Bernard Cathelin Auction Prices and Value Guide
Bernard Cathelin auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 637 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Bernard Cathelin auction prices: quick answer
Bernard Cathelin auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Bernard Cathelin
- Source records
- 637
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Bernard Cathelin
Bernard Cathelin (1919–2004) was a French painter, lithographer, and watercolorist associated with the School of Paris, a loosely defined circle of émigré and French artists active in the mid-twentieth century that included figures such as Picasso, Chagall, and Matisse. Born in Paris, Cathelin studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs under the painter Maurice Brianchon. He received critical recognition as early as 1950 and by 1955 was able to devote himself entirely to painting. Over his career his work was featured in more than fifty exhibitions worldwide. Cathelin maintained a lasting attachment to the Drôme region of southeastern France, where his mother's family originated, and the landscape and light of that area remained a recurring presence in his art. His output spans oils on canvas, lithographic prints, watercolors, and book illustrations.
School of Parisoil paintinglithographywatercolorillustrationFrench landscapesstill lifeDrôme region scenery
Common works and media
Collectors most frequently encounter Cathelin's oil-on-canvas paintings of French landscapes, floral still lifes, and interior scenes. He also produced a significant body of lithographic prints, often in numbered editions, as well as watercolors and book illustrations. Subject matter tends toward the countryside and villages of the Drôme, Provencal markets, flowers, and intimate domestic interiors. Works range from large-scale canvases to smaller-format prints and works on paper.
Market and appraisal context
Bernard Cathelin's auction market is deep and well-established, with 427 recorded lots and 291 priced results spanning from 2001 to April 2026. The price distribution is exceptionally wide — from $15 at the low end to $3,500,000 at the high end — reflecting a meaningful split between original oil paintings and reproductive prints. The median price of approximately $1,075 indicates that most lots are lithographs and smaller works on paper, while large-scale oil paintings of landscapes and floral still lifes command five- and six-figure sums. Top-tier houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, Artcurial, Tajan, and Bonhams regularly offer Cathelin material, confirming sustained institutional demand. Recent twelve-month activity (22 lots) is modestly lower than the prior year (38 lots), suggesting a slight softening in volume but continued liquidity across French, American, and Swiss salerooms.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- oil painting
- lithography
- watercolor
- illustration
Value drivers
- Medium: original oil paintings command significantly higher prices than lithographs, which cluster below $1,000.
- Subject: floral still lifes and Drôme landscapes are the most sought-after subjects among recent auction results.
- Size and scale: large-format canvases and oversized lithographs (e.g., 250 x 125 cm sheets) carry premiums over small works on paper.
- Provenance and exhibition history: documented exhibition records or estate provenance increase collector confidence and price.
- Condition: as with all works on paper and canvas, condition reports directly affect realized prices at auction.
- Print edition details: Passeron catalogue numbers, edition size, and artist proofs versus numbered editions materially affect lithograph values.
Appraisal caveats
- No catalogue raisonné is referenced in available authority sources; attribution confirmation may require specialist review.
- Specific death date is not confirmed in available sources; only the death year 2004 is established.
- Auction price ranges and market trends are not available from the collected source pack and should be assessed from live auction records.
- No published catalogue raisonné is widely referenced; the Passeron numbers cited in Bonhams lots appear to be a lithography catalogue but its completeness is unconfirmed from available sources.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) library authority
Data basis
This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Bernard Cathelin worth?
Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.
Can Appraisily value my Bernard Cathelin artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.