Auction house
BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés
BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés, an auction house located in the heart of the Drouot district since 1990, organizes prestigious public auctions.
As family auctioneers specialized in House sales and Collection sales, BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés distinguishes itself each year in the ranking of French auction houses through exceptional bids and the dispersion of highly anticipated, valuable collections.
Among the historic House sales and Collection sales that have marked the firm's history: the Impressionist painting collection of Madame Julien Rouart; the jewelry of H.I.H. Princess Soraya and Princess Eugénie of Greece and Denmark; the furniture from the Castle of Duino belonging to Prince della Torre e Tasso; the furniture and works of art from the Anne-Aymone and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing collections; as well as the house sales of the Châteaux of Digoine, Daubeuf, Chiffrevast, and Nernier on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Among the significant results for exceptional pieces, notable highlights include the rediscovery of a silver ewer presented by the Ambassadors of Siam to Louis XIV during their visit to Versailles on September 1, 1686, acquired by the Palace of Versailles for €1M, and La tireuse d’épine (The Thorn Puller) by Ponce Jacquio, preempted by the Louvre Museum for €1.4M. Other milestones include the rediscovery of a rare Art Deco Koi Carp desk clock sold for €317,500, the sale of an Eight Louis d'or coin for €310,000, an important "Régence" commode stamped Criaerd sold for €556,800, and Joan Miró's L'oiseau bleu by Hubert Germain sold for €486,400.
More recently, in 2025, this momentum was confirmed with several landmark results: Alexandre-Isidore Leroy, Vicomte de BARDE's painting, Les Minéraux tirés du cabinet particulier du Roi (1821)—an extremely rare work commissioned by Louis XVIII—which fetched €682,640 after an intense bidding war; a 1910 painting by František Kupka, a rare testament to a key moment prior to his transition to abstraction, reaching €656,880; and a large head of Apollo, a superb Roman sculpture discovered in Normandy, sold for €463,680.
In March 2026, the sale of an exceptionally rare silverpoint drawing by Hans Baldung Grien (1484/85-1545) depicting the Portrait of Susanna Pfeffinger, executed in 1517 and kept within the same family since that date, received extensive national and international media coverage before being designated a "National Treasure" by decree of the Ministry of Culture.
Asian Arts and Jewelry are among the firm's flagship specialties.
In this regard, we can mention the sale of the Portier collection of Japanese prints in association with Christie’s, during which the auction house set—and still holds—the world record for a Japanese print (€745,800), or the sale of three imperial seals in 2009, 2014, and 2022. Additionally, the rediscovery and sale in 2020 of the Chinese Yongle Dadian encyclopedia albums achieved €8.1M, recording the highest auction bid in France that year across all specialties. In April 2023, the sale of the Robert and Isabelle de Strycker collections reached €1.8M (including €1.25M for the Japanese prints collection).
In High Jewelry, the auction house recently achieved remarkable bids, including the sale of a 20.45 ct diamond for €781,200 and a €1.3M result for a rare Burmese ruby.
The firm also stood out in March 2025 during the sale of a Parisian connoisseur's collection (€1M), notably thanks to rare pieces of silverware from the former Puiforcat collection (€760,000), including a baluster sugar caster by Jean Grégoire (€112,640) and a silver bed warmer dated 1660 (€92,160).
Several times a year, the firm organizes specialized sales for Numismatics and Phaleristics (History & Chivalry)—two specialties that have become rare in the public auction market yet enjoy significant success among collectors. In April 2024, the Michel Gontier collection sale—featuring an ensemble of decorations from the Empire of Annam and insignia from the Imperial Family—reached €1.9M with 99% of lots sold. In June 2025, the dispersion of the Paul Narce collection—the extraordinary saga of a hidden treasure of gold coins—reached a record €3.3M with 100% of lots sold.
Historically close to the world of horse racing and equestrian culture, the house handled the sale of the Longchamp Racecourse furniture and the estate of Madame Sylvia Wildenstein in March 2021.
Since 2022, the auction house has expanded along a Paris/Normandy axis with its second office in the historic center of Caen. Located in the former Hôtel Paisant, an 18th-century private mansion at 11 Place de la République (formerly Place Royale), it complements the Parisian office situated at 32 Rue Drouot, just steps away from the famous auction house.
BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés confirms its position as a key player in the furniture and art auction market, climbing from 14th to 12th place in the annual national "Art & Collectibles" ranking by the Council of Auction Houses in 2025.
Backed by world records and specialized sales across numerous fields, we are at your entire disposal to best defend your interests and assist you with the valuation and sale of your collections.
Asian Arts and Jewelry are among the firm's flagship specialties.
In this regard, we can mention the sale of the Portier collection of Japanese prints in association with Christie’s, during which the auction house set—and still holds—the world record for a Japanese print (€745,800), or the sale of three imperial seals in 2009, 2014, and 2022. Additionally, the rediscovery and sale in 2020 of the Chinese Yongle Dadian encyclopedia albums achieved €8.1M, recording the highest auction bid in France that year across all specialties. In April 2023, the sale of the Robert and Isabelle de Strycker collections reached €1.8M (including €1.25M for the Japanese prints collection).
In High Jewelry, the auction house recently achieved remarkable bids, including the sale of a 20.45 ct diamond for €781,200 and a €1.3M result for a rare Burmese ruby.
The firm also stood out in March 2025 during the sale of a Parisian connoisseur's collection (€1M), notably thanks to rare pieces of silverware from the former Puiforcat collection (€760,000), including a baluster sugar caster by Jean Grégoire (€112,640) and a silver bed warmer dated 1660 (€92,160).
Several times a year, the firm organizes specialized sales for Numismatics and Phaleristics (History & Chivalry)—two specialties that have become rare in the public auction market yet enjoy significant success among collectors. In April 2024, the Michel Gontier collection sale—featuring an ensemble of decorations from the Empire of Annam and insignia from the Imperial Family—reached €1.9M with 99% of lots sold. In June 2025, the dispersion of the Paul Narce collection—the extraordinary saga of a hidden treasure of gold coins—reached a record €3.3M with 100% of lots sold.
Historically close to the world of horse racing and equestrian culture, the house handled the sale of the Longchamp Racecourse furniture and the estate of Madame Sylvia Wildenstein in March 2021.
Since 2022, the auction house has expanded along a Paris/Normandy axis with its second office in the historic center of Caen. Located in the former Hôtel Paisant, an 18th-century private mansion at 11 Place de la République (formerly Place Royale), it complements the Parisian office situated at 32 Rue Drouot, just steps away from the famous auction house.
BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés confirms its position as a key player in the furniture and art auction market, climbing from 14th to 12th place in the annual national "Art & Collectibles" ranking by the Council of Auction Houses in 2025.
Backed by world records and specialized sales across numerous fields, we are at your entire disposal to best defend your interests and assist you with the valuation and sale of your collections.
Auctioneers - Partners
Five partner auctioneers united to meet your requests for inventories and valuations in the best possible conditions, whether for the entire contents of a property or an apartment, a collection, or single items.
Assisted by Perrine MINOT, a team of staff members, and a network of around thirty experts in each specialty.
pylefevre@beaussantlefevre.com
Trained at ADER PICARD TAJAN, an auction house that dominated the French art market between 1970 and 1990, Pierre-Yves LEFÈVRE co-founded the firm in 1990 and has contributed to its renown for 30 years alongside Éric BEAUSSANT. He has orchestrated numerous historic sales, such as the sale of Impressionist paintings from the Rouart Collection including works by Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Degas, and Renoir, the famous collection sale of Her Imperial Highness Princess Soraya of Iran, and the sale of furniture and works of art from the collections of Anne-Aymone and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. A key figure in the equestrian world due to his Norman roots, he is also a race steward at France Galop.
Read the profile of Pierre-Yves LEFÈVRE by Jour de Galop magazine
ademoras@beaussantlefevre.com
A graduate of the École du Louvre holding a Master's degree in business law from the Sorbonne, supplemented by business training at ESSEC, Arthur de MORAS began his career managing a contemporary art collection in the Middle East before gaining experience within international auction houses in New York and Paris in the Impressionist, Modern, and Contemporary Art departments. In 2016, he joined the Actéon group as a general auctioneer before becoming a partner at BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés. Experienced in selling major collections (Crichton Collection including Jasper Johns' Flag for $28.6M, Ulmann, Furniture from Maison G…), he applies his generalist auctioneer experience to meet your inventory and valuation requests in Paris or Normandy, his home region.
vheraud@beaussantlefevre.com
Holding a Master's degree in business law and a Bachelor's degree in Art History from the Sorbonne, Vincent HERAUD began his career in the Inventories and Collections department of a major French auction house after two years at an international auction house in Paris. His involvement in the success of major collection sales (Altounian Collection including a set of Modigliani drawings sold for €1.4M, Jacques Bacri, Post Close de Bekessy, Kenzō Takada…) makes him a primary point of contact for organizing house sales and collection sales at BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés, where he is now a partner auctioneer. Originally from Lyon with roots in Gers and Cantal, he regularly travels to the French provinces for inventories and valuations.
tlavignon@beaussantlefevre.com
Holding a Master's degree in business law from the Sorbonne and trained at the École du Louvre, Théo LAVIGNON joined BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés as a partner auctioneer after five years of experience at a major Parisian firm where he complemented his general training with a specialization in Asian art. Contributing to Paris's renown in this specialty, he played a key role in the success of exceptional collection sales, achieving notable bids in 2020 for an imperial Chinese vase from the Qianlong era sold for €4.4M. As a general auctioneer, he is also responsible for Asian art sales at BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés, a firm renowned in this field having recorded France's highest bid of 2020 for two rare Chinese albums (€8.1M) and holding the world record for a Japanese print (€745,800).
cbeaussant@beaussantlefevre.com
Holding a Master's degree in Art Market Law and Cultural Heritage from Panthéon Assas University, Charles BEAUSSANT joined BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés as an auctioneer. In recent years, he has been notably involved in the sales of Ponce Jacquio's "Spinario" acquired by the Louvre Museum (€1.4M), manuscripts from the Yongle Dadian (€8.1M), and the dispersal of the James F. Bismuth and Louis Libaude collections.
Assisted by Perrine MINOT, a team of staff members, and a network of around thirty experts in each specialty.
Éric BEAUSSANT
Partner / Founder - Auctioneer - Judicial Commissioner
ebeaussant@beaussantlefevre.com
A key auctioneer in the Parisian art market, Éric BEAUSSANT co-founded the firm in 1990 with Pierre-Yves LEFÈVRE. His attentiveness and recognized expertise in organizing major international sales (Furniture from the Castles of Duino and Digoine, Portier, Démogé, Libaude, and Bismuth Collections…) enable him to best assist families and collectors in managing their personal property at every key moment of their lives. Through the strong ties he has always maintained with the Vendée region, Éric BEAUSSANT regularly works there to perform inventories and valuations.
He is a member of the Company of Judicial Auctioneers of Paris.
Read the profile of Éric BEAUSSANT published in Barnebys Magazine
Pierre-Yves LEFÈVRE
Founder - Auctioneerpylefevre@beaussantlefevre.com
Trained at ADER PICARD TAJAN, an auction house that dominated the French art market between 1970 and 1990, Pierre-Yves LEFÈVRE co-founded the firm in 1990 and has contributed to its renown for 30 years alongside Éric BEAUSSANT. He has orchestrated numerous historic sales, such as the sale of Impressionist paintings from the Rouart Collection including works by Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Degas, and Renoir, the famous collection sale of Her Imperial Highness Princess Soraya of Iran, and the sale of furniture and works of art from the collections of Anne-Aymone and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. A key figure in the equestrian world due to his Norman roots, he is also a race steward at France Galop.
Read the profile of Pierre-Yves LEFÈVRE by Jour de Galop magazine
Arthur de MORAS
Partner - Auctioneer - Judicial Commissionerademoras@beaussantlefevre.com
A graduate of the École du Louvre holding a Master's degree in business law from the Sorbonne, supplemented by business training at ESSEC, Arthur de MORAS began his career managing a contemporary art collection in the Middle East before gaining experience within international auction houses in New York and Paris in the Impressionist, Modern, and Contemporary Art departments. In 2016, he joined the Actéon group as a general auctioneer before becoming a partner at BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés. Experienced in selling major collections (Crichton Collection including Jasper Johns' Flag for $28.6M, Ulmann, Furniture from Maison G…), he applies his generalist auctioneer experience to meet your inventory and valuation requests in Paris or Normandy, his home region.
Vincent HERAUD
Partner - Auctioneer - Judicial Commissionervheraud@beaussantlefevre.com
Holding a Master's degree in business law and a Bachelor's degree in Art History from the Sorbonne, Vincent HERAUD began his career in the Inventories and Collections department of a major French auction house after two years at an international auction house in Paris. His involvement in the success of major collection sales (Altounian Collection including a set of Modigliani drawings sold for €1.4M, Jacques Bacri, Post Close de Bekessy, Kenzō Takada…) makes him a primary point of contact for organizing house sales and collection sales at BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés, where he is now a partner auctioneer. Originally from Lyon with roots in Gers and Cantal, he regularly travels to the French provinces for inventories and valuations.
Théo LAVIGNON
Partner - Auctioneer - Judicial Commissionertlavignon@beaussantlefevre.com
Holding a Master's degree in business law from the Sorbonne and trained at the École du Louvre, Théo LAVIGNON joined BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés as a partner auctioneer after five years of experience at a major Parisian firm where he complemented his general training with a specialization in Asian art. Contributing to Paris's renown in this specialty, he played a key role in the success of exceptional collection sales, achieving notable bids in 2020 for an imperial Chinese vase from the Qianlong era sold for €4.4M. As a general auctioneer, he is also responsible for Asian art sales at BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés, a firm renowned in this field having recorded France's highest bid of 2020 for two rare Chinese albums (€8.1M) and holding the world record for a Japanese print (€745,800).
Charles BEAUSSANT
Auctioneercbeaussant@beaussantlefevre.com
Holding a Master's degree in Art Market Law and Cultural Heritage from Panthéon Assas University, Charles BEAUSSANT joined BEAUSSANT LEFÈVRE & Associés as an auctioneer. In recent years, he has been notably involved in the sales of Ponce Jacquio's "Spinario" acquired by the Louvre Museum (€1.4M), manuscripts from the Yongle Dadian (€8.1M), and the dispersal of the James F. Bismuth and Louis Libaude collections.