The value of Benedict Masson's paintings and drawings

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Rating and value of the artist Bénédict Masson

An artist belonging to the French school movement of the 19th century, Bénédict Masson remains a painter of history, allegorical and mythological compositions, still lifes (in this case of flowers), portraits, landscapes and mural compositions. His main focus is painting, although he is credited with a few watercolor drawings.

The prices at which his works sell range from €120 for a still life of flowers to €10 452 in 1999 for a work with a mythological subject. For example, in 2019, a painting depicting an Oriental woman adorning herself with a jewel sold for €3 200 while it was estimated at between €500 and €800.

Bénédict Masson's style and technique

Bénédict Masson frequently employs the chiaroscuro technique, as he makes a point of offering his viewers spectacular luminosity while having a taste for perfect contour and a sharp brush. He produced oil paintings on canvas, a number of watercolor drawings and murals.

Who is Bénédict Masson ?

Bénédict Masson, an eminent artist born in Dijon in 1819, had a singular career path that led him to leave his native Burgundy, a region that harbors memories of a lonely childhood, to make his mark on the Parisian art scene. It was at the famous studio of Paul Delaroche, paragon of history painting, that Masson acquired his excellent training. This gave him the skills he needed to devote himself to depicting key moments in history. But Masson was not content with this initial training. He then knocked on the door of master artist Paul Chenavard's studio, where he immersed himself in the resolutely fascinating world of mural painting. It was at this point that Masson theorized the idea of monumental art as the ferment of human history, giving it a memorable, virtuous and unforgettable posture in the art world.

Bénédict Masson's style and technique

Bénédict Masson frequently employs the chiaroscuro technique, as he makes a point of offering his viewers spectacular luminosity while having a taste for perfect contour and a sharp brush. He produced oil paintings on canvas, a few watercolor drawings and also murals.

How did he mark his period ?

Bénédict Masson, an artist known for his deep admiration for a number of artistic fields, extracts substance from the bewitching realms of mythology, ancient history and literary works to make it his own, as he demonstrates in Persée et Andromède (1840).  

Religious motifs and sacred themes also remain in Masson's repertoire. Through masterpieces such as La Vierge et l'Enfant Jésus in 1861 and Le dernier soupir du Christ, he establishes himself as a spiritual painter, offering us the window to the divine. The artist's versatility can be seen in his depictions of genre scenes, as seen in Les lavandières and Réunion de famille à Naples. Inspired by the beauty of nature, Masson deftly captures the end of a life cycle in L'arbre mort. In addition, he vigorously embraces floral compositions and still lifes, in the manner of his work entitled Les fleurs, and captures the essence of his models through portraiture.

Masson's works are not confined to canvas, as he seamlessly inserts himself into the world of decorative arts. He produced numerous architectural works for civil and religious buildings. Unfortunately, many of his admirable works were lost during the Commune period.

Under the Second Empire, Masson was given the honorable task of painting a mural fresco for the Cour d'honneur gallery of the Hôtel des Invalides. This masterpiece, highlighting the era of Charlemagne, captured the public's attention for its size and historical significance. Around this magnificent courtyard, the artist devotes himself to depicting tapestry scenes from the history of France.

Recognizing Bénédict Masson's signature

Bénédict Masson's signature appears at the bottom of his paintings, reduced simply to the initial of his first name followed by his surname, the final " N " of which is extended by a retroverted comma.