# Camille Bombois artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/camille-bombois/
Profile generated: 2026-05-08T13:40:30.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1883-02-03
- Death date: 1970-06-11
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Naïve art
- Common media: oil painting, gouache, drawing

## About Camille Bombois

Camille Bombois (1883–1970) was a French painter and draftsperson recognized as one of the leading figures of Naïve art. Born in the Yonne region of Burgundy, he worked as a farmhand, railroad worker, and circus strongman before dedicating himself to painting. Art critic Noël Bureau discovered Bombois selling canvases on the streets of Paris around 1922, bringing him to the attention of collectors and galleries. His self-taught style is characterized by bold color, strong outlines, and meticulous detail. He is best known for vibrant circus scenes, but his output also includes landscapes, domestic interiors, and figurative compositions. His work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and is documented in major reference publications including Bénézit and the Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon.

## Common works and media

Bombois worked primarily in oil on canvas and gouache, with drawings also appearing in the market. His most characteristic works depict circus performers, strongmen, and fairground scenes rendered in saturated color with precise draftsmanship. Landscapes of the French countryside, river views, domestic interiors, and still lifes are also known. Works range from small cabinet-size panels to larger canvases. Prints and reproductions exist but original paintings constitute the majority of auction lots.

## Market and appraisal context

Bombois paintings appear regularly at auction, with over five hundred lots recorded in Appraisily's database. Oil on canvas is the most common medium encountered. Circus subjects and boldly colored figurative scenes tend to attract the strongest collector interest. Condition, provenance, signature authenticity (he signed 'Bombois. C.lle'), and documented exhibition history all affect appraisal outcomes. As a self-taught Naïve painter, Bombois occupies a distinct collecting niche; comparable sales among other modern Naïve artists such as Henri Rousseau and Séraphine Louis can provide useful valuation context.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine published artist-identity research from museum, library-authority, and specialist sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Camille Bombois, identity data is drawn from the Getty ULAN, VIAF, Library of Congress, RKD, and MoMA. Market observations are supplemented by Appraisily's auction-lot database.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/10215
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/652
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500024562
- VIAF (OCLC): https://viaf.org/viaf/19535/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr98009701
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q683264
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Bombois