Jacques Quinet (1918-1992) : Secrétaire
Laque rouge et bronze doré. 1953. Pièce unique

Photo Courtesy of Galerie Olivier Watelet
Paris

PARIS, 12 September 2000 - From 15 September to 1 October 2000 at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, an expected 90,000 international visitors, collectors and museum curators will come together for the world's most prestigious antiques fair. The glamourous displays of 17th and 18th century European furniture, objets d'art, old master paintings, rare books and jewellery have been months in the making and are themselves quite a show. While the Belgian decorator Christophe Decarpentrie chose global diversity for the general decor of the 20th edition of the Biennale, the Parisian decorator Jacques Grange's designs for stands such as Galerie Mermoz (Precolombien art), Robert Vallois (20th century), Galerie du Passage (Art Nouveau, Art Déco, 1940-1950) reflect more recent market trends towards 20th century furniture and the arts of the Far East and Africa.

Equally important for the 116 dealers, their clients and the Parisian beau monde are the private viewings, dinners and parties linked to the event, notably this year's benefit dinner on 13 September for the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris / Hôpitaux de France (Foundation for Paris Hospitals / Hospitals of France) hosted by Bernadette Chirac, wife of President Jacques Chirac of France. Further, with the imminent arrival of auction sales in Paris by Sotheby's and Christies, Parisian dealers are particularly eager to charm their clientele.

Still, despite the aura of exclusivity and opulence, the Paris Biennale, held every other September, is very much a public event that attracts a genuinely interested French public.


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