Rating and value of works, drawings, paintings by Louis Hersent

If you own a work by or after Louis Hersent, 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 provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market.

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Rating and value of the artist Louis Hersent

Louis Hersent leaves behind a rather singular body of work, in the neo-classical vein. From now on, prices for his works are rising under auctioneers' gavels.

Hersent's paintings are particularly prized, especially by English and French buyers. The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €160 to €98,000, a substantial gap but one that says a lot about the value that can be attributed to Hersent's works.

In 2023, his oil on canvas Portrait de la comtesse Wlash de Serrant  sold for €98,000, while it was estimated at €40,000 to €60,000.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of Louis Hersent  

Louis Hersent (1777 - 1860) was a neoclassical history painter of the 19th century. He was trained by Jacques Louis David, among others, who was to have a major influence on his career.

Hersent produced mainly drawings and oils on canvas, although there were a few prints.

Hersent's works were mainly executed in oil on canvas, with large formats intended for public commissions (churches, institutions). His preparatory drawings are made in pencil, black stone and red chalk, and are often highly precise and detailed.

He uses successive glazes to achieve a smooth, luminous finish devoid of any roughness. The finish is extremely polished, with no visible brush marks, inherited from the Davidian school. The modeling is regular, with a certain idealization of forms, particularly in the treatment of faces and bodies.

The precision is meticulous in the rendering of textile details, with drapery and accessories. The composition is balanced and hierarchical, and each figure has a clear place in the whole.

The geometric construction of space is influenced by Jacques-Louis David, his master. The figures are arranged according to an academic logic: frontality, symmetry, visual hierarchy.

The importance of rhetorical gestures with hands and attitudes, among others, to express narrative meaning is noted. The sets are meticulous, often borrowing from classical architecture or theatrical settings.

The palette is dominated by sober, harmonious tones (browns, ochres, deep reds, bright blues and whites). The light-dark contrasts are inherited from Caravaggio, but softened by diffused light.

Color is used to emphasize the hierarchy of the figures (the main character highlighted by light and light hues). Hersent is faithful to the principles of Davidian neoclassicism, with rigor of drawing, sharpness of outline and rejection of picturesque blur.

However, there is a certain tendency towards romantic softening from the 1820s onwards, with more sensitive expression and a more dramatic atmosphere.

The life of Louis Hersent

Louis Hersent (1777 - 1860), is a 19th-century painter who is relatively unknown to the general public.

He was born in Paris to an engraver father, who introduced him to art. He studied painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, in the studios of Jacques Louis David and Jean-Baptiste Regnault. Like Géricault, he was nevertheless influenced by his time, borrowing elements from Romanticism.

Hersent won the second Prix de Rome in 1797 for La mort de Canton d'Utique. His specialty gradually takes shape  it's portraits of historical figures known as en pieds, so he represents the whole body and not just the bust.

He enjoyed great success in his day, as he was one of the last to respect the canons imposed by the Académie, and exhibited his works very regularly in the Parisian Salons.

In 1822, he was elected a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, which definitively established his legitimacy ; with his status as Professor in the same institution, replacing Anne-Louis Girodet.

He marries Louise Marie-Jeanne Hersent, who is also a painter. They shared a studio in their home where Louise Hersent trained women artists.

Louis Hersent died in Paris at the age of 83.

Louis Hersent's imprint on his era

Louis Hersent left no lasting legacy on his era. He was known during his lifetime and received commissions. He was noticed by a few critics when he exhibited. Today, his work is less famous, but he remains highly regarded on the art market.

A student of Jacques-Louis David, he embodies the transmission of neoclassicism in the 19th century. A professor at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he trained numerous students, including several female painters such as Louise Adélaïde Desnos or Élise Bruyère.

A member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, he was a respected figure in the official apparatus. His career illustrates the continuity of state academicism in French painting. He was also a fervent defender of history painting, considered the noblest genre by the Académie.

His great mythological and religious compositions also illustrate the permanence of the Davidian tradition, adapted to public commissions (churches, institutions). He helped maintain this genre at the center of the academic hierarchy, despite the rise of Romanticism and Realism.

He is protected from successive regimes (Empire, Restoration, Monarchie de Juillet), unlike other artists who see their careers impacted by changes in government, and creates large-scale religious and allegorical decors for Parisian churches and institutional buildings.

His role as an official painter helped set the dominant aesthetic of the time, between neoclassical idealism and Romantic sensibility.

By training several female painters, he also indirectly participated in the progressive legitimization of female artists in Salons and official circuits. His studio constitutes a rare space where women can acquire recognized artistic training. He was helped in this task by his wife, Louise Hersent.

During his lifetime, he enjoyed strong institutional recognition, regularly winning awards and exhibiting at the Salon. His imprint on his era was ultimately that of a guardian of academic tradition, in contrast to the Roman avant-garde (Delacroix, Géricault).

After his death, his work was gradually eclipsed by art history, which favored innovators. Today, he is studied as a representative figure of official academism, essential for understanding the aesthetic tensions of the 19th century.

Recognizing Louis Hersent's signature  

Louis Hersent's works are sometimes signed. However, with or without mention, it is important for you to have the work appraised to ensure its originality and to be able to date it. He often signs " LH ", see example attached.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Louis Hersent, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using our form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and chartered auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as ad hoc information about it.

If you wish 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 market inclinations.