Hermès Heir Curates Record-Breaking Auction For Sotheby's

Sotheby's commenced the white-glove auction of the collection of Hubert Guerrand-Hermès, the great-great-grandson of the founder of Hérmes.

Items available at the Hubert Guerrand-Hermès Auction. Photos courtesy of Sotheby's Paris.

On December 13, 2023, Sotheby's Paris commenced an auction of rare, historical items from the Hubert Guerrand-Hermès Collection. During a "white-glove" evening sale, the auction house brought in nearly $25 million, tripling the pre-sale estimates.

The collection, curated by Hubert Guerrand-Hermès, the great-great-grandson of the founder of Paris-based luxury brand Hérmes, contained over 60 pieces, ranging from historical 18th-century pieces to contemporary abstract artworks. The top lot of the evening was Pierre Soulages' "Peinture" (1970), a monochrome contemporary piece, which sold at around $3.3 million. The second lot, and among the most anticipated pieces present at the auction, was a regal, intricately carved and gilded 18th-century Louis XVI chair, an item thought to have been in the boudoir of Queen Marie Antoinette at the Palace of Versailles. The final price of the elegant chair was set at $2.8 million, setting a record for the highest-selling single 18th-century chair in Sotheby's history.

From left: 18th-Century Louis XVI Chair; A Louis XV copper-gilded wooden commode; Pierre Soulages' "Peinture" (1970). Photos courtesy of Sotheby's.

“[December 13th's] sale was a celebration of prestigious provenance, as the undeniable response to Hubert Guerrand-Hermès’ eye for collecting showcased the continued demand for the most elevated world of refinement. This was most notably seen in the flurry of bidding for the exceptional chair, touched by Marie-Antoinette’s renowned taste... The sale also saw fierce bidding for the cutting-edge contemporary artists that Guerrand-Hermès so uniquely paired with his classical arts," said Mario Tavella, President of Sotheby’s France and Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe.

As a lifelong appreciator of art, design, and fashion, Hubert Guerrand-Hermès collected nearly 1,000 works of art, many of which were housed in the Hôtel de Lannion in Paris. Guerrand-Hermès also facilitated the subsequent restoration of many of the items featured in this collection. Aside from the top-selling lots, the collection up for auction also included rare books, sculptural pieces, and paintings—both classical and contemporary.