The Journey of a Contemporary Collection from Abstract to Figurative Art

Dialogue keeps a collection alive, dynamic and coherent. A look at Dr. Jean-Charles C. and his wife Christiane M.’s paintings makes it obvious that they not only must have frequently talked to understand what motivated each other's choices and preferences, but also enjoyed conversations about the artworks. They collected “objects that speak to you rather than objects that are spoken about,” says Nicolas Landau, the “Prince of Antique Dealers”. “It’s more a selection than a collection,” adds Auction Art auctioneer Grégoire Veyres. “Each piece was carefully chosen to get straight to the point. They attest to the desire to seek the best in an artist.” In the late 1980s, the Lyon-born couple visited Jacques Verrière’s gallery, one of the city’s few contemporary art galleries, with Denise Mermillon’s and the Espace Saint-Georges. Drawn to a painting by André Lanskoy (1902-1976), they took the plunge and made their first purchase. Like many artists who attended the Grande Chaumière School in the Montparnasse quarter in the late 1930s, Lanskoy…