Go Inside the Fantastical World of Paris Antiques Dealer Marin Montagut

His latest tome, Extraordinary Collections, delves into some of the most magical hoards in France

Man in a pink shirt sitting amid globes, floral art, and a statue bust in a colorful room.
Marin Montagut. Photo: Pierre Musellec

Everything from iridescent butterflies and whimsical wicker baskets to mercury glass candlesticks and artist palettes slathered with paint finds a home in the fantastical world of Paris-based antiques dealer and illustrator Marin Montagut. His latest tome, Extraordinary Collections (Flammarion), delves into some of the most magical hoards in France, spotlighting assemblages within private residences as well as studios, including the illustrious Atelier Lorenzi in Arcueil. Romantically strewn with plaster busts, it is one of the only remaining large casting workshops still in operation. “Finding objects endowed with soul is a passion that drives me every day,” writes Montagut. “When I go antiquing, I never approach it with a preconceived idea in mind. I rely on coincidence and luck.”

Book cover of Extraordinary Collections by Marin Montagut, featuring sculptures, paintings, and artistic decor on a red backdrop.
Extraordinary Collections: French Interiors, Flea Markets, Ateliers by Marin Montagut. Photographs by Pierre Musellec. Photo: Flammarion
Rustic room with wooden beams, a staircase, vintage furniture, artwork, and a bookshelf filled with books and decorative items.
Dealer Stéphanie Mayeux collects folk art and curiosities, including apothecary jars. Photo: Pierre Musellec
Collection of framed butterflies and mounted animal heads displayed on a wall above a staircase.
Gaëtan Lanzani’s establishment is a Surrealist wonderland. Photo: Pierre Musellec
Collage of vintage art and illustrations with postcards, color palettes, butterflies, hearts, and ornate designs.
A collage from Extraordinary Collections, Flammarion. Photo: Pierre Musellec

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2023 Collectors Issue under the headline “More the Merrier.” Subscribe to the magazine.