PARIS.- Created in 1991 by a small group of art dealers, the Salon du dessin is now a leader in its field. a frontrunner for many reasons, the fair possesses all the ingredients of a success story: the exceptional quality of the works selected by the exhibitors, its undeniable commercial dynamism, its capacity to attract the most important collectors and curators from around the world and its ability to gather together institutions to celebrate drawings. thanks to its unprecedented position in the art world, the Salon du dessin resolutely pursues its mission, which is to ardently promote the art of drawing. In 2014, 13,000 visitors assembled in the magnificent Palais Brongniart around their shared passion for drawings.

A Showcase for the Drawings of the Bnf
Since its creation in the 17th century the Bibliothèque nationale de france has gathered numerous drawings by renowned architects such as mansart, Brongniart and Viollet-le-Duc. Gradually enriched throughout the centuries and then inventoried, deciphered and classified, this collection is now ready to be unveiled. the department of Prints and Photographs has selected the most significant sheets, which will be given a preview at the Salon.

The Semaine du Dessin: Uniting Drawing Enthusiasts
From 23rd until 30th march the most important museums from Paris and its surroundings will open the doors to their graphic art departments, presenting a special display or organising, in conjunction with the Salon, an exhibition on the theme of drawing. In partnership with the City of Paris, more than twenty prestigious institutions will participate in this celebration of drawing in all its forms and from all periods. Among the shows not to be missed is the Great War seen by ossip Zadkine (musée Zadkine); drawings by the artist Jean Gorin, a native of Nantes and a proponent of neo-plasticism, at the drawings department of the Centre Pompidou; Italian masters from the renaissance from the Städel museum in frankfurt on show at the Custodia Foundation; drawings by the discreet yet prolific painter and decorator Charles Lameire at the musée d’orsay, and the homage given at the musée Carnavalet to “monsieur Barrée, architect and speculator in Enlightenment Paris”.

The International Symposium:
the Salon has more than a solely commercial dimension. on 25th and 26th march a series of twelve lectures will present the work of a wide range of academics researching the field of architectural drawing. Inaugurated last year under the auspices of Claude mignot, professor emeritus at the University of Paris Sorbonne, this series of lectures will focus on the topic with a new light: the architectural drawing, from the document to the monument. the proceedings of the symposium, now a reference, will be published in the fall.

The New Exhibitors
Among the 39 participants (19 french, 20 from abroad), 7 new galleries will be joining the coveted club of exhibitors to the Salon du dessin. Among them and specialised in old masters, the field that made the Salon’s reputation, are the recently opened gallery Marty de cambiaire (Paris), the Galerie tarantino (Paris) which focuses on Italian artists from the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Galleria carlo Virgilo (roma), also concentrating on the best Italian old masters. modern masters too have a prominent place at the Salon and will be represented by damien Boquet art (Paris) and aktis Gallery (London), specialised in the works of exiled Chinese and russian artists active in Paris during the second half of the 20th century. Also present will be the prestigious London gallery Marlborough Fine art, which proposes modern as well as contemporary drawings, and the Galerie thessa herold (Paris), which features the works of avant-garde artists from 1920 to 1960.