he is one of the youngest second-hand dealers in France

Very beautiful cutlery from another age is lined up on the bistro table for the interview. Louis-Gérard Esnault has just taken out of his pocket two knives and two forks dated 16^e et 17^e century. Their handle has specific features; sculptures, bronze, silver ferrules and, a little more surprising for newbies, tinted mammoth molar.

“Importantly, our elders are our masters! »

The young enthusiast, just 20 years old, became a second-hand dealer during his high school years. Although his father was a collector of primitive art, it was mainly through contact with his mother's companion that he developed a taste for beautiful objects. He discovers the profession through unboxings, particularly alongside his mother, who also recently became a second-hand dealer. “It’s a passion job. When you become a merchant, it's for life. We always want to discover and we learn every day. And importantly, our elders are our masters! »

If he aspires to open a gallery of art objects, in the meantime, he trains with humility and constancy. After obtaining his STI2D technological baccalaureate (Science and technology of industry and sustainable development), he felt an attraction to woodworking. “I passed my cabinetmaking CAP in one year like I had the baccalaureate. And as a result, there was a lot more practice and art history lessons focused on furniture and wood. » Now a first-year art history student, he spends a large part of his free time unearthing some wonders. “When I was 15-16 years old, I started with Islamic art from 10^e au 18^e century following a real crush on a terracotta with bluish tones. From this purchase, I did a lot of research. It's interesting to keep objects for a period of time, before reselling them, to study them and immerse yourself in them. »

“Nothing beats the land”

If he partially turns away from Islamic art “hard to find and sell”Louis-Gérard Esnault is interested in the high period – his “red son” –, from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the Revolution (nearly ten centuries). Everything interests him: sculpture in stone or wood, paintings, everyday objects and especially cutlery. “It’s an area that I like, although it is difficult to find quality. Dating doesn’t make the price; the object must speak to me. We sometimes hold pieces of the same value as those presented in museums and it is a real pleasure to have them in our hands. »

He can already be proud of having in his possession a fork which was part of a collection of the Le Secq des Tournelles museum (Rouen). “I know that it has passed into illustrious hands; it's a plus for a collector to whom I could sell it. It takes on another dimension for an enthusiast. »

A way of passing on his knowledge drawn from art history books – which he buys and devours without moderation – by regularly going to museums but also, and above all, by talking with the oldest. “Nothing beats the field, there are things we don’t learn from books”argues Louis-Gérard Esnault who goes once a month to a city to unpack: Chinon, Limoges, Tours, Montsoreau and Place de la Bourse in Paris in particular. A necessary step to gain ground in the shadow of benevolent deans.