Denise René created a gallery in her own image: profoundly bold and resolutely committed to the defence of abstract art. It is this unprecedented commitment on the Paris and international art scene that we wish to present to you today.

A Pioneering Gallery for a Visionary Woman

The meeting between Victor Vasarely and Denise René in 1939 was absolutely decisive for the founding of the gallery and for the rest of its history. Inaugurated in 1944 with an exhibition by the artist, the Galerie Denise René would continue to represent him alongside major kinetic artists such as Dario Perez-Flores, Jesús Rafael Soto, Hugo Demarco, Julio Le Parc, Francisco Sobrino, and Martha Boto.

Denise René and Vasarely

The sale gathers rare works by major artists from the Galerie Denise René

Optical Art & Its Legacy: A Curated Selection

Lumino-Kinetic Art and Latino American Artists

Paris

Head of Sale | Associate Specialist

Armance Gay

Meet our Specialists

For assistance with bidding and registration, please contact: +33 (0) 1 53 05 53 48 
 
 <a class="Link" href="mailto:bids.paris@sothebys.com">bids.paris@sothebys.com</a>

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Sotheby’s is honoured to write the final chapter of an artistic adventure that shaped the history of the 20th century: the Galerie Denise René in Paris. A visionary pioneer driven by an unwavering belief in geometric abstraction and kinetic art, Denise René played a crucial role in securing international recognition for major figures whose works we are offering today: François Morellet, Darío Pérez-Flores, Julio Le Parc or Alberto Biasi. This unprecedented sale offers, without reserve, works by the great artists she supported and championed from the moment her gallery opened in 1944—from Vasarely’s celebrated post-war canvases to the luminous and kinetic sculptures of Martha Boto, Gianni Colombo, Joël Stein and Hugo Demarco.

Denise René, Militante de l'abstraction