Expert Agréé – THE GUARDIAN of Invisible Value
- Beata Wiśniewska-Kowalewska
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
In the art world, there are people who do not create paintings,
and yet they influence how they are seen.
Expert Agréé
is not just a title.
In France, this role has a long history –
it is rooted where art meets law,
heritage, and responsibility.
These experts are appointed by the Courts of Appeal
and entered on the official lists of court experts.
Their opinions can carry legal force –
deciding on a work’s authenticity, its value, and sometimes the fate of entire collections.
But behind that structure stands a man.
My Expert Agréé, Christian Sorriano,
is a man of extraordinary culture and gentleness.
I remember our conversations, long, calm, attentive.
Over thirty minutes of presence,
in a world that usually rushes so much.
When I apologized for my imperfect French,
he replied with a smile:
*“Dear Beata, you speak wonderfully –
far better than I do in Polish.”*
In that one sentence
was everything: respect, class, humanity.
There are figures in the art world who, over time, become more than experts – they become points of reference.
Christian Sorriano
belongs precisely to that rare circle.
His path combines the experience of the highest state responsibility with a long-standing, profound presence in the art world.
As a senior official and expert appointed by the French state, he co-created the structures that still today regulate the art market and protect its integrity.
For years, his perspective has shaped how works are understood, recognized, and valued – not only in France, but in a broader, international context.
He is also connected to a legendary place, the Hôtel Drouot – the Parisian auction house that, since the 19th century, has been one of the most important centers of the art market in Europe.
It was there that, for decades, the fates of collectors, dealers, and artists met, and art history was written not only in museums, but also to the rhythm of auction hammers.
And yet, what moves most deeply is not found in titles.
It is attentiveness.
The time he knows how to offer another human being.
The nobility of a word that uplifts, rather than judges.
In a world where value is so often measured in numbers, his presence reminds us that true authority does not divide – it recognizes.
Christian Sorriano – Expert Agréé près la Cour d’Appel de Paris, Chargé de Mission par le Gouvernement français, Guid'Arts expert.
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