Overview

• The sketch, drawn by Paul Verlaine and depicting Arthur Rimbaud at age 17, was sold at Hôtel Drouot after intense bidding.
• The €585,000 sale set a new record for a Verlaine drawing, surpassing its initial estimate of €100,000–€200,000.
• The ink drawing, dated June 1872, portrays Rimbaud smoking a pipe and was created from Verlaine's memory during their time together.
• The artwork has remained in private collections for over 130 years, last owned by Hugues Gall, former director of the Paris Opera, who passed away in May 2024.
• The sale highlights the enduring legacy of Rimbaud and Verlaine, whose passionate and turbulent relationship shaped their groundbreaking poetry.