# Alfred Manessier artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/alfred-manessier/
Profile generated: 2026-05-04T03:06:46.500Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1911-12-05
- Death date: 1993-08-01
- Nationality: French
- Movements: New School of Paris, Salon de Mai, Abstract / Non-figurative art
- Common media: Oil painting, Stained glass, Tapestry, Printmaking / graphic arts, Mosaic, Drawing

## About Alfred Manessier

Alfred Manessier (1911–1993) was a French abstract painter, stained glass designer, and tapestry artist associated with the post-war School of Paris and the Salon de Mai. Born in Saint-Ouen in the Somme département, he developed a distinctive non-figurative vocabulary of layered color and light that drew on both landscape and spiritual themes. Beyond easel painting, Manessier received major commissions for stained glass windows and tapestries in churches and public buildings across France and abroad, establishing him as one of the leading monumental artists of his generation. His work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate in London, and other international institutions. He died in Orléans in 1993.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Manessier's abstract oil paintings on canvas, color lithographs and etchings, tapestries woven after his designs, preparatory drawings and watercolors, and maquettes or cartoons for stained glass windows. His graphic output includes editioned prints published by French ateliers. Monumental commissions in stained glass and mosaic are typically held in situ and do not circulate on the secondary market, though related studies and working drawings occasionally appear.

## Market and appraisal context

Alfred Manessier has a well-established secondary-market footprint with 513 recorded auction lots spanning 1990–2026, of which 250 carry realised prices. The price distribution is wide: the 25th percentile sits at approximately €180, the median near €1,700, and the 75th percentile around €10,000, with a ceiling of €241,300 for top-tier oil paintings. Liquidity is steady, with 30 priced lots in the most recent 12-month window versus 27 in the prior period, indicating modestly increasing turnover. Major houses—Christie's, Sotheby's, Artcurial, and Tajan—account for the strongest results, while mid-tier French and German houses (Cornette de Saint-Cyr, Ader, Millon & Associés, Auktionshaus Rotherbaum) provide consistent volume at lower price points. Oil paintings from Manessier's mature post-war abstract period command the premium tier; signed lithographs and etchings cluster below €250, making them the most accessible segment. Works on paper and watercolors occupy a middle band, typically in the low hundreds of euros. Notably, several recent lots at Rotherbaum, Artcurial, and Casco Bay went unsold, suggesting selective demand—buyers gravitate toward well-dated oils with clear provenance rather than generic or untitled works.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Alfred Manessier has a well-established secondary-market footprint with 513 recorded auction lots spanning 1990–2026, of which 250 carry realised prices. The price distribution is wide: the 25th percentile sits at approximately €180, the median near €1,700, and the 75th percentile around €10,000, with a ceiling of €241,300 for top-tier oil paintings. Liquidity is steady, with 30 priced lots in the most recent 12-month window versus 27 in the prior period, indicating modestly increasing turnover. Major houses—Christie's, Sotheby's, Artcurial, and Tajan—account for the strongest results, while mid-tier French and German houses (Cornette de Saint-Cyr, Ader, Millon & Associés, Auktionshaus Rotherbaum) provide consistent volume at lower price points. Oil paintings from Manessier's mature post-war abstract period command the premium tier; signed lithographs and etchings cluster below €250, making them the most accessible segment. Works on paper and watercolors occupy a middle band, typically in the low hundreds of euros. Notably, several recent lots at Rotherbaum, Artcurial, and Casco Bay went unsold, suggesting selective demand—buyers gravitate toward well-dated oils with clear provenance rather than generic or untitled works.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would use the 513-lot auction record as a comparable-sales base, filtered by medium, dimensions, date of execution, and condition to bracket fair market value. For an oil painting, the appraiser would weigh the artist's period (mature post-war canvases vs. earlier figurative work), exhibition history, and any catalogue raisonné or literature references. For prints, edition number, impression quality, and publisher/atelier attribution are critical. For tapestries and stained-glass maquettes, commission documentation linking the work to a specific church or public building substantially affects value. In every case, the appraiser would cross-reference the Appraisily auction data against clear photographs, measured dimensions, signature and inscription details, a condition report, and documented provenance. The wide price dispersion (€5–€241,300) means that relying on an unfiltered average would be misleading; comparables must be medium- and period-matched.

### Valuation factors

- Medium: oil paintings on canvas consistently achieve the highest prices; lithographs and etchings trade in a much lower band
- Period and date of execution: mature post-war abstract works (c. 1945–1970) are most sought after
- Provenance and exhibition history: museum-held or exhibition-documented works carry a premium
- Condition: tears, fading, or overpainting significantly affect value, especially for works on paper and prints
- Edition details for prints: edition size, impression number, and publisher (e.g., Mourlot) influence price
- Commission documentation: tapestries and stained-glass maquettes linked to named church or civic commissions are more valuable
- Dimensions: larger canvases generally command higher prices, though intimate-scale oils from strong periods also perform well
- Signature and inscriptions: authenticity markings, dedication inscriptions, and estate stamps affect appraisal
- Literature references: inclusion in published catalogues or critical studies adds weight

### Collector notes

- Manessier's print market offers an affordable entry point—signed lithographs such as those from the 'Cantiques Spirituels' series have sold between €90 and €250 at auction. Collectors seeking stronger appreciation potential should focus on dated oil paintings from the 1950s–1960s with clear provenance and literature citations; these have recently realised €9,500 at Artcurial and €23,616 at Tajan. Be aware that many lots at mid-tier houses go unsold, so condition, attribution confidence, and realistic reserves matter. Works titled or inscribed with a specific subject (e.g., 'Gethsémani,' 'Alléluia des champs') may carry added interest. Tapestries woven after Manessier's designs appear periodically and can represent good value relative to oils of comparable importance, provided the weaving atelier and edition are documented. Letters and manuscripts (e.g., the 2026 Ader lot of two autograph letters) are a niche but collectible category for completist buyers.

### Market caveats

- Of 513 recorded lots, only 250 (49%) carry a realised price; unsold lots are excluded from price statistics and may indicate reserve gaps or attribution concerns.
- Auction records reflect public transactions only; private sales, gallery prices, and church or civic commissions are not captured.
- Stained glass and monumental mosaic works are site-specific and almost never appear at auction—values for these must rely on commission records and insurance appraisals rather than comparable sales.
- Price dispersion is very wide (€5–€241,300); any quoted statistic must be qualified by medium and period to be meaningful for appraisal.
- Attribution should be verified against published catalogues; lots described as 'after' Manessier (e.g., the 1967 aquarelle at Louiza Auktion) are not by the artist's hand and trade at a steep discount.
- Currency mix: the majority of lots are denominated in EUR with some in USD; cross-currency comparisons should account for exchange-rate timing.

### Market evidence sources

- undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/alfred-manessier/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-alfred-manessier-1911-1993-composition-abstraite-241-c-c3f61c40d2
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-alfred-manessier-1911-1993-gethsemani-gethsemane-1951-58-c-7289dc41f8
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-alfred-manessier-after-aquarelle-1967-63-c-27046ae8ab
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-alfred-manessier-1911-saint-ouen-an-der-somme-1993-orleans-619-c-65fe19650c
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-alfred-manessier-399-c-18a06c7e84
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-alfred-manessier-1911-1993-2-l-a-s-1951-1963-a-madeleine-marceron-343-c-6ede502716
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-alfred-manessier-french-1911-1993-lithograph-on-cream-wove-paper-les-cantiques-spirituels-de-saint-jean-de-la-croix-h-12-75-w-10-1278-c-3544a4a866

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum records, library authority files, and published sources with auction-house catalogues, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots. For Alfred Manessier, biographical data is drawn from the Library of Congress, VIAF, RKD, MoMA, and Tate, while market observations reflect publicly recorded auction activity.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q664268
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Manessier
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/59086111/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n84066931
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/3720
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/alfred-manessier-1566
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/52302
- Alfred Manessier Estate: http://alfredmanessier.free.fr/index.html