Rating and value of paintings by Jean Béraud

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Artist's rating and value Jean Béraud

The artist Jean Béraud left behind a classical body of work, composed mainly of genre scenes. He studied art with Léon Bonnat at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

Prices for his works are now rising under the auctioneers' gavels. His paintings are highly prized, especially by American buyers.

The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €35 to €2,374,250, a very wide range, but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Béraud's works.

In 2016, a canvas depicting the Bois de Boulogne sold for €1,325,000, whereas its estimate was between €530,000 and €706,700.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Jean Béraud's style and technique

Jean Béraud, a true icon of genre scenes, navigated the academic canons with ease throughout his career, offering the world an array of fascinating paintings. His dazzling talent shines through in captivating chiaroscuro, where light and shadow dance together to give life to atmospheres both warm and mysterious.

With a keen sense of realism, he never fails to capture the smallest details, from the delicate fabrics of his clothes to the vivid expressions of his characters.

Each painting becomes an open window on Parisian life, where the everyday mingles with poetry, and each scene exudes palpable emotion, inviting the viewer to plunge into the vibrant world of the Belle Époque.

The life of Jean Béraud

Jean Béraud (1849-1935), a fascinating French artist, was born in St. Petersburg into a family steeped in creativity.

His father, a talented artist, was a passionate sculptor and painter, and at the time of Jean's birth, he was working on the majestic St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Sadly, he died four years later, leaving his wife alone with their two children, who returned to Paris, the cradle of the arts.

Jean, with his eagerness to learn, was educated at the Lycée Condorcet, then followed in his father's footsteps by entering the Beaux-Arts de Paris, where he had the good fortune to be mentored by the famous Léon Bonnat.

He first exhibited at the Salon of 1872, but it was in 1876 that he really came into his own, with his landmark painting Le Retour de l'enterrement, which catapulted him into the limelight.

Through his works, Béraud brilliantly portrayed the bourgeoisie, capturing genre scenes full of life and charm, and also forged a reputation as a socialite painter alongside figures such as Carolus Duran and Ferdinand Roybet.

At the same time, he created portraits for influential figures, immortalizing the faces of his time.

Like some of his contemporaries, such as Hyppolite Lazerges or Luc-Olivier Mersonhe also explored religious themes, offering some deeply spiritual works centered on Christ.

In 1890, he joined forces with Auguste Rodin and other artists to found the Société nationale des Beaux-Arts, a veritable crossroads for contemporary art.

His commitment didn't stop there: at the heart of the Dreyfus affair, he took sides and, with artist friends, joined the French Fatherland League, an organization with nationalist ideas, thus affirming his role as a committed artist in the debates of his time.

Focus on Une soirée by Jean Béraud

Une soirée, a work by Jean Béraud, accurately captures the elegance and social atmosphere of Parisian society during the Belle Époque.

This painting, kept at the Musée d'Orsay, is emblematic of the artist's talent for depicting scenes of urban life with meticulous realism, while infusing his works with a certain lightness and irony.

Jean Béraud (1849-1935), himself from a bourgeois background, was well versed in the codes and habits of this society. His work Une soirée is in this vein, immortalizing opulent salons and refined soirées.

The painting depicts a reception where men in frock coats and women in sumptuous gowns exchange hushed conversations in opulent surroundings. The décor, richly adorned with draperies, sparkling chandeliers and luxurious furniture, reinforces the sense of belonging to a world where everything is governed by appearance and convention.

Béraud's ability to capture social interaction with such subtlety is quite striking in this work. Every gesture, every glance seems meticulously choreographed. We imagine light-hearted discussions, laughter hushed behind fans, polite greetings.

The painting doesn't tell a particular story, but depicts a frozen moment, like a photograph of a typical Parisian bourgeois evening. Béraud, with his precise brushwork, observes his subjects like a chronicler of his time, revealing the unspoken and superficial nature of exchanges.

Béraud is often compared to contemporary painters such as Edgar Degas and Gustave Caillebotte, who also documented Parisian life.

But where Degas is interested in dancers or horse racing, and Caillebotte in boulevards and working-class people, Béraud prefers hushed salons and society strolls. Une soirée is a perfect illustration of this fascination with the everyday life of high society. His characters are neither heroic nor dramatic; they are simply actors in the mundane theater of the Belle Époque.

The color palette, dominated by warm, golden tones, accentuates the impression of luxury and comfort. The textures of the dresses, silks and velvets are rendered with impressive precision, testifying to Béraud's technical talent.

The play of light, from chandeliers and candles, adds an intimate, hushed atmosphere to the scene. Here, Béraud masters the art of light and shadow, creating a cinematic atmosphere ahead of its time.

AlthoughUne soirée seems at first glance to be a simple genre scene, it is also a bitter-sweet critique of bourgeois society. Béraud, himself an actor in this society, is quick to point out its vanity and superficiality.

The refinement of appearances contrasts with the emptiness of exchanges, as if behind the beauty of costumes and sets lies a hollow world with no real depth.

All in all, Une soirée is a work that, beneath its mundane airs, reveals remarkable acuity and irony.

Jean Béraud, with his sharp eye and precise brush, invites us not only to contemplate a scene from Parisian life, but also to reflect on the customs and habits of a bygone era.

Catalog presentation of the Jean Béraud exhibition at Carnavalet

Jean Béraud's imprint on his period

Jean Béraud undeniably left his mark on his era with his late neoclassicism, bringing a unique touch to academic figuration. Considered one of the most eminent painters of his time, he succeeded in selling his paintings at high prices, testifying to his talent and growing popularity.

Over the decades, the value of his work has risen steadily, peaking in the 1990s, when numerous pieces found their way onto the art market, captivating the attention of connoisseurs and experts alike.

Even today, his paintings remain highly prized at auction, attracting American collectors in particular, who are always enchanted by the beauty and finesse of his style.

Béraud's legacy continues to illuminate the art world, testifying to his lasting influence on future generations.

Knowing the value of a work

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A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it.

If you wish to sell your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to help you sell it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.