Annual Review
AGUTTES MAINTAINS ITS POSITION AND ACHIEVES A TOTAL OF €86.5 MILLION, ITS BEST RESULT SINCE ITS FOUNDING*

Remaining independent and family-owned, with no external shareholders, the firm confirms its position as the leading independent French auction house**.
This growth is built on its enduring values: transparency in intermediation, discretion, rigor, and boldness.

2022 at a glance:

  • €86.5 million*, representing annual growth of 11.6% compared to 2021

  • 152 lots sold for over €100,000 in 2022, compared with 90 in 2021 (+69%)

  • 5 “white glove” sales

The auction house stands out for its personalized service, agility, and strong communication reach, enabling it to offer high-quality sales on the international market while maintaining the flexibility and professionalism of a company deeply rooted in its French and family origins. Under the leadership of Maximilien Aguttes, Director of Development, the company has completed a comprehensive reorganization. This project, rolled out over the past five years, now provides Aguttes with the structure and technical expertise required to support its sales activities.

In this same spirit, Philippine (Aguttes) Dupré la Tour, Associate Director of the Luxury & Art de Vivre division, has taken on the role of Chief Executive Officer of the firm, having previously supported the company across several areas—finance, human resources, and communication—while continuing in her role as Head of the Jewelry Department. She is supported by a long-standing group of partners: Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, Director of the Classical Arts division; Sophie Perrine, auctioneer and Director of Inventories & Private Collections; Gautier Rossignol, Director of Collector Cars; and Maximilien Aguttes, Director of Development, along with the existing executive committee. Claude Aguttes, founder of the firm and auctioneer, remains Chairman and continues to orchestrate numerous collection sales.

This new organizational structure is designed to allow each specialized department to perform at the highest level in its respective market, following the example of Asian Modern Art—already the European leader—or collector cars, a field in which Aguttes is the leading independent auction house. In 2022, the majority of the specialized departments achieved their highest auction totals since their creation**. This growth continues to be driven by the firm’s core values of transparency, discretion, rigor, and boldness, which make Aguttes and its experts trusted partners for collectors and market professionals alike.

SELECTION OF REMARKABLE LOTS DISCOVERED IN 2022

Each year, 13 departments, each headed by a market-recognized expert, organize between three and five major dedicated sales. Here is a selection from 2022:

In March, the “Old Masters” sale of the Old Master Paintings & Drawings department set a world record with the sale of an unpublished work by Louyse Moillon for €1,662,400. This still life of red fruits, which became the world record for this 17th-century artist, stands as a moving tribute to her quietly remarkable career. In June, the same department sold an exceptional painting by Murillo for €641,600..

Louyse Moillon (1609/10 - 1696)
Nature morte à la coupe de fraises, panier de cerises, branche de groseilles à maquereaux, 1631
Sold for €1,662,400
World auction record for the artist, on 25 March 2022
Lot 22

The Asian Painters and Asian Arts departments, long-standing leaders in their respective markets, achieved a combined result of over €20 million. As the only auction house in the world so highly specialized in the market for painters who, at the beginning of the 20th century, received both Asian and Western artistic training, Aguttes has been carrying out major scholarly and market-driven work since 2014 under the direction of Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, bringing renewed attention to their individual oeuvres. The three artists particularly championed by Aguttes are Lê Phổ, Vũ Cao Đàm, and Mai Trung Thứ, painters who chose to settle in France at the end of the 1930s.

In 2022, Aguttes marked a further advance in the understanding of early 20th-century painting with the discovery of Jeune élégante se coiffant. Research conducted jointly with Vietnamese historians in preparation for the sale of this rare painting dated 1932 made it possible to officially restore authorship to Trần Tấn Lộc for numerous works that the international art market had previously attributed to Trần Bình Lộc (1914–1941). Brought to France by a Vietnamese collector in the 1950s, the work had remained there ever since. Previously unseen and of remarkable quality, it soared to €335,360 on 14 March 2022 after a long bidding battle, thus setting a new world auction record for the artist.

Trần Tần Lộc (1906-1968)
Jeune élégante se coiffant, 1932
Discovery of an artist and a world record
Sold 335 360 €, March 14th 2022
Lot 13 bis

The June sale “Asian Painters – Major Works” notably celebrated the artists Sanyu, whose work was sold for €450,200, and Mai Trung Thứ. In the case of the latter, the auction house set the third world record on the market for modern Vietnamese paintings. En plein air, circa 1940–45, became the artist’s world auction record in 2022.

Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980)
En plein air, circa 1940-45
Sold 794 720 €, June 2nd 2022
Third world record on the market for modern Vietnamese paintings in 2022 and a European record. World record for the artist Mai Thu in 2022.
Lot 220

The year 2023 will begin with the development and strengthening of the departments dedicated to Asia. Aguttes will welcome Clémentine Guyot and Marine Bassal-Biron to its Asian Art department, as well as Éléonore Asseline to the Asian Painters department. These appointments respond to the growing market demand for these specialties and reflect the firm’s desire to internalize expertise. Aguttes now has nine team members working across its Asia-related departments. The Asian Art department has also announced the preparation of its first Asian Week, to be held in early March 2023.

Chine, marque et période Daoguang (1820 - 1850)
Paire de vases Cong
Sold 120 900 €, April 8th 2022
Lot 220

In November 2022, the Contemporary Art department left its mark on the year with the sale of a painting by Pierre Soulages for €1,228,500. This was the first work to be offered at auction following the artist’s passing in October 2022. Serving as a true link between the different periods of

Pierre Soulages (1919 - 2022)
Peinture 102 x 81 cm, 30 mai 1981, 1981
Sold 1 228 560 €,  November 2nd 2022
Lot 46

Finally, the Furniture, Sculptures & Works of Art department brought exceptional musical instruments into the spotlight. The highest bid of 2022 was achieved by a Guarnerius “del Gesù”, sold for €3.3 million. This extremely rare violin had accompanied Régis Pasquier in the world’s most prestigious concert halls. Prior to this sale, no Guarnerius “del Gesù” violin had appeared at auction in the past ten years, and no Guarnerius from the intermediary period—the luthier’s peak of maturity—had been acquired at auction in the 21st century. The violinist’s dearest wish was fulfilled when his faithful companion was acquired by a fellow musician. German-American violinist David Garrett secured the instrument at auction on 3 June 2022, declaring: “I am delighted to now own two wonderful instruments—a 1716 Stradivarius and a 1736 ‘del Gesù’—which I will play in all my future classical concerts.” In addition, in December, a guitar—believed to have been a gift from Marie-Antoinette to the Marquise de La Rochelambert-Thévalles—found a buyer for €78,000.

These landmark sales mark the re-creation in 2023 of a historic department: Musical Instruments. The first sale of this newly revived department will highlight string quartet instruments and will take place in June 2023. Former professional violinist from the Paris Conservatory Hector Chemelle will join Aguttes from January to consign musical instruments on behalf of the firm’s clients.

Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarnerius « del Gesù » (1698 - 1744)
Crémone, 1736
Sold 3 385 000 €, June 3rd 2022
Lot 1

Another notable highlight for the department occurred on the morning of the December 2022 sale dedicated to the Haute Époque, when a private settlement agreement was reached for the tapestry Imperial Hunts and Falconry of Emperor Maximilian I in the Forest of Soignes, estimated at €800,000–1,200,000, at a price exceeding the announced high estimate. Conceived in the early 16th century and produced in the workshops of the city of Tournai, this tapestry was part of a set of hangings woven in wool and silk that originally measured more than 100 meters in length. Emperor Maximilian I is depicted hunting with horses, birds of prey, and dogs, with his sister Cunigunde of Austria shown to his right.

In situ : Chasses et Voleries Impériales de l’Empereur Maximilien Ier en fôret de Soignes

The Impressionist & Modern Art department, with results totaling nearly €2,500,000 (fees included, all taxes), recorded growth of almost 22.5% compared to 2021, with a high sell-through rate. Among the most notable hammer prices was €128,000, achieved for the rediscovery of an important early painting by Henri-Edmond Cross, Paysage de Provence en bord de mer, acquired by a French private collector on 24 November.

Henri-Édmond Cross (1856-1910)
Paysage de Provence en bord de mer, vers 1885-1889 Huile sur toile 
Sold 128 700 €
Lot 18

To bring the long saga of the Aristophil Collections sales to a brilliant close, the 55th sale saw a third lot classified as a National Treasure: a 1648 nautical atlas was pre-empted by the Bibliothèque nationale de France for €266,500. Since December 2017, approximately 6,900 catalogued lots and 286 cubic meters of Aristophil books and documents have gone under the hammer. After five years, total sales amount to nearly €108.7 million, with 335 pre-emptions recorded. The highest bid remains that for Albert Einstein and Michele Besso’s theory of relativity, sold for €11.7 million in 2021.

Marseille, Honoré Boyer , 1648
Manuscript nautical atlas
Pre-empted for €266,500 by the Bibliothèque nationale de France – Maps and Plans Department
Classified as a National Treasure on 16 November 2022
Lot 34

For its part, the Luxury & Art de Vivre division stood out with its consistently highly anticipated sales of collector automobiles. In a record-breaking year, the department achieved over €20 million in results, setting no fewer than 25 new world records.

Among the standout results were the sale of a 1927 Bugatti Type 35C® for €507,400 at the Spring sale, and a 1995 Citroën ZX Rallye-Raid EVO5 sold for €420,300 in October. Also offering a private sale service, the sale of a Ferrari 288 GTO for €3,730,000 stands as a European record for the model.

1927
Bugatti Type35C ®
Sold 507 400 €, March 22 th 2022
Lot 32

The Wines & Spirits department notably sold 12 bottles of Chambertin Clos de Bèze (Grand Cru) for €117,800 and three magnums of La Tâche (Grand Cru) for €39,400. Burgundy, with its network of distinct climats—whose richness and typicity led to their inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015—dominated the wine market.

The Jewelry & Watches department, with total sales of €10.5 million, achieved its best result since its creation. Buyers set their sights on a Van Cleef & Arpels “Fougères” suite, comprising a large clip and a pair of diamond ear clips made around 1942, which sold for €123,500. Chaumet was represented by the sale of a splendid “Draperie” necklace for €405,540. A bodice brooch set with old-cut round diamonds found a buyer at €109,200. Jewelry by designers Belperron, Boivin, and Lenfant continues to hold a prominent place in the house’s sales. Fine pearls also remain a strong focus—an area of specialization for Philippine Dupré la Tour on the art market—with, notably, the sale of a multi-strand fine pearl bracelet featuring rock crystal motifs and diamonds in an Art Deco style by Boucheron, hammered down at €92,300.

Chaumet
Collier « Draperie »
Sold 405 540 €, July 6th 2022
Lot 46

In 2022, Aguttes also dispersed several other remarkable private collections. Beyond the discoveries and rediscoveries offered by collection sales, these events are above all tributes to a collector—their talent and passion brought into the spotlight. Here are a few examples:

A History of Time. 500 Years of Watchmaking History, 28 September 2022: a private collection of 80 watches and portable clocks. 95% of the lots were sold, for a total of €1.4 million. Rarity, quality, and provenance explain the strong interest generated by this sale.

The Michel Siméon Collection. An Electric Life, 10 May 2022: a “white glove” sale of scientific instruments and assorted objects paid tribute to Michel Siméon (1926–2020), an indefatigable collector widely respected within collecting circles.

The Guy Boyer Collection, 17 November 2022: 100 works of ancient, modern, and contemporary art from a collection assembled over the past four decades by the Editor-in-Chief of Connaissance des Arts. 97% of the lots were sold by value, enabling the completion of a project to create an art history library at the Hôtel Hubaud—the starting point of a cultural center located in the Belsunce district of Marseille.

Finally, on 8 February 2022, Aguttes broke new ground by hosting—for the first time in the world—an auction in a metaverse, where an NFT was sold for €15,000 to an avatar. From 5 to 8 February 2022, more than 1,000 visitors took part in the Unvirtual event, a collaboration between the NFT platform ArtAtak, Galerie Charlot, and Aguttes, held both in Paris and in the metaverse. In partnership with LaCollection.io, Spatial.io, and Samsung, this initiative presented the very first NFT art fair and auction.

WE ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING OUR SALES FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2023.
We invite all art market enthusiasts and professionals to contact us for complimentary and confidential valuations.

All results stated in this document are inclusive of fees. They include hammer sales, aftersales, online, and private sales.
* In France, across all sales, in the category of Art and Collectibles.