Rating and value of paintings by Théodore Chassériau

If you own a work by or based on the artist Théodore Chassériau and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers can help you. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market. Then, if you wish to sell your work of art, we will guide you towards the best possible means of obtaining the best possible price.

Artist's rating and value

A pupil of Ingres and the author of a major pictorial output, Théodore Chassériau's name is little known. Yet the artist is highly rated on the art market and attracts many collectors. In fact, Chassériau's paintings are commonplace and popular in auction rooms. His oils on canvas are his most highly-rated works, and can fetch tens of thousands of euros at auction, like his oil on canvas Portrait de la comtesse de Latour Maubourg, dating from 1841, which sold for €1,050,000 in 2002. 

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

Artist's style and technique

Théodore Chassériau was a pupil of Ingres, using the same pictorial processes that were still part of the Académie. He was part of the Romantic movement, but, like his master, produced Orientalist-inspired works.

Théodore Chassériau, his life and work

Théodore Chassériau was born in 1819 on the island of Saint Domingue. His father was a minister in Latin America and later a diplomat, so he grew up without him; his older brother, who was in charge of the family, brought him and the rest of the siblings to Paris in 1822.

He began his artistic training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where his teacher was Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Ingres strongly encouraged him, telling him that he would be the "Napoleon" of painting. After Ingres left for Rome, Chassériau met the poet Théophile Gautier, who had an influence on his work, being a Romantic himself.

He produced rather vaporous compositions, inspired by biblical subjects, sometimes drawing on elements of symbolism. His first painting, Suzanne au bain, was exhibited at the Salon in 1839.

Interested in emerging Orientalism and the work of Delacroix, he travels to Algeria, where he produces scenes of Arab horsemen fighting and depictions of women's life in Algeria. Thanks to the support of his brother and Alexis de Tocqueville, he obtains permission to paint the fresco for the Cour des Comptes.

He died in 1856, aged 37, "like Raphaël, in the fullness of life and talent. Starting with Ingres, he passed through Delacroix as if to color his drawing so pure, he had long been a master himself". 

The artist's works and style

Chassériau's style falls somewhere between Orientalism and Romanticism, and his canvases are imbued with great simplicity but also great sensitivity.

He mainly painted oils on canvas and produced drawings, his most popular category at auction. 

His signature

Not all Théodore Chassériau's works are signed.

Although there are variations, here is a first example of its signature:

Appraising your property

If you own a work by Théodore Chassériau, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal by filling in our online form. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you to provide an estimate of the market value of your work.

If you are considering selling your work, our specialists will also guide you through the various alternatives available to obtain the best possible price, taking into account market trends and the specific features of each work.