Etienne Bréton: Old Master Consultant

What is the finest painting that has passed through your hands since you left Sotheby's in 1994? A sublime Poussin, The Flight into Egypt with an Elephant , which is seen from the back moving towards Africa, symbolizing the continent. Like its counterpart (now in the Wallace Collection) it comes from the Rospigliosi and Fesch collections. That was 20 years ago and since then I have discovered other Poussins... You won't say any more... How would you define your highly confidential work, exactly? I advise collectors and museums. Firstly, I assist collectors who want to sell their paintings by analyzing opportunities for selling them, helping them to get estimates and defining the best strategy for them. Secondly, I'm extensively involved with museums in France, Europe, America and even further afield. My work above all consists of providing reports on their works, based on a precise analysis of their collections, their ability to raise funds for each of the purchases and possibly knowing which sponsors would be likely to support them. It's also important to know if sellers are willing to play the game, because the acquisition time frame for museums is inevitably quite long. What is the typical profile of your clients? Someone who doesn't…