Press release : Results of the prestige auctions from August 13th to 16th, 2025
Results of the prestige auctions from August 13th to 16th, 2025
Sold for : 114300€
This summer, Jean-Pierre Besch (Besch Cannes Auction) and Claire Waechter invited art lovers and collectors to one of three exceptional events traditionally held throughout the year at the Hôtel Martinez, featuring a highly eclectic collection of works that once again attracted keen interest from international collectors. Among the highlights was a Sealine F37 (2006) Frybridge 2-cabin motor yacht, which sold for 105137€ (Agrasc special auction).
In terms of paintings, we should mention Bernard Buffet's (1928-1999) oil on canvas entitled ‘La Chapelle’ (The Chapel). Buffet's work, often marked by a deep melancholy, explored religious themes, as illustrated by this oil on canvas dated 1997 (sold for 76200€ - Lot 237). This work is part of a series in which the artist painted several chapels, notably inspired by his surroundings in Tourtour, a village in the Var region. In 1997, Buffet, already severely affected by Parkinson's disease, painted several variations of chapels : some in ruins and others majestic, such as the one we are presenting here.
As part of this sale, numerous renowned artists were also presented in a decidedly eclectic style, whether in Impressionism with Armand Guillaumin (1841-1927), who offers us a view of the ‘Vallée de Chevreuse, circa 1885’ (sold for 22225€ - Lot 207), Fauvism with Raoul Dufy (1877-1953), known for his bright colours and luminous scenes, as illustrated by the oil on canvas ‘Le dépicage bleu, 1948-1949’ which fetched 45085€ (Lot 168). Here, he focuses on the rhythm of rural life and the collective strength of agricultural work, while celebrating the sea, light and movement in the painting ‘Voiliers sur la Manche’ (Sold for 17780€ - Lot 159), themes he was fond of because they reminded him of his Norman origins and the atmosphere of ports. These two subjects – the nourishing earth and the living sea – express his attachment to nature, the seasons and the vitality of everyday life, not forgetting Charles Camoin (1879-1965) and ‘La citadelle d'Ajaccio, circa 1910’ (sold for 28575€ – Lot 183) and Eugène Boudin with the painting ‘Woman near Quimper, 1858’ (sold for 31750€ – Lot 119). Figurative art was also represented by Marie Laurencin (1883-1956), who celebrates eternal femininity in ‘Portrait of a Woman with a Scarf on her Shoulder’ (sold for 35560€ - Lot 196) and Orientalism with the Maltese painter and watercolourist Amedeo Preziosi (1816-1882), whose works, with their great refinement of colour and detail, reflect the Orientalist taste of his time, as evidenced by this oil on canvas "Les kiosques des eaux douces sur le Bosphore, 1881", sold for 22987€ (Lot 38).
This summer event at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, held on August 13th and 14th, once again offered fine wine enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire magnificent bottles offered by Besch Cannes Auction and appraised by Pascal Kuzniewski. The sale featured grands crus from prestigious private cellars, including several cases of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (2000 vintage for 47120€) and the best Burgundy and Bordeaux producers, not to mention rare spirits such as a blend of several vintages of Chartreuse Tarragone Jaune (1906, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1948, 1951, 1961, 1967, 1973, 1980) : this cuvée, released in 2007, was produced jointly by the Carthusian monks and Olivier Poussier (World's Best Sommelier 2000).
The last auction, on August 16th, was devoted to the sale of important diamonds, fine jewellery and designer jewellery, and prestigious watches (Expert Edouard de Garo). Among the most important lots were a large solitaire, an exceptional 8,07-carat mixed-cut radiant diamond mounted on a rose gold ring (sold for 165100€ - Lot 243) and exceptional Van Cleef & Arpels earrings set with approximately 21 carats of magnificent pear-shaped rubies and embellished with extra-white brilliant-cut diamonds totalling approximately 5,20 carats (sold for 114300€ on an estimate of 40/60000€ - Lot 196). A rare vintage ‘Ludo, Circa 1935’ bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels, signed, numbered and bearing a partially visible maker's mark, completed this set, among other items.
This sale thus offered a unique opportunity for lovers of fine jewellery and prestigious watches and was a particularly attractive event for international collectors.
Press contact : Isabelle de Puysegur - Tel : 33(0)6 60 57 58 78 - i.puysegur@wanadoo.fr
