Sotheby’s has long stood as the golden standard for excellence in art and luxury globally. Since 1744, the auction house has shaped prices within the industry, attracted the world’s most discerning collectors and played an active role in cultural dialogue through its exhibition platforms and events. Its legacy is defined not only by white-glove results in auctions but by a deep commitment to presenting art in thoughtful, inspiring ways.
As 2025 draws to a close — a year marked by record-breaking sales — Sotheby’s ends on a fitting high: a collaborative selling exhibition with Galerie Sismann, dedicated to the truly unique jewellery creations of Gabriela Sismann. Displayed within the intimate setup of Le Salon Sotheby’s in Paris at 83 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the exhibition is open to the public through 23rd December. Galerie Sismann, celebrated for its expertise in antique sculpture, is widely regarded as one of Europe’s foremost specialists in Old Master works.
For this showcase, Gabriela Sismann has assembled a collection of historical objects and antique artworks, each reimagined into jewellery that feels as contemporary as it is storied. These pieces retain the soul of their origins and embody the artist’s passion for history, and invite collectors to secure them as they take on new life as wearable art — modern, memorable and steeped in heritage.
Where Antiquity Finds A Modern Voice
Gabriela Sismann has spent her career immersed in the world of European sculpture. Her meticulous eye — trained through decades of studying ancient art — allows her to recognise beauty in the smallest of details, and to translate forgotten fragments into expressive, modern works of art.
An ardent believer of Dostoevsky’s idea that “Beauty will save the world,” Sismann hopes that in a world blinded by fast pace and distraction, art will be a source of joy and light. Her journey into jewellery began when she started transforming antique goldsmith treasures into what she calls “Portable Art Works,” beautiful adornments that still honour their original purpose and craftsmanship.
Gabriela’s love of art was nourished through a lifetime of collecting antiques. For her, historic brooches, silver plates and finely sculpted details in gold, devotional fragments, vermeil and patinated metal were not simply relics she was drawn to, but stories waiting to be brought into the present in the form of jewellery. This passion translated into the ethos behind her work that eventually took on wearable form. With the “Portable Art Works” collection, she offers each of these storied objects a renewed life, reshaped through her own sensibility and transformed into intimate expressions of her ongoing conversation with history.
Interwoven Histories: The Cultural Tapestry Behind Portable Art Works
For more than 25 years, Sismann has invited her audience into a universe where multiple worlds coexist within her artistic language. Her practice intentionally blurs boundaries, moving between sacred and pagan motifs, medieval and classical forms, and influences that span Italy, France and Northern Europe, all of which meet in a harmonious dialogue that defines her work. The pieces shown in her gallery come from varied geographies and belief systems, yet they feel connected — not only through their history or symbolism, but through a powerful, shared sense of presence.
Her multicultural upbringing is inseparable from her artistic vision. Born to an Argentinian father and Austrian mother, Sismann was raised across the United States, Canada and Argentina. She ultimately settled in France in the early 1990s, pursuing her studies at the École du Louvre and La Sorbonne, first captivated by Egyptology, then specialising as an art historian in Italian Renaissance sculpture following her interest in art from that time period.
Together with her husband Mathieu, she later founded Galerie Sismann. Today, their discoveries feature in many of the world’s most prestigious museum collections, including the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Galerie Sismann: Reviving Europe’s Sculptural Legacy
Galerie Sismann is known for rediscovering overlooked masterpieces of early European sculpture and restoring their stories. Each acquisition is driven by scholarship and curiosity: identifying forgotten artists and neglected works, re-establishing provenance and illuminating the cultural context behind each piece. This obsessive care has earned Gabriela and Mathieu Sismann a reputation as trusted authorities in French and German Gothic sculpture, advising collectors, museums and enthusiasts alike.
From their early days at the Louvre des Antiquaires to their current location on the Quai Voltaire, the gallery has become an internationally renowned destination devoted entirely to early European sculpture. Their collection spans the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, the Classical and Baroque periods, right up to the mid-18th century.
Exhibition Highlights
The pieces presented at Sotheby’s Salon are a reminder that jewellery has always been intertwined with the history of art. Their rarity lies not only in their craftsmanship but in the survival of the artworks they hold — each a portrayal of the past, carried forward into a wearable piece of jewellery.
Leading the exhibition is a French medieval miniature of the Virgin and Child, Paris, circa 1420. Originally crafted in painted and gilded stucco, it is now mounted within a gilt-silver torque. Intimate and profoundly moving, this devotional piece weighs 93.3 grams and is priced at USD 34,886.
Also on view is an equally rare German Renaissance necklace, accented by a silver belt clasp from the early 17th century and adorned with sculptural hemispheres. Reimagined with a modern mount, it retains its commanding presence and sculptural silhouette, and is offered at USD 22,677.
Another standout is a striking Italian pendant necklace featuring a painted depiction of The Last Judgment on oval agate, dating from the early 17th century and showcasing a breathtaking blend of art and jewellery. Suspended from a later gilt-silver chain, the pendant — set within a gilt silver mount — is valued at USD 26,165 and admired for its intensity of colour and craftsmanship.
Final Note
The exhibition at Sotheby’s Paris captures the spirit of Gabriela Sismann with truly rarefied pieces. It celebrates the timeless conversation between past and present, reminding us that history is not only to be observed, but can also be worn, cherished and carried forward.
