Rating and value of works, drawings, paintings by Emile Friant

If you own a work of art by or based on the work of artist Émile Friant 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

Mainly known for his portraits and genre scenes, Émile Friant has a high market rating. Quite common in auction rooms, the price at which they sell ranges from €10 to €367,270, a substantial range but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the artist's works. In 2005, his oil on canvas Cast Shadows, sold for over €300,000.

Order of value from basic to prestigious

Artist's style and technique

Emile Friant's naturalistic works are characterized by an obvious veracity attesting to great sensitivity. His artistic style is meticulous, endowed with details testifying to a remarkable mastery of the representation of textures and shades of light.

Prodigy of the portrait and genre scene, Émile Friant's paintings feature characters in everyday or intimate situations.

Technically, Émile Friant's color palette is refined and harmonious. His tones are realistic, combined with subtle plays of light and delicate transitions between shadows and highlights.

The life of Émile Friant

Émile Friant (1863-1932) began his apprenticeship at Nancy's municipal drawing school. He studied with Théodore Devilly, who encouraged him to work from reality and not copy the paintings of his predecessors in an academic manner. A very promising student, the city of Nancy grants him a scholarship to continue his art studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

Arrived in Paris, Émile Friant joined the studio of the famous Alexandre Cabanel and spent all his spare time in museums and art galleries. He soon developed a boundless admiration for the works of Gérôme and Meissonnier, whose attention to detail he particularly appreciated, as well as those of Bastien-Lepage, in whom he rediscovered his taste for nature.

The artist's imprint on his time

Émile Friant exhibited at many art salons. The success of some of his works launched his artistic career and enabled him to obtain a grant. With the money duly obtained, Friant traveled to several European countries and the Maghreb. From his peregrinations, Friant brings back landscapes taken from life and some fine portraits, drawn or painted.

Émile Friant wins a special prize at the 1889 Salon for his large painting La Toussaint. Enjoying immense popularity, this painting gave the artist international renown. That same year, the artist was awarded the Légion d'honneur and the Gold Medal at the Universal Exhibition. 

From the 1890s onwards, Émile Friant was in great demand. Indeed, the artist carried out several large-scale public commissions at the request of certain cities and the State. At the same time, he became a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

During the First World War, Friant put his artistic talent at the service of France to support national defense initiatives. He thus became a committed artist, designing patriotic posters and vouchers designed to encourage participation in the war effort.

His signature 

Not all Émile Friant's works are signed.

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

Expertise your property

If you happen to own a work by or after Émile Friant, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal by filling in our form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the value of your work, and will ensure that you receive all the relevant information about it. If you are planning to sell your work, you will also be accompanied by our specialists in order to benefit from alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account the inclinations of the market and its specificities.