The New York dealer Adam Williams bought the fruity still-lifeA painting of a pile of strawberries by the 18th-century French artist Jean-Siméon Chardin fetched €24.4m (with fees) at Artcurial in Paris yesterday, setting an auction record for the artist. The auction house says that the price is also the highest paid at auction for an 18th-century French painting. The work was bought by the New York dealer Adam Williams, who was bidding in the room. This was confirmed by the Old Master paintings specialist Eric Turquin who advised on the sale and wrote the catalogue entry. He also tells The...