Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon (1707-1788)

The seminal work of the famous French naturalist, Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon (1707-1788), headed a sale dedicated to antique books, also brilliantly illustrated by Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopedia.

The Chateau of Versailles hastened to exercise its right of preemption to acquire a pen and ink drawing that tells its story. The French institution paid €1,995 for a Procession at Versailles, a work by Sébastien Leclerc (1637-1714), the king's ordinary engraver who died a year before Louis XIV.

Anne-Sophie Leclerc leads an institution where she has worked since 1982. The director of the Musée de Nemours, an hour from Paris, is getting ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary—an opportunity to rediscover its unique collections and Roland Simounet’s building.

At a sale in Savoy, a rediscovered lost painting by Louis Lagrenée (1725-1805) rivaled a sumptuous lotus bowl from the Qianlong period.

Claude-François Julliot (1727-1794) probably commissioned these two pieces of furniture stamped Joseph, which were in the Comte de Merle’s collection. They are beautiful examples of the resurgence of copper and tortoiseshell "Boulle" marquetry early in the Louis XVI period.

The sale of about 50 George Papazov works by his descendants provides an opportunity to rediscover the Bulgarian artist. The dreamlike quality of his paintings links him to the Surrealist movement.

This painting from a major regional collection, with its highly Louis-Quatorzian majesty, is a chance to examine the virtuoso portraitist's theatrical art.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Georges Fouquet designed Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry, including this piece.

The bust of Georges Mareschal - an important figure at the court of the “Sun King” - was discovered at TEFAF Maastricht. Laurent Solomé, director at the National Museum of Versailles, sees it as an important task to “recreate” Versailles as it was before the French Revolution when countless items were stolen or sold.

The painter and interior designer played with materials to his heart's content, choosing red to dress up a fur salon.