Rating and value of works, paintings, drawings by Olivier Debré

If you own a work by or about the artist Olivier Debré, 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 Olivier Debré

Considered one of the most celebrated contemporary artists of the 20th century, Olivier Debré has left behind an artistic identity of his own. This legacy consists mainly of large-format oils on canvas. Today, prices for his works are rising under the auctioneer's hammer, and his stock is on the rise. 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 €25 to €260,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Debré's works. In 2021, a monochrome composition entitled Figure rude en bleu tendre, dating from 1959, sold for €260,000. 

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious 

Style and technique of the artist Olivier Debré 

The main artistic style associated with Olivier Debré is lyrical abstraction. He works with "muted" colors, meaning that they are not bright, and often dark. He uses brushes and knives, but for his large-format works, he overturns pots of paint right onto the canvas. His work is an intellectual experiment throughout.

The life of Olivier Debré 

Olivier Debré (1920-1999) was born and died in Paris. His grandfather was a painter, and he was involved with the art world from an early age. He was the brother of Michel Debré, General de Gaulle's Prime Minister and the man behind the Constitution of the Fifth Republic.

He graduated from the Lycée Montaigne and then the Sorbonne, and concurrently studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris, where his uncle, Jacques Debas-Ponsan, taught. From time to time, he also attended Le Corbusier's studio. The painting Guernica is exhibited in Paris, and he discovers this work at an early age, which will leave a lasting impression on him.

In 1937, the gallery owner Georges Aubry exhibited his work in Paris. Segonzac and Picasso noticed his work.

Like Maurice Mendjiksy, he transcribed the horror of the concentration camps in his paintings during and after the Second World War. In 1949, he exhibited at the Bing gallery, alongsideAmedeo Modigliani. A success, he set up his studio in Paris and exhibited at the Salon d'Automne.

In the 50s, he began to establish his artistic identity through muted colors and reliefs. He exhibited in New York and at the Salon d'octobre, where he met Jacques Germain. His international career was launched. He began to produce his character-monkeys and landscape-monkeys, but soon discovered lithography and devoted himself entirely to it.

In the 60s, he returned to landscape representations, describing his work asfervent abstraction. He received several commissions for large-scale works, which would remain his most famous. He exhibited in Montreal, Tokyo, Dakar, Stockholm and other cities.

Jacques Chirac commissions him to create a memorial to General de Gaulle, to be donated to the city of Montreal. At the end of his career, he spent some time working for the Sèvres porcelain factory, decorating works in porcelain. A number of retrospectives were devoted to his work. Some twenty years after his death, the city of Tours opened a museum in his name (Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré), exhibiting some of his works and promoting new artists.

Olivier Debré's imprint on his period  

Olivier Debré's originality and artistic innovation have marked his time. He is recognized on every continent and has received numerous government commissions. It is not unusual for his works to appear on the walls of town halls and ministries. His experiments with abstraction have served many other artists since him.

His works are very popular with French buyers, as they are often monochrome and allow for minimalist decoration.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Olivier Debré often signs his works, 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 Olivier Debré, 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.