Rating and value of works, sculptures, bronzes by Chana Orloff

If you own a work by or about the artist Chana Orloff, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers can offer you their expert 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 want to sell your work, we'll point you in the right direction to get the best possible price for it.

Cote et valeur de l'artiste Chana Orloff      

Chana Orloff is a popular artist among collectors of modern art sculptures. Today, the prices of her creations are rising at the auctioneer's gavel, especially her mythical " Torso " sculptures.

His creations are particularly prized, especially by French buyers, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €320 to €4,000, a significant delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the artist's works.

In 2012, a bronze sculpture, Torse, sold for €210,850, against an estimate of €54,500 to €78,000, almost four times the low estimate. Its value is on the rise.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Artist Chana Orloff's style and technique

Chana Orloff, a major figure in modernist sculpture, is distinguished by a style marked by simplicity and elegance, where softness of form is combined with powerful expressivity.

Orloff, a self-taught artist, developed a unique technique distinguished by its clean lines and often sober yetdeeply emotional rendering.

His work, characterized by the depiction of human and animal figures, shows great sensitivity, yet is marked by a certain modernity that defies classical conventions.

Chana Orloff's style is based on a form of minimalist elegance. Far from excessive detail or realism, she favors fluid, often rounded lines that give her sculptures an impression of restrained movement.

Her subjects, often female, are treated with a certain monumentality, even when they are small. She succeeds in capturing the essence of the human figure with an economy of means, each form seemingly distilled to its simplest form, while retaining great expressive intensity.

Her technique is based on the subtle manipulation of materials, mainly bronze and stone, which she works with remarkable finesse. Orloff sculpts with a keen sense of proportion and harmony. Her figures, often stylized, display a perfect mastery of volume and curves.

In her sculptures, there's a sensuality and softness to the forms, particularly in the way she sculpts faces and bodies, stripping them of all superfluous detail to retain only the essential. It's this masterful minimalism that gives her work a particular timelessness, at once modern and classic.

One of the most notable aspects of his work is the serenity that emanates from his sculptures. Whether portraying women, maternity or animals, Orloff always manages to convey a gentle emotion, an almost meditative calm.

Her maternities, for example, express the tenderness and complicity between mother and child with disarming simplicity. The mother's body is often depicted in full, rounded forms, while the child is gently curled up against her, in an almost sacred fusion.

Orloff also drew on a Symbolist and spiritual vein, influenced by her time and the artistic circles she frequented in Paris, notably the Jewish artists of the École de Paris.

Her sculptures, though rooted in a certain modernity, carry an emotional and symbolic depth, often evoking universal themes such as maternity, femininity and family life.

The artist's career and the world of Chana Orloff       

Chana Orloff (1888-1968) is a key 20th-century artist whose life reflects a path of resilience, innovation and creativity.

Born in a small town in Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire, she was forced to emigrate with her family to Palestine in 1905 to escape anti-Semitic persecution. It was here that she discovered her interest in art, particularly drawing, but it was not until she moved to Paris in 1910 that her destiny as an artist took shape.

At the time, Paris was the nerve center of artistic modernity, and it was here that Chana Orloff found her calling.

She attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and befriended the great names of the Parisian avant-garde, such as Modigliani, Picassoand Soutine. Although mostly self-taught, she quickly carved out a place for herself in this artistic community.

Sculpture becomes her preferred means of expression, although she also paints, draws and engraves, and she develops a unique style that combines simplicity of form and emotional depth.

During the 1920s, Orloff enjoyed rapid ascent and success. She exhibited her work in prestigious salons and gained recognition for her sculptures of female figures, maternities and portraits of artists.

Her ability to capture the essence of the people she sculpts, with clean lines and harmonious volumes, earns her many commissions, including portraits of celebrities of the time.

Her personal life was marked by difficult times, including the loss of her husband, Ary Justman, to the Spanish flu pandemic in 1919, when they had just married and had a son.

Orloff, now a widow and mother, nevertheless continues to produce numerous works, the hardships she endures nourishing her work. This resilience is reflected in the softness and strength of her sculptures, where the themes of motherhood and family are recurrent.

The Second World War turned her life and career upside down. As a Jew, Orloff was forced to flee Paris in 1942 for Switzerland. During this period, many of her works were destroyed or looted.

After the war, however, she returned to Paris and resumed her artistic activity with vigor and determination. She even managed to recreate some of her lost works, while continuing to explore new themes and approaches.

Chana Orloff spent her last years in Paris, where she continued to sculpt until her death in 1968. Her studio in Montparnasse became an emblematic place of creation, testifying to her dedication to art and her influence on the Parisian art scene.

Today, his work is celebrated the world over, and his sculptures, of great humanity and remarkable finesse, continue to inspire.

In this way, Chana Orloff's life reflects a complex era, marked by political and social upheaval, but also by a tireless artistic quest.

Through her creations, she has transformed her personal trials into a timeless work, full of sensitivity and grace.

Portrait of Chana Orloff by France Culture

Focus on Torso (bronze) by Chana Orloff

Chana Orloff's Torso is a work that perfectly embodies her style, which is both pure and gentle. Formally simple, this sculpture expresses remarkable depth.

Working with fluid lines and rounded volumes, Orloff manages to capture the essence of the human figure while simplifying it. This Torso doesn't lose itself in detail; on the contrary, it says a lot with a little.

The body, reduced to its most essential forms, exudes a quiet strength. We feel the almost palpable presence of the material, but also a surprising lightness.

Orloff's characteristic curves create a soothing harmony, while remaining resolutely modern. This dialogue between full and empty, visible and absent, lends the work a fascinating balance.

It's interesting to see how this work celebrates the female body without being too realistic. It magnifies it, symbolizes it, while retaining a certain intimacy.

This torso is above all a celebration of the universal beauty of the human body, a tribute to femininity in its purest, timeless form.

Chana Orloff's imprint on her period 

Chana Orloff has made a significant contribution to art and culture, although she is not well known to the general public. Her own works reflect the influence of the artistic movements of her time.

His works are highly rated on today's art market, and their value at auction is constantly rising, making them highly sought-after by private collectors.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Chana Orloff does not necessarily sign her works. Copies may exist, which is why expertise remains important.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a painting by Chana Orloff or one based on the artist, please feel free 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 market 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 alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking market trends into account.