Here's why French cubists are back on the market in style

A gradual rediscovery supported by institutions

French Cubism is now regaining its place in museums. Long relegated to the benefit of tutelary figures such as Picasso or Braque, expanded French Cubism : that of Metzinger, Gleizes, Villon or Lhote has been the subject of an institutional rediscovery effort for the past fifteen years.

Museums are gradually reintegrating these artists into their hangings and acquisitions. The " Le Cubisme " exhibition at the Centre Pompidou (2018 - 2019) marked a turning point. Hailed as one of the most comprehensive ever devoted to the movement in France, it brought together over 300 works, focusing on other schools parallel to Picasso and Braque, and on lesser-known figures such as Marie Laurencin, Henri le Fauconnier or André Mare.

The public acquisitions policy is very active, with the Centre Pompidou now holding over 60,000 works, compared with 44,000 in 2000, a growing proportion being dedicated to the French avant-gardes.

The Musée d'art moderne de Paris, for its part, has enriched its collection with over 800 works by donation and over 200 works by purchase since 2007. Some of these works belong to the French cubist scene.

Regional museums are following suit, with the Musée de Quimper recently acquiring two cubist canvases by André Favory (1913). The Musée de Grenoble highlights the cubist period of Albert Gleizes in its permanent exhibitions.

Museums such as Albi, Saint-Tropez and La Piscine in Roubaix regularly exhibit cubist works that are considered secondary but historically essential.

Scientific and editorial interest is also on the rise to accompany this movement, with the publication of several catalogs raisonnés and in-depth works on the independent salons and the critical reception of Cubism in France.

A market long undervalued, now rebalancing

For several decades, the modern art market focused its valuation on a few key figures, notably Picasso, Braque or Gris. At the same time, representatives of " historical " French Cubism such as Jean Metzinger, Albert Gleizes, Jacques Villon and André Lhote were marginalized, despite their founding role.

In 2020, the average price of a work by Jean Metzinger was around €40,000 to €60,000 at public auction, compared with several million for a work by Braque. This disproportion did not always reflect the quality or historical place of the works on offer.

The discrepancies are revealing : in 2017, a 1914 cubist oil on canvas by Metzinger, Nature morte au compotier, sold for €47,000 at Christie's.

The same year, a Braque of comparable size (but dated 1911) fetched €3.6 million at Sotheby's London. Jacques Villon, though prolific, was still recently hovering between €15,000 and €80,000, depending on format and support.

A trend reversal has been taking place since the years 2015 - 2020. Auctions for French Cubists have gradually increased, driven by greater museum recognition and international exposure.

The average increase for French Cubist works between 2010 and 2023 is +78% (source : Artprice, post-impressionist / cubist sector analysis).

In 2022, a Gleizes painting from 1912 (Formes en évolution) fetched €240,000 at Sotheby's. This was a record for the artist since 2008. This was a record for this artist since 2008.

The volume of transactions remains limited, which guarantees relative stability and little speculation. Fewer than 70 French Cubist works sold per year on the international market (excluding Braque / Picasso), according to ArtNet reports.

The works are often held in private or museum collections, which makes the available supply scarce. As a result, the market is now focusing on major pieces from the years 1911 - 1914, but later works and previously neglected drawings are also registering a steady rise in valuation.

More discerning buyers, in search of historical abstraction and French narrative

The French Cubism market is now attracting younger, more European collectors, in search of works that link formal rigor, historical significance and aesthetic narrative. According to the Art Basel & UBS Art Market 2024 report, 43% of millennial collectors surveyed in Europe say they are looking for " modernist works with strong intellectual roots " as a priority, up from 31% in 2019.

There is also a rise in European buyers in the " modern art " sector. In 2023, 59% of Cubist sales were concluded with collectors located in France, Germany, Belgium or Switzerland (Sotheby's Insights 2024).

In Paris, the number of registered bidders on " cubism & abstraction " sales increased by +35% between 2018 and 2023 (Artcurial).

This market is stable, with low turnover, and is synonymous with heritage value. Unlike other, more speculative sectors, French Cubist works circulate little on the secondary market, which limits the effects of bubbles or sharp corrections.

The average turnover rate (resale of the same work within 10 years) is less than 18% for French Cubist works, compared with 42% for figurative contemporary works (ArtTactic).

Aesthetic coherence that appeals to collectors

The visual language of Cubism is in tune with contemporary hangings, and French Cubism, with its gentle geometrisation, balanced compositions and sober or muted colors is in tune with contemporary and minimalist interiors.

Collectors increasingly appreciate the formal harmony of French Cubist works. A work by Villon or Gleizes, for example, can dialogue with an Ellsworth Kelly, a Josef Albers or a Sean Scully.

French Cubists are now integrated into very current scenographies : at TEFAF Maastricht 2024, two French Cubist works were featured on stands initially dedicated to contemporary art, a sign of cross-disciplinary aestheticization.

Contemporary artists, particularly in the geometric and conceptual scene, claim an indirect filiation with French Cubism, more cerebral and structural than its Spanish or Italian counterparts. Several recent hangings or exhibitions have highlighted historic artists and contemporaries, in a fluid plastic dialogue.

A rich movement, with figures that are still affordable

While the great figures of international Cubism (Picasso, Braque, Léger) are peaking, broader French Cubism remains fertile ground for enlightened collectors, with many talented artists still financially accessible.

Several artists are therefore seeing their valuations rise modestly but steadily :

- Jacques Villon : his works on paper sell for between €5,000 and €20,000, his pre-war cubist canvases for between €60,000 and €200,000.

- Jean Metzinger : oils between €30,000 and €120,000, drawings between €4,000 and €12,000.

- Albert Gleizes : canvases between €40,000 and €250,000, depending on period, rarity and provenance.

- Henri Le Fauconnier, André Lhote, Roger de La Fresnaye, Louis Marcoussis : they too benefit from occasional price rises, but their works remain below €100,000 for the most part.

Thus, the market is growing steadily, these artists are followed by specialized dealers and increasingly appear in specialized sales. This guarantees price stability as well as greater visibility over the long term.