale promotion, aimed at collectors in the specialty, with a targeted promotion, per lot, targeted to the collector's tastes. Thanks to the active participation of a 50% international clientele, we set a large number of world records.

Personalized Guidance
Your personal contact at Aguttes is attentive to your expectations. He will provide you with all the advice you need and will assist you from the valuation to the receipt of your payment at the end of the sale.

Culture of Excellence
We select lots for the quality of their provenance and execution, and for their originality. This selection responds to the requirements of the greatest collectors, who regularly reaffirm their trust in us. Our teams pay particular attention to every aspect in order to enhance the works: photography, description, catalog, press relations, powerful and targeted promotional and communication tools.

Frequency of sales
Each specialized department organizes a dedicated sale every three months. A deliberately limited selection of properties offered for sale gives you the opportunity to benefit from a personalized presentation of each lot. This flexibility allows you to include your goods in the sale and on the date that suits you best.
See Sales schedule

ALMOST 50 YEARS OF STORIES AND AUCTIONS

From 1974 to 1995
From Clermont-Ferrand to Neuilly-sur-Seine, Aguttes invests in the west of Paris
Aguttes auction house was created in 1974 in Clermont-Ferrand. In 1986, the international art market came to Auvergne to attend the sale of a fabulous Autoportrait aux bésicles by Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin (1699-1779), sold for 6.6 million FF. In 1995, the company moved to the west of Paris to adjust to the globalisation of the art market. In the center of Neuilly-sur-Seine, in a modern and functional office, the firm has since hosted its expertise and advisory services as well as exhibitions and specialised sales.

From 1996 to 2015
From collection sales to auction records, the company expanded and set up offices in the legendary Gare des Brotteaux in Lyon
In 2012, a sculpture by Edme Bouchardon (1698 - 1762) was pre-empted by the Louvre Museum for 3.7 million euros. In 2015, three paintings by the Chinese artist Sanyu (1901 - 1966) fetched €9.69 million, followed in 2017 by a fourth that fetched €8.8 million. At the same time, the Jewellery department opened a speciality dedicated to Fine Pearls.

2016, Aguttes starts the wonderful adventure: auctioning the Aristophil collections

In 2016, Aguttes was appointed by the Commercial Court to inventory, conserve and disperse the Aristophil collections. In 2022, the adventure was crowned with success; 335 pre-emptions, including 3 lots classified as National Treasures. Remarkable auctions were held, such as the sale of Les Heures Petau, livre d'heures à l'usage de Rome (circa 1495), for 4.3 million euros. The Manuscript from Einstein and Besso about the Theory of Relativity sold for 11.6 million euros, a world record for an autograph document by Einstein, a world record for a scientific autograph document at auction & the most expensive scientific manuscript ever sold at auction in France.

From 2017 to 2021
The auction house continues to take on more challenges and consolidates its position as the 1st independent auction house in France

In 2018, Aguttes is the first independent auction house to exceed the result of 50 million auctions. In 2018, Aguttes became the first independent auction house to exceed 50 million of auctions. In 2019, it pursues its expansion and sets up offices in Aix-en-Provence and Brussels, to cover major art market hubs. The auction house held exceptional sales, such as the carnivorous theropod on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower in 2018.
In 2020, the auction house sold the remarkable collection La mesure des Mondes. More than 2.5 million euros worth of rare objects and scientific instruments were sold.

In 2021, Aguttes organised the Optic 2ooo Tour Auto anniversary sale under the Grand Palais Éphémère de Paris and raised 2.1 million euros.

2022, some highlights...

In 2022, 152 lots were sold for more than 100,000 euros, 69% more than in 2021. A rare Guarnerius "del Gesù" violin joined the instruments of the German-American virtuoso David Garrett for €3.38m. Aguttes received the world's first auction in a metaverse. 1.23 million rewarded the first Soulages painting to be auctioned post-mortem. The auction house set a world record for the artist Louyse Moillon with the sale of an exceptional still life for 1.6 million euros. In addition, the House participates in the development of knowledge about 20th century Vietnamese painting, in which it is an authority. This year, it distinguished its services by formally restoring the paternity of the artist Trần Tấn Lộc's work.