PIASA is particularly honored to announce the sale of the Paul & Jacqueline Canfrère Collection, which will take place on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Comprising 70 lots, this French private collection—estimated at 1.1 to 1.6 million—offers a vibrant and unique journey through the major artistic movements of the second half of the 20th century.
This auction will mark a significant milestone for our auction house, as it will be the first sale of Modern and Contemporary Art in our brand-new Parisian venue, located at 54 rue de Monceau, thus opening a new chapter in our history in the heart of a neighborhood that is emblematic of Parisian artistic and cultural life.
"Paul and Jacqueline Canfrère, whose collection we are proud to present at Piasa, instantly evoke for me the eclectic perspective of a collector couple on postwar art fifty years ago, and through their bold choices, they immerse us in an artistic landscape in the midst of reconstruction. Here, we see a dialogue between the silence of Degottex, the cries of Maryan and Dado, which coexist with the geometric rigor of Van Velde or Lanskoy, culminating in the ironic and graphic intelligence of Hervé Télémaque.”
Florence Latieule
Director – Modern & Contemporary Art Department
A Passionate Journey: The Perspective of a Self-Taught Aesthete
Far removed from speculation and fleeting trends, this collection is the result of a deeply human and passionate journey. Paul Canfrère, a “country veterinarian,” devoted his life and his free time to art. Beginning in the 1970s, in constant consultation with his wife Jacqueline, he began to build a collection of rare coherence, guided solely by the joy of collecting.
As a privileged witness to the creative scene of his time, Paul Canfrère spent his free time exploring Paris’s leading galleries—such as Louis Carré & Cie, Ariel, Jean Fournier, and Claude Bernard—and engaging with prominent art dealers like Mathias Fels. From these explorations emerged a collection that serves as a mirror, reflecting shared passions and unwavering support for the artists of his time.
A masterful overview of the postwar avant-garde
The collection offered for sale stands out for its representation of the major artistic upheavals on the French scene, subtly oscillating between the rigor of abstraction, the subversion of Art Brut, and the energy of Narrative Figuration.
Highlights of the auction include:
- A major section dedicated to Dado: The Montenegrin artist’s organic and fantastical universe is one of the cornerstones of the collection.
- Geer van Velde in the spotlight: The auction features a remarkable set of five paintings from the 1970s and 1980s. Paul Canfrère was very close to the painter and his wife, lending these works a special provenance and emotional resonance.
- Expressionism and Abstraction: Masterful works by Simon Hantaï, André Lanskoy, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Joseph Sima, and Jean Degottex punctuate the auction.
From Narrative Figuration to Free Figuration, the figurative art scene is represented by its most illustrious ambassadors: Valerio Adami, Erró, Hervé Télémaque, and Maryan, complemented by the raw energy of Robert Combas, as well as graphic and pictorial works by Sam Szafran and Unica Zürn.
A Celebration of “Culture”
This collection is more than just a catalog of rare works of art; it embodies the spirit of a couple who shared an intimate, everyday aesthetic quest. Today, it offers collectors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in an era of total formal freedom, where each piece bears witness to an authentic encounter between a visionary collector and the medium.
Press :
Romain Monteaux-Sarmiento | Directeur de la Communication
[email protected]
06 33 308 308
