On 25th May 2023, Artcurial’s Books & Manuscripts department, in collaboration with booksellers and experts Benoît Forgeot and Philippe Luiggi, presented a part of the collection of Marie-Puck Broodthaers. Daughter of Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers (1924-1976), gallery owner and collector, she offers for sale a set of more than 230 lots, divided into two chapters. The first part will present manuscripts, books, drawings, and objects by Marcel Broodthaers testifying to her privileged relationship with her father. The second part will offer original works by artists linked to her Brussels gallery, including James Lee Byars, Giorgio De Chirico, Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia and René Magritte.

Marie-Puck Broodthaers

Marie-Puck Broodthaers grew up in a family fond of art, films, books, and photographs, and in the tumult of heated discussions between more or less famous artists. She knew very early on what she would dedicate her life to. Marie-Puck had a very early relationship with art thanks to her father, and she was confronted with it professionally for the first time at the age of 19 when she left for New York to work in Marian Goodman’s gallery before moving on to other institutions in Cologne.
In 1987, at the age of 25, she decided to open her own gallery in Brussels at 20 Rue Ravenstein, in front of the Palais des Beaux-Arts. Her innovative programme consisted in combining exhibitions of historical artists (Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, Giorgio de Chirico), artists close to her father (James Lee Byars, Richard Hamilton), contemporary personalities (Carl Andre, Marina Abramovic, Christian Boltanski), as well as the young Belgian scene (Ann Veronica Janssens, Angel Vergara, Thierry de Cordier and Michel François). She ran her own art gallery from 1996 until 2012.

A two-part sale
First part: Marcel Broodthaers
The first part of the sale is dedicated to Marcel Broodthaers, with a previously unseen collection of works and documents tracing his artistic career. Amongst others, Chronique de l’Amour enchanté (1960), a unique autograph poetic manuscript, estimated €20,000 - 25,000.
Second part: Marie-Puck Broodthaers, gallery owner and collector
The second part of this sale, comprising 109 lots, is devoted to Marie-Puck Broodthaers and her work as a gallery owner, with the artists she has represented throughout her career. A remarkable oil on canvas, entitled Le Zèbre by Francis Picabia, will be presented at the sale. On the back are three pencil sketches dating from 1909, a pivotal year for the artist as he began his shift towards modernity, estimated €350,000 - 500,000.