Dedicated drawings auctions are always held at Drouot to coincide with the Salons. However, this quarter of Paris, just a stone’s throw from the Place de la Bourse where the Salon du Dessin is staged, has always been a busy area for galleries and auctioneers’ offices as well as the main Drouot centre building.
So, to capitalise on the drawing afficionados in town, auctioneers and dealers unite under the banner of Dessin Au Quartier Art Drouot (Drawing in the Drouot Quarter) to put on a bit of a show. It is an opportunity to root around the little galleries in the streets, courtyards and famous passages or quaint covered arcades that pepper this area on a parcours or trail and take in auction viewings and exhibitions at the same time.
Sixteen seems to be the key statistic for this event. This will be QAD’s 16th edition and features 16 galleries (plus auction firms). The event opens on March 16, just before the start of the main drawings fairs, with a late-night opening in the middle of precedings on March 23, and runs until March 31.