The French Chapter of the Society for the History of Collecting was established in Paris in 2019, to promote scholarship and foster exchanges between collectors, curators, academics and students on collecting practices, the history of collections, and the art market in France and beyond. As part of its activities, it organizes visits and lectures, in French and in English.
Looking ahead, the French Chapter aims to further develop its programme of visits by expanding the range of institutions and practices explored, with a continued emphasis on collecting in all its forms—historical, contemporary, institutional, and market-oriented. Future plans include visits to conservation studios, archives, as well as renewed engagement with regional museums and lesser-known collecting histories in the wider Paris region.
Members are warmly encouraged to propose ideas for future visits. Contributions from members will play a key role in shaping a dynamic and collaborative programme – and we would be especially pleased to benefit from members’ expertise should they wish to lead or guide a visit.
Past Activties:
In France the Society for the History of Collecting has developed an active programme of scholarly visits and study trips centred on art, collecting history and practices.
We organise guided visits with curators of important exhibitions linked to recent research. Some focused on princely collecting such as the Grand dauphin at the château de Versailles (- insert photo). Others devoted to collecting history in line with the art market, such as the recent exhibition on dealers and forgeries at the Musée de Cluny – and the Rothschild collecting Sèvres porcelain, at the Galerie des Gobelins.
Activities have also included a visit to the premises of Kugel antiquaires, offering members direct insight into the expertise of leading art dealers. We have also met professional devoted to restoring and cataloguing of complex collections, such as political and graphic archives at the Contemporaine, Nanterre or the Petit Palais.
Steering Committee
Contact: paris@societyhistorycollecting.org
