# Charles-François Daubigny artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/charles-francois-daubigny/ Profile generated: 2026-05-02T13:20:44.440Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1817-01-15 - Death date: 1878-02-19 - Nationality: French - Movements: Barbizon school - Common media: Oil painting, Etching, Drawing, Printmaking ## About Charles-François Daubigny Charles-François Daubigny (1817–1878) was a French painter, etcher, and illustrator recognized as a leading figure of the Barbizon school. Born and based in Paris, he came from an artistic family—his father Edme-François was also a painter—and trained in the landscape tradition that would define his career. Daubigny's work is characterized by naturalistic depictions of rural France, particularly river valleys, forest clearings, and coastal scenes. His approach to plein air painting and loose, atmospheric brushwork anticipated Impressionist methods and influenced younger contemporaries including Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro. In addition to easel paintings, he produced a substantial body of etchings and book illustrations. His work is held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and he is extensively documented in the Library of Congress, RKD, and VIAF authority records. ## Common works and media Oil paintings on canvas and panel, especially landscapes featuring rivers, ponds, forests, and coastal views of France. Etchings and prints, often depicting similar rustic and natural subjects. Book illustrations, including contributions to publications such as Le Diable à Paris. Drawings in graphite, ink, and wash on paper. Works are typically signed 'Daubigny.' His oeuvre spans easel paintings intended for Salon exhibition, smaller cabinet-size landscapes, and graphic works produced for print publishers. ## Market and appraisal context Charles-François Daubigny has a deep and active secondary-market footprint, with 183 auction lots tracked by Appraisily between December 2002 and April 2026, of which 126 carry realized prices. The price distribution is wide: recorded prices range from $45 (an etching at Loon Estates, October 2025) to $1,300,000 (a major oil painting), with a median of $7,638 and an interquartile range of $1,143–$22,100. This dispersion reflects the broad spectrum of media Daubigny produced—etchings and small works on paper trade in the low hundreds to low thousands, while finished oil-on-canvas landscapes by Christie's, Sotheby's, and Lyon & Turnbull regularly achieve mid-four to six-figure results. Liquidity is healthy: 16 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 14 in the prior 12 months, indicating steady and slightly growing auction visibility. Ten distinct auction houses account for the highest frequency of offerings, including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Artcurial, Koller Auctions, Swann Auction Galleries, Lyon & Turnbull, Osenat, Galerie Fischer Auktionen AG, and Armstrong Fine Art—spanning major international and reputable regional houses. Oil paintings on canvas and panel dominate the upper price tier; etchings, prints, and drawings populate the lower tier. River landscapes, pastoral scenes, and twilight subjects are the most commonly encountered motifs. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence Charles-François Daubigny has a deep and active secondary-market footprint, with 183 auction lots tracked by Appraisily between December 2002 and April 2026, of which 126 carry realized prices. The price distribution is wide: recorded prices range from $45 (an etching at Loon Estates, October 2025) to $1,300,000 (a major oil painting), with a median of $7,638 and an interquartile range of $1,143–$22,100. This dispersion reflects the broad spectrum of media Daubigny produced—etchings and small works on paper trade in the low hundreds to low thousands, while finished oil-on-canvas landscapes by Christie's, Sotheby's, and Lyon & Turnbull regularly achieve mid-four to six-figure results. Liquidity is healthy: 16 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 14 in the prior 12 months, indicating steady and slightly growing auction visibility. Ten distinct auction houses account for the highest frequency of offerings, including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Artcurial, Koller Auctions, Swann Auction Galleries, Lyon & Turnbull, Osenat, Galerie Fischer Auktionen AG, and Armstrong Fine Art—spanning major international and reputable regional houses. Oil paintings on canvas and panel dominate the upper price tier; etchings, prints, and drawings populate the lower tier. River landscapes, pastoral scenes, and twilight subjects are the most commonly encountered motifs. ### Appraisal notes Appraisily would use these 183 tracked auction records as a comparable-sale foundation, filtering by medium (oil on canvas vs. etching vs. drawing), dimensions, subject matter (river landscape, pastoral, coastal), and sale venue to establish a reasoned value range. The appraiser would layer in photographs of the work, verified dimensions, medium confirmation (e.g., oil on canvas, oil on panel, watercolor, ink on paper), signature location and form ('Daubigny'), condition report (canvas relining, surface cleaning, foxing, tears for works on paper), provenance history (gallery labels, exhibition history, collection provenance), and edition details for prints. Because the interquartile range spans roughly $1,100 to $22,100, precise categorization of the work within Daubigny's oeuvre—finished exhibition painting versus preparatory sketch versus print edition—is essential to narrowing the estimate. Attribution verification is important: several recent lots are described as 'attribution,' 'in the manner of,' or 'école de,' which trade at a discount to fully authenticated works. The appraiser should cross-reference against RKD documentation (2,489 recorded images) and, when available, catalogue raisonné entries. ### Valuation factors - Medium and support: finished oil-on-canvas landscapes command the highest values; oil on panel is next; watercolors, drawings, and etchings trade significantly lower. - Dimensions: larger easel paintings intended for Salon exhibition typically exceed smaller cabinet-size works in value. - Subject matter: characteristic river scenes, twilight landscapes, and pastoral views with cattle are the most sought-after motifs. - Attribution certainty: works with full attribution and documented provenance carry a premium over lots described as 'attribution,' 'in the manner of,' or 'école de.' - Condition: for 19th-century works on canvas, relining, overpainting, and surface condition materially affect value; for works on paper, foxing, acid burn, and tears are key detractors. - Provenance: documented exhibition history, distinguished collection provenance, and gallery labels enhance value. - Signature: works are typically signed 'Daubigny'; signature location and consistency with documented signatures should be verified. - Auction venue: results from Christie's, Sotheby's, and other major international houses carry more weight as comparables than results from regional houses. ### Collector notes ### Market caveats - Price distribution is extremely wide ($45–$1,300,000), reflecting the vast difference between Daubigny's etchings/prints and his major oil paintings; any estimate must be medium-specific. - Several recent lots are described as 'attribution,' 'in the manner of,' or 'école de' rather than fully authenticated works; these are not directly comparable to secure attributions. - Auction results span multiple currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, AUD); currency conversion timing affects comparable analysis. - Some lots in the recent sample lack realized prices (passed/unsold), which may indicate reserve issues or condition concerns and should be factored into market analysis. - Daubigny's large output of etchings and book illustrations means a significant portion of lots at auction are graphic works rather than paintings; collectors should confirm medium before using painting comparables. - Appraisily auction records are derived from public auction feeds and may not capture private sales or every regional auction result. ### Market evidence sources - Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/charles-francois-daubigny/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0 - Invaluable / Market Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charles-francois-daubigny-french-1817-1878-watercolor-66-c-8f04595912 - Invaluable / Antique Arena Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-french-landscape-oil-painting-by-charles-daubigny-124-c-cc34885a09 - Invaluable / Kunstauktionshaus Schloss Ahlden: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charles-francois-daubigny-1543-c-dca1b08dae - Invaluable / Setdart Auction House: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charles-francois-daubigny-paris-1817-1878-river-landscape-oil-on-canvas-signed-in-the-lower-right-corner-36-c-aff2ecc11b - Invaluable / Lyon & Turnbull: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charles-francois-daubigny-french-1817-1878-553-c-25949048f7 - Invaluable / Kunsthaus Lempertz KG: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-charles-francois-daubigny-ruisseau-dans-la-plaine-d-optevoz-2150-c-74c4355a07 ## Appraisily data basis Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum records, library authority files, and scholarly sources with available auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots. For Charles-François Daubigny, biographical data is grounded in Library of Congress, RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, VIAF, and MoMA collection records. Market observations are general and should be supplemented with specific auction-house results before making appraisal decisions. ## Sources - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q252357 - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50037946 - VIAF / OCLC: https://viaf.org/viaf/71399615/ - RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/20106 - The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/1393 - Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500115164