As the world leader in works by Jacques Majorelle – with more than 160 works sold and the 10 highest hammer prices over the past five years – Artcurial is celebrating the 15th edition of the Majorelle & his Contemporaries auction with some 20 works by the artist from various private collections. 

Among them, À l’affût (circa 1930) stands out as a masterpiece from his famous series of nus noirs, painted amid the effervescence of the 1930s. Held in the same family for over 90 years, this mixed-media work on panel with metallic powder highlights is estimated at €80,000 – 120,000 (880,000 - 1,320,000 MAD).

Another great lover of Morocco, where he lived from 1917 to 1919, Bernard Boutet de Monvel painted a series of canvases from his terrace in Fès el Bali, capturing the city at different times of day. This stylized, refined, almost geometric view reveals the full modernity of his vision; the work Fès is estimated at €120,000 – 180,000 (1,320,000 – 1,980,000 MAD).

Nineteenth-century artists such as Girardet, Bridgman, and Ferraris are also featured. An exceptional oil on canvas by Eugène Flandin, La Mosquée Châh-Zâdèh à Constantinople, draws attention due to its large size (89 x 116 cm): it is inspired by the lithographic plate of the same name, which appeared in L’Orient, the book published by the artist in 1853. This is the work’s very first appearance at auction.

Leading figures from the Maghreb art scene come together in this auction. A unique Corten steel piece by Farid Belkahia, from his series Les Sept Saints, will be offered for sale. A pioneer of modern Moroccan art and former director of the Casablanca École des Beaux-Arts, he has continually explored the materials and symbols of his culture; the number seven refers to Marrakech, his hometown, which popular tradition associates with the seven patron saints who watch over it. This sculpture is estimated at €30,000 – 50,000 (330,000 – 550,000 MAD).

A self-taught painter who became one of the leading figures of modern Moroccan art, Chaïbia Talal draws upon the vivid memories of traditional villages and their inhabitants in her works, which she renders in a vibrant and instinctive palette. This work, created around 1965, bears witness to the beginnings of a pictorial language that would soon make its mark on the international scene. It is estimated at €40,000 – 60,000 (440,000 – 660,000 MAD).

Alongside her, Baya unfolds her world populated by fantastical figures, birds, and intertwined plants, where childhood and dreams constantly echo one another. An exceptional collection of nine works by the artist from three private collections will be offered for sale, including Oiseaux et guitares, acquired in Algeria circa 1976 and preserved within the same family ever since. This work is estimated at €30,000 – 40,000 (330,000 – 440,000 MAD).

The section devoted to Contemporary African Art features four major artists, each with a unique visual language. Barthélémy Toguo, a leading figure on the pan-African art scene, is featured with Partage XVI, a canvas in which majestic fish rendered in acrylic and ink blend together in broad drips, continuing a body of work permeated by themes of movement, identity, and sharing. The work is estimated at €15,000 – 25,000 (165,000 – 275,000 MAD).

Alongside him, Billie Zangewa brings the delicacy of her highly personal technique: hand-embroidered on silk, 15:05 extends her textile patchwork series, in which the artist captures intimate scenes of urban daily life. It is estimated at €18,000 – 25,000 (98,000 – 275,000 MAD).

A Poupée Pascale from the famous series by Pascale Marthine Tayou is also up for auction. Combining crystal, mixed media, and glued-on stuffed animals, it explores the layering of cultures and objects that populate our globalized world. It is estimated at €18,000 – 25,000 (98,000 – 275,000 MAD). 

Finally, a monumental work (386 x 520 cm) by Abdoulaye Konate titled Symphonie Bleue 8R (2007) is being offered for sale with an estimate of €40,000 – 60,000 (440,000 - 660,000 MAD). This historic piece was notably exhibited at Documenta 12 in Kassel in 2007. Artcurial has held the record for the artist since 2023 with Papillon bleu pour Fès (2016), which sold for 952,000 MAD, including fees.