The chaotically charming Hôtel Drouot in Paris’ IXth arrondissement is the epicenter of the French auction house world, where dealers, collectors and the simply curious flock to daily public auctions featuring fine art in all styles, furniture, jewelry, books, silver, china, wine, and objets d’art.
It attracts fine art collectors from all over, including many members of the ARTKABINETT social network who visit this facility to find wonderful art objects and assorted treasures.
Approximately 800,000 lots are sold each year with prices in the hundreds of euros to several millions. There are more than 16 preview galleries and 70 independent auction firms that hold sales under the umbrella of "Drouot".
It is worth stopping by Drouot to preview the jam-packed galleries and general frenzy of collecting, but beware of bidding, The New York Times recently reported that an art-trafficking ring had surfaced at Drouot, after years of speculation of widespread corruption.
Public auctions have existed since Ancient Roman times.
They disappeared with the fall of the Roman Empire to be reborn in Paris around the year 1250. If auctions are called public, it really is because they are open to everyone, professionals or amateurs, occasional or regular customers.
The French system of selling art and antiques at auction is entirely different than the British model and is filled with tradition and regulations finally codified by King Henri II in the 16th century. King Louis IXth -- back in 1254 -- established sergeants to dispose of property.
1552 - The foundation of "Drouot" is closely related to the Commissaire-Priseur system with a history of four hundred years in France. In 1552, Henry II, (shown right) then French Emperor, launched the firm for the "maîtres priseurs-vendeurs". Those professional auctioneers became the "Commissaire-Priseurs" later.
Traditionally, Commissaire-Priseur is the official auction executor in France who, in the capacity of judicial officer, must play a neutral role of arbitration.
In 1555, the French government had bailiff-auctioneers sell items for government from those who died or were executed. -- The late 17th and early 18th centuries marked the auction's transition from a small event with a few hundred people to a larger gathering.
Auctions were promoted in the periodicals of the day and held in rented coffeehouses or inns
The profession of auctioneer was invented in France. Historically, auctioneers have been government officials, a kind of civil servants appointed by the Ministrers of Justice because the art auctioning business was viewed as a public service just like justice and internal affaires.
An auctioneering monopoly was established by a royal edict of Henri II in 1556. All the profits from the activity went to the French state.
The French Justice Ministry only provides licenses to auctioneers who undergo long training and pass difficult exams -- No upstarts here!
In 1556, King Henri established the monopoly granted exclusively to certain French auctioneers. He established many of the rules and regulations which still govern contemporary art auctions.
This monopoly was only broken in 1998 as part of France's completed entry into the Eurozone.
In order to become an auctioneer in France, or "commissaire priseur", one earns advanced degrees in both law and art history, followed by two years of apprenticeship at one of the established houses.
France has many auction firms that compete with the dominant Sotheby’s and Christie’s, from the larger Tajan and ArtCurial to smaller independent auction firms that organize sales at the famous Hôtel Drouot.
In France, there are 460 granted auction house licenses.
The Hôtel Drouot is a large auction house in Paris, for fine art, antiques and antiquities, consisting of 16 halls hosting 70 independent auction firms, operating under the umbrella grouping of "Drouot".
It is a big structure comprised of multiple salons -- each hosting a daily auction from a member auction house.
Unlike its ancient predecessor established by King Henri, today it is situated on Rue Drouot in the IXth arrondissement of Paris, on a site once occupied by the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique, with a number of outlying locations. Drouot has also opened two auction rooms for prestige sales in Avenue Montaigne.
If auctions are called public, it really is because they are open to everyone, professionals or amateurs, occasional or regular customers, as decreed back in the 1560's.
In Paris, the institution among auction houses is unquestionably the Hôtel Drouot, which opened its doors on 1st June 1852. With its 16 auction rooms, it is the world's main art market. The Hôtel Drouot is renowned for its sales of items dating from Antiquity and the Art Nouveau period.
Rue Drouot is located in the IXth arrondissement of Paris. The nearest metro station is Richelieu - Drouot (Paris Métro).
Details of forthcoming auctions are published in the weekly Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot, sold at newsstands and by subscription.
In 2008 Hôtel Drouot was ranked third by sales amongst Paris auction houses, after Sotheby's and Christie's The Hôtel Drouot was inaugurated on 1 June 1852.
From 1976 to 1980, while its present building was being constructed, sales took place in the former Gare d'Orsay. In 2000, reform of the monopolistic French auction laws, regulated through the system of commissaires-priseurs, opened Drouot up to international competition.
The "Hotel" structure is now owned by a subsidiary of BNP Paribas.
Some would argue that the French auction system is too old fashioned and rigid, but it is important to understand if you are interested acquiring hard to find pieces for a relative bargain. In fact, many dealers crowd the Drouot salesrooms to pick up works cheaply and then resell them privately or at larger auction houses. http://www.drouot.com/
Synopsis en français
La vente aux enchères publiques est une pratique très ancienne, qui remonte à l’antiquité romaine. Disparue avec la chute de l’Empire, c’est à Paris que revint l’honneur de faire revivre cette activité en Europe.
Dès 1254, une ordonnance de Saint Louis installe les « sergents à verge et à cheval », puis en 1552, un édit de Henri II institut les offices de « maîtres priseurs-vendeurs » et donne à la profession certains traits caractéristiques encore valables aujourd’hui, notamment le statut d’officier ministériel.
Depuis plus de quatre siècles, la tradition française de la vente aux enchères publique offre des garanties uniques au monde de rigueur et de sécurité des transactions.
Les enchères sont dites publiques car accessibles à tous. La vente aux enchères permet l’établissement du « juste prix » d’un objet grâce à une confrontation transparente et publique de l’offre et de la demande.
Les salles, au nombre de 14, se répartissaient sur un rez-de-chaussée surélevé et un premier étage. Les bureaux se trouvaient à l'entresol. L'éclairage au gaz est installé à la fin du siècle et les salles sont chauffées par un calorifère à houille dispensant une température de dix degrés dans les salles.
Dès 1869, l'ingénieur Edoux installe l'un des premiers monte-charge hydrauliques de Paris. Modifié par la suite pour fonctionner à l'air comprimé, il remplit son office jusqu'en 1950.
L'Hôtel de la rue Drouot en 1867. Il gardera cet aspect plus de cent ans.
Autour et à l'intérieur de l'Hôtel Drouot gravite un petit monde original avec ses professionnels et ses amateurs, ses lois et ses coutumes, son langage et son humour. Pour certains c'est un monde mystérieux, fermé, réservé à quelques initiés.
D'autres au contraire le considèrent comme un milieu ouvert, offrant un spectacle amusant dans lequel, par le jeu des enchères, chacun peut tenter sa chance.
Au XIXe siècle, les commissaires-priseurs se préoccupent déjà de la publicité des ventes que favorise l'essor de la presse.
En plus des affiches apposées directement sur la façade du bâtiment, les ventes sont annoncées dans des journaux spécialisés tel que "Le Gratis" (créé en 1834) et qui était distribué dans les diligences parisiennes. Il deviendra par la suite "Le Moniteur des Ventes" .
En 1999, des écrans d'ordinateurs placés à tous les étages de l'actuel hôtel des ventes informent les visiteurs des expositions et ventes du jour. L'Union des Commissionnaires de l'Hôtel des Ventes, dont la création remonte à 1832, est probablement la seule corporation qui subsiste actuellement en France.
Les premiers commissionnaires se recrutèrent surtout parmi les Auvergnats. Au fil des années, ils furent progressivement remplacés par des Savoyards, dont le recrutement s'exerçait, et s'exerce encore, par cooptation au sein du cercle familial ou villageois.
Ils sont tous propriétaires de l'entreprise. Ils portent sur leur collet rouge un numéro transmissible au successeur, numéro habituellement utilisé pour les désigner de préférence à leur patronyme.
1976 : les affiches informent le public de la fermeture prochaine de l'Hôtel Drouot et de l'ouverture de 20 salles de ventes dans la gare d'Orsay.
Cet hôtel des ventes provisoire installé dans un site exceptionnel connut un grand succès.
