Estimated between 30,000 and 50,000 euros, this painting, which represents Serge Gainsbourg as a child and his sister, was offered in 1959 to Juliette Gréco by the artist himself.

A student at the Beaux-Arts and member of the Académie de Montmartre, Lucien Ginsburg at civil status first intended for painting and drawing, leading a bohemian life with his first wife Elisabeth Levitsky, also a painter.

In 1954, he abandoned the visual arts for song, going so far as to destroy his paintings.

According to his entourage, five paintings are still in circulation including "Children in the square", offered to Juliette Gréco and to whom he had just confided during a program that "painting is (his) only true love".

"A few days later, Serge came to my house and said: + I burned everything, destroyed everything, I'll give you this. It's the only one left ... + It's a very touching canvas. (…) I love this painting. It was above my bed but I take it around the house. It's more than a painting, it's a part of it. to me. It would hurt me mad if she had to disappear ... ", confided the singer.

In 2015, Juliette Gréco appealed to AFP after the disappearance of this painting from her home: "I am very unhappy, I have the impression that a small piece of my life has been torn from me. give my thieves a few days to put it back where they found it, then I start the war machine! ", she said.

The canvas, visibly stolen by a loved one, quickly reappeared ...

From Thursday to Saturday, some 750 lots, trinkets, furniture, works of art, crockery, jewelry and clothing by Juliette Gréco, will be dispersed, with estimates starting at 30 euros.

Among the most unusual pieces, there is a Van Cleef & Arpels directory with the telephone numbers of many celebrities from the Saint-Germain-des-Prés years, written by the singer.

A painting by Foujita, "La Petite Gréco au chat", could reach 80,000 euros.

All the lots from this sale organized by Julie-Amour Rossini, granddaughter of the singer, will be on display for free from Wednesday to Friday at the Hotel Drouot.

© 2021 AFP