Lovers of Fine Art and Antiques will agree that a classical work of art can soar the spirit with its splendour, tantalise the eye with its energy and pervade the senses with historical images. To have unlimited access to exceptional works that are exquisite in form, defies description. Furniture that has been brought to life in the grand and noble image of its period, through the enduring vision of artists, willing to embrace other dimensions in order to create masterpieces of lasting beauty, is clearly understood by both the collector and the distributor of fine art.

Art Dealers, who are short term custodians of such splendid works, consider themselves privileged during their limited tenure. Professional custodians, 'French & Company', situated discreetly at 17 East 65th, street in New York, are, arguably, the oldest firm of 'Fine Art and Antique Furniture' dealers in America. In the centre of busy up-town Manhattan, around the corner from Madison Avenue, the premises of French & Company blend serenely with the surrounding architecture, displaying no outward sign of their unexpected and precious contents. There is no need for exterior introductions nor invitations to frequent this art nucleus with its fine examples of period paintings and remarkable furniture, since collectors, who are in the market to purchase such unique works, are already intimately acquainted with its location.

The major collection, at the gallery, consists of 18th century French and English furniture and European paintings which include the French and Dutch masters. The quality of such works and their universal appeal has established French and Company as the leading contributor of outstanding furniture and art to the major museums in America.

The man behind the company today, is Martin J. Zimet, its President and owner, who bought 'French & Co.' in 1968 and now runs it in conjunction with his son, Henry, a Fine Arts graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, who joined him in the business in 1982. Martin Zimet, a 'self-made' man, who exhibits a warm and friendly personality and is graced with the ability to combine his skill in high finance with uncanny judgment in acquiring the most outstanding pieces from around the world, explains his introduction to an extraordinary profession, "I started my commercial career as a merchant banker on the insistence of my father who probably could not see any great merit in the art business. However, I bought into a small oil company as an investment which eventually grew large enough to sell and take a profit. After that it was just a matter of waiting for the right opening to come along".

His opportunity to purchase 'French and Company' came about rather by chance. "I was asked by my lawyers to appraise the assets of French & Company to accommodate 'City Investing', which owned many companies and had decided to diversify some of its holdings. After spending almost three months with the company, I presented an amount which I considered to be its market value and was asked in a rather casual fashion if I would pay that figure, myself. The rest is history".

Mr. Zimet became the proud owner of an art company dealing in select European pieces and embarked on an incredible venture into the competitive and exclusive domain of rare and unusual artifacts, highly prized on the international market. It was originally owned by the Messieurs Samuels & Mr. French, who trace their roots back to 1810. Around 1905, the name was changed to simply, French & Co.

The risk factor involved in making purchases that require enormous financial backing has never concerned Mr. Zimet nor has the changing state of the economy because he believes, "there is perpetually a market for very good art and that is why we deal only in the very best. There has always been a market for the top of the range and there always will be. Masterpieces have never been cheap. It is an accepted premise that a painting or fine art object is a safe investment and readily transferable for cash".

His aggressive buying manner has developed from a strong foundation established in his earlier banking career where he secured a complete understanding of the principles of economics. This knowledge proved invaluable in the multi-million dollar art business where decisions often have to be made in a split second. Mr. Zimet is adamant in his view, "that today, you have to be a banker to be an art dealer. You have to realise that when you sell a piece to a museum which may involve several million dollars, it may be two or even three years before you are fully paid and you must have the confidence to accept this or you will not keep your position very long in this industry".

The enormous spiralling cost of art, today, is due to a number of quite obvious and understandable factors which Mr. Zimet illustrates by contrasting his own childhood memories of empty art museums with the current attitude of a more exposed, educated society, whose demands for 'old' art, already in short supply, has rendered it a very vital and expensive commodity. "There is no doubt that people's perception of art has changed. Most people realise that the dollar no loner has the stability it used to have and we now need something that trades internationally and won't diminish in value. Art provides that function".

French & Co. deal only in works of primary quality with little or no interest in second best, thus providing a consistent standard of excellence sought by both the museums and private collectors. This decision has set them apart from other art dealers around the world. Martin Zimet explains that the basis of his selection process always remains the same irrespective of the objects origin and procurement, from either a private collection where it has rested, unseen, for decades, or at public auction. "We are most particular about the paramount importance of beauty and drama in each piece. It must be pleasant on the eye and representative of the best work of the artist's oeuvre. Equally important is the condition of the art and finally its provenance and proof of identity".

Such selectivity produces tempting art of the rarest kind, the highest possible order and the most prized on the international market and has the extraordinary distinction of being virtually unavailable anywhere else in the world.

This is clearly substantiated and immediately visible by a stroll through the gallery in New York. To visit the premises of French & Co. is tantamount to an experience in time travel, back to the Courts of Louis XV and the delicate frivolity of the Rococo. It is quite apparent from the sumptuous, yet dainty and intricately beautiful furniture and superior quality of paintings that Mr. Zimet would have little or no interest in inferior examples. "I am a dealer who thinks commercially but I would never buy a piece that I did not like". It is evident from the stunning examples on display, that Mr. Zimet has remarkable sensitivity and expertise in selecting the very finest art, commercially available today.

The interior of the Gallery twists and turns like the curves and niches of a labyrinth, hiding individual pieces from each other in vault-like seclusions, startling the visitor with their sheer magnificence. there is an overwhelming awareness of the passage of time and historical recollections that each piece represents in this small collection that takes one's breath away. A "Gericault' shares its space with an "Oudrey' and 'Hobbema' as they gaze down on what can only be described as the most outstanding example of 18th century commodes ever gathered together.

Mr. Zimet surveys his collection with the eye of a man who passionately enjoys the companionship of great beauty and explains the metamorphosis that has taken place in the company since 1968, "when we first started we dealt with decorators for a few years until we had decided on the direction that we wanted to take. After careful consideration, we severed all ties commercially and concentrated on dealing with paintings and furniture primarily from the 18th.c. This has proved to be highly successful and over the years we have built a very solid, credible business not only with the museums but also with individual clients from all over the world".

Mr. Zimet makes an interesting observation about the type of buyer most likely to be interested in the style of furniture and painting he deals in. "Most of our private buyers are men. They tend to be very strong personalities, emotionally and financially. They are leaders in their field of banking, real estate, and other professions and are predisposed to live in baronial style. Their taste inclines more towards regal pieces, be it furniture or paintings. They do not buy modern art". The taste of such clients would be satisfied with any or all of French and Company's present collection, which includes several Commodes of Louis XV period, by such fine obenisle's, as Langlois, Van RisenBurgh and Cressent and a beautiful English commode by Thomas Chippendale.

Martin Zimet singles out the commode by Langlois, "as one of our most important pieces. It is very rare and the last one of six identical constructions". Pierre Langlois made cabinets of singular beauty, using Ormolu mounts, which were expressly intended to make them harmonise with other pieces of furniture in the salons. Ormolu, is an extremely complex method of bronze gilding, using mercury, which requires the services of master craftsmen. It was perfected in France in the 18th.c. and widely copied throughout Europe.

To understand the curvilinear, dainty, small furnishings of the early 18thC., one must take into account factors of change that were significant at the end of the Baroque (17th C.) period. The succession to the throne of France in 1715 by a small boy, the return to Paris of the French Court, the relaxation of strict rules of etiquette formerly practiced at Versailles under Louis XIV, the Sun King, and the impact of Far Eastern design and oriental woods on the European market. Straight lines and flat surfaces were replaced with the Rococo love of curves and the demand for elaborate wood marquetry overlaid with delicate, ormolu mounts.

Martin Zimet explains the absolute uniqueness of such furniture, reinforcing the view that commodes produced during the period of Louis XV have never been surpassed in their richness of design, exactness of cabinet making and quality of mounts. "When our commodes are gone, we do not replace a commode with a commode, naturally, since there are rarely any to be found. We will buy a painting, or something else, instead".

Mr. Zimet waves his hand expansively around the room towards a magnificent, Louis XV, Black Lacquer Commode, circa 1740, by the master ebeniste, Bernard Van RisenBurgh. According to Mr. Zimet, "This particular piece is one of only three in the world and was commissioned by Louis XV for his mistress, Madame de Pompadour. Today it has a market value of 5.5 million dollars. It is interesting to note that the other two similar pieces are in Buckingham Palace and the Quirinale Palace in Rome, respectively".

The strong and distinctive style of such grand furniture has widespread appeal and attracts international customers from around the globe to the New York gallery. Mr. Zimet explains why his company seems to be more favoured than others with opportunities to handle such extraordinary pieces, "Well, first of all you have to keep in touch with everything, you visit the owners and the chateaux of those who have articles that they are considering to part with and sooner or later they will come to us with an important piece for sale. They come to us rather than other dealers because they know that we will pay the top price and word is around that we pay on the spot. An ardent collector knows where all the pieces are too, they are dealers in their own right and to some degree they are our competition. But we are not concerned because we have a very solid business and interesting clients from all over the world".

Givenchy, the French couturier is a close friend of Mr. Zimet and a serious collector of antiques. He frequently travels from Paris to New York and visits the gallery of French & Co., confirming the widely held view that the most important available 18th century French furniture is not necessarily in France. Martin Zimet relates the good and friendly relationship that he had with both the Shah of Iran and his wife, Farah Dibah, who were both so interested in art and encouraged their museums to purchase fine pieces from overseas. He talks with admiration of the French actor, Alain Delon, who is a very sophisticated and knowledgeable art historian and has a wonderful collection of old masters.

Mr. Zimet, with more than just a hint of humour, tells the story of the desk, of Lord Balfour, at which the 'Balfour Declaration', proclaiming Israel a State, was signed. "The Queen of Jordan visited the Gallery and took a particular liking to this desk and wanted to purchase it. I thought it was only good manners to present her with something of its history, particularly the important part played by Lord Balfour. On hearing which, she declared, "I hate it, I hate it". Mr. Zimet and his son, Henry, both agree that their business brings them into contact with some quite extraordinary people which creates all sorts of interesting situations. Mr. Zimet tells another story about the wife of the Emirite of Kuwait, who was very taken with six chairs in matched pairs. Beautiful pieces, of which there were only eight in the world. She said with extreme casualness and a wave of her hand, "I would like all six and make me forty four more".

The company rarely requires the services of a restorer, as most of the pieces they buy are in mint condition. Mr. Zimet points out that, "After all, they are the very best and wherever they have been, they have been well looked after. Once a year, a man comes in and checks such things as the gilt on the chairs and if one has been chipped, he will fix that up, but that is all".

Martin Zimet advocates the marriage of fine furniture and old masters as the appropriate combination of grandeur and beauty. The New York gallery displays an excellent combination of both, with their most expensive item, a painting by the 19th C. French, Romantic artist, Theodore Gericault, priced at 15 million dollars. Henry Zimet believes that the 'Gericault' is the most important piece they have ever acquired. He explains, "that this painting is one of the artists few portraits and is extremely rare. Gericaults' career lasted a mere eleven years. It is beautiful and has an elegance and refinement that elevates it to a level of true excellence".

The 'Gericault' is in excellent company with an absolutely marvellous example of the French, 18th C. artist, Jean Oudrey, nearby. His painting of 'A Dog Barking at a Heron', executed in 1722, demonstrates his wonderful alacrity and understanding of animals and nature.

The range of works, exhibited at the premises of French and Company, are quite extraordinary and rival those in the permanent collections of many museums around the world. A painting by Meindert Hobbema, the last of the great 17th C. Dutch landscape artists adds a wonderful contrast in both subject and execution. Such fine paintings and magnificent examples of antique furniture must rank French and Company as major leaders in their field. In the future, Mr. Zimet and his son, Henry, would be very happy to deal with more of the same calibre of highly exciting, rare and beautiful works of art.

However, Martin Zimet foresees certain changes, suggesting "that art of quality will become even more expensive as access to it decreases and consequently fewer items are available, in any line. Perhaps one day it will become a case of dealing with only a single object at a time". Mr. Zimet concedes that even the clientele in the future could change, and may include the Hollywood stars, who at present are more interested in modern art. Once circumstance, he declares, will never change, and that is his absolute enjoyment of Fine Art and the very great pleasure he derives from his rewarding occupation. He acknowledges that it is only with time that a company such as theirs can establish worldwide recognition and acclaim.

Martin Zimet and his son, Henry, have developed an excellent working relationship and have already established a reputation, both in America and on the international market, as Fine Art and Antique Dealers of distinction. Their expectations for the future are based on their successes in the past, projecting a view of strength and progress for French and Company