Lot 720. A pair of aubergine-glazed dishes, marks and period of Guangxu (1875-1908); 18.3 cm, 7 1/4  in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 56,250 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

each with a tapered foot and a slightly flared rim, covered overall with a pale aubergine glaze, the base with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue 

Lot 706. An incised yellow-glazed 'Dragon' dish, Seal mark and period of Daoguang (1821-1850); 13.9 cm, 5 1/2  in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 50,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

finely incised to the interior with a pair of dragons contesting a 'flaming pearl', the exterior with cranes amidst clouds, covered overall with a translucent egg-yellow glaze, the base with a six-character seal mark in black enamel

Lot 721. A red-glazed dish, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 20.5 cm, 8 1/8  in. Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 HKD. Lot sold 50,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

with the shallow rounded sides rising from a tapered foot, covered overall with a deep red glaze, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Lot 707. A pair of small yellow-glazed dishes, Marks and period of Guangxu (1875-1908); 10.8 cm, 4 1/4  in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 25,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

each covered overall save for the foot ring with a translucent yolk-yellow glaze, the base with a six-character reign mark in aubergine enamel 

A Monumental Stag, Bronze, Russia, 8th century B.C., H: 47 cm W: 21 cm. David Aaron, Stand B 22 © 2017 MASTERPIECE LONDON LTD

Openwork Lion Incense Burner, Bronze, Seljuk, Iran, 12th - 13th century A.D., H: 36 cm W: 37 cm. David Aaron, Stand B 22 © 2017 MASTERPIECE LONDON LTD

David Aaron. 22 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EH, United Kingdom - E-mail info@davidaaron.com - Website http://www.davidaaron.com

Theodoor Rombouts (Antwerp 1597–1637 Antwerp), Card Players in an Interior. Oil on canvas (Signed lower right: T. ROMBOVTS), 147 x 186 cm. © 2017 London Art Week

Provenance: Baron Corneille Osy de Zegwart (1757–1831); and by descent to Jean Osy de Zegwart (1792– 1866). And by descent to Baron Edouard Osy de Zegwart (1832–1900), governor of Antwerp. And by descent to Baroness Osy de Zegwart and by descent in her family until 2014.

Note: Theodoor Rombouts was the primary exponent of Flemish Caravaggism, a brief but important artistic phenomenon that peaked in the 1620s. Born in Antwerp in 1597, the history and genre painter is best known for his large-scale secular works depicting merry companies, music scenes and card-playing characters in compact compositions. His half-length figures, firmly modelled and always lively, wear theatrical costumes and are set in chiaroscuro lighting typical of the Flemish Caravaggisti, also known as the Antwerp Tenebrosi. The artist began as a pupil of François van Lanckvelt in 1608 and then studied under Abraham Janssens (c.1575–1632), whose influence is evident throughout his career. Sometime after drafting his last will and testament in 1616 Rombouts left for Rome where he quickly embraced the style of Caravaggio (1571–1610) and Bartolomeo Manfredi (1582–1622). There is little known about his time in Italy but the documentation that does exist places the artist in the Roman parish of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte in 1620, which means that Dirck van Baburen (c.1592/93–1624), David de Haen (1585–1622) and Manfredi were living nearby. Enticed by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Rombouts also probably worked in Florence. Rombouts returned to his native city in 1625; he became a master in the painters' guild and a dean of the guild from 1629 to 1630. In 1627 he married Anna van Thielen, the sister of one of his pupils, flower painter Jan Philip van Thielen (1618–1667). The couple welcomed the birth of their daughter, Anna Maria, the following year. The successful artist painted mostly for private clients and for the open market but he also executed some altarpieces, with most commissions coming from Ghent. Though best known for his work in the Caravaggesque idiom, Rombouts's artistic development after returning to Antwerp followed popular taste. As the fashionable interest in Caravaggism began to wane after 1630, the savvy artist moved in the direction of Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) and Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), towards greater refinement in his palette and surfaces. According to Leonard J. Slatkes, Rombouts's works were always only superficially Caravaggesque and were more profoundly shaped by the influences of his many Flemish baroque contemporaries.1 Little is known of his Antwerp workshop but his pupils included Nicolaas van Eyck (1617–1679), Jan Philip van Thielen and Paulus Robyns. Near the end of his life he attempted to replicate a house and studio in imitation of Rubens. The costly endeavour apparently incurred heavy debts, which he never had the opportunity to resolve due to his untimely death in 1637. The present work, Card Players in an Interior, belongs among the finest and most representative works of Rombouts's Caravaggesque genre scenes. Recalling Manfredi's merry company pictures, there is a marked sense of monumentality to the five figures that are arranged around a carpeted table, engaged in a game of cards. The individuals are realistic and expressive; the scene appears convincingly spontaneous and natural. Rombouts introduces repoussoir figures that confront the viewer and direct attention to the central bearded figure who stares down at his hand of cards, presumably a self-portrait. Rombouts also included a portrait of his wife, Anna, in the hatted figure seated beside him. The inclusion of self-portraits and portraits of family members was not unusual in Dutch and Flemish genre painting, despite the potentially negative associations of moralising subjects. Card playing was perceived as a time-waster at best and, at worst, was associated with any number of disreputable behaviours. Though no alcohol is depicted, coins are strewn about the table: a reference to the ‘unwholesome' activity of gambling. Portraits of Rombouts, his wife and even his young daughter can be seen in another of his works, The Backgammon Players, at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh (fig. 1), in which the lavishly dressed soldier bears the artist's likeness. This comparison not only confirms the identities of the Theodoor and Anna in our picture but also helps to date it. The Backgammon Players, painted in 1634, demonstrates Rombouts's move away from Caravaggism towards the prevailing baroque style as it evolved in Antwerp. Unlike our picture, the Raleigh composition is set in a deeper space with vaguely classicising figures. The palette is brighter, the lighting more diffuse and the costumes more sophisticated. The luxurious shimmering fabrics speak of the direct influence of Rubens and Van Dyck. Our Card Players was certainly produced earlier when Rombouts was still painting under the influence of Roman Caravaggism, adeptly applying chiaroscuro and local colour to his rustically expressive scenes.

Matthias Stomer (c.1600–after 1652), The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, circa 1630-5. Oil on canvas, 44 x 62 in. (111.8 x 157.5 cm.) © 2017 London Art Week

Thos. Agnew & Sons was established in 1817 and has since held a preeminent position in the world of Old Master paintings. One of London's leading art dealerships, the new Agnews, celebrating its 200th year under a new and dynamic ownership, are active participants in all areas of the market, from the 15th to the 20th century. Our selection appeals to a cross-section of buyers, with a broad range of genres, subjects, price ranges, and periods. We work with established collectors and curators to refine existing collections, while simultaneously introducing a new audience to the pleasures and satisfaction of collecting.

Contact information: Anthony Crichton-Stuart and Anna Cunningham, anna.cunningham@agnewsgallery.com - +44 (0)207 491 9219 - www.agnewsgallery.com

Address of Exhibition: 6 St.James's Place, London, SW1A 1NP

London Art Week, 30 June – 7 July 2017

A lacquer and gilt-wood figure of Amida Nyorai seated in jō-in (meditation mudra), Japan, 12th-13th century, Kamakura Period. Dimensions: Figure: H. 10¼" (25.50 cm). Gregg Baker Asian Art, Stand D23 © 2017 MASTERPIECE LONDON LTD

Gregg Baker Asian Art, 142 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 4BN , United Kingdom. T  0044 20 7221 3533
info@japanesescreens.com - www.japanesescreens.com - E-mail info@japanesescreens.com

Website http://www.japanesescreens.com

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Lot 21. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), Ehrenbreitstein, Or The Bright Stone Of Honour And The Tomb Of Marceau, From Byron’s Childe Harold, oil on canvas, 93 x 123 cm.; 36 1/4  x 48 1/2  in. Estimate 15,000,000 — 25,000,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

LONDON.- One of the greatest works by J.M.W. Turner still in private hands will go on view to the pubic tomorrow (Saturday 1st July), prior to being offered at auction on the evening of Wednesday 5th July. Painted in 1835, Ehrenbreitstein is a late work, dating from a period that is widely considered Turner’s best: other works from this time now hang in the world’s greatest museums, with only a minute number of this importance and quality remaining in private ownership. Estimated at £15-25 million(US$18.7-31.2m / €17.3 – 28.9m), the painting will be offered alongside an unusually large group of ten works on paper by the artist (among them an early watercolour of Ehrenbreitstein), making for one of the largest – and certainly the most valuable, offerings of his work to come to the market at any one time. 

Ehrenbreitstein 
The subject of enormous critical acclaim when it was first exhibited in 1835, the painting depicts the ruined fortress of Ehrenbreitstein near Coblenz – a place of special significance for Turner. Though he made many drawings and watercolours of German views, this is the most important oil painting of a German subject that Turner ever painted. 

Often referred to as the ‘painter of light’, Turner is widely regarded as Britain’s foremost artist, whose unprecedented style not only had a profound and lasting impact on British art, but was also a vital precursor to both the Impressionist and the much later Abstract Expressionist movements. 

In fact, earlier this year, Turner was confirmed as the new face for the British £20 note, having been voted the country’s most important artist from among the 500 or so names suggested by the British public. Other nominees included Charlie Chaplin, Beatrix Potter and John Constable. 

Major works of such astounding quality by Turner are rare on the market. The last example to be offered (Rome, from Mount Aventine, painted in the same year as Ehrenbreitstein and offered at Sotheby’s in 2014) made a record £30.3 million/ $47.6 million – the highest price ever achieved for any British-born artist at auction, and placing Turner alongside Rubens and Raphael as one of just three artists from the preImpressionist era to have achieved prices at this level. 

Ehrenbreitstein was originally painted for the illustrious publisher John Pye as the basis for a large single plate engraving – one of the important series of large prints by which the artist established this contemporary celebrity. Pye had anticipated the artist would produce a watercolour, but Turner was so engaged with the beauty and symbolic resonance of the place that he felt he could only do justice to its scale and grandeur in oil. What he delivered to Pye – much to the latter’s frustration - was this magnificent 93cm x 123cm full Royal Academy exhibition oil painting. Translating a painting of this size and complexity was was not an easy task, taking some eleven years to complete, with a number of terse exchanges between the artist and the publisher along the way.  

The painting was subsequently acquired by the man who would become one of Turner’s greatest patrons, Elhanan Bicknell. On his death in 1863, Bicknell’s vast collection, including this painting, was dispersed at auction, generating huge excitement and achieving sensational prices. Since then the work has appeared only twice on the market, most recently in 1965, when it achieved a price of £88,000, setting a new world record for a work by the artist.

Employees of Sotheby's auction house pose with Ehrenbreitstein by British painter J.M.W Turner during a photocall to promote the forthcoming sale at Sotheby's auction house on June 30, 2017. NIKLAS HALLE'N / AFP

Employees of Sotheby's auction house pose with Ehrenbreitstein (C) by British painter J.M.W Turner and smaller works during a photocall to promote the forthcoming sale at Sotheby's auction house on June 30, 2017. NIKLAS HALLE'N / AFP.

Ten watercolours by the artist

Lot 174. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), The West Entrance Of Peterborough Cathedral. Watercolour over pencil; signed lower right: JW Turner 1795, 312 by 228 mm. Estimate: £10,000-15,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Executed when Turner was twenty years old, this exquisite watercolour depicts the Cathedral at Peterborough, following the artist’s tour of the Midlands and North Wales in 1794. 

Lot 175. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), Kilchern Castle, With The Cruchan Ben Mountains, Scotland – Noon. Watercolour over pencil, heightened with stopping out and scratching out, 625 by 957 mm. Estimate: £150,000-250,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Turner exhibited this monumental work at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1802 when he was twenty-seven years old. Turner’s wonderful handling of light and atmosphere makes this work both mesmerising and ahead of its time, encapsulating Turner’s technical brilliance and supreme ambition. In 1813, the work was purchased from the artist by Sir William Forbes, in whose family it has remained to this day, largely hidden from public view.

Lot 176. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), All Saints Church, Isleworth. Watercolour over pencil; inscribed verso, in a later hand: This belonged to the late Philip H [ardwick], 274 by 385 mm. Dated 1789. Estimate: £10,000-15,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Executed when Turner was just 14, this work was commissioned by British architect Thomas Hardwick to capture the village of Isleworth, which lies on the River Thames in present day West London. Both this work and the following lot (177) have not appeared in public since their sale in 1920 and exemplify Turner’s extraordinary talent at a very young age. 

Lot 177. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), St Mary's Church, Wanstead. Watercolour over pencil; inscribed verso, in a later hand: This belonged to the late Philip Hardwick. Oval; 299 by 422 mm. Estimate: £10,000-15,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Capturing St Mary’s Church in Wanstead, London in 1789, this watercolour was also painted by Turner for his tutor, Thomas Hardwick. Hardwick was commissioned to build a new church in 1787, to replace the medieval structure shown here.

Lot 180. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), Lake Como, Looking South, Possibly From The Foot Of The Cliffs At Ca' Bianca, Italy. Grey wash over pencil, 236 by 365 mm. Estimate: £12,000-18,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Lot 181. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), Lake Como, Looking North To The Village Of Bellagio, Italy. Grey wash over pencil, 237 by 336 mm. Estimate: £12,000-18,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

The watercolours shown side by side below capture two views of Lake Como in Italy. The works date to the mid-1790s and are believed to have been painted at Dr Thomas Monro’s ‘Academy’ in London, which played a crucial role in Turner’s development.

Lot 182. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), View From Ehrenbreitstein, Germany. Watercolour and bodycolour over pencil, heightened with scratching out, 200 by 317 mm. Estimate: £150,000-250,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

In this superbly preserved watercolour, Turner has positioned himself on the approach to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Germany, one the artist’s most iconic subjects (see above). Unlike in his later oil painting, here Turner uses the ‘lofty hill as a window onto the dramatic landscape below’. The watercolour was executed during Turner’s seminal sketching tour of Europe in 1817.

Lot 184. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire. Watercolour over pencil, heightened with bodycolour, stopping out and scratching out, 288 by 414 mm. Estimate: £200,000-300,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Dating to circa 1827, this work captures Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire on a glorious summer’s morning. Here we see Turner working at the very height of his creative powers, his sense of colour and the refined combination of pinks, yellows, greens and blues anticipating the palette used by the great masters of French Impressionism.

Lot 191. J.M.W Turner, R.A. (London 1775 - 1851), Lichfield Cathedral, Staffordshire. Watercolour over pencil, heightened with bodycolour, stopping out and scratching out, 287 by 436 mm. Estimate: £300,000-500,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

In this large watercolour, which dates to circa 1832, Turner presents the viewer with a rich, dramatic and complex composition. A combination of molten reds, oranges and golds emulate those of an early evening sunset, as threatening blue clouds create the illusion of an approaching storm. Turner juxtaposes the majestic solidity of the medieval cathedral with the ephemeral nature of British weather.

Lot 192. J.M.W Turner, R.A (London 1775 - 1851), Rhodes, Greece. Watercolour over pencil, heightened with pen and red ink and bodycolour, 128 by 200 mm. Estimate: £70,000-90,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Through a combination of light, colour and fine detail, Turner brings the port of Rhodes in Greece to life. This watercolour is one of twenty-six works that Turner drew between 1833 and 1836 for Finden’s Illustrations of the Bible. Upon studying the series, 19th century English art critic, John Ruskin, described the paintings as ‘quite unrivalled examples of his richest executive power on a small scale’.

Lot 712. A famille-rose'Prunus' washer, signed Tian Hexian, Republican period, dated jiashen year, corresponding to 1944; 21.5 cm, 8 1/2  in. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 HKD. Lot sold 400,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

with an inverted rim, painted to the interior with a prunus tree, accompanied by an inscription and followed by a seal, the base with a two-character seal mark 

Lot 722. A pair of famille-rose 'Dragon' vases, Marks and period of Xuantong (1909-1911); 13.4 cm, 5 1/4  in. Estimate 80,000 — 120,000 HKD. Lot sold 312,500  HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

each of yuhuchun form, brightly enamelled around the exterior with a five-clawed dragon in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' amidst clouds, the base with a six-character reign mark in iron-red 

Lot 695. A pair of iron-red and underglaze-blue 'Dragon' bowls, Qing dynasty, Daoguang period (1821-1850), shendetang zhi hall mark; 15.5 cm, 6 1/8  in. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 HKD. Lot sold 200,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

with the straight flared sides rising from a recessed base, painted to the exterior with two dragons in pursuit of 'flaming pearls', the base with a four-character hall mark 

Lot 716. A famille-rose 'Lotus' bowl and cover, Qing dynasty, 19th century, shendetang hall mark; 10.7 cm, 4 1/4  in. Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 HKD. Lot sold 187,500 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

with the straight flared sides rising from a recessed base, painted to the exterior with two dragons in pursuit of 'flaming pearls', the base with a four-character hall mark 

Lot 704. A pair of famille-rose 'Eight Immortals' bowls, seal marks and period of Daoguang (1821-1850); 14.1 cm, 5 1/2  in. Estimate 50,000 — 70,000 HKD. Lot sold 175,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

each decorated with paired attributes of the 'Eight Immortals', between turquoise ruyi below the everted rim and multi-coloured petal panels around the foot, the base inscribed with an iron-red six-character seal mark 

Lot 718. A pair of iron-red 'Bat and Goldfish' dishes, Seal marks and period of Daoguang (1821-1850); 18 cm, 7 1/8  in. Estimate 90,000 — 120,000 HKD. Lot sold 150,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

each decorated to the exterior with nine fishes in various postures against an incised wave ground, the interior with five bats, the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue 

Lot 703. A pair of famille-rose 'Flower and Bat' bowls, Marks and period of Tongzhi (1865-1871); 15.4 cm, 6 in. Estimate 70,000 — 90,000 HKD. Lot sold 137,500 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

each decorated to the exterior with nine fishes in various postures against an incised wave ground, the interior with five bats, the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue 

Lot 705. A ruby-ground famille-rose sgraffiato 'Medallion' bowl, Seal mark and period of Daoguang (1821-1850); 14.8 cm, 5 7/8  in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 75,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

the exterior with four medallions of auspicious objects divided by floral scrolls, the interior painted in underglaze blue with an octagonal rosette encircled by four large lanterns at the cavetto, the base with a six-character seal mark 

Lot 710. A pair of yellow-ground famille-rose 'Eight Buddhist Emblems' bowls, 20th century; 12.8 cm, 5 in. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 HKD. Lot sold 18,750 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. 

each enamelled to the exterior with pairs of bajixiang emblems, divided by leafy lotus blossoms, the base inscribed in iron-red with an apocryphal four-character Daoguang yuzhi mark 

"Christian Dior, couturier du rêve". Affiche

PARIS - Le musée des Arts décoratifs célèbre l’anniversaire marquant les 70 ans de la création de la maison Christian Dior. Cette exposition, riche et dense, invite le visiteur à découvrir l’univers de son fondateur et des couturiers de renom qui lui ont succédé : Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons et tout récemment Maria Grazia Chiuri. Émotions, histoires vécues, affinités, inspirations, créations et filiations relient cette sélection de plus de 300 robes de haute couture conçues de 1947 à nos jours. À leurs côtés, et pour la première fois de manière aussi exhaustive, sont présentés toiles d’atelier et photographies de mode, ainsi que plusieurs centaines de documents (illustrations, croquis, photographies de reportage, lettres et manuscrits, documents publicitaires…), et d’objets de mode (chapeaux, bijoux, sacs, chaussures, flacons de parfums…). Et si Christian Dior fut aussi un homme de l’art et un amoureux des musées, plus de 70 années de création dialoguent également avec tableaux, meubles et objets d’art. Ces œuvres soulignent et prolongent le regard de Christian Dior en explorant les liens qu’il a su tisser entre la couture et toutes les formes d’art, définissant l’empreinte de la maison. Les deux commissaires, Florence Müller et Olivier Gabet, ont construit leur propos selon un parcours chronologique et thématique réunissant et investissant, pour la première fois réunis ensemble, les espaces dédiés à la mode ainsi que ceux de la nef du musée, soit près de 3 000 mètres carrés.

La précédente rétrospective parisienne consacrée à Christian Dior s’est tenue en 1987 au musée des Arts décoratifs. Elle était centrée sur les dix années de création du couturier, de 1947 à 1957. Pour célébrer les soixante dix ans de la Maison, cette nouvelle rétrospective montre comment Christian Dior et les six directeurs artistiques qui lui ont succédé ont conçu et construit le rayonnement d’un nom aujourd’hui synonyme de haute couture en France et dans le monde entier. Avec leur propre sensibilité, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons et aujourd’hui Maria Grazia Chiuri ont ainsi élaboré une grammaire stylistique fidèle à l’élan initial et contribuéà définir l’identité de Christian Dior dans sa relation avec l’époque. Accompagnant cette évocation de la haute couture, résonnent aussi les créations de Frédéric Castet pour la haute fourrure, celles de Serge Lutens, de Tyen et de Peter Philips pour la beauté, ainsi que de François Demachy pour les parfums.

Toutes ces thématiques créatives, sur lesquelles ses successeurs sont revenus comme sur des leitmotivs, sont tour à tour dévoilées : l’art et la photographie, la profusion des couleurs et des textures, l’élégance stricte parisienne, la référence au décor néoclassique, les trésors de l’exotisme, la fascination pour le thème floral. Ces thèmes sont mis en scène par Nathalie Crinière, dans des ambiances évoquant successivement une galerie d’art, un atelier, une rue, un boudoir, les voyages, ou encore un jardin merveilleux. Tout au long de l’exposition, tableaux, sculptures et objets d’arts décoratifs éclairent les goûts et sources d’inspiration du couturier, selon une sensibilité partagée par les directeurs artistiques qui lui ont succédé.

La visite se poursuit dans la nef par un parcours chronologique de 1947 à 2017 montrant l’élan fondateur et l’héritage de l’esprit Dior à travers les décennies. La silhouette du tailleur Bar caractéristique du « New Look », inaugure cette traversée du temps. Cet ensemble en noir et blanc concentre toute la nouveauté de l’esthétique Dior qui frappe le coup d’envoi des trente glorieuses de la mode. Depuis, ce tailleur a hanté l’imaginaire de la mode et de nombreux couturiers et créateurs.

 Christian Dior, robe Opéra bouffe, Haute couture automne-hiver 1956, ligne Aimant. Robe du soir en faille de soie d’Abraham. Paris, Dior Héritage © Photo Les Arts Décoratifs / Nicholas Alan Cope

Mais la permanence de l’esprit de Christian Dior tient aussi aux différents directeurs artistiques qui ont pris la relève du couturier après sa disparition en 1957. Une succession de six galeries leur est dédiée pour décrypter comment leur propre création s’inscrit dans la poursuite de cette vision de la haute couture. Au choix risqué du tout jeune Saint Laurent succède la réaction rationnelle de la nomination de Marc Bohan. Puis c’est l’arrivée flamboyante de Gianfranco Ferré, puis celle à grand fracas du punk de la mode John Galliano, l’affirmation « minimaliste » de Raf Simons et, enfin, le choix d’une femme, Maria Grazia Chiuri et de sa vision engagée de la féminité.

Les savoir-faire et la technique, sans lesquels la haute couture ne saurait exister, sont mis en scène dans un atelier où des ouvrières sont à l’ouvrage, entourées de mannequins de couturières, de croquis et de toiles. Une galerie propose un résumé de l’évolution de la ligne et de l’allure Dior depuis 1947, illustrée de robes et d’extraits de films ou de vidéos de défilés.

Yves Saint Laurent pour Christian Dior, robe Bonne Conduite. Haute couture printemps- été 1958, ligne Trapèze. Robe blouse en lainage granité de Rodier. Paris, Fondation Pierre Bergé– Yves Saint Laurent. © Photo Les Arts Décoratifs / Nicholas Alan Cope

Le parcours s’achève dans le cadre somptueux de la nef, décorée telle une salle de bal pour une présentation des robes du soir les plus fastueuses, parmi lesquelles brillent de nombreuses créations réunies pour la première fois à Paris. Certaines ont été portées par des clientes célèbres qui ont contribué au rayonnement de la maison Christian Dior, de la princesse Grace de Monaco à Lady Diana, de Charlize Theron à Jennifer Lawrence. Révélation inédite, résultat de recherches menées pour ce projet, parmi ces toilettes de grand bal figure une robe baptisée Soirée brillante qui a défilé du temps de Christian Dior au musée des Arts décoratifs en novembre 1955. 

À l’occasion d’une exposition présentant les grands ébénistes français du XVIIIe siècle, Christian Dior comptait au nombre des prêteurs, et l’inauguration prit la tournure d’un événement culturel, mondain et élégant grâce à la présence de ses propres créations. Ce jour-là, des mannequins de la maison Dior déambulaient en robe du soir, prenant la pose parmi les meubles et objets d’art. Une façon d’affirmer, en ce mercredi 30 novembre 1955, la place naturelle qu’occupent les ornements de la féminité au cœur des arts appliqués et le rôle prépondérant joué par Christian Dior dans l’histoire des arts décoratifs.

Marc Bohan pour Christian Dior. Tailleur Gamin. Haute couture automne-hiver 1961, collection Charme 62. Tailleur en tweed. Veste courte à double boutonnage. Jupe trapèze et écharpe assortie. Paris, Dior Héritage. © Photo Les Arts Décoratifs / Nicholas Alan Cope