Georgina Adam has the year-end figures for France’s auction houses. A few years ago, France seemed poised to break out as a new force in the global auction business. That was even before the monumental Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Bergé sale.

The big bang never really happened but a slow, steady rise seems to be nearly inevitable:

Christie’s le[d] the field with turnover of €199m (up 13 per cent) while Sotheby’s was close behind with €190m. But the “best in show” prize goes to Artcurial. It reported its highest total ever, making sales of €127m, a 23 per cent increase over 2010.

The Art Market: January Blues Banished (Financial Times)