Gustave Moreau

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Status, estimation and price of the artist Gustave Moreau

Price of a painting by the artist: 250 – 440,000 €.

Price of a drawing by the artist: 480 – 470,000 €.

Price of a sculpture by the artist: 110 – 700 €.

Estimation of a print by the artist: 90 – 1,200 €.

If you would like to have a work by Gustave Moreau appraised, our experts will take care of everything.

The beginnings of Gustave Moreau

Gustave Moreau was born on 6 April 1826 and died on 18 April 1898 in Paris. His father, Louis Moreau, was an architect for the city of Paris. Gustave began drawing at a very early age. In 1839, while he was a boarder at middle school, he won a drawing prize. After the death of his sister in 1840, he was home-schooled.

In 1841, he travelled to Italy with his mother, aunt and uncle and tried to sketch everything he could see. Three years later, he entered the studio of François-Edouard Picot, a neo-classical painter, and studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-arts in 1846. Having failed twice at the Prix de Rome, he left the institution in 1849.

In 1850, while working as a copyist in the Louvre Museum, he met Théodore Chassériau, whom he admired for his poetic elegance and considered to be his true master.

Gustave Moreau, a mythological painter

From 1852 until 1880 he exhibited at every Salon. His parents offered him a house-studio which is known today as the Gustave Moreau Museum and is located in the New Athens district in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.

A second trip to Italy between 1857 and 1859 allowed him to copy the great painters such as Titian or Leonardo da Vinci and he met Edgar Degas.

Very much influenced by the masters of the Renaissance, he filled his compositions to the brim with decorative ornaments. His favourite subjects revolve around religious, antique or mythological themes. His phantasmagorical creations greatly influenced Symbolist poets such as Mallarmé and then Surrealists such as André Breton.

In treating his works, Moreau managed to exalt the figure of his heroes in rare tones which he obtains after long and skilful blending on his palette.

Gustave Moreau, an artist with a record of success

At the 1864 Salon, Prince Jerome Napoleon bought his painting Oedipus and the Sphinx for 8,000 francs. Moreover, the critics were good to Moreau, which made him known to the public. However, he was mocked by people who did not understand his art. He then decided to stop exhibiting at the Salons on such a regular basis.

He became a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1875 and an Officer of the Legion of Honour in 1883. He was elected to the Academy of Fine Arts in 1888 and appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1892. Among his pupils were Matisse, Marquet and Manguin, future fauvist painters who had understood their master’s colourist lesson.

Recognising Gustave Moreau’s signature

Like many artists, Moreau did not sign all of his works. However, you will find below an example of the signatures to give you an idea. Variations of these signatures do exist, do not hesitate to contact one of our experts to formally authenticate a signature.

Appraising and selling a piece by Gustave Moreau

If you own a piece by Gustave Moreau or any other object, ask for a free estimate via our online form.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent view of the market price of your piece. In the context of a possible sale, our specialists will also advise you on the different options available to sell your work at the best price.