Rating and value of paintings by Jules Lefebvre

Focus on La Vérité, Jules Lefebvre

With La Vérité (1870), Jules Lefebvre delivers a manifesto of the academic ideal. A standing nude woman, holding a mirror that she raises above her head, emerges against a vaporous background. Her body, diaphanously white, seems bathed in light.

The impeccably precise drawing sculpts the forms with almost classical exactitude. The infinitely soft modeling lends the figure a controlled sensuality, without ever sinking into anecdote. 

Lefebvre excels in the art of the nude, but here he goes beyond mere technical virtuosity. The hieratic posture, the haughty bearing, the impassive gaze give this Truth an allegorical dimension.

The mirror, the traditional attribute of Truth, becomes here an instrument of the absolute: it reflects nothing other than the very idea of clarity and knowledge. The composition, sober and uncluttered, reinforces this impression of a transfigured body, detached from reality. 

Everything is balance, purity and mastery. If Lefebvre follows in Bouguereau's footsteps, he distinguishes himself by a certain restraint. Far from immediate seduction, he favors the nobility of gesture and formal perfection.

La Vérité thus embodies the apogee of an academicism which, at the end of the 19th century, was reaching its ultimate refinement before the audacities of modernity overturned the artistic landscape.

Jules Lefebvre's imprint on his time

Jules Lefebvre established himself in his time as an influential academic master. He was one of those figures who embodied the ideal of academic art in the 19th century. The artist quickly established his mastery of classical painting techniques and portraiture.

Acknowledged as a painter, he influenced a whole generation of artists through his pupils. His career as Professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris enabled him to make a lasting mark on artists from all horizons and, more generally, on art education in the 19th century.

He notably trained Georges Rouault, who would later take much more expressionist and abstract paths, but also Louis Anquetin and Paul Landowski.

Lefebvre is famous, among other things, for his portraits and his work around the female figure. Female portraiture is indeed an important milestone in his achievements, and he treats his subjects with great finesse - especially in the rendering of drapery.

His near-perfect mastery of drawing (from an academic point of view) and light lends the subjects he depicts a timeless grace. In the 19th century, his work was seen as an ideal of beauty, blending sensuality and balance.

These characteristics made him an undisputed specialist in nudes and female portraits. His approach, although academic, remains open : the artist is also interested in the trends of his time, notably those of realism and impressionism.

He demonstrates an ability to combine tradition and modernity in some of his works, proving his open-mindedness despite the label assigned to him, always maintaining a rigorous technique in his work.

Although his art remains firmly rooted in the academic tradition, he also plays a role in the transition to more modern art forms (he was Rouault's master, for example).

As a result, Jules Lefebvre stands out as a privileged witness to the artistic evolution of the 19th century, his career spanning a period when academic art competed with new avant-gardes.

While remaining committed to teaching and figurative art, Lefebre witnessed the profound changes that restructured the art world in the 19th century, marking both the end of an era and the beginning of a new artistic era.

Today, some of his works can be seen in public collections, in Paris museums and elsewhere, but the majority of his work is held by private collectors, who play the greatest role in preserving his work.

At auction, his work is particularly appreciated by lovers and collectors of figurative art. His value peaked in the 2010s, but there has been considerable upside potential in recent auctions, suggesting that Jules Lefebvre's works will do well in the future.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Jules Lefebvre doesn't necessarily sign his works. If they are, here's an example of his signature :

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by Jules Lefebvre, 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.

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