Roger BISSIÈRE

Over the last ten years, the price index for the second School of Paris has risen 130%; but it has not yet overtaken the level it reached at the height of the art market bubble in 1990/1991.The term second School of Paris refers to abstract artists working in France between 1940 and 1965. Like the Nice School, the Paris School is not a school as such, but rather a label that allows the art world to lump together a mixed bag of French and foreign artists living in France including the Russian Serge POLIAKOFF, Hans HARTUNG from Germany, Gustave SINGIER from Belgium, JJean-Michel ATLAN from Algeria, and Maria Elena VIEIRA DA SILVA from Portugal, among others. According to a number of art critics, these artists had interests in common with other “informals” like Pierre SOULAGES, Jean FAUTRIER, Maurice ESTEVE, Gustave SINGIER, Roger Bissière and Jean Bertholle.