Rating and value of statues, bronzes and marbles by Pierre Traverse

If you own a work by or after Pierre Traverse, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will be happy to 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 want to sell your work, we'll point you in the right direction to get the best possible price for it.

Rating and value of Pierre Traverse's works  

Pierre Traverse produced unique sculptures. The most famous are those from Limoges, often featured at auction. Nowadays, prices for these creations can rise considerably under the auctioneer's hammer.

His sculptures are particularly prized, by buyers from all over the world. The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €30 to €18,000 at the moment, a considerable difference but one that says a lot about the value that can be attributed to Traverse's work.

In 2015, his bronze sculpture Femme nue et une gazelle sold for €32,280, originally estimated at between €11,740 and €17,600.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of artist Pierre Traverse  

Pierre Traverse's sculptures feature elegant, clean lines and are made from a variety of materials, including marble, bronze and stone, as well as terracotta for softer textural effects.

His style remains rooted in a classical aesthetic, borrowing from the harmonious, idealized forms of the early 20th century, with particular attention to proportions and balanced volumes.

Although he is not directly attributed to any specific movement, some of his works reveal a discreet Art Deco influence, perceptible in the precision of detail, the subtle stylization of silhouettes, and the sober modernity of his compositions.

Traverse favors timeless themes, drawing on the mythological repertoire and the human figure to convey a universal, soothing beauty.

His work is part of a sculptural tradition that values the finesse of human expression and the nobility of materials, with each piece conceived as a tribute to form and matter in their purest simplicity.

The life of Pierre Traverse

Pierre Traverse (1892 - 1979) was a French sculptor born in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde.

His father, a kaolin miner, steered him towards sculpture at an early age, sending him to study at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Limoges, where he acquired his first technical skills.

He developed a rigorous mastery of materials, with particular attention to modelling and fine detail.

In 1910, he joined the Beaux-Arts de Paris, where he studied with Jean-Antoine Injalbert, although Traverse would later confess that this teaching was of no significance to him.

Shortly afterwards, he returned to the Dordogne to be reunited with his family, but his career was interrupted by the First World War: mobilized at the front, he was wounded, which slowed down his artistic career.

On his return, he resumed his career with determination. By 1920, he was exhibiting at the Salon des Artistes Français, quickly capturing the attention of critics and the public alike.

His work has earned him numerous commissions in France and abroad, notably in the United States, consolidating his reputation.

Traverse then traveled to Rome, where he refined his style, and his success was confirmed by the 1937 Universal Exhibition, for which he created a striking sculptural group.

This piece brought him further recognition, and he was named secretary hors concours of the Salon des artistes français, a title that underscored his importance in the art world.

Traverse continued to exhibit there until the 1950s, but a review by André Malraux, who declared his style "old-fashioned", put an abrupt end to his public career.

Pierre Traverse died in Paris, leaving behind a body of work marked by classical aesthetics and impeccable technique, reflecting his attachment to the idealized forms of the turn of the century and his profound mastery of noble materials.

Pierre Traverse exhibition at Gaujac

Focus on Jeune Fille à la colombe, Pierre Traverse

Jeune fille à la colombe by Pierre Traverse illustrates the sobriety and precision that characterize his style. Created in marble, the sculpture depicts a young woman delicately holding a dove in her hands.

Traverse's clean, uncluttered lines lend the work a quiet elegance. The girl's gentle expression and the careful positioning of her hands convey a search for harmony and peace, accentuated by the choice of the dove as a symbol of purity.

Here, Traverse favors a simple, balanced composition, avoiding any decorative overload.

Attention to detail on the face and hands testifies to the artist's technical mastery. Traverse strives to represent the human figure in an idealized form, in perfect conformity with classical canons.

The modeling is smooth, the strokes softened, and every curve seems calculated to accentuate the impression of calm and restraint. This approach recalls academic traditions and Traverse's taste for a timeless aesthetic, where the essential takes precedence over ornament.

The girl's posture, upright but not rigid, expresses the serenity typical of Traverse's subjects. Here, he distinguishes himself by a formal simplicity that could evoke a certain influence of Art Deco, although he does not claim its codes.

Traverse prefers to stick to a measured style that emphasizes the purity of the human form and the nobility of materials, without seeking boldness or complexity.

This work embodies Pierre Traverse's attachment to classical sculptural values. Jeune fille à la colombe is part of an aesthetic that resists the modernist trends of the time, focusing on an ideal of soothing, balanced beauty.

With this sculpture, Traverse follows in the footsteps of an artistic tradition, celebrating simple elegance and technical mastery, far removed from avant-garde trends, and thus helping to affirm the persistence of a renewed classicism in the 20th century.

The success of Pierre Traverse's sculptures

Pierre Traverse has left a discreet but solid mark on the artistic landscape of the 20th century. Sculpting in a resolutely classical style, he embodies an attachment to the formal traditions and aesthetic canons inherited from academic sculpture, while adding a personal sensibility.

Stylistically, he is close to artists such as René Lalique, Auguste Rodin or even Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux.

His works, marked by sober elegance and impeccable technical mastery, met the expectations of a public still sensitive to pre-war artistic values.

Traverse has won over both French and American clients, taking his sculptures around the world, a sign of recognition beyond our borders. However, the move towards more modern, often abstract styles has gradually relegated his work to a classicism perceived as conservative.

Although his public career was curtailed by critics, notably André Malraux, Traverse's work remains a precious testimony to the aesthetic values of his time, and reminds us of the continuity of a sculptural tradition that relies on technical excellence and timeless beauty.

Traverse produced exceptional pieces, whose shapes and motifs evolved over the course of his career. Despite the end of his fame in the late '40s, he remains a popular artist today.

Pierre Traverse's works are enjoying great success at auction, illustrating the sustained interest they arouse among collectors.

 His sculptures, whether in marble, bronze or stone, are distinguished by their sober elegance and irreproachable technical mastery.

These characteristics make his pieces particularly sought-after, both by lovers of classical art and by those attracted by the aesthetics of the early 20th century.

The simplicity of line and harmony of form lend his works a timeless beauty, making them all the more attractive on the art market.

One of the main factors in their success is the rarity of his creations, particularly his idealized human figures and animal representations, which have become symbols of grace and serenity.

Collectors appreciate this quest for formal perfection and the balance between discreet modernity and classicism.

In addition, the auction prices testify to a growing recognition of Traverse's work, who, although not a leading artist in the avant-garde currents of his time, managed to carve out a place for himself among the most respected sculptors of his era.

The rarity and quality of his works also make them sought-after by institutions and private collectors keen to preserve an artistic heritage that celebrates a purer, nobler vision of sculpture.

This auction success reflects the recognition of a sculptural heritage that combines finesse, tradition and discreet modernity, and which continues to be appreciated in the contemporary art world.

Recognizing Pierre Traverse's signature

Traverse doesn't always sign his works. If you think you own one, it's best to have it appraised.

Knowing the value of a work 

If you happen to own a Pierre Traverse creation, or you think you might, don't hesitate to request a free evaluation 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 piece, as well as any relevant information about it.

If you want to sell your property, our specialists will also help you find alternatives to sell it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.