Henri Matisse

Do you own any Henri Matisse’s artwork? Are you curious to know what they are worth? Our Experts can provide a free appraisal to give you an estimate of the market price, then help you to ensure the best possible price should you decide to sell.

Value, estimation and price of the artist Henri Matisse

Price of a painting: 200,000 – 60,000,000 €.

Price of a drawing: 7,000 – 2 900,000 €.

Estimation of a print: 90 – 32,000 €.

Price of a sculpture: 14,000 – 31,000,000 €.

Discovery and first inspiration

Henri Matisse is a French painter, sculptor and draughtsman, born on 31 December 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis and who died on 3 November 1954 in Nice. He is a major figure from 20th century art and the leader of Fauvism. He rubbed shoulders with both Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso.

Henri Matisse began his professional life as a notary clerk and did not discover painting until he was 20 years old, after a bout of appendicitis, while he had to stay at home recovering. Once cured, he enrolled in a drawing course while continuing his work at the notary’s office. In June 1890, he painted his first artwork Still life with books.

He enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris in 1892, in Gustave Moreau’s studio.

Henri Matisse exhibited at the Salon des Cent and at the Salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1896. He met Camille Pissarro and Auguste Rodin  and began turning towards the Impressionist movement. In 1894 his eldest daughter was born, the child of one of his models and in 1898 Henri Matisse married Amélie Parayre with whom he had two children, in 1899 and 1900. Henri Matisse turned to sculpture and modelling from 1900 at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. The same year he bought Les Trois Baigneuses by Paul Cézanne, which he never sold, but which he gave to the Petit Palais in 1936.

Recognition and accolade

He exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in 1901 and at the first edition of the Salon d’Automne in 1903.

Leo and Gertrude Stein met Matisse in 1907 and bought him Woman with a Hat (now in the San Francisco Museum of Art). In the same year the Steins introduced him to Pablo Picasso. Gertrude Stein defined Picasso as the “South Pole” and Matisse as the “North Pole” of modern art.

Henri Matisse was exhibited in London, Munich and Moscow between 1908 and 1912 and in New York in 1913 alongside the works of Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia. He also exhibited with Picasso at the Paul Guillaume Gallery after the Great War.

In 1925, Henri Matisse was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour and was awarded the Carnegie Prize in 1927 in Pittsburgh. Henri Matisse represented France at the 25th Venice Biennale at the age of 81. In 1951, he produced his final gouache, La Tristesse du Roi, now in the Pompidou Centre. The following year the Matisse Museum was opened in his home town, Cateau-Cambrésis.

Odalisque Lying in Magnolias sold for $80.8 million in May 2018 at Christie’s from the private collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller.

Recognising Henri Matisse’s signature

Like many artists, Henri Matisse 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 Matisse’s artwork

If you own a Henri Matisse’s artwork, use our online form for a free appraisal.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent opinion of the market price. Should you wish to sell your painting or any other artwork, our specialists will also advise you on the various options available for selling at the best price.