Market of drawings

In March, Paris will become the focal point of the drawings market. The “Salon du Dessin” will be held, as in previous years, at the Palais de la Bourse. From 16-21 March 2005, thirty galleries (14 French and 16 international) will exhibit a selection of high-quality drawings dating from the 16th-20th century.

Auction houses such as Tajan (16/03/2005), Christie’s Paris (17/03/2005), Piasa (18/03/2005) and Rossini (19/03/2005) use the event to hold thematic auctions. Such events as these and the wealth of its national market place France comfortably in first place for drawings sales. Thus in 2004, 12,500 works on paper changed hands in France, representing 26% of transactions worldwide in this segment. On an international level, the number of works on paper sold has plummeted considerably in recent years: -24.5% between 2000 and 2004. By comparison, the decline in France (-7.5%) over the same period was much less pronounced.

On a global scale, the average bought-in rate of works in this segment in 2004 was 33.7%. However, the rate in France is much higher at 36.7%, and compares with only 31.6% in London and 17.8% in New York. Moreover, the decline in volume sales on this market accompanied a marked fall in prices. Over the past twelve months, the Artprice price index on this segment has fallen 4%, whereas the paintings segment has risen 17.5% over the same period. Finally, in the “unique works” category where prices have risen 41% over a ten-year period, drawings remain the least-rated medium.

In France, 50% of drawings go under the hammer at less than EUR 600 apiece. Overall, the quality of works on paper sold in France remains modest compared with the quality of works on offer at UK and US auction houses. The median price of drawings in London is EUR 1,121 and in New York it is EUR 1,640.