Rating and value of works, sculptures, bronzes by Camille Alaphilippe

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Rating and value of Camille Alaphilippe's works  

French Art Nouveau sculptor Camille Alaphilippe works mainly in bronze. Lately, his value has been rising on the art market.

His works fetch between €100 and €3,500 on the auction market, a substantial delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the artist's works.

A bronze sculpture, Bacchante, sold for €3,500 against an estimate of €3,500 to €4,000.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Artist Camille Alaphilippe's style and technique  

Camille Alaphilippe is a French sculptor who works mainly in bronze. His sculptures are characterized by animal subjects, dancers and mythological subjects.

It is part of the Art Nouveau movement.

He produced a few marbles and ceramics, but is best known and sought after for his bronzes.

Camille Alaphilippe's career     

Camille Alaphilippe (1874 - 1934) was a French Art Nouveau sculptor and ceramist born in Tours.

He soon moved to Paris, where he studied at the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Paris in the studios of Jean-Paul Laurens and Louis-Ernest Barrias.

In 1898, aged just 24, he won the Prix de Rome for sculpture. The theme he had chosen was a classic, but a difficult one, as it was very common throughout the history of art: Cain killing Abel.

From 1901 onwards, his career took a different direction, as he developed a keen interest in ceramics. It was during this period that he found his true artistic identity, in the Art Nouveau movement, just emerging.

He also tried his hand at decoration, married to an artist who also worked as a sculptor, creating the decorations for the stores of Félix Potin and François Carnot.

Shortly afterwards, in 1914, he was appointed manager of Alexandre Bigot's flamed stoneware factory in the Loir-et-Cher region.

World War I, however, put a considerable brake on his career. He was demobilized, had little money and had fallen ill. Needing new horizons, he decided to move to Algeria.

There, he headed the section of the Algiers School of Fine Arts, where he trained the French sculptor André Greck. He is notably famous for having created numerous monuments in Algeria in memory of the various conflicts that took place there at the beginning of the 20th century.

He died in Algiers in 1934, aged 60.

The plaster of his Prix de Rome at the Beaux-Arts in Tours

Focus on La Femme au Singe, stoneware and bronze, Camille Alaphilippe

La Femme au Singe by Camille Alaphilippe, on show at the Petit Palais, is a sculpture that embodies all the delicacy and poetry characteristic of the early 20th century and the artist's style.

Alaphilippe, an artist influenced by Art Nouveau, has created a work in which the elegance of the forms blends perfectly with subtle symbolism. The curves are light and the subject light, allowing the sculpture to fit in perfectly with its movement.

The slightly reclining female figure seems lost in thought, while the monkey at her feet adds an unexpected, almost mischievous touch. This unlikely duo evokes a silent complicity that piques the viewer's curiosity.

Alaphilippe favors the pure forms and soft lines characteristic of his style. The woman, wrapped in a flowing drape, seems almost to float in space.

This artistic choice focuses attention on the figure's posture and expression, while evoking a soothing lightness.

The monkey, on the other hand, is more lively in his movement, creating an interesting contrast with the more composed attitude of the woman. This contrast makes the scene both peaceful and dynamic.

The influence of Art Nouveau can also be seen in the attention paid to decorative detail, without overloading the whole. The simplicity of the scene leaves room for the imagination: what does the monkey symbolize?

Is he a reflection of the woman's free spirit, or simply a faithful companion? This ambiguity is part of the charm of the work, which invites different interpretations without ever imposing a single reading.

The material, certainly bronze, lends the sculpture a timeless quality. The soft patina and fine lines reinforce the impression of serenity that emanates from the female figure.

Bronze, often associated with heroic or monumental representations, is used here to capture a more intimate, almost introspective moment.

This subtle use of the material is a testament to Alaphilippe's skill in infusing a cold, rigid material with an emotional dimension.

Another fascinating aspect of this work is the way Alaphilippe plays with body posture. The woman is slightly bent over, as if in deep reverie, while the monkey at her feet seems curious and attentive.

This interaction between the two protagonists suggests a strong, perhaps symbolic, link between the human figure and the animal. This recalls the preoccupations of the time, when art often sought to explore the relationship between nature and culture, human and animal.

The woman's serene, detached gaze contrasts with the monkey's restrained energy, creating a kind of silent dialogue between the two.

Alaphilippe manages to capture this duality with great finesse, without going overboard or overdoing the details. This simplicity makes the sculpture all the more powerful, as it leaves everyone free to interpret the scene in their own way.

Finally, La Femme au Singe is a work that testifies to Alaphilippe's talent for combining symbolism and aestheticism. It embodies an era when art sought to represent beauty in new ways, favoring fluid lines and more intimate subjects.

As an Impressionist, Edgar Degas had already begun to move in this direction.

The work, with its harmonious composition and poetic theme, is fully in line with this trend, while asserting the singular artistic personality of its creator.

Art Nouveau sculpture of the 20th century

Art Nouveau sculpture, which emerged at the end of the 19th century, is characterized by a clear break with classical conventions.

This artistic movement, whose principal representatives include sculptors such asAgathon Léonard and Alexandre Charpentier, gave pride of place to organic, flowing forms directly inspired by nature.

The themes chosen are often plant or animal, and the sinuous lines that characterize these works evoke natural curves, reminiscent of stems and leaves that seem to blossom with lightness.

From the early years of the 20th century, Art Nouveau sculpture was also part of a decorative approach, where the role of the sculpted object went beyond simple representation.

Numerous artists joined forces with architects to decorate building facades, such as those by Hector Guimard, or to create furniture and objets d'art for bourgeois interiors.

Materials, too, vary: bronze, marble, but also more innovative materials such as ceramics, which allow a play of colors and textures.

However, despite the enthusiasm for this bold style, Art Nouveau in sculpture remained a short-lived art form. The movement quickly ran out of steam with the emergence of Art Deco, but left behind works that continue to impress with their refinement and quest for a perfect balance between art and nature.

Camille Alaphilippe's imprint on his period

Camille Alaphilippe was a well-known and sought-after artist during his lifetime, selling works at prices high enough to make a living from the various commissions he received. Today, his value is stable on the auction market.

Although little known today by the general public, his works are very successful on the art market, his statues being prized by many collectors.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Camille Alaphilippe often signs his works with his family name in cursive script. Expertise is essential to authenticate your property.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own one of Camille Alaphilippe's works, don't hesitate to ask for a free estimate 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 value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it.

If you're thinking of selling your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to help you find alternative ways of selling it at the best possible price.