Preview at the Auction House Drouot
1862, printed 1920
Medium
Wood engraving on cream Japanese paper
Dimensions
Image: 22.3 × 15.8 cm (8 13/16 × 6 1/4 in.); Sheet: 45.3 × 31.7 cm (17 7/8 × 12 1/2 in.)
Classification
wood engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
30456
Art Historical Context
Charles Maurand’s “Preview at the Auction House Drouot” offers a lively glimpse into the vibrant Parisian art market of the mid-nineteenth century. Created in 1862 and later printed in 1920, the wood engraving captures the anticipation and social ritual surrounding the examination of artworks before a public sale at Hôtel Drouot, Paris’s renowned auction house. The scene reflects the growing accessibility of art collecting during this period, when dealers, critics, and enthusiasts gathered to evaluate pieces destined for private collections or museums. As a wood engraving printed on delicate ...