Gazette Drouot - C apencheres

THE MAGAZINE AUCTION RESULTS
Young Chleuh
a souvenir of Morocco
This portrait of a Chleuh in coloured
chalk is by the Russian painter Zinaida
Evgenieva Serebriakova. Thanks to an
invitation from Baron Jean de
Brouwer, she discovered Africa in
1928, and Morocco in 1930. She
painted highly colourful figures like
this young man from a Berber tribe in
south-west Morocco. Proposed on 14
October in Auxerre (Auxerre
Enchères - Auxerre Estimations),
it fetched €74,400
thanks to a major foreign
enthusiast. Chantal Humbert
Baphuon style
Three Baphuon items reached a total of €1,064,865 on the 21 October
last in Paris at the Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house. The divinity figure
reached €378,910, followed in close pursuit by a representation of Shiva at
€373,000 while a representation of Devi/Uma fetched €311,040. All three are in
stoneware and date from the 11th century. The elegant and supple forms, the
harmony and quest for perfection are all characteristic of the Baphuon style. This
artistic tradition takes its name from the Baphuon temple dedicated to Shiva and
part of the monumental Angkor complex, built during the reign of Udayadityavarman
II (1050-1066). Last year, a team of archaeologists from the École française
d'Extrême-Orient/French School of Asian Studies finished the restoration of the
temple after more than a century of work. The Baphuon style is one of the high
points of Khmer art, as this auction has indeed proved S. A.