by Christophe Dorny
The Count of Farrobo’s gala coupé, Portugal, last third of the 18th century, painted decoration of cherubs in floral frames, 19th-century interior upholstery, 234 x 450 x 165 cm/92.12 x 177.16 x 64.96 in. Estimate: €20,000/30,000
“A collection of this magnitude hasn’t appeared at auction in over 30 years. That’s exceptional,” says Patrice Biget, the expert of the sale led at Drouot by Benoît Derouineau of the Daguerre auction house in conjunction with Anhée, near Namur, Belgium, where the carriages are in storage. The collection will surely spark the excitement of enthusiasts worldwide and take us back to the historic and material sources of the horse-drawn vehicle, which combined technological progress with artistic achievement. The invention of the modern carriage is attributed to Frenchman Jean Le Pautre, who developed it in the 1660s in Paris... read more