Julio le Parc still paints at 96, and lives in Cachan near Paris

Julio le Parc was the unexpected moment of happiness of this week’s drawings activity, at Maison de l’Amérique Latine. The Argentinian kinetic artist, born in 1928, lives in Cachan and shows hundreds of drawings in the boulevard  Saint Germain elegant center where Latin Americans like to congregate. Sheila Hicks, the extraordinary wool artist and sculptor Bernar Venet arrived early to congratulate him and his pretty Japanese companion. One of his sons Yamil Le Parc, a dancer and a singer, was welcoming everyone while the film of drawings by his father accompanied by Astor Piazzola’s music, was being  screened on the ground floor. Baudoin Janninck who published an artist’s book “Art in writing”, with Le Parc in 2013 was also there. It can be acquired for 950€ with a special art work. Do not miss this show which is free and very enlightening on the artist’s career.

Vincenzo Volpe, 12 male academies cir 1874, on a mural by Roberto Ruspoli at the pop up Galerie Sabrier & Paumet

On rue Sainte Anne, not far from Palais Brongniart where Salon du Dessin took place, I saw the Yasmina Sabrier & Marianne Paunet pop up gallery who were exhibiting 12 male nudes by Vincenzo Volpe, 1855-1929,  made in Naples when he was 18 as well as drawings by Antonio Mancini, Mathieu Elye (or Elias) and “A massacre of the Innocents” by Jean Baptiste Deshays. These two young galerists were already present at FAB Paris, last November. They are part of a group of young dealers who do not yet have a gallery, but are very active and strong art historians.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725 – 1805) study for Sainte Marie l’Egyptienne at Didier Aaron

At Salon du Dessin there were many precious encounters and aisle conversations. The very International public included Belgian, Dutch, German, Italian, American and British dealers and art historians as well as curators from all the great museums in the world. Baptiste Roelly, who curated the drawing show of Claude Le Lorrain at Musée Condé, in Chantilly was happily surprised to see and acquire a drawing by the XVII th century master.  Will it be included in the print exhibition before May 19 th, that is the question?

Claude Gellée, dit le Lorrain, Landscape with a herd of cows going across the ford, 1670, Chantilly, Musée Condé

There was a very pretty Sam Szafran and two Vieira da Silvas at Galerie Antoine Laurentin, a rare Lucien Simon “Wedding dinner of Gaud and Yann” at Galerie Paul Prouté and a few good sceneries from Provence by Jean-Antoine Constantin d’Aix, someone I had never heard of. A very pretty “Sirens” by  Erté at Ary Jan, and “A seated man” by Hélion, teaser for the magnificent exhibition at MAM,  at Galerie de la Présidence. I liked a lot the self portrait by Maurice Eliot on the booth of Katrin Bellinger‘s “The Artist at Work, XVIII th to XX th century French drawings”. This German collector and dealer who lives in London, was invited to show part of her exceptional collection (of 1800 pieces) and everyone kept on asking the price of works….

Maurice Eliot, Self portrait, 1887, Katrin Bellinger collection

The were a few drawings by François Bonvin, the brother of the delightful Léon Bonvin who was resurrected by Ger Luijten at Fondation Custodia in 2022. And very mysterious turn of ht century works by Emile Fabry and Léon Spilliaert at Lancz Gallery.

Katja Lang, “Heimweg”, 2022, Galerie Sagot-Le Garrec, 500 €

I ended the week at Salon de l’Estampe (Print Art Fair) where I discovered an already well known printer, Katja Lang at Galerie Sagot-Le Garrec. Her landscapes in the snow are so poetic that they are completely overwhelming. They sell as an edition of 10, for 500€. At Documents 15, the usual stars, Astrid de la Forest, Erik Desmazières, Charles Elie Delprat and Ariane Fruit were having a huge success and on April 4 th, Gustave de Staël will have a new show of drawings.

Yoon Ji-Eun, “A l’Aube du Jour” (At Dawn), 2024 at Galerie Maria Lund until May 11

At Maria Lund, on rue de Turenne, Yoon Ji-Eun is showing “Unanswered questions”, her wonderful wooden reliefs and drawings. The South Korean artist whom I met at Ecole des Beaux Arts many years ago, offers her works “as a source of comfort and relief”. She has immersed herself in new musical genres and “breathes into her works a renewed poetry and energy”.