Consigning a Work to a French Gallery: An Updated Guide

By Louise Chevrier 

“L’Enseigne de Gersaint” (1720-21) by Jean-Antoine Watteau was intended to be a Paris art dealer’s shop sign and it gives an idealistic vision of a French art gallery in the 17th century.

Yet, this vision is still the same: France and, precisely, Paris are still among the favored places for art business. Starting from the famous Paris Salons that trace their history from the 17th century, the galleries of the city’s Left Bank, and Louise Weiss street, the majority of contemporary art galleries are now situated in the Parisian districts of the Marais and Belleville. Despite this romantic perception of French galleries, the realities of the relationship between artists, galleries, and dealers may not be so idyllic, as is proved by recent cases before the French courts, thereby shaping up the law of consignment contracts, most often used to formalize these relationships. 

Consignment À La Française