Jean Emile Laboureur Auction Prices and Value Guide
Jean Emile Laboureur auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 805 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Jean Emile Laboureur auction prices: quick answer
Jean Emile Laboureur auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Jean Emile Laboureur
- Source records
- 805
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Jean Emile Laboureur
Jean Émile Laboureur (1877–1943) was a French painter, printmaker, and illustrator born in Nantes. Active across an exceptionally broad range of media — including etching, lithography, wood engraving, watercolor, and oil painting — he became one of the most distinctive graphic artists of early twentieth-century France. Laboureur trained in Paris and traveled to the United States and England before settling back in France, where he developed a refined, modern style of figurative engraving. He illustrated books for prominent authors and his work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He died in Penestin, Morbihan, in 1943.
Modern French printmaking; early 20th-century French painting and illustrationetching and engravinglithographywoodcut and wood engravingwatercolorfigurative scenes and genre subjectsbook illustration and literary collaboration
Common works and media
Laboureur's most commonly encountered works at auction include etchings and burin engravings, often depicting figurative scenes, urban views, and elegant social subjects. He also produced lithographs, woodcuts, watercolors, and illustrated books. Oil paintings by Laboureur are less frequent in the market but do appear. His collaborations with literary publishers resulted in illustrated editions that are collected both as prints and as bound volumes.
Market and appraisal context
Jean-Emile Laboureur has a well-established and liquid secondary market centered on prints and works on paper. Appraisily tracks 184 auction lots dating from June 2004 through March 2026, with 115 carrying realized prices. The price distribution is wide but skewed toward accessible levels: the interquartile range spans approximately $150–$750 USD, with a median near $300. The ceiling at $22,000 reflects occasional premium impressions, larger or rarer compositions, or works in oil. Liquidity is healthy, with 8 priced lots in the most recent 12-month window versus 5 in the prior period, indicating steady and slightly growing demand. Major houses handling his work include Artcurial, Christie's, Bonhams, Piasa, Roseberys, Cornette de Saint-Cyr, and Rachel Davis Fine Arts, confirming broad cross-continental interest spanning Paris, London, and U.S. regional salerooms. The bulk of traded material consists of burin engravings, etchings, woodcuts, and lithographs depicting figurative scenes, urban views, and literary subjects—consistent with his reputation as one of the foremost modern French printmakers.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Old Master / Modern Prints & Multiples
- Works on Paper
- Etching and Engraving
- Lithography
- Woodcut and Wood Engraving
Value drivers
- Medium: prints, etchings, lithographs, and wood engravings are the most commonly encountered works at auction
- Edition: many works were produced in numbered editions; edition size and impression quality affect value
- Book illustration: illustrated editions of literary works appear in both print and book auctions
- Condition and impression quality are standard factors for works on paper
- Medium: etchings and burin engravings dominate the market and cluster around $75–$750; lithographs and woodcuts occupy a similar band; oil paintings and watercolors can exceed the print ceiling.
- Edition: numbered editions with documented edition size and impression number are standard; lower-numbered or artist-proof impressions may carry a premium.
Appraisal caveats
- With 805 auction records tracked, Laboureur has a well-established secondary market presence primarily in prints and works on paper.
- Original paintings are less frequently encountered than graphic works and may command different price ranges.
- Provenance, catalogue raisonné references, and impression state can materially affect appraisal.
- Price data reflects 115 of 184 tracked lots; 69 lots have no realized price recorded, which may represent unsold lots, withdrawals, or data gaps and could skew the observed distribution.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- Wikipedia wikipedia
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 Jean Emile Laboureur 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 Jean Emile Laboureur artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.