At the Salon du Dessin (drawing fair) in Paris, the drawing market returns to the forefront with historical masters, new discoveries, and a new space for anonymous works.
What characterizes the 2026 edition of the Salon du Dessin?
Open to the public at the Palais Brongniart, the Drawing Fair – Salon du Dessin – confirms its role as an international reference for collectible drawings, founded in 1991. The 2026 edition runs until March 30 and brings together collectors, scholars, curators, and enthusiasts in a setting designed for direct interaction.
The fair, now in its 34th edition, occupies the historic spaces of the former Paris Stock Exchange with 39 international galleries and a selection of masterpieces on paper spanning the centuries. The atmosphere remains intentionally intimate, to encourage dialogue around the works and attributions.
According to co-president Florence Chibret-Plaussu, the compact format allows gallery owners and visitors, whether experts or newcomers, to establish a direct relationship. Additionally, the stated goal is to open the event to new collectors, increasingly sensitive to the quality and variety of the offerings.
Which galleries and countries are represented?
Among the exhibitors are leading entities such as Didier Aaron & Cie, Härb Nuti, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Galerie Larock-Granoff, Galerie Laurentin. The international participation confirms the fair’s positioning in the European drawing calendar.
Italian galleries are also present, including Paolo Antonacci, Bottegantica, Enrico Frascione, Aleandri Arte Moderna, and Laocoon Gallery/W. Apolloni. Together they build a bridge between historical Italian schools and the demand of foreign collectors, in dialogue with other major drawing markets.
Overall, the distribution of stands offers a broad panorama: from ancient to modern, passing through French, Italian, and Central European national schools. For a comparison of the main operators in the sector, it is useful to also observe the programs of related events such as the TEFAF in Maastricht or the drawing sections in generalist fairs.
Why a stand dedicated to anonymous drawings?
One of the most curious novelties is the Anonymous Drawings Stand, entirely dedicated to sheets whose authorship has not yet been defined by the exhibitor. Here, drawing is proposed as an open field for research, rather than a simple finished object.
Many preparatory studies, in fact, were not signed by artists when they were intended for paintings or more complex projects. However, over time numerous sheets have emerged from anonymity thanks to the intuition of specialists or documented provenance, such as studio archives and family collections.
That said, this stand is configured as a sort of public laboratory: scholars, curators, and art historians can compare their hypotheses in real-time. Important attributions are not excluded during the days of the fair, with possible immediate repercussions on the market value of the works involved.
Which works stand out among those for sale?
Among the most significant sheets on display and for sale is an intense Medusa by Vincenzo Gemito, presented by Pandora Old Masters. The choice highlights the growing attention to late 19th and early 20th-century Italian drawing.
At Didier Aaron & Cie, the Portrait of Blanche Charlotte de Roncherolles, Countess of Ferragut (1791–1862) by Louis Léopold Boilly is exhibited, an example of French bourgeois refinement. Additionally, Laocoon Gallery/W. Apolloni presents a 1905 self-portrait by Alberto Martini, a rare graphic document of an artist still in the midst of critical rediscovery.
At Galerie Alexis Pentcheff is the Study of a Young Algerian (1832) by Eugène Delacroix, while Aleandri Arte Moderna exhibits the seated nude frontally, Nudo seduto visto di fronte (1912) by Gustav Klimt. In contrast to these sheets, Galerie de la Présidence offers Woman Seated Drying Her Shoulder by Suzanne Valadon, highlighting a different perspective on the female body.
Galerie Eric Coatalem dedicates its stand to masters like Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, with The Wedding Procession of Pulcinella, while Stephen Ongpin Fine Art presents Fishing Boat at the Entrance to the Port of Dives-sur-Mer by Edgar Degas. All works on paper, confirming the centrality of the graphic medium in the training and practice of great artists.
What is the role of the MuMa of Le Havre as the guest of honor?
Guest of honor 2026 is the Musée d’art moderne André Malraux (MuMa – Le Havre). The museum was inaugurated in 1961 by André Malraux in the hometown of artists like Monet, Dubuffet, Friesz, Dufy, and Braque, and is distinguished by the richness of its Impressionism and Fauvism collections.
The MuMa’s holdings include important groups dedicated to Eugène Boudin and the Marande bequest, which has consolidated its prominence among French museums. Additionally, a recent donation from Hélène Senn-Foulds has further strengthened the collection, making it one of the main Impressionist collections in France according to various museological analyses, as also noted by the MuMa itself.
At the Palais Brongniart, the museum presents a selection of works on paper by Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas, Courbet, and Corot. In this way, the dialogue between public collection sheets and those in galleries offers the visitor a direct comparison between museum heritage and market.
How does the Salon du Dessin position itself in the drawing market?
For co-president Hervé Aaron, the Salon du Dessin represents a central engine in the dynamics of the drawing market. It is not surprising, therefore, that some galleries return to the fair after years of absence, attracted by a specialized clientele and a curated context.
Originally, the event focused on drawings by old masters. However, over time it has opened its doors to prestigious galleries specializing in modern works, achieving a balance between the two areas. This balance between eras is today one of the main strengths of the Parisian fair, compared to other more sectoral exhibitions.
Today, according to Aaron, more and more contemporary artists are rediscovering drawing as the basis of every visual practice. Looking to the future, the fair will need to decisively integrate galleries dedicated to contemporary drawing, to maintain momentum and preserve the chronological continuity that defines its charm.
In this context, the role of specialists, attributions, and provenance remains decisive, as evidenced by the growing attention of art market analysis platforms like Artprice.
Overall, the 2026 edition confirms Paris as a crucial hub for the collection of works on paper. Among established masters, experimental stands, and museum presence, the fair contributes to redefining the perception of drawing, no longer a minor discipline but a privileged ground for research, investment, and discovery.
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