Rembrandt Bugatti

Do you have a piece by Rembrandt Bugatti in your possession and would like to know its value? Our Experts will carry out a free appraisal of your piece, provide you with an estimate of the market price, and then help you to sell at the best possible price.

Status, estimate and price of Rembrandt Bugatti

Price of a sculpture by the artist: 25,000-800,000 €.

Price of a drawing by the artist: 350 – 2,000 €.

If you would like to have a Bugatti work of art appraised, our experts will take care of everything.

Rembrandt Bugatti, an animal sculptor

Rembrandt Bugatti was an Italian animal sculptor born on October 16, 1884 in Milan, he died on January 8, 1916. He was the younger brother of Ettore Bugatti, founder of the famous car brand. His father was the famous furniture manufacturer. From childhood, he devoted himself to sculpture, using plastiline, a kind of modelling clay. His fragile health and mental state pushed him to suicide at the age of thirty-one.

In 1901, one of his earliest works “Ritorno dal pascolo” representing a set of cows, was modelled by hand. He worked on the theme of animals, as it as a kind of projection of his vision of things. His animals are animated by a sort of personality. In each of his creations, there was a desire to individualise creatures by playing on details. These works appeared to be animated and not fixed.

Bugatti studied animals in the zoological park of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and then moved to Antwerp. He observed felines and birds of prey on a daily basis. He preferred to work instantaneously and without sketches in order to capture the emotion of the moment.

In 1903, he moved to Paris, a city where all artists went to settle. He went to work with the smelter Adrien-Aurélien Hébrard with whom he signed an exclusive contract. The lost-wax technique was mainly used, allowing him to reproduce several copies of the models he had imagined and at the same time redefining the notion of authenticity. Each copy produced was listed and numbered. Hébrard also owned a gallery in Paris, where he presented Bugatti’s latest bronzes. During the First World War, he joined the Red Cross and the Italian army. During this time, the sale of bronzes was slowed down, forcing the Hébrard gallery to close. In 1916, he returned to Paris where he died in his studio.

Rare and sought-after bronzes

He was successful at a young age, presenting his works at the Venice Biennale at just age 19 and was awarded the Legion of Honour at the age of twenty-seven.

His sculptures are extraordinary and very much sought after by collectors. Their prices can soar. In 2016, the sculpture “Le Grand Fourmilier” sold at auction for 1.5 million euros, a record in France. In spite of a short career, he made many artistic creations. One of his most representative works is the “Deux Grand Léopards”.

Recognising Rembrandt Bugatti’s signature

Like many artists, Bugatti 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 Rembrandt Bugatti

If you own a piece by Rembrandt Bugatti 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.