Rating and value of works, sculptures by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

If you own a work by or after the artist Carrier-Belleuse, 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 current market value. Thereafter, if you wish to sell your work, we will guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of the artist Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse  

Considered one of the last classical sculptors in France, Carrier-Belleuse was recognized during his lifetime. He followed in the artistic vein of David d'Angers. His legacy therefore consists mainly of sculptures in a variety of materials, especially bronze. Today, prices for his works are steadily rising under the auctioneer's hammer. His sculptures are prized above all by French buyers, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €70 to €72,000, a considerable delta, which nevertheless speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Carrier-Belleuse's works. In 2019, one of his marble sculptures sold for €108,100 while it was estimated at between €22,500 and €36 000.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique by artist Carrier Belleuse  

The artist is part of thesculptural neoclassicism, becoming one of the most famous and sought-after sculptors of his time. He worked extensively with marble, but also with bronze, and it is the latter material that is most often found in his works on the auction market.

The life of Carrier-Belleuse

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887), a French artist, became an important figure in the 19th-century art world, and was the most sought-after sculptor of the Second Empire. His father was a notary and he was born in the Aisne region. His father died when he was ten, and his family was unable to support him. Étienne and François Arago took charge of his education.

He began his training with an apprenticeship with Bauchery, a chiseler. He also learns goldsmithing from Jacques Henri Fauconnier. François Arago introduces him to David d'Angers, and thanks to him he enters the Beaux-Arts de Paris. Numerous bronze houses take notice of his work, and he is soon in demand for numerous commissions for candelabras, penders and cartels.

He has an affair with Anne-Louise Adnot, a watercolorist, whom he marries some time later, and exhibits in the same year at the Salon des Artistes Français for the first time. During a stay in England, he becomes director of Mintons. He returned to France and set up his own studio in what is now the 9th arrondissement of Paris. He became famous for his marbles, some of which were exhibited at the Salon and purchased by Napoleon III. The French government also bought furniture with religious themes to decorate churches. He is also a building decorator, like Louis Ernest Barrias. He thus created decorative sculptures for the Louvre Palace and the Brussels Stock Exchange, among others.

He joined the national committee of the Société des Beaux-Arts, and in 1973 took part in the construction of the Opéra, thanks to Charles Garnier and the support of Napoleon III.

Carrier-Belleuse's imprint on his period 

Carrier Belleuse proved in France that classical sculpture was still alive. Like the Italians of the Renaissance, he drew inspiration from antique subjects and used their techniques. On the art market today, his bronzes are priced, and his marbles even more so.

He left a unique legacy, thanks to the artists he trained without his studio, among them Auguste Rodin, and passed on his artistic vein to the Sèvres manufactory, where he was director at the end of his career.

Recognizing Carrier-Belleuse's signature

Carrier-Belleuse signs " Carrier " on his sculptures, most of the time. There are, however, many copies, which is why expertise is important.  

Knowing the value of a work 

If you happen to own a work by Carrier-Belleuse or after the artist, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using 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 market value of your work, as well as ad hoc information about it. If you are considering selling 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.