Rating and value of Charles Artus sculptures and bronzes

If you own a work by or after the artist Charles Artus, 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 value on the current market.

Then, should you wish to sell your work, we will direct you to the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of artist Charles Artus        

Considered an important artist of animal sculpture, Charles Artus leaves behind a unique artistic repertoire, within which bronze works occupy a prominent place.

At present, prices for his works are rising enormously under the auctioneers' hammer. His creations are particularly prized, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €140 to €77,380, a considerable range but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Artus's works.

In 2020, a bronze statue, Ibis du Nil, sold for €82,350, while it was estimated at between €82,350 and €123,525.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Artist's style and technique

Charles Artus is a 20th-century artist who produced various sculptures that fall within the Symbolist movement. His work is closely linked to François Pompon, whom he assisted. He has worked in a variety of media, including plaster, metal and especially bronze.

He is part of the Nouvelle École de Paris group and the 20th-century revival of animal sculpture. His style combines observed realism, modernist simplification and volumetric elegance, close to a synthesis between Barye, Jouve and Sandoz.

He seeks a balance between animal vitality, beauty of form and decorative sobriety. He specializes in wild animals (felines, deer, canines, bears and monkeys). Many of his models are devoted to African animals (antelopes, lions, panthers).

His animals are depicted in calm or concentrated attitudes, walking slowly, in attentive pause and restrained tension. Anatomy is precise but never hyper-realistic, with mass articulation favored over surface detail.

Bodies are built by large volumetric units (shoulders, torso, kidneys modeled in taut flat tints). The silhouettes are balanced and compact, with an internal tension that gives an impression of silent power.

He clearly simplifies the extremities, with muzzles, paws and ears that are reduced to essentials, and shows a preference for static or pre-movement poses rather than dramatic action.

The sculptures are conceived as closed, strongly cohesive volumes. The full/empty relationship is mastered, with an absence of superfluous arabesques and a decorative economy. The positioning of the animal on its pedestal is conceived as a natural extension rather than an artificial support.

The modeling is firm, direct, with a use of tools that preserves lightly vibrated textures. Bronze casting is of the highest quality, often carried out by specialized French founders (Susse, Valsuani, Rudier depending on certain periods).

Charles Artus, his life, his work

Charles Artus (1897-1978), a French artist, became an important figure in 20th-century sculpture, particularly animal sculpture.

A native of Étretat, Normandy, his vocation as a sculptor was born early. He first learned sculpture from Édouard Navellier, then became François Pompon's assistant.

He exhibited his work at the Salon d'Automne, of which he was a member, then at the Salon des Artistes Indépendants. Animal representations being very much in vogue at the time, the various artists mastering this part of creation at the time came together under the name of the " Groupe des XII ", to which Guyot and Poupelet belonged among others.

He opened his own studio on rue de Vaugirard, enjoying success thanks to his exhibitions at the various Salons. This enabled him to work with several Parisian galleries.

In 1940, he decided to leave Paris to continue his activity in Étretat.

Charles Artus's imprint on his period

Charles Artus is a well-known artist among sculpture enthusiasts, and is the author of a sizeable artistic output. Today, most of his works are held by private collectors, which increases the value and success of his works on the auction market.

His plaster and metal sculptures are particularly prized as they are absolutely unique pieces that reveal the artist's inspiration and way of working, but his bronzes are indisputably his most famous and prized works, which are constantly breaking records on the auction market.

Market segmentation and artist rating

Animal bronzes form the core of the market (felines, cervids, antelopes, canids and monkeys are highly sought-after). Plasters are rare and often from workshops, a segment mainly collected by specialized enthusiasts.

Terracottas are rarer than bronzes, and their value depends on the surface condition. Drawings and studies are part of a restricted market, mainly animal sketches.

Small formats under 20 cm (simple subjects, antelopes, birds, young felines) are part of an accessible entry segment. Medium formats (20 - 40 cm) form the core of the market, with panthers, lions, wild dogs and stylized antelopes.

Large formats over 40 cm are rare and highly valued, especially majestic felines or monkeys. Valuation criteria include period fonts (Susse, Valsuani, Rudier depending on the print), homogeneous patina, stylistic typicity, rarity of the model, presence of the original base and state of preservation.

France remains the central market, with pieces also found in Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA and the UK. Liquidity is very good for felines and antelopes, particularly in bronze, and good for monkeys and stylized African animals.

Liquidity is more variable for terracottas and plasters, but remains high for old castings, limited editions and typical works.

Recognizing the signature of Charles Artus     

It's not always easy to decipher or even be lucky enough to come across a signed work by Charles Artus, which is why expertise is important.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by Charles Artus, request a free appraisal without delay via our form on our website.

A member of our team will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the value of your work, as well as ad hoc information about it.

If you are considering selling your work, you will also be accompanied by our specialists in order to benefit from alternatives for selling it at the best possible price.