Rating and value of paintings by Ivan Federovich Choultse

If you own a work of art by or based on the work of artist Ivan Federovich Choultsé and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will guide you. 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. Thereafter, if you wish to sell your work, we will direct you to the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Artist's rating and value

Ivan Choultsé's work is uncommon and fairly highly rated on the auction market. His works arouse interest among collectors and art lovers, particularly those who appreciate 20th-century Russian painting. The most sought-after pieces are landscape paintings. Thus, a work signed by Choultsé can fetch thousands of euros at auction, like his painting Evening in Capri (Italy),adjudged for €255,500 in 2015, while it was estimated at between €136,875 and €228,125.  

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

Style and technique of Ivan Choultsé

Ivan Choultsé belongs to the École de Paris group, like other artists (Michel Kikoine, Alessio Isupoff, Nicolas de Staël) who immigrated to Paris from Russia, even if this term is far too broad to give a precise definition of his work. He fits in with the Russian realist artists, and produces mainly oils on canvas.

The life of Ivan Choultsé   

Ivan Federovich Choultsé, or Jean when his name is francized, (1874 - 1939) was a Russian artist of the École de Paris.

The artist was born in Saint Petersburg, into a German family settled in the Russian Empire. He trained as an engineer, and only became interested in art later, first working on electricity. His first paintings date from his thirtieth birthday, when he began with portraits. Constantin Kryjitski invites him to his art school, where he discovers the work of Swiss painter Alexandre Calame, whose influence he undergoes. Two of his friends, including Constantin Kryjistki, died some time later. Choultsé did not give up painting, however, and received commissions from some of the Russian aristocracy. After the 1917 revolution, like many of his colleagues, he was forced to leave his native country. He traveled first to Switzerland, where he produced mountain landscapes. He then traveled to France and Italy.

From 1921, he settled permanently in France, and a year later held his first solo exhibition. His work soon became known in London and the United States.

In the 1930s, the painter moved to Nice, where he rediscovered his primary inspiration, that of light, a central characteristic of the Russian realists.

He died in the same city in 1939.

Ivan Choulsté's imprint on his period

Ivan Choulsté is not a painter widely known to the general public, either during his lifetime or today. His paintings of landscapes and other compositions, however, are appreciated by collectors and have a certain success at auction. Some of his works are exhibited in museums in France, but private collectors play a major role in preserving his work.

In particular, he will exert a considerable influence on the painting of Boris Bessonov.

His signature

Not all of Ivan Choulsté's works are signed. It is also possible that it is a copy or that the mention has faded over time, which is why expertise is paramount.

The Artist's Techniques

Ivan Choultsé’s Style

Choultsé initially trained as an engineer and did not become interested in art until he was over thirty, which gives his approach a unique self-taught character, in that he breaks free from strict academic constraints.

Winter and Arctic motifs predominate in his body of work. Following his expedition to the Svalbard archipelago in 1910, he produced a large number of Arctic landscapes, which became the hallmark of his body of work and established his specialization in depicting snow-covered expanses.

He worked primarily in oil on canvas or panel, using successive glazes to achieve unique effects of transparency.

Spotlight on a Key Work

November Evening, Paris Salon 1923

This work marks Choultsé’s official entry into the French art world following his post-revolutionary exile, and thus epitomizes his transition from Russian imperial recognition to Western legitimacy.

He chose twilight as his pictorial subject and explored the rendering of low, subdued light, fully drawing on his mastery of tonal values and chromatic gradations—hallmarks of Choultsé’s practice.

The work illustrates the inherent tension in the artist’s style—described as that of a “portraitist of nature”—faithfully rendering the landscapes he observed.

His Signature

Not all of Ivan Choulsté’s works are signed. It is also possible that the piece is a copy or that the signature has faded over time, which is why expert appraisal is essential.

Expertise your property

If you own a Choulsté work, feel free to request a free appraisal by filling in our online form. A member of our team of experts and licensed auctioneers will contact you to provide an estimate of the market value of your work.

If you are considering selling your work, our specialists will also guide you through the various alternatives available to obtain the best possible price, taking into account market trends and the specific features of each work.