Haute époque

“The art object is, in itself, the ambassador of an era: it embodies the customs and tastes of its time. Bearing witness to it is the least we can do, and it is one of the essential aspects of our profession.”

Grégoire de Thoury

Haute Époque

A historical specialty of the Aguttes auction house, the Haute Époque is a broad term theoretically encompassing all artistic production created between the end of Antiquity and the early 17th century. It therefore primarily focuses on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Two prestigious auctions per year are exclusively dedicated to this specialty : in June and December.

From the end of Antiquity to the beginning of the Renaissance

The Furniture, Sculptures & Art Objects department covers several centuries of artistic creation, including the Haute-Époque. This specialty includes works created between the end of Antiquity and the beginning of the Renaissance. It encompasses furniture (chairs, chests, buffets, armoires), statuary (Virgin, Christ, saints…), and objects (chalices, pewter, carved ivory, reliquaries…) from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the 17th century, originating from France, the Flanders, the Netherlands, the Germanic countries, the Iberian Peninsula, and Italy. These highly attended auctions attract international buyers. Recently, the department sold an impressive tapestry, Hunting and Hawking of Emperor Maximilian I in the Soignes Forest, in a private sale.

Haute Époque Through Time…

Haute Époque refers to furniture and art objects from the Gothic Middle Ages to the 17th century, including the Renaissance. This broad typological period embodies a singular taste that can be categorized as follows:

Before the 14th Century: Generally referred to as medieval art, auction examples include silverware, Gothic ivories, and rare large chests.
14th Century: The development of Marian devotion, central to medieval piety, is often illustrated by statues of the Virgin Mary in Haute Époque sales. These statues may be from Champagne, Lorraine, or Burgundy, with the auction expertise precisely determining their history and value. Rare furniture also appears during this period.
15th Century: The golden age of Gothic art, characterized by emblematic “folded towel” furniture, a staple of Haute Époque auctions. Sculptures become larger and more monumental, evolving into the ornate style flourishing at the end of the century. Furniture from this era includes windowed chests, dressers depicting religious scenes, and choir stalls.
Early 16th Century: The "First Renaissance" introduces new typologies from the Italian Peninsula, bringing furniture and art objects to European courts. These innovations include precious wood cabinets, credenzas, Italian tables, and carved wood ceremonial chairs, showcasing their original owners' magnificence.

Renowned Names of the Haute Époque

Artists like Hugues Sambin, an all-rounder known for woodworking, sculpture, engineering, architecture, decoration, and engraving, are highlighted in our expertise. Sambin is attributed to several buildings in Dijon, such as the Hôtel Marc Fyot and the Milsand House, as well as notable furniture pieces. Although little is known about his life, and many works are attributed but not definitively authenticated, his legacy, along with artists like Androuet du Cerceau, Bernard Palissy, and Léonard Limosin, often features in our Haute Époque auctions.

Though considered to end in the 17th century, the Haute Époque typology in our auction catalogs also includes religious sculptures, wooden works depicting saints like the Virgin Mary, Saint Mary Magdalene, and Saint Catherine, as well as many Christian devotional objects such as gilt-wood candlesticks and under-glass paintings.

The 19th century saw a resurgence of interest in medieval and Renaissance periods, with troubadour and neo-medieval styles producing many Haute Époque reproductions, some of which hold surprises at auction.

Haute Époque Collections

Aguttes can manage the sale of entire collections relating to the Haute Époque style, offering sellers bespoke communication in the collector's spirit. The strategy for these sales is entirely personalized. The team selects the best dispersion strategy, which can involve various auction formats or online sales. Often, the collection is presented in a dedicated catalog with a specially designed visual identity. The sale location is chosen based on relevance, whether at Aguttes’ auction house in Neuilly-sur-Seine or another venue in France or abroad.

Benefit from our expertise to auction works and objects from the Early Period

The auction house offers a unique communication strategy and provides sellers with modern, targeted tools to ensure effective international exposure. We pay particular attention to the production of our auction catalogues, both in their design and content, whether in print or fully digital format. During our marketing campaigns, we engage buyers from our extensive client base across all specialties, as well as identified potential buyers. We reach out to them through multiple channels—online and offline advertising, social media, email campaigns, media coverage, influencers, and auction platforms—using high-quality and tailored content, including images, text, and video.

Free and confidential valuations of Early Period works, objects, and pieces

Our experts travel throughout France and across Europe, working in collaboration with our regional offices to carry out valuations and appraisals of your pieces. Ahead of an appointment, you may also submit a valuation request by sending a description, photographs, and any available documentation related to the work via the online valuation form, or directly by email to our specialist.

Good to know: Our Early Period department organizes 2 to 3 auctions per year in Paris.

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