Rating and value of works, drawings, paintings by Pierre-Antoine Demachy

If you own a work by or after the artist Pierre Antoine Demachy, 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. Then, 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 Pierre Antoine Demachy

Pierre Antoine Demachy was a painter active in the second half of the 18th century, renowned for his Hubert Robert-style paintings of ruins and views of Paris. His paintings, watercolor drawings and prints sell on the art market for between €200 and €416,915, a substantial delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the artist's works. In 2023, a painting featuring print sellers in the Louvre sold for €52 000.

Order of value from a single work to the most prestigious

The artist's style and technique

Demachy produced paintings of ruins, giving them a picturesque, antique appearance, where nature reclaims its rights. He also created life-size trompe-l'œil paintings, rivaling the master illusionists of the 17th century. Finally, he depicted the everyday life of the streets of Paris. He painted almost documentary-style, with great delicacy, washerwomen hanging out their washing on the quays of Paris. It was quite unprecedented at the time to dwell on women's work. There are also peasants and cows quenching their thirst, or workers unloading ships docked on the shore of the scene from their goods.

The life of Pierre Antoine Demachy

The son of a carpenter, Pierre-Antoine Demachy began his artistic apprenticeship alongside Giovanni Niccolo Servandoni in 1754, one of the most famous Italian scenographers of the 18th century. In 1955, the prestigious Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture recognized him as an architectural painter, and from 1757 to 1802, he was granted the privilege of exhibiting his work at the Salon, a venue renowned for launching the careers of novice artists.  In 1768, Demachy entered the service of Catherine II of Russia, painting for her, again in an architectural register. The following year, he switched to the teaching side, unveiling his style and technique, which delighted the public, at the Jean-François Amand workshop.

Demachy's imprint on his era

For Louis XV's inauguration of the church of sainte-Geneviève, in 1764, Demachy created an impressive trompe-l'œil painting illustrating the façade of this same liturgical site. In 1767, Demachy collaborated with the famous Pierre Constant d'Ivry, who was working on a staircase for the Palais-Royal building site, painting pictures of the palace. He began to rub shoulders with the greatest artists of his time.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Demachy signs his works with his name, very discreetly, at the bottom of his works.

Knowing the value of a work  

If you happen to own a Pierre-Antoine Demachy work, request a free appraisal without further delay via 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 value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it. If you are considering selling your work of art, our specialists will also work with you to provide you with alternatives for selling it at the best possible price.