Léopold SURVAGE

At the start of the 20th century, Paris was a veritable artistic capital and its momentum attracted artists from all over Europe and beyond. Art history tends to group these artists together in what is known as the First Paris School. Between 1900 and 1920 the group included a number of Russians living in the Montparnasse district, an area that was a hive of creative activity.

For the past 15 years, collectors and curators of drawings have met at the Salon du Dessin during the last week of March. The salon that is to be held at the Palais de la Bourse in Paris will bring together some 30 galleries that will exhibit almost 1,000 drawings from all periods.

Auction data in 2005 showed that the drawings segment represented almost 24.4% of total Fine Art transactions and 12.7% of turnover (vs. 11.6% in 2004).