April 2017, the Parisian gallery owner Emmanuel Roucher is looking to sell a box of 91 drawings dating from the first decades of the 19th century. Among them, the last four are signed. The author is a certain Jean-Marie Delaperche, who, according to the Bénézit, reference dictionary of artists from around the world, updated since 1911, was born in Orleans. Logically, Olivia Voisin, director of the museums of this city, is contacted. On examining the lot, this expert eye sees there "real little paintings worthy of the greatest artists of the time" , and immediately becomes enthusiastic.
Read also: The incredible story of the Delaperches, a family of artists out of thin air
The curator opens an acquisition procedure, launches a participatory patronage operation (relayed on YouTube as well as in these columns by our columnist Adrien Goetz) and wins thanks to 127 donors. At the same time, she is orchestrating research work, which will continue to produce fruit for the past three weeks.
Because who exactly is this Delaperche? Why do not
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