Rating and value of paintings by Théodore Chassériau

If you own a work by the artist Théodore Chassériau 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. Thereafter, if you wish to sell your work, we will direct you to the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of the artist

Student of Ingres, author of an important pictorial production, the name Théodore Chassériau is little known. Yet the artist is highly rated on the art market and attracts many collectors. In fact, Chassériau's paintings are commonplace and popular in auction rooms. His oils on canvas are his most highly-rated works, and can fetch tens of thousands of euros at auction, such as his oil on canvas Portrait de la comtesse de Latour Maubourg,dated 1841, sold for €1,050,000 in 2002. 

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

The artist's style and technique

Théodore Chassériau was a pupil of Ingres, using the same pictorial processes that still belonged to the Académie. He was part of the Romantic movement but, like his master, produced Orientalist-inspired works.

Théodore Chassériau, his life, his work

Théodore Chassériau was born in 1819 on the island of Saint Domingue. His father held various posts as a minister in Latin America and then as a diplomat, so he grew up without him; his older brother, who was in charge of the family, brought him to Paris with the rest of the siblings in 1822.

He began his artistic training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he had Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres as Professor. Ingres strongly encouraged him, telling him that he would be the " Napoléon " of painting. After Ingres left for Rome, Chassériau met the poet Théophile Gautier, who had an influence on his work, being a Romantic himself.

He produced rather vaporous compositions, inspired by biblical subjects, sometimes drawing on elements of symbolism. He exhibited his first painting, Suzanne au bain, at the Salon in 1839.

Interested in emerging Orientalism and the work of Delacroix, he traveled to Algeria, where he produced battle scenes of Arab horsemen and depictions of women's life in Algeria. Thanks to the support of his brother and Alexis de Tocqueville, he was allowed to paint the fresco for the Cour des Comptes.

He died in 1856, aged 37, "like Raphaël, in the fullness of life and talent. Starting from Ingres, he passed through Delacroix as if to color his drawing so pure, he had long been a master himself ". 

The artist's works and style

Chassériau's style lies between Orientalism and Romanticism, his canvases imbued with great simplicity but also great sensitivity.

He mainly painted oils on canvas and produced drawings, the category most sold at auction. 

His signature

Theodore Chassériau's works are not all signed.

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

Expertise your property

If you own a work by Théodore Chassériau, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal by filling in our online form. A member of our team of experts and chartered auctioneers will contact you to provide an estimate of your work's market value.

If you're 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.