Rating and value of paintings by Jean Dubuffet

If you own a work by or about the artist Jean Dubuffet, 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 Jean Dubuffet

Jean Dubuffet was a 20th-century French painter. He left behind a unique artistic repertoire characteristic of art brut. This legacy consists of paintings, mostly oils on canvas. Today, prices for his works are skyrocketing under auctioneers' gavels. His paintings and other works are particularly prized, especially by French buyers, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €10 to €19,646,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Dubuffet's works. In 2015, a predominantly violet polychrome composition entitled Paris Polka sold for €19,646,00 against an estimate of €22,325,000.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of the artist Jean Dubuffet

Jean Dubuffet belongs to the term "art brut", which he invented. This term covers his collection of marginal, mad or mystical artists who didn't fit into any particular movement.

Jean Dubuffet, a popular painter

French artist Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) has become a sought-after figure among collectors.

He was born into a bourgeois family of wine merchants in Le Havre. He doesn't like high school, and from the second year onwards, he takes courses at the École des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre. Gaston Chaissac, the painter of Art Brut, also took these courses.

Tired of his environment, he attended the Académie Julian for a while and tried his hand at literature and music. He met Max Jacob, Fernand Léger and André Masson. He searched for himself for a long time, writing that he was "not adapted to his human condition".

He traded in wine and traveled for a while, before returning to painting in a crusade against museum art, preferring to draw inspiration from the art of madmen.

At the same time, he continued his commercial activities, but was labeled a quasi-clandestine painter. He is mobilized by the French Air Force, then reassigned to Rochefort for indiscipline.

After the Second World War, he was exhibited by the Galerie René Drouin, which brought him further notoriety. The exhibition received a lukewarm reception from the public, with many calling it a provocation and others a sham. There was talk of deliberate clumsiness. After these events, he travelled to Africa to find new inspiration. He also travelled to the United States, where he exhibited and where some of his works are still preserved. At the end of his life, he opened the Fondation Dubuffet, which will house his collection of Art Brut.

Jean Dubuffet died in 1985 in Paris, aged 83.

Jean Dubuffet's imprint on his period 

Jean Dubuffet marked his era with the originality of his work. He was not always well understood by his peers and the general public, but his work remains highly regarded for the strength that emanates from his paintings. He is one of the most important protagonists of Art Brut, and has produced a significant body of work despite the hardships he has endured.

He remains highly appreciated on the auction market today and is recognized in 20th-century contemporary art.

 Recognizing Jean Dubuffet's signature

Jean Dubuffet's paintings are often signed at the bottom. He often signs "Dubuffet" in a dark tone.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Jean Dubuffet, 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 any relevant 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.