Where to Buy French Art

Art has the ability to transport you to another place and time. If you’re longing to visit Paris or France, surround yourself with French art and imagine you’re there, no matter where you are.

Here are my top three suggestions of where to buy French art to adorn your walls and dream of la vie française.

SH Modern

SH Modern was founded by Sallie Hirshberg, who has over 30 years of experience in the art industry. Back in 2000, Sallie established a renowned gallery dealing in rare and museum-quality master works, Galerie d’Orsay on Newbury Street in Boston. This experience, and the relationships she’s built over the years, allow her to source unique and original works for her clients as part of her most recent venture, SH Modern.

SH Modern, based out of Southwest Florida, boasts works from the Impressionists, the Belle Époque, the 20^th century, and more. Sallie has some gorgeous etchings, like Le Chat et Les Fleurs by Edouard Manet and Dance à la Campagne by Auguste Renoir. As a previous Montmartrois, I adore her lithographs by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Lautrec lived in the bohemian 18^th arrondissement and was inspired by its cabarets and dance halls, as seen in Une Redoute Au Moulin Rouge.

For a pop of color, Sallie has beautiful lithographs by French-Russian artist Marc Chagall and great stencils by Henri Matisse. Opera lovers will appreciate Chagall’s Carmen poster from New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. If you’re a Francophile like myself, you can’t go past Le Carrousel du Louvre and Le Dimanche, which features the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame. But I also love Matisse’s sensual Emportés Jusqu’aux Constellations in black and white. 

Empreintes

Empreintes is one of my favorite Paris concept stores focusing on French craftmanship. If you’re looking for sculpture, Empreintes has unique objects in a range of materials, such as bronze, ceramic, glass, wood, and plaster. For those continuing with the cabaret theme, MYR’s sculptural vase and lamp are inspired by dancers.

If you were enthralled by The Queen’s Gambit, Marie Dreux has created a beautiful chess table with playing board and figurines. She also makes lovely female forms. As does Guénolée Courcoux, who also has some more contemplative works and the piece Famille. Romantics (or those into anatomy) might like the embroidered textile hearts by Agathe You.

For animals, Jocelyne Bosschot’s La Chevre is inspired by Pablo Picasso’s work of the same name. Jocelyn also has metamorphic, shell-like sculptures and Futurist gold pieces. Athena Jahantigh also makes majestic animals, and I like Philippe Buil’s Lapin. 

For children’s rooms, or the young at heart, have a look at the cute works by Laurence Lehel, Sandrine Leroux, Madame Rrêve and Entre La Terre. Favorites include Un Petit Roi, and Voyageur and Aviateur if you want to instill a little bit of wanderlust.

You can even get a sculpture of Covid-19 (!) by Marie Gourault.

SLOW Galerie

Located in a former pharmacy in Paris, SLOW Galerie is dedicated to illustration and graphic arts. Nearly 1000 works are exhibited, including screen prints, engravings, etchings, and fine art prints. The works largely come in limited editions, all numbered and signed, from young French and international artists. But they also have some original works on paper.

I love the prints by Virginie Morgand, who has collaborated with brands such as L’Occitane en Provence, Christian Dior, and Gucci. She has worked with institutions like the Grand Palais, L’Opéra de Lyon, the Champs-Élysées Film Festival, and the City of Paris. Virginie has also illustrated for publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and French publications Les Inrocks, Telerama, and La Revue Dessinée.

In a similar style are the prints by Sabrina Chess and Marie Guillard, who also has some original gouache and acrylic works available. You can find Paris-themed prints by Sayaka Abe and Yukiko Noritake, two Japanese artists living in the city, and France-themed prints by Marie Doazan. 

As a fan of Surrealism, I adore the pop art collages by Flore Kunst, who is inspired by American artist John Baldessari. Jessica Lisse also has lovely prints and original acrylic pieces. The prints by trained architect Vincent Macquart remind me of the work of street artist Ardif, whose work we touch on in our Paris street art guide. Meanwhile, Daniel Lambert has some humorous original ink works.

Who are your favorite French artists? Let us know in the comments!

Addresses

SH Modern – Fort Myers, 33919 Florida

Empreintes – 5 Rue de Picardie, 75003 Paris

SLOW Galerie – 5 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris

Related Links

• Read 7 ways you can bring France into your home.
• Discover 5 art venues in Paris.
• Find out where else you can buy art in Paris.

Written by Ali Postma for HiP Paris. Looking to travel? Check out Haven In for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long-term or buy in France or Italy? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates.