# Adolphe Lalauze artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/adolphe-lalauze/
Profile generated: 2026-05-14T17:53:18.607Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1838-10-08
- Nationality: French
- Movements: 19th-century French printmaking and book illustration
- Common media: etching, watercolor, drawing, reproductive engraving

## About Adolphe Lalauze

Adolphe Lalauze (1838–1906) was a French etcher, illustrator, watercolorist, and draftsman recognized for his prolific contributions to late-19th-century printmaking and book illustration. Born in Milly-la-Forêt, he trained as a reproductive engraver and expanded into original etching and watercolor. Over a career spanning roughly 1875 to 1900, he produced illustrations for numerous literary editions, earning awards at major salons and an appointment as Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. His technical skill in both reproductive and original intaglio work placed him among the respected French printmakers of his generation. He was the father of Alphonse Lalauze, who also pursued a career in art. Today collectors encounter his work primarily through individual etchings and illustrated books that appear on the prints-and-drawings market.

## Common works and media

Common works by Adolphe Lalauze include etchings (both original compositions and reproductive plates after paintings by other artists), watercolors, and ink or graphite drawings. He is frequently encountered through frontispiece and chapter illustrations in late-19th-century French literary editions. Prints may appear as individual sheets or bound into deluxe book editions, sometimes on laid or Japan paper. Subjects range from figurative and genre scenes to literary and allegorical themes. Collectors may also find reproductions etchings after well-known paintings, produced as part of the broader 19th-century market for affordable graphic art.

## Market and appraisal context

Lalauze's work appears at auction mainly as individual etchings and as plates within illustrated books. Original etchings with the artist's signature or dedicated proof impressions tend to attract stronger interest than reproductive engravings after other painters. Condition is especially important for works on paper: intact margins, absence of foxing, and good impression quality all influence value. Complete illustrated books containing Lalauze plates can command a premium when bindings and interiors are well preserved. Collectors should distinguish between original compositions and reproductive prints, as the former generally hold higher market appeal. Provenance and exhibition history, when documented, further support appraisal value.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured artist identity research from library authority files and scholarly databases with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Adolphe Lalauze, identity data is sourced from Wikidata, the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History), and the Library of Congress authority file.

## Sources

- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/114163
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/80742612/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500041600
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2824851
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolphe_Lalauze
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87139025