On October 24, 2026, during Art Basel Paris, Artcurial will auction A shared Modernity, the collection of Louis Grandchamp des Raux. Bringing together nearly 75 works by 44 artists, the ensemble charts a passage through French and Belgian painting from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuryfrom Impressionism and the Pont-Aven School to the Nabis and Symbolismwhile reflecting a collectors taste refined over two decades.
Highlights and movements
The sale opens with pioneers of plein-air and Pre-Impressionism. Among the early anchors are Jean-Fran e7ois Millets Barque de p eache, circa 18701871 (estimate 8500,000800,000), and Th e9odore G e9ricaults Cheval palomino effray e9 par un lion et une lionne, 18221823 (estimate 8350,000450,000). Corot, Courbet, and Boudin further signal the growing attention to nature, light, and motif that propelled later revolutions.
Impressionism appears in two canvases by Berthe Morisot, including Dans les vignes, 1882 (estimate 8250,000350,000), alongside La Roche Plate au Portrieux. Landscape and colour deepen in works by Henri Martin, Armand Guillaumin, and Henry Moret.
At the heart of the auction, the Pont-Aven School and the Nabis are represented by Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard, and c9douard Vuillard. Deniss L cele Chevalier, 1894 (estimate 8700,0001,000,000), leads the group, presented with Sancta Martha (estimate 8600,000800,000). Bonnards chromatic intensity is on view in La petite Fen eatre, 1946 (estimate 8550,000750,000), and La baignade (estimate 8150,000250,000). Vuillards Misia Natanson dans un bois, circa 18971899 (estimate 8450,000650,000), brings an intimate register. Works by Vallotton, Laval, and S e9rusier join Paul Ransons Suzanne et les vieillards in this decisive chapter.
The Belle c9poque and Symbolism expand the field: Louis Anquetins Au bar sits with works by Forain and Raffa eblli, while Belgian Symbolism is marked by Fernand Khnopffs c9tude pour la D e9fiance (estimate 8300,000400,000) and L e9on Spilliaerts Fillette au grand chapeau, bord de mer, 1909 (estimate 8300,000400,000). Odilon Redon, Puvis de Chavannes, L e9vy-Dhurmer, and Lacoste complete this exploration of imagination and inner life.
A collectors path
Louis Grandchamp des Raux began visiting Parisian museums at ten. The inheritance of his grandfathers collection helped clarify his vocation, and for nearly twenty years he assembled a group of 17th- and 18th-century French paintings, including Boucher, Fragonard, Hubert Robert, and Greuze. From 2010 onward, his attention turned to the transition to modernity, from Corot to the Nabis, with a particular fascination for Maurice Denis and c9douard Vuillard.
A first auction in 2015, dedicated to 17th- and 18th-century French painting and organised with Artcurial and Sothebys, marked a milestone. With A shared Modernity, that spirit of renewal continues: the auction frames both an exceptional selection and the portrait of a collector choosing to explore, share, and now pass on this chapter in the birth of modern painting.
