# Henri Rivière artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/henri-riviere/
Profile generated: 2026-05-05T05:10:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1864-05-11
- Death date: 1951-08-24
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Post-Impressionism, Japonisme
- Common media: lithograph, woodcut, watercolor, gouache, photography, ink drawing, painting

## About Henri Rivière

Henri Rivière (1864–1951) was a French artist, printmaker, and designer best known for his inventive shadow-theater productions at the legendary Chat Noir cabaret in Montmartre and his luminous color lithographs of Breton landscapes and the Eiffel Tower. Born Benjamin Jean Pierre Henri Rivière in Paris, he was largely self-taught and became a central figure in the Parisian avant-garde of the late nineteenth century. His ambitious print series "Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel," directly inspired by Hokusai's "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji," fused Japanese compositional aesthetics with modern Parisian subjects and is regarded as a landmark of French printmaking. Rivière also worked in watercolor, gouache, photography, and woodcut, and his shadow plays drew on Balinese and Chinese theatrical traditions. His output bridges Post-Impressionism and the broader Japonisme movement, and his prints are held by major museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

## Common works and media

The most commonly encountered Rivière works in appraisal and auction contexts are color lithographs, particularly from "Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel" (completed 1902) and the "Paysages bretons" series. He also produced woodcuts, watercolors, gouaches, ink drawings, and photographs. Original paintings and preparatory studies are less common than his prints. Shadow-theater designs, zinc silhouettes, and related ephemera from the Chat Noir period surface occasionally and appeal to collectors of theatrical and cabaret memorabilia.

## Market and appraisal context

Henri Rivière maintains a well-established and active auction market spanning more than two decades (2003–2026), with 311 recorded lots of which 276 carried a realized price. The market is anchored in France, with Osenat, Limoges Encheres, Tajan, Ader, Piasa, and Millon & Associes accounting for the majority of offerings, while international exposure comes through Christie's, Bonhams, Swann Auction Galleries, and Armstrong Fine Art. The price distribution is moderately compressed at the center—25th percentile at €400, median at €600, 75th percentile at €893—but with a long tail reaching €40,000, indicating that exceptional impressions, rare series plates, or original works in watercolor or gouache can command significantly higher prices. The most frequently traded material consists of color lithographs from the Eiffel Tower series (Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel) and the Paysages bretons series, typically selling in the €200–€670 range. Recent 12-month volume (27 lots) is up 35% over the prior 12-month period (20 lots), suggesting stable or growing collector interest. Swann Auction Galleries in New York realized $952 each for two lots in April 2026, confirming healthy international demand.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Henri Rivière maintains a well-established and active auction market spanning more than two decades (2003–2026), with 311 recorded lots of which 276 carried a realized price. The market is anchored in France, with Osenat, Limoges Encheres, Tajan, Ader, Piasa, and Millon & Associes accounting for the majority of offerings, while international exposure comes through Christie's, Bonhams, Swann Auction Galleries, and Armstrong Fine Art. The price distribution is moderately compressed at the center—25th percentile at €400, median at €600, 75th percentile at €893—but with a long tail reaching €40,000, indicating that exceptional impressions, rare series plates, or original works in watercolor or gouache can command significantly higher prices. The most frequently traded material consists of color lithographs from the Eiffel Tower series (Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel) and the Paysages bretons series, typically selling in the €200–€670 range. Recent 12-month volume (27 lots) is up 35% over the prior 12-month period (20 lots), suggesting stable or growing collector interest. Swann Auction Galleries in New York realized $952 each for two lots in April 2026, confirming healthy international demand.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would combine these 311 auction records with physical examination of the work's medium, dimensions, plate or edition number, signature, paper quality, color saturation, and condition. For Rivière lithographs, the specific series (Eiffel Tower, Paysages bretons, La Féérie des Heures), the catalogue raisonné reference (Toudouze, Gamet, Levasseur-Le Bohec, or Fields), and the plate position within the series are critical value determinants. Impression quality—early pulls with strong color versus later or faded impressions—can materially affect price. Provenance linking a work to notable collections, exhibitions, or publications would support a premium valuation. The €40,000 ceiling suggests that rare or exceptional works exist well above the median; an appraiser would need to assess whether the subject work falls within the common range or represents an outlier category such as an original watercolor, gouache, or complete portfolio set.

### Valuation factors

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### Collector notes

- Rivière lithographs are accessible at auction, with most lots selling between €200 and €900, making them a practical entry point for collectors of French Post-Impressionist prints and Japonisme. The Eiffel Tower series plates appear regularly at French houses, especially Osenat, often in groups from single consignments—collectors seeking specific plates may find opportunities when multiple lots come to market simultaneously. Buyers should verify that works are by Henri Rivière the printmaker (1864–1951) and not other artists sharing the same name. Watercolors, gouaches, and complete portfolio sets are significantly less common and represent higher-value acquisitions. Shadow-theater designs and Chat Noir ephemera appeal to a specialist cabaret-history collector base and surface infrequently. The 35% increase in 12-month lot volume suggests growing attention, but the broad price range (€50–€40,000) means careful comparison with specific catalogue-referenced comparables is essential before buying or selling.

### Market caveats

- The name Henri Rivière is shared with other French artists active in different periods; all attribution should be verified against catalogue raisonné references (Toudouze, Gamet, Levasseur-Le Bohec, Fields) before relying on auction comparables.
- Price data is predominantly in EUR from French auction houses; USD results from Swann and others are limited and may not fully represent the international market.
- The €40,000 maximum price represents an outlier well above the 75th percentile (€893); the median (€600) is a more representative benchmark for typical lithograph lots.
- Rivière produced works across multiple mediums over a long career (c. 1880s–1940s); condition and edition specifics vary widely, and broad price ranges should not be applied without medium-specific and series-specific comparison.
- Some recent lots carry no realized price (bought-in or unsold), which may indicate reserve pricing above market willingness for certain plates or conditions.

### Market evidence sources

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- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-henri-riviere-france-1864-1951-le-port-1906-toudouze-pp-102-et-164-gamet-p-42-levasseur-le-bohec-p-140-5-c-fa31bcc0a1
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-henri-riviere-france-1864-1951-le-premier-quartier-1901-toudouze-pp-109-et-163-gamet-p-28-levasseur-le-bohec-p-101-4-c-e4b6352aea
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-henri-riviere-france-1864-1951-le-soleil-couchant-1901-toudouze-pp-102-et-163-gamet-p-28-et-no-29-levasseur-le-bohec-p-96-3-c-38ceef1607

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum and library authority records with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when available. For Henri Rivière, identity data is supported by records from MoMA, the Library of Congress, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and the RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History).

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n83146981
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/67221
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/4946
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500011467
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/34494463/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2731112
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Rivi%C3%A8re_(painter)