Rating and value of works, drawings, paintings by Lucien Lévy Dhurmer

If you own a work by or after the artist Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we'll guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and artist's value Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer

A French Symbolist painter par excellence, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer devoted himself mainly to portraits and landscapes. Most of his work is based on a wide range of paintings, but there are also rare sculptures and ceramics. The prices at which his works are auctioned range from €20 to €1,350,374, a substantial delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the artist's works. In this case, a portrait of an Andalusian woman on a blue and white abstract background sold for €6,038 in 2023.  

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer

Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer finds his own style and draws inspiration from several artistic currents, such as Academism and, more particularly, Symbolism, with its attraction to dreams, a certain mysticism and a form of melancholy, in reaction to naturalism. His style is also reminiscent of the Romanticism and Pre-Raphaelitism of the early 19th century, recalling the paintings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Everett Millais. He paints women with a symbolic, even mythological character, in a vaporous style and, being a proponent of the "non finito" style, the background against which the busty figures are depicted is relatively abstract or sketchy.

The life of Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer

Born in Algiers in 1865, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer began his artistic training in 1879 at the École Communale Supérieure de Dessin et de Sculpture in Paris. His spectacular mastery of pastel and drawing quickly earned him a reputation, and he worked at Clément Massier's Manufacture for 8 years.

In 1896, following the organization of a monographic exhibition by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer at the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris, his career took a turning point. His pastels, drawings and paintings testify to an art of evocation, often taking the form of intimate, mysterious and troubling portraits.

His travels throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East lend a singular exoticism to his canvases, which are reminiscent of Jean-Léon Gérôme's Orientalism. Music is an undeniable source of inspiration, and his works are reminiscent of those of James McNeill Whistler and his famous painting Symphony in White No. 1. He drew inspiration from the greatest composers of his time, such as Beethoven and Debussy, for works such as La Sonate au clair de Lune.

Silence remains one of the most enigmatic and unsettling of his portraits, now in the Musée d'Orsay. Akin to an allegory of fatality, it depicts a woman resembling the Virgin Mary, posing in a frontal, hieratic pose against a starry background. The painter was undoubtedly inspired by Auguste Préault's famous sculpture.

The artist's imprint on his period

Lévy-Dhurmer was awarded a bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition in 1900, before receiving the Legion d'Honneur in 1902, which contributed significantly to his growing reputation at the dawn of the 20th century. 

Recognizing Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer's signature

The painter didn't sign all his works, which doesn't make for easy appraisal. When his works are signed, the signature appears as a voluptuous, clearly visible idiogram in fluid script.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work of art by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it. If you're thinking of selling your work, our specialists will also be on hand to help you find alternative ways of selling it at the best possible price.