Rating and value of paintings by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel

If you own a work by or about the artist Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, 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 Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel    

A painter and draughtsman in a class of his own, Boutet de Monvel leaves behind a stylistic identity of his own. This legacy consists mainly of paintings. Today, prices for his works are rising under auctioneers' hammers, while his stock is stable. His canvases and other works are particularly prized, especially by French buyers, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €90 to €49,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Boutet de Monvel's works. In 2005, an oil on canvas entitled Jeune fille à l'ombrelle dans les hortensias roses sold for €49,000, whereas it was estimated at between €6,000 and €8,000.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious 

Style and technique of the artist Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel          

Boutet de Monvel painted a few portraits, but he worked mainly on landscape paintings, moving closer to Orientalism during his career. He produced mainly oils on canvas, but also mastered the watercolor technique.

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, his life and work

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel (1850-1913) was a French painter of genre scenes, landscapes and portraits.

He was born in Orléans into a family of artists. Following in the footsteps of his father, a chemistry teacher at the Lycée Charlemagne, he spent much of his childhood and adolescence in Paris. He studied painting with Rudder and then Cabanel at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. After the war with Prussia, he continued his training at the Académie Julian, and exhibited for the first time at the 1873 Salon. He used very dark tones at the start of his career, painting like Géricault with bitumen pigments. To change this aspect of his work, he turned to Carolus-Duran, whose colorimetry was very important at the time. He traveled to Kabylia and Tunisia, where he produced a number of Orientalist works.

After the birth of his son, he became an illustrator to support himself and his family. In 1885, he submitted an openly royalist painting to the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français, which met with unanimous approval, but was withdrawn at the government's request. In 1896, he produced the album Jeanne d'Arc, illustrated with watercolors, which is the most famous album he ever illustrated. He traveled to Austria, where in some respects he formed the New Vienna School, and took part in the 1900 Universal Exhibition, where his work was again dedicated to Joan of Arc.

He died in Paris in 1913, aged 62.  

Boutet de Monvel's influence on his era

Harold Speed left his mark on his era, and his work is still of interest today and prized by some collectors. Many artists have drawn on his theories and manuals on the role of drawing and its science in art.

Today, his works are appreciated by collectors who play a major role in preserving his work, even if some paintings are exhibited in museums.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Boutet de Monvel sometimes signs his works, but usually at the bottom of the painting, in a color that contrasts with the background. 

Knowing the value of a work 

If you happen to own a work by or after Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, 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're thinking of selling your work, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.