Lot no. 1
Marcel MOULY (1918-2008) The Concert
Val.: €200 - €300
June 24th, 2026 at 4:00 PM
75009 Paris - France
June 24th, 2026 at 4:00 PM
75009 Paris - France
Featured lots by the auctions House.
Terms of sale
A rare collection of over 200 previously unpublished works by Marcel Mouly, from the 1940s-1950s, from a private collection that has been rediscovered. Marcel Mouly, a life of painting and printmaking. Almost twenty years after his death, it is clear that the work of Marcel Mouly still occupies an honourable place in the history of painting in the second half of the twentieth century, and that many collectors are still interested in it. Born in 1918 and dying in 2008, he once embodied a perfect synthesis between a classical tradition and a liberation of form. This self-taught, tireless worker displayed a curiosity about the world that is evident in his work and has never wavered. Of modest origins, he worked in all sorts of trades before the war, while attending evening classes at the Atelier des Beaux-Arts in Montparnasse, before doing his military service from 1938 to 1940 and having a few adventures during the war. Drawing in the port of Le Havre in 1942, he was arrested by the Gestapo on suspicion of being a spy. One day he told me about his imprisonment, during which he made a chess set from breadcrumbs, an anecdote not unlike Stefan Sweig's famous novel. This game can be found in many of his paintings, and he played chess until his death with his friend, the doctor and neighbour across the street, who would cross the street between two patients to continue the game in progress, not without the indispensable sip of whisky, which inspired subtle strategies. A few months after the Liberation, he moved into La Ruche on rue de Danzig, where he rubbed shoulders with Picasso and Brâncusi, among others. His career really took off in 1947 at the Salon de Mai, where his works were exhibited alongside those of Picasso, Manessier, Matisse, Pignon, Estève and Bazaine, among others. He enjoyed constant success until his death, exhibiting all over the world and drawing inspiration from his travels, notably to India, Greece, Italy and Morocco. This sale, from a private collection, offers a very special selection in that it takes us to the sources of his work, including a major series of drawings and oils on paper produced after the war. These works highlight his encounters and artistic cousinships with artists such as Edouard Pignon, who was his friend and with whom he shared a studio for a time. The selection presented here is of a historic nature, as it includes works that foreshadowed what was to become the work of this prolific artist, who remains one of the leading names in figurative painting in the second half of the twentieth century. As an art printer for over forty years, I had the privilege of working with Marcel Mouly, whom I helped to produce his lithographs for almost three decades. His death at almost ninety deprived me of a precious friend. It is therefore very moving for me to see some of his early works reunited and offered to collectors, and to note that prestigious auction houses are still showing a particular interest in this great artist. Stéphane Guilbaud, Comité Mouly
See original version (French)
Sale commission: 28.49 % incl. taxes for voluntary sales
Nature of the sale Voluntary sale
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
Contact:
SERIEN Adrien
Operator:
SVV MILLON & ASSOCIES
Sale commission: 28.49 % incl. taxes for voluntary sales
Internet fees: 1.5% excluding VAT of the hammer price for judicial sales, 1.5% excluding VAT for voluntary sales or €60 excluding VAT per vehicle. No additional fees will be applied on charity auction lots.
Adjudication: As the Live auction report is not binding, the winning bids are confirmed after the sale by the auctioneer.
Terms of sale: Download the auctioneer's conditions of sale
Legal notice for voluntary sales: SVV MILLON & ASSOCIES Declaration date or accreditation number: 2002-379 Intra-Community VAT: FR50442936092
Exposures:
