Paul Gavarni Auction Prices and Value Guide
Paul Gavarni auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 648 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Paul Gavarni auction prices: quick answer
Paul Gavarni auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Paul Gavarni
- Source records
- 648
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Paul Gavarni
Paul Gavarni, born Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier in Paris on 13 January 1804, was a French lithographer, illustrator, watercolorist, and caricaturist whose graphic work captured the social fabric of mid-nineteenth-century Paris. Adopting the pseudonym "Gavarni"—reportedly inspired by the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees—he became one of the leading graphic satirists of his generation, contributing thousands of lithographs to periodicals such as Le Charivari and L'Illustration. His serialized lithographic suites depicting Parisian dandies, students, courtesans, and bourgeois pretensions earned him a reputation comparable to that of Honoré Daumier. Gavarni also spent time in London, producing illustrations for the British press. He died in Paris on 24 November 1866. His works are held in major institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
LithographyWatercolorDrawingEngravingCaricature and social satireParisian social life and manners
Common works and media
Gavarni is most commonly encountered in the form of lithographs—both single plates and complete suites—originally published in Parisian journals or issued separately. Frequent media include black-and-white lithographs, hand-colored lithographs, pen-and-ink drawings, watercolors, and reproductive engravings after his compositions. Typical subjects include fashionable Parisian society, dandies, theatrical and café scenes, domestic interiors, and satirical commentary on class and manners. Illustrations for literary editions also appear on the market.
Market and appraisal context
Paul Gavarni's work has a substantial auction footprint, with 316 lots tracked by Appraisily dating from 1991 through May 2026. Of those, 142 carry a recorded price. The price distribution is wide but bottom-heavy: the median realized price is $250, the 25th percentile is $120, and the 75th percentile is $671, with a ceiling near $10,000 for top-tier pieces. Individual lithographs—by far the most common medium—typically realize between $50 and $400, while original watercolors, manuscripts, and complete lithographic suites can reach into the mid-hundreds or low thousands. Liquidity is moderate: 18 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window (down from 27 in the prior 12 months), suggesting a steady but not high-volume market. Named auction houses in the record set include Christie's, Bonhams, Swann Auction Galleries, Piasa, Bassenge, HVMC, and Aguttes, lending institutional credibility to the price history. The majority of lots are offered by mid-tier and regional houses such as Carnegie's Auction Gallery, Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen, and Arenberg Auctions.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Lithography
- Works on Paper
- Prints & Multiples
- Drawings & Watercolors
- Old Master / 19th-Century Prints
Value drivers
- [object Object]
Appraisal caveats
- Gavarni produced a very large volume of lithographic work over several decades; individual sheets vary widely in rarity and value.
- Attribution should be confirmed through catalogue references, as many reproductive prints after Gavarni's designs circulate without clear designation.
- Some lots in the aggregated record set appear to be misattributed to Gavarni because they match on the given name 'Guillaume' rather than the artist's full identity (e.g., Guillaume Coustou bronzes, Louis Constant Guillaume paintings, Guillaume de L'Isle maps). These inflate the lot count and may distort price statistics. The Appraisily signals should be cross-referenced before citing specific comparables.
- Many recent lots show no recorded price (priceRealised: null), which means the effective sample of confirmed transactions is smaller than the raw lot count suggests.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
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 Paul Gavarni 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 Paul Gavarni artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.