Was it destiny that led Jean Charpentier to create this gallery? Galerie Charpentier stands as a testament to Parisian art history. It was located at 76, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré at the corner with rue Duras. The building’s story began in 1802. Comte d’Orglandes built a mansion here. It was almost opposite the Élysée Palace.
In 1821 Colonel d’Andlau d’Orvillers acquired it. The Mouthier-Dehayin family later owned the hotel. Then Jean Charpentier came along. Charpentier was a collector. He gradually opened his collections to the public. The gallery was set up in the main courtyard. From 1924 Jean Charpentier organized an exhibition on Géricault.
After the Galeries Georges Petit company closed in 1933, the Hôtel de Jean Charpentier hosted prestige auctions. Other exhibitions followed. One was “Réalités Nouvelles” in 1939. In 1941 the public could view a posthumous exhibition of Émile Bernard’s works.
Raymond Nacenta took ownership in 1948. Nacenta organized new exhibitions and auctions. According to sources, “Raymond Nasenta” owned the gallery from 1941. The first five concerts of the Pléiade took place here from February to June 1943.
In the early 1960s Paris offered favorable rental terms for the Palais Galliéra. It became the new trendy spot for art auctions. The Galerie Charpentier’s former premises became the Parisian headquarters of Fives-Lille. They showcased their steel expertise with standardized offices replacing the gallery.
By the late 1980s Pierre Cardin rented the rooms facing rue du Faubourg. He established a restaurant there. Sotheby’s, established in Paris since 1967, chose this building for its Parisian offices in 1988.
Jean Charpentier indeed established something special. Raymond Nacenta purchased the gallery in 1941. He operated it under the same name until 1961. Nacenta presented thematic exhibitions. These included “100 portraits de femmes” and “Les célébrités françaises.” Regular exhibitions of the l’École de Paris began in 1954.
From 1942 to 1965 Galerie Charpentier pursued an ambitious exhibition policy. In 1925 it showcased ancient Spanish art. “La jeunesse vue par les maîtres français et étrangers du XVIe au XIXe siècle” was shown in 1928. The gallery presented “Réalités Nouvelles” in 1939. “Trésors d’art précolombien” was shown in 1959. Many other art exhibitions were held here. The Galerie Charpentier archives are at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
Today, the legacy of the Galerie Charpentier lives on. It reminds us of Paris’s rich artistic past. It stands as a place where art history was created.