Modern & Contemporary Art
Since its inception, Libert & Associés has placed modern and contemporary art at the center of its mission, passionately supporting collectors in their search for iconic and unique works. From the Impressionists to emerging artists, including the great names of Abstraction, Cubism, and Surrealism, each dedicated auction is designed as a true tribute to creativity and artistic innovation.
Our auctions cover the major movements in the history of modern art. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism shine through the brushstrokes of Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Henri Lebasque. Pointillism, meticulous and vibrant, is represented by Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, and Henri-Edmond Cross.
Naïve art, imbued with spontaneity, stands out with figures such as Séraphine Louis, Le Douanier Rousseau, and Camille Bombois, while Fauvism, championed by Henri Matisse, André Derain, and Maurice de Vlaminck, bursts with color and light.
Cubism, revolutionary and analytical, is embodied by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris, and Fernand Léger, while Surrealism, dreamlike and daring, captivates with works by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Joan Miró, and Man Ray.
Abstraction—from the geometric works of Piet Mondrian to the abstract expressionism of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner—offers a universal and timeless language, just like the unique works of artists from the School of Paris such as Amedeo Modigliani, Chaïm Soutine, Moïse Kisling, and Maurice Utrillo.
Libert & Associés’ auctions reflect this commitment to modern and contemporary art. Among our recent successes are the sculpture *Crépuscule* by Antoniucci Volti, which sold for 53,760€, and a Post-Impressionist view by Henri Lebasque, *Lagny, Houses on the Banks of the Marne*, which sold for 33,280€. A view of the bell tower in Villennes-sur-Seine by Maurice Utrillo found a buyer for €34,560, while a ceramic piece by Roland Brice, based on a work by Fernand Léger—*Visage à la main sur fond rouge*—was sold for €18,900.
Most recently, a magnificent *Virgin and Child* by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, dated 1918, was the highlight of the auction, selling for €195,000.
Each sale is prepared with care and precision by a passionate and attentive team dedicated to showcasing every work entrusted to them in the best possible light. Libert & Associés supports sellers and buyers with transparency and expertise, ensuring results that meet everyone’s expectations.
“Art washes away the dust of everyday life from our souls.”
— Pablo Picasso
Great Auctions
LÊ THI LUU (1911-1988) The big sister Gouache and ink on silk, signed lower right Height 34 cm - Width 27 cm Provenance : Galerie J. Le Chapelin, 71 Faubourg Saint-Honoré 75008 Paris French private collection, bought in the 70's by the parents of the present owner who received it as a gift for his majority
ANTONIUCCI VOLTI (1915-1989) Crépuscule, vers 1967 Épreuve en bronze patiné, signée, numérotée 1/6, cire perdue, E. Godard fondeur, Malakoff Patine oxydée Haut. 34 cm - Long. 98 cm - Prof. 47 cm Nous remercions Nicolas Antoniucci, fils de l'artiste, qui a aimablement confirmé l'authenticité de cette oeuvre.
PAUL JOUVE (1878-1973) Reclining black panther Etching Numbered in pencil lower left: 39/100 Signed in pencil lower right: Jouve Height 37.0 cm - Width 52.5 cm at sight Bibliography: Model listed by Félix Marcilhac, Paul Jouve, Peintre sculpteur animalier, Éditions de l'amateur, 2005, page 367
ANTONIUCCI VOLTI (1915-1989) Three Graces, circa 1959 Bronze proof with green patina shaded with brown Foundry stamp on base: Cire perdue/Bisceglia. Signed and numbered on the base: 3/6 Height 49 cm - Width 33.5 cm - Depth 10.5 cm Antoniucci Volti developed a recognizable style early on, combining sensuality of form and sobriety of volume. Deeply influenced by ancient sculpture, but also by Rodin and Maillol, Volti's work celebrates the female body, which he treats with an almost meditative gentleness. The bronze sculpture of the Three Graces we are offering for sale fully embodies this ideal of harmony and timeless beauty. Bisceglia Frères was an important art foundry, active between 1904 and 1962. Around 1907, Mario Bisceglia, originally from Turin, set up his own foundry in Paris with two of his brothers, Dominique and César. He moved to Malakoff around 1930. Bisceglia hired Tullio Clementi, then later in 1940, Turriddu, who had completed his apprenticeship at Susse and Valsuani. The foundry only produced pieces less than 1.50 m tall, and was renowned for its particularly meticulous patinas, like that of our Three Graces. Bibliography: E. Lebon, Dictionnaire des fondeurs de bronzes d'art, Ed. Marjon, 2003, pp. 116-118 The numbered 1/6 copy of Les Trois Grâces also cast by Bisceglia Frères, purchased at the Salon des Tuileries in 1959, is now in the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (ref. AMS 1).
HENRI LEBASQUE (1865-1937) Lagny, maisons au bord de la Marne, vers 1906-1907 Huile sur toile, signée et dédicacée en bas à droite Accidents Haut. 65 cm - Larg. 54 cm
FRANÇOIS POMPON (1855-1933) Dindon, 1925 Épreuve en bronze patiné, signée, cire perdue, C. Valsuani fondeur, Paris Hauteur : 25 cm Expositions : - IIIe Salon des Tuileries, Palais de Bois, Porte Maillot, Paris 16 mai-juillet 1925, un exemplaire similaire sous le titre, Paris, sous le titre Dindonneau - Un exemplaire similaire dans les collections du Musée du Petit Palais, Paris, sous la référence PPS 1483 Bibliographie : - François Pompon 1855 1933 par Catherine Chevillot, Liliane Colas et Anne Pingeot, Gallimard/Electa Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1994, un exemplaire similaire est décrit page 201 sous le N°89 et reproduit pleine page en couleurs planche 25
PIERRE EUGÈNE MONTÉZIN (1874-1946) View of a lively riverside village Original canvas Traces of signature lower left Montézin label on frame Height 60 cm - Width 73 cm A pupil of Quost and an admirer of Monet and Sisley, Pierre Eugène Montézin devoted his entire life to painting from the motif, capturing with spontaneity the changing light of the French countryside, riverbanks and villages. His style, vibrant and generous, blends a lively touch with a mastery of drawing and values. The oil on canvas we present bears witness to this loving view of nature: luminous atmosphere, subtle palette, balanced composition - all combine to make this landscape a suspended moment, imbued with serenity and truth. Montézin was acclaimed during his lifetime, notably by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, of which he was a member, and remains a popular figure with collectors today.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997) Cow going Abstract, 1982 Suite of three lithographs Numbered 48/150 lower left in pencil Signed lower right for the middle one Bears a lot label 102 Height 64.5 cm - Width 75.5 cm (as seen) A key figure in American Pop Art, Roy Lichtenstein left his mark on the history of contemporary art through his bold appropriation of the visual language of comics and mass culture. Trained at the Parsons School of Design and Ohio State University, he emerged in the early 1960s with an instantly recognizable body of work, in which flat primary colors, black outlines and the famous Benday dots echo the codes of industrial print. Behind this seemingly light aesthetic, Lichtenstein subtly questions notions of image, reproduction and the gaze. The triptych we present is part of this reflection on serial form and the fragmentation of narrative, reaffirming the iconic and conceptual power of his art. Present in the world's greatest museums, Lichtenstein remains one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Provenance: Pierre Cornette de Saint-Cyr Drouot sale, February 23, 1997, lot n°102
JEAN-BAPTISTE OLIVE (1848-1936) Mer agitée Huile sur toile, signée en bas à droite Haut. 63 cm - Larg. 91 cm
JEAN DUFY (1888-1964) Mexican trainer at the circus Gouache Signed lower right Height 45 cm - Width 57 cm Provenance : - Sale by Me Georges Blache, Versailles, December 5, 1976, n°76 - Acquired by the family of the current owners at the above-mentioned sale.
OLIVIER DEBRÉ (1920-1999) Light ochre, 1976 Original canvas Signed, titled, located and dated on reverse Height 60 cm - Width 73 cm Provenance: Galerie Ariel - Galerie Ariel inventory no. 8427 - Briest sale, March 21, 2001 lot n°482 A great colorist and major figure of lyrical abstraction, Olivier Debré is often described as the French counterpart to Mark Rothko. He perfected his style in the 1960s when confronted with Scandinavian nature and the impermanence of its landscapes. Nature was to be his strongest source of inspiration, and his technical signature was the application of paint with a knife and a palette described as "warm" and free. The lyrical abstraction movement emerged in opposition to the geometric abstraction of Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky. Olivier Debré's work came to the attention of French museums in the 1980s. Our work is part of this period, and is similar in smaller dimensions to Ocre blanche d'hiver (1980), acquired by the Centre Pompidou.
MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985) Écuyère au cheval rouge Color lithograph Numbered lower left 6/75 Signed in pencil lower right In sheet form Height 32.5 cm - Width 25 cm Provenance: Sale Corbeil, December 11, 2004
LÉONARD TSUGUHARU FOUJITA (1886-1968) Virgin and Child, 1918 Gouache and gold paint, signed lower right Height 44.5 cm - Width 28.5 cm Scratches Bibliography La vie et l'œuvre de Léonard-Tsuguharu Foujita by Sylvie and Dominique Buisson, ACR Édition, Paris, 1987, described and reproduced on page 348 under N°18.08
