PARIS.- The name “de Ribes” resonates internationally with a timeless sense of style – the essence of French chic and elegance. On 11 and 12 December,
Sotheby’s Paris will offer for sale a selection of historical pieces from the collection of the Count and Countess de Ribes. Held over two sessions, the auction will present artworks, fine books and manuscripts from the family’s ancestral home in Paris – covering three centuries of French history.
In the exquisite setting of their “Hotel Particulier”, built in 1865, Edouard de Ribes and his wife Jacqueline, née de Beaumont, were custodians of an exquisite collection of objects that had entered the family in the 18th century. They were also keen collectors, acquiring works of the highest-quality to enhance the sumptuous and sophisticated décor of their mansion. The Count and Countess were recognised as respected patrons in the art world, and the intellectual and artistic elite would gather at their home for parties that encapsulated the French “art de vivre”. In line with this, part of the proceeds from the sale will benefit philanthropic causes and cultural organisations.
The first auction will be dedicated to the “treasures” of the collection – exceptional pieces boasting remarkable provenance that have been passed down through the ages by distinguished historical figures. Famed previous owners include Louis XIV and XV at the Château de Versailles, Louis XVI at the Château de Saint-Cloud, the Count of Artois at the Palais du Temple, Marie-Antoinette and the Duke of Orléans. Eminent figures from the decorative and fine arts are represented, including Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Hubert Robert, André-Charles Boulle and Bernard II Vanrisamburgh.
The second sale is a sanctuary for fine books, featuring precious volumes from the 16th to the 21st centuries. Built up by two generations of bibliophiles, Édouard de Ribes (1923-2013) and his father Jean (1893-1982) – both members of the prestigious Société des Bibliophiles François – the exceptionally diverse library has only been seen by a few select visitors until now.
Major paintings and prestigious commissions
Leading the paintings is Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun’s rediscovered Juno borrowing the belt of Venus (estimate: €11.5 million), which had been believed lost since 1803 and until now had only been known from a preparatory study. Commissioned in 1781 by Charles X, the count of Artois and younger brother of reigning king Louis XVI, the painting was passed down to the Count’s godson before entering the line of descent to the Comte and Comtesse de Ribes.
This mythological composition is based on a scene in the Iliad, and depicts Venus – whom the hedonistic aristocracy of the French courts had long worshipped in a cult-like fashion – and was one of the most important paintings the artist sent to her first Salon, shortly after being accepted into the Royal Academy.
Two pendant paintings by Hubert Robert, Le matin and Le soir (estimate: €1-1.5 million), are perfect examples of the capriccio scenes of ancient ruins produced by the artist during the 1770s and 1780s. Both were commissioned directly by Madame Geoffrin, who hosted one of the most brilliant salons in Paris at her house on Rue Saint-Honoré. A rare opportunity to acquire works by the artist still in private hands, these paintings have not been seen since they last appeared at auction in 1961.
Marguerite Gérard has only recently emerged from behind the figure of her brother-in-law Jean-Honoré Fragonard, restoring her to her rightful place in the history of French painting at the turn of the 19th century. On Gérard’s arrival in Paris in 1775, Fragonard quickly took her under his wing, and they collaborated on a number of works including The Interesting Student (estimate: €300,000-€400,000). One of her most accomplished compositions, the painting invites reflection on the nature of the artistic relationship between Gérard and her brother-inlaw and teacher, Fragonard (who painted the white cat).
One of Jean-Baptiste Leprince’s most accomplished paintings, The Futile Lesson from 1772 (estimate: €150,000-€200,000) was commissioned by the Duke of Choiseul-Praslin and was exhibited at the Salon the following year. Inspired by Dutch genre painting from the previous century, the theatrical work depicts a domestic scene being played out in a luxurious bedroom, as a young girl’s letters and portraits from her suitor have been discovered by her parents.
French Royal bronzes
Having been part of the Royal collections until the Revolution, two rare bronzes from the collection of Louis XIV are set to be offered at auction for the very first time.
Presented in 1796 as payment to the state contractor Gabriel Aimé Jourdan, these two exceptional school of Giambologna masterpieces, Rape of a Sabine and Fortuna, are both attributed to Antonio Susini (1558-1624) – the principal bronze-caster to the Florentine master and an important Mannerist sculptor in his own right – during Giambologna’s lifetime.
Rape of a Sabine, attributed to Antonio Susini, after Giambologna (1529-1608), circa 1590-1610 (estimate: €2.5-5 million), is considered one of the oldest and finest casts of this model – the original of which is one of the architectural glories of the Late Renaissance in Florence. Magnificently detailed, it is engraved with the number 335 in the inventory of the French Royal Bronzes and was exhibited for the last time in 1956 – before its significance was truly known.
A further exceptional cast attributed to Antonio Susini, after Giambologna, circa 1580-1600, Fortuna (estimate: €1-2 million) has never previously been shown to the public. Comparable with the model held in the collection of the Louvre, it is one of the most beautiful versions known of this cast and is also numbered in the royal inventory.
Decorative arts with historical provenance
The Ribes collection features a rare pairing: a Louis XVI bureau à cylindre by Claude-Charles Saunier with a highly sculptural Louis XIV-era Pendule aux Parques mantel clock attributed to André-Charles Boulle (estimate: €250,000-€500,000). The pair hail from the Stroganov collection in St Petersburg and were acquired by Jean de Ribes at the Soviet sales in Berlin in 1931.
The large salon of the house was decorated with a Louis XVI fire screen. Made by Jean-Baptiste Sené and Alexandre Régnier under the direction of Jean Hauré (estimate: €70,000-€100,000), it was presented to King Louis XVI in 1787 at the Château de Saint-Cloud. After the upheavals of the Revolution, it was used by Napoleon I at the start of his reign, before joining the “Garde-Meuble”, where the official furniture was stored, in 1808.
The collection is highlighted by a magnificent set of gold boxes, mainly dating from the second half of the 18th century. Among these treasures is a splendid oval snuffbox in gold set with hard stones, made in Dresden, circa 1770 (estimate: €500,000-€700,000), decorated with a perspective view of the interior of a temple. Further highlights showcase the great jewellery houses, with a cigarette case by Cartier in nephrite mounted in gold, circa 1910 (estimate: €12,000-18,000) and a gold Bulgari powder compact set with sapphires and diamonds, circa 1960 (estimate: €8,000-12,000).
The Library of the Counts de Ribes
From Montaigne to Aimé Césaire via Apollinaire and Proust, from Picasso to Louise Bourgeois and Buren, this prestigious collection reflects the taste and refinement of the Counts de Ribes as expert bibliophiles. Spanning six centuries of rare and precious books, the great texts of French literature from the 16th to 21st centuries are all represented within.
Two highlights are by Montaigne, one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance who is best known for having popularised the essay as a literary genre. An incredibly rare first edition of Montaigne’s Essais, published in Bordeaux in 1580 and preserved in the original vellum binding (estimate: €300,000€500,000), is one of just a handful identified in private collections still in this condition. A further gem is the first book by Montaigne – a translation of Raymond of Sabunde’s Theologia Naturalis (1569) (estimate: €75,000-100,000) – which marked his literary debut.
Among the 19th century books is a copy of Stendhal’s culturally important travel diary Promenades dans Rome (estimate: €80,000-€120,000), with copious annotations by the author – one of only four known copies with additions and corrections. Stendhal has also added memories and anecdotes revealing details of his personal life, health, occupations, travels and the people he met during the most important years of his literary career.
One of the great figures of 20th century literature, Marcel Proust forms a prominent presence in the collection. A heavily-corrected luxury copy of À l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs, 1920 (estimate: €60,000-€80,000) is one of only fifty re-imposed on bible paper and sits alongside a copy of Plaisirs et les Jours (estimate: €15,000-€20,000), which the author gifted with a long handwritten dedication to his friend Madame Arman de Caillavet.
Testament to the refined elegance of the era are a number of 18th-century bindings in red Morocco leather adorned with coats-of-arm. These include a sublime copy of the livre de fêtes published in 1745 for the marriage of the dauphin to Maria Theresa of Spain, bound by Padeloup for Madame Victoire, the daughter of Louis XV (estimate: €30,000-€50,000).
Heading into the 20th century, highlights include Le Bestiaire by Dufy bound by Bonet (estimate: €20,000-€30,000) and Parler seul by Miró bound by Brother Edgar Claes (estimate: €7,000-€10,000). Contemporary artists are represented with Louise Bourgeois and her Ode à ma mère (estimate: €20,000-€30,000), Roy Lichtenstein’s La Nouvelle chute de l'Amérique (estimate: €30,000-€40,000) and Daniel Buren’s vibrant Cahier d’un retour au pays natal (estimate: €5,000-€7,000).
