Rating and value of paintings by Jean-Louis Paguenaud

If you own a work by or by the artist Jean-Louis Paguenaud, 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 will provide you with an accurate 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.

Artist's rating and value

An important artistic figure of his time, Jean-Louis Pagunaud has established himself as a sure bet on the art market. Constantly evolving, his quotation remains high and his works are sold internationally.

In the auction room, his landscapes inspired by the Algerian sea, the country where he was born, are the most sought-after and therefore prized. He produced paintings almost exclusively, the only medium present on the market today.

A work by Jean-Louis Pagnenaud can sell for tens of thousands of euros at auction, as evidenced by his oil on canvas, Paysage indochinois, fetched €56,000 in 2023, whereas it was estimated at between €10,000 and €15,000.

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

Artist's style and technique

Jean-Louis Paguenaud (1876 - 1952) is a French marine painter. He is part of a naturalist and descriptive tradition, heir to the great French marine painting. His work is far removed from the avant-garde, aiming for legibility, visual fidelity and compositional balance.

Seascapes form the exclusive core of his production, with depictions of sailing and merchant ships, harbor scenes, coastlines and maritime horizons, and calm or animated seas. There is no spectacular historical narrative; priority is given to the maritime scene itself.

The artist makes a careful observation of the naval world and the structure of boats. He pays particular attention to credibility in representation, especially for rigging, hulls and ship proportions. The boat is treated as a technical object as much as a pictorial one.

His compositions are balanced and classical, with a stable horizon line, a clear articulation between sea, sky and ships, the frequent use of diagonals (shipping lanes, hulls) to energize the space, allowing immediate legibility of the scene.

The sea is rendered by an interplay of undulating planes, without excessive impasto. Waves are stylized but believable, never chaotic. The sea surface structures the entire composition. The skies are well-developed, contributing to the overall mood. Clouds are treated in soft masses.

He strives for a realistic maritime atmosphere, without excessive romantic dramatization. His palette is dominated by muted blues, greys and greens. The colors are sober, lightly saturated and adapted to the representation of sea and sky. The harmonies are cool, sometimes warmed by ochre tones on the ships.

Light is natural, with few violent contrasts, and serves to structure volumes as well as reinforce spatial depth. The artist uses oil on canvas almost exclusively, with a controlled, relatively smooth brushstroke. He works in successive layers, without apparent gesturality.

His aesthetic intention is to give a legible, credible and orderly image of the maritime world, and to valorize the sea as a space for work, circulation and calm.

His stylistic signature are clearly identifiable ships, a structured and non-tumultuous sea, a cold balanced palette and a stable composition. He represents traditional marine painting of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

His work is appreciated today for its coherence, legibility and decorative value. His work is part of a heritage market rather than a speculative one.

The life of Jean-Louis Paguenaud  

Jean-Louis Paguenaud was born in 1876 in Haute-Vienne, in an artistic context marked by the permanence of marine painting at the end of the 19th century, alongside the emergence of avnt-gardes. His artistic training was classical and figurative. His apprenticeship was based on drawing, the study of volumes and direct observation, in line with the academic practices of the period.

He showed an early awareness of the issues specific to maritime painting (perspective, water movement, atmosphere). He began his career at the turn of the 20th century, quickly specializing in marine painting, a choice that would determine his entire career.

He developed a regular output of seascapes, port scenes and ship representations. His work is aimed at a public who enjoy legible, decorative figurative painting. He does not seek formal innovation, but stylistic continuity. His work shows a precise knowledge of naval structures and maritime atmospheres.

He deliberately steers clear of the 20th-century avant-garde, and is part of a classical tradition of French marine painting. His recognition is essentially commercial and regional, rather than institutional. He maintained great stylistic consistency throughout his career, and a steady output until the interwar years.

He is today identified as a traditional marine painter of the early 20th century. His work is appreciated for its legibility, technical rigor and decorative value. He is an artist who belongs to a stable heritage market, without excessive speculation.

Artist rating and market segmentation

Oils on canvas are the almost exclusive segment of the market. Works on panel or cardboard are rarer and form part of a secondary market. Drawings are very occasional, with little impact on the overall quotation.

The subjects to be found on the market are isolated ships at sea, harbor scenes, sailboats and merchant vessels. Legible seascapes, with clearly identifiable ships, form the core of demand. Purely atmospheric scenes without ships are less sought-after.

Small formats (25 - 40 cm) are an entry-level market with good liquidity. Medium formats (40 - 70 cm) are a more sought-after core segment. Large formats (over 80 cm) are rare, with a narrower market but potential for decorative premium.

The decisive valuation criteria are the legibility and quality of the maritime subject (well-built ships), a compositional balance between sea, sky and boats, a good state of preservation (wear, visible restoration and repainting lead to a significant discount), a legible signature and unambiguous attribution, as well as a balanced palette, without excessive darkening.

France is the main market, with regional and Parisian sales; his works are also occasionally found in Western Europe. Jean-Louis Paguenaud's market is stable, with low volatility. There is a steady demand for traditional seascapes that are compatible with both classic and contemporary interiors.

There is no speculative dynamic, but rather a good regularity of sales, as well as a heightened sensitivity to the quality of the vessels' design and surface finish. The artist occupies an intermediate segment of the French marine painting market, like other marine painters of the same period : Vartan Makhokhian, Lucien Goubert or Maxime Maufra.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Not all of Jean-Louis Paguenaud's works are signed. Here's an example of his signature.

Expertise your property

If you happen to own a work by Jean-Louis Paguenaud, request a free appraisal without further 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, not forgetting to send you 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.