An ensemble of thirty masterpieces from the collection of Arthur Georges Veil-Picard is scheduled for public auction in Paris. This collection, which has remained largely inaccessible for nearly a century, includes significant works by preeminent figures of the French Enlightenment such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Jean-Antoine Watteau, and Hubert Robert. Estimated to achieve between €5 million and €8 million, the sale is regarded by scholars and curators as a major event due to the museum-quality nature of the individual pieces.
Provenance and Historical Context
Arthur Georges Veil-Picard, a banker and industrialist at the helm of the Pernod distillery, assembled this collection during the early twentieth century. Residing in a private mansion in the Plaine Monceau district, he spent over forty years curating an ensemble that is now considered a worldwide reference for Old Master drawings and paintings. The Veil-Picard lineage is noted for its history of art patronage, with numerous works from the broader family estate already held in permanent institutions such as the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Portrait of Madame Hubert Robert, née Anne-Gabrielle Soos (1745-1821), 1771
Pastel
70,5 x 53,9 cm
Estimate: €70,000–100,000
Primary Artistic Highlights
The auction is led by five works from Jean-Honoré Fragonard, an artist who was a primary focus of the collector. The centerpiece of the group is the oil painting The Happy Family, also referred to as Young couple contemplating a sleeping child. Executed during the 1770s following the artist’s travels in Italy, the work demonstrates Fragonard’s transition toward a more spontaneous and fluid technique. It is considered by specialists to be the primary version of this specific composition.
Another notable entry is a red and black chalk drawing by Jean-Antoine Watteau titled Standing man holding a guitar under his left arm. This piece represents a significant rediscovery for the artist’s corpus; it was previously documented in the 1996 catalogue raisonné as part of an “inaccessible private collection” and has never been exhibited to the public.
The collection also features works reflecting the intellectual and social atmosphere of the Enlightenment, including two paintings by Hubert Robert depicting the salon of Madame Geoffrin. Additionally, the sale includes The Private Academy by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, a rare depiction of a painter and a female nude, a subject typically forbidden by the Academy at the time of its creation.
Valuation Summary
The following table details the primary works and their associated estimates:
| Artist | Work | Estimate |
| Jean-Honoré Fragonard | The Happy Family | €1,500,000 – €2,000,000 |
| Antoine Watteau | Standing man holding a guitar under his left arm | €600,000 – €800,000 |
| Jean-Honoré Fragonard | The Little Coquette (or The Peeping Girl) | €400,000 – €600,000 |
| Jean-Michel Moreau | Festivities at the Hôtel de Ville | €300,000 – €500,000 |
| Jean-Honoré Fragonard | Woman with a Dove | €200,000 – €300,000 |
| Gabriel de Saint-Aubin | The Private Academy | €150,000 – €200,000 |
| Marie-Suzanne Roslin | Portrait of Madame Hubert Robert | €70,000 – €100,000 |
| Hubert Robert | Madame Geoffrin’s Luncheon | Estimate on request |
Exhibition and Auction Schedule
The works will be available for public viewing prior to the sale.
- Public Viewing: 21–25 March 2026.
- Live Auction: Wednesday, 25 March 2026, at 2:30 pm.
- Location: Christie’s Paris.
The little Coquette or The Peeping Girl
Oil on panel
32,5 x 23,7 cm
Estimate: €400,000-600,000
