This was a rare object, the property of prestigious owners, and the centerpiece of iconic imagery relating to a master of photography. Buyers for this kind of work were outside the historical norms of the profi le for African art collectors. The market was clearly broadening its horizons, and major philanthropists, art collectors crossing over from painting, and new museums building their collections were beginning to participate in it. The Goldet sale of 2001 was another auction that made a lasting impression. It had all of the elements mentioned above. The collection was made up of high-quality objects with provenances and histories, and Goldet was both an affable individual and an exceptional collector. What was perhaps most remarkable about this sale was the marketing effort that auctioneer François de Ricqlès launched to publicize it. The beautifully produced catalog for it was the fi rst of its kind, and the sumptuous exhibition of the material at the Maison de la Chimie was an innovation as well. Extensive media coverage attracted collectors of all levels from everywhere in the world, and a new class of upper-middle-class buyers, seduced by articles and advertising in magazines and periodicals, emerged. Leading industrialists were seen looking at African art for the fi rst time! René Rasmussen’s famous Ambete reliquary, collected by artist Aristide Courtois in the French Congo in the 1920s, made 14 million francs here and was acquired by Monique Barbier-Mueller, Joseph Mueller’s daughter. History was repeating itself—as her father had many years prior to this bought several objects that Courtois had collected through Charles Ratton. Five years later, as the Musée du Quai Branly was opening, the Vérité sale was held. The French franc had just been replaced by the euro, and prices adjusted accordingly. The three sessions included 514 lots and together they generated 44 million euros. This was unprecedented. Both the lesser and the major lots brought astonishing prices. Here again, many pieces had historical provenances, with names such as Carl Einstein, Paul Guillaume, and Aristide Courtois among them. Begun around 1930 by Pierre and Suzanne Vérité and then added to by their son and daughterin law Claude and Janine, the story behind this collection excited everyone. The objects in it hadn’t been shown since the 1950s, although many were published, for example, in works by Elisofon or Laude.* Almost no one knew what had become of them. The few who did know this treasure was sleeping in the Vérité household not far from Paris were discreet and avoided the media. Entirely unlike fl amboyant dealers like Charles Ratton, who was a very public fi gure with international infl uence and with whom they were often in competition, the Vérités preferred the protective shadows of their middle-class suburb, where they could take pleasure in their collection privately and as a family. Pierre Vérité was initially a painter and an artist like Brummer, Bondy, and Ascher, but he quickly abandoned his brushes and his studio at La Ruche. African sculptors had such incredible talent, and it just made more sense to devote himself to them. His 52 Galerie Carrefour came into being soon thereafter and became a magnet for Africanists while at the same time providing him a means to make his living and, even more importantly, put together an exceptional collection. Vérité and his son were not run-of-the-mill dealers. They collected in the fi eld in Africa, photographed objects in situ, attended auctions in France and throughout Europe, and looked tirelessly and everywhere for opportunities to make acquisitions. They were also a ubiquitous presence and usually fi rst in line when, in the post-war years, African dealers began arriving in Paris with containers full of Dogon, Bambara, Baule, and Baga objects, among others. Swiss collector Joseph Mueller had fi rst choice of the objects they found. So the fruits of nearly a hundred years of patience and discretion went on the auction block and fi nally found the limelight. While the marketing efforts made on behalf of the Goldet Collection had been innovative, those made for the Vérité sale were even more lavish. The sale took place at Drouot, the temple of French auction houses, which was transformed into a spectacular venue for the occasion. It all went off as planned. Everyone was there, and throngs of people pushed and shoved for the chance to admire the “African Mona Lisa,” an absurd comparison, of course but one that nonetheless struck a chord with many. Ordinary people, hipsters, collectors great and small—they were all there, and each hoped for a chance. There were so many lots, after all, that many hoped to have the opportunity to “slip in” somewhere. They were mistaken. Everything fetched top dollar. Museums were quietly present at the sale and bidding in very high price ranges, which was something new, although the ngil mask got away from them. It did stay in France, though, and found a new home in a beautiful art deco household in Neuilly. Perhaps RIGHT: Image of lot 193 of the Vérité sale. This Fang ngil mask from Gabon sold for a record 5.8 million euros during the session on Saturday, June 17, 2006. © Boris Veignant. ART in motion
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