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This matter, much unsettling for Parisian auctioneers, started after a private collector asked for a 9 million FF (about $ 1,5 million) loan from the Hottinger bank. He offered 13 works, estimated for a total of 40 million FF (about $ 6,5 million) in order to guarantee this loan but eventually failed to pay the loan back.

The bank then decided to sell the 13 works at auction to recover the loan plus 2 million FF as interests following a judgement delivered by a Paris court in June 1994 and auctioneer Guy Loudmer was designated to conduct the sale. However, Jean-Claude Binoche succeeded in obtaining the right to hold this sale. Still, three works remained unaccounted for – no explanation was given for their disappearance- and the sale was a disaster since the turnover only totalled 3,4 million FF (about $ 566,000) and such bad result prompted the bank to file a suit.

An investigating judge then discovered that only eight of the 10 lots offered for sale had been sold the day of the auction. For instance, lot Number 30, a portrait of Mr Le Pelletier, a painting from the studio of Pierre Mignard, found no buyer at 20 000 FF while lot number 36, a drawing by Prud'hon titled “The Apotheosis of Racine” remained unsold at 170 000 FF. This drawing was however sold the following day to the museum of Dijon following an “after sell” deal, considered as illegal in France though a draft allowing French auctioneers a 15 day period of grace after a sale in order to sell unsold lots is due to be adopted soon.

The fate of the 17th Century unsold portrait remains a mystery since it was apparently listed in Jean-Claude Binoche's sale report as sold to a certain Dr Bianco for 20 000 FF. However, this portrait was seen in a photograph taken in Binoche dining-room accompanying an article devoted to his princely mansion in “Point de Vue” magazine published last December. On another photograph appeared lot 35 of the 1995 sale, another Prud'hon drawing titled “The award given to the heroic warrior” sold the day of the auction for 330 000 FF.

The daily “France-soir” wondered on June 7th 2000 how the 17th century portrait and this Prud'hon drawing could be seen hanging on Jean-Claude Binoche's walls. The auctioneer replied that this was pure coincidence and stressed these photographs had been taken long ago before the auction when these works had been deposited in his home. His statement was denied by the reporters working for “Point de Vue” magazine who said the pictures were taken during the spring of 1999, therefore four years after that sale. Meanwhile, police did not find them in Jean-Claude Binoche's house but remain quite puzzled about this rather provocative art collector who once said “I love quality on condition that it remains cheap”.

After the auctioneer sold Picasso's “Les Noces de Pierrette” it was rumoured that the real owner of that painting was in fact himself and not a Danish collector who eventually died victim of Aids. It had notably been reported that he had bought this 1901 major work for some $ 2 million from a Swedish family, which later complained that such price was ridiculous before obtaining an additional $ 7 million compensation for that painting.