# Olivier Debre artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/olivier-debre/
Profile generated: 2026-05-11T21:20:09.794Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1920-04-14
- Death date: 1999-06-01
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Abstract painting
- Common media: oil painting, lithography, sculpture, graphic art, drawing

## About Olivier Debre

Olivier Debré (1920–1999) was a French abstract painter, sculptor, lithographer, and graphic artist known for his large-scale gestural canvases. Born in Paris into a family with deep roots in the French art world — his grandfather was the portrait painter Édouard Debat-Ponsan — Debré studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from around 1938. His work evolved from early figurative beginnings into a distinctive form of abstraction characterized by broad, luminous fields of color and sweeping gestural marks. Active primarily from the 1950s onward, Debré became recognized within post-war French abstraction. His paintings, often monumental in scale, convey a sense of landscape and atmospheric space through purely abstract means. Collectors encounter his work at international auctions and in public collections documented by major library and museum authorities.

## Common works and media

Debré worked across several media. His most recognized works are large-scale abstract oil paintings featuring broad color fields and gestural brushwork. He also produced lithographs, etchings, and other graphic works that circulate widely at auction. Sculptural works and preparatory drawings appear less frequently but are documented in institutional records. Subjects are non-representational, though critics have linked his compositions to landscape and atmospheric impressions. Signed and numbered prints constitute a significant portion of the auction market for this artist.

## Market and appraisal context

Olivier Debré's work appears regularly at auction across Post-War and Contemporary Art, Prints and Multiples, and Works on Paper categories. His large-format oil paintings are the most commercially significant, while lithographs and drawings provide accessible entry points for collectors. Valuation depends on medium, scale, provenance, condition, and the specific period of the work. Works with documented gallery provenance or exhibition history tend to achieve stronger results. Collectors should note that over 400 lots attributed to Debré have circulated through auction channels, indicating a substantial and active market. Authenticity verification and condition assessment are recommended before any appraisal.

## Appraisily data basis

This artist page combines identity and biographical research from Getty ULAN, VIAF, the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Wikidata with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. Artist facts are cross-referenced against multiple authority files to ensure accuracy.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2637632
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Debr%C3%A9
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500025847
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/106315438/
- Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/21251
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50040437