Cote et valeur des tableaux, dessins, peintures de Henri Rousseau

If you own a work by artist Henri Rousseau or based on his work 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. Then, 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

Thanks to their serene, luminous atmosphere, Henri Rousseau's works are a great success with collectors. On the market, his various compositions are successful at auction. For example, some of the artist's works have achieved unprecedented sums, as evidenced by his 1910 painting Les Flamants, which fetched €34,326,000 in 2024, whereas it was estimated at between €18,307,200 and €27,460,800.

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

The artist's works and style

An artist who was active in Paris during the 19th century, Henri Rousseau is one of the main representatives of French naïve art, a movement inspired by figurative art and not respecting different perspectives and proportions. His paintings are mostly landscape scenes, representing reality fairly faithfully, using fairly soft shades.

The life of Henri Rousseau  

Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) was a French painter of naive art born in Laval.

He first studied law, then moved to Paris, where he worked at the octroi office. Checking goods, he was nicknamed the Douanier Rousseau, his surname remaining throughout his career.

He began painting as a self-taught artist, drawing inspiration from jungle illustrations to produce his canvases, although he didn't travel.

A proponent of naive art, he doesn't necessarily respect proportions, and his canvases exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants are judged too childish. Despite the harsh reception he received, notably from Alfred Jarry, other artists of the period such as Félix Vallotton appreciated his work and encouraged him to persevere. Others, such as Derain, Matisse and Picasso, saw a real interest in his work and helped to establish his legitimacy.

In 1901, he was appointed drawing and painting teacher at the Association Philotechnique.

At the end of his career, he was incarcerated because of a swindling case. On leaving prison, he sold some paintings to Ambroise Vollard, which enabled him to acquire a studio. He was to enjoy it for only a short time, dying of gangrene in 1910.

Henri Rousseau's imprint on his period

Henri Rousseau made a lasting mark on his period on a national scale, but was not extremely well known during his lifetime. However, some collectors appreciate his work, and the majority of his paintings are kept in private homes.

His signature

Not all Henri Rousseau's works are signed.

Although there are variations, here is a first example of his signature:  

Expertise your property

If you own a work by Henri Rousseau, don't hesitate 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.