Rating and value of paintings and engravings by Albert Besnard

If you own a work by or after Albert Besnard, 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 value of the artist Albert Besnard   

The artist Albert Besnard left behind a body of work characteristic of Symbolism, famous for his paintings and engravings. Prices for his works are now rising under auctioneers' gavels. His paintings are particularly prized, especially by French and American buyers. The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €20 to €231,400, a substantial gap but one that says a lot about the value that can be attributed to Besnard's works. In 2017, Le portrait de la famille Lenoir sold for €231,400.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Albert Besnard's style and technique

Like Odilon Redon, Albert Besnard was part of the Symbolist movement. He drew his technique from several masters who influenced him, and produced mainly engravings and oils on canvas.

The life of Albert Besnard  

Paul Albert Besnard (1849-1934) was a French painter and engraver.

His father, Louis Alphonse Besnard, was a history painter and pupil of Ingres, and his mother was a renowned miniaturist. Besnard naturally turned to art, studying with Jean-François Brémond, Sébastien Cornu and Alexandre Cabanel. He won the Prix de Rome in 1974, with La mort de Triomphe, tyran de Corinthe. He stays at Villa Medici, where he meets Franz Liszt and André Worsmer. In Rome, he marries a sculptress with whom he moves to London, where he exhibits at the Royal Academy.

He then returned to Italy, where he exhibited at the Venice Biennale. But that wasn't enough to inspire him, and he headed for India with his family, where he made sketches for his future canvases. Equally gifted as a writer, he published L'Homme en rose, the story of his trip to India.

He then settled permanently in Paris, and exhibited at the Salon. His portraits were highly acclaimed, with a notable Carolus-Duran influence.

He was also renowned as a decorator, creating frescoes in several Parisian monuments, including the Petit Palais. He was also responsible for the ceiling of the Peace Palace in The Hague, now home to the International Court of Justice.

Throughout his career, he continued to produce etchings, of which there are now over 200. At the end of his career, he was appointed Director of the Académie de France in Rome, succeeding one of his most important inspirations, Carolus-Duran. He was also elected to the Académie Française following the death of Antoine Bourdelle, one of the few painters to have had a place there.

Albert Besnard's imprint on his era

Albert Besnard is one of the few painters to have held so many important positions in the development of French art worldwide. He combined the talents of painter and writer, and was one of the few artists to belong to the Symbolist movement. He succeeded in establishing a transcendence between painting and writing, as René Magritte would do after him.

Today, some of his works are exhibited in museums, but private collectors play a major role in preserving his work.

Recognizing Besnard's signature  

Not all Albert Besnard works are signed. However, with or without a mention, it is important for you to have the work appraised to ensure its originality and to be able to date it. Of course, there are also copies.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Besnard, 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 market value of your work, as well as ad hoc information about it. If you wish to sell your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.