The Musée Carnavalet in Paris has acquired a painting by Gustave Surand titled "Vue sur Les Halles ; côté du pavillon de la boucherie" (1890), depicting a woman on a balcony overlooking the now-demolished Les Halles market pavilions. The work was preempted at a Beaussant-Lefèvre auction on June 5 for €15,000 (excluding fees), thanks to sponsorship from the Fondation La Marck.
This acquisition matters because it adds a significant historical document to the museum's collection, capturing the iconic iron-and-glass pavilions designed by architect Victor Baltard during the Second Empire, which no longer exist. For a museum dedicated to Parisian history, the painting serves as both an artistic and architectural record of a lost urban landmark.