# Paul Gavarni artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/paul-gavarni/
Profile generated: 2026-05-06T19:30:40.786Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1804-01-13
- Death date: 1866-11-24
- Nationality: French
- Common media: Lithography, Watercolor, Drawing, Engraving, Painting

## About Paul Gavarni

Paul Gavarni, born Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier in Paris on 13 January 1804, was a French lithographer, illustrator, watercolorist, and caricaturist whose graphic work captured the social fabric of mid-nineteenth-century Paris. Adopting the pseudonym "Gavarni"—reportedly inspired by the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees—he became one of the leading graphic satirists of his generation, contributing thousands of lithographs to periodicals such as Le Charivari and L'Illustration. His serialized lithographic suites depicting Parisian dandies, students, courtesans, and bourgeois pretensions earned him a reputation comparable to that of Honoré Daumier. Gavarni also spent time in London, producing illustrations for the British press. He died in Paris on 24 November 1866. His works are held in major institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

## Common works and media

Gavarni is most commonly encountered in the form of lithographs—both single plates and complete suites—originally published in Parisian journals or issued separately. Frequent media include black-and-white lithographs, hand-colored lithographs, pen-and-ink drawings, watercolors, and reproductive engravings after his compositions. Typical subjects include fashionable Parisian society, dandies, theatrical and café scenes, domestic interiors, and satirical commentary on class and manners. Illustrations for literary editions also appear on the market.

## Market and appraisal context

Paul Gavarni's work has a substantial auction footprint, with 316 lots tracked by Appraisily dating from 1991 through May 2026. Of those, 142 carry a recorded price. The price distribution is wide but bottom-heavy: the median realized price is $250, the 25th percentile is $120, and the 75th percentile is $671, with a ceiling near $10,000 for top-tier pieces. Individual lithographs—by far the most common medium—typically realize between $50 and $400, while original watercolors, manuscripts, and complete lithographic suites can reach into the mid-hundreds or low thousands. Liquidity is moderate: 18 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window (down from 27 in the prior 12 months), suggesting a steady but not high-volume market. Named auction houses in the record set include Christie's, Bonhams, Swann Auction Galleries, Piasa, Bassenge, HVMC, and Aguttes, lending institutional credibility to the price history. The majority of lots are offered by mid-tier and regional houses such as Carnegie's Auction Gallery, Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen, and Arenberg Auctions.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Paul Gavarni's work has a substantial auction footprint, with 316 lots tracked by Appraisily dating from 1991 through May 2026. Of those, 142 carry a recorded price. The price distribution is wide but bottom-heavy: the median realized price is $250, the 25th percentile is $120, and the 75th percentile is $671, with a ceiling near $10,000 for top-tier pieces. Individual lithographs—by far the most common medium—typically realize between $50 and $400, while original watercolors, manuscripts, and complete lithographic suites can reach into the mid-hundreds or low thousands. Liquidity is moderate: 18 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window (down from 27 in the prior 12 months), suggesting a steady but not high-volume market. Named auction houses in the record set include Christie's, Bonhams, Swann Auction Galleries, Piasa, Bassenge, HVMC, and Aguttes, lending institutional credibility to the price history. The majority of lots are offered by mid-tier and regional houses such as Carnegie's Auction Gallery, Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen, and Arenberg Auctions.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily uses these auction records as comparable-sale evidence alongside the specifics you provide—photographs, dimensions, medium identification, signature or plate-mark verification, paper condition, provenance, and edition or series details. Because Gavarni produced thousands of lithographs across dozens of series, attribution and correct series identification are critical: an early impression from a celebrated suite such as Masques et Visages or Les Lorettes carries a different market position than a later reprint or a reproductive engraving after his design. Your appraiser will match your item against the most comparable lots in this record set, adjusting for condition, impression quality, hand-coloring, and whether the work is an original lithograph, a drawing, or a watercolor. The presence of Christie's and Bonhams in the history supports a reliable high-end reference point, while the broad mid-tier activity provides a grounded floor.

### Valuation factors

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### Collector notes

- Gavarni lithographs are accessible entry points into 19th-century French graphic art, with individual sheets routinely appearing in the $50–$400 range at regional and mid-tier auction houses. If you are buying, prioritize early impressions with full margins, clear plate marks, and no significant condition issues; verify that the piece is an original lithograph by Gavarni and not a reproductive print after his design. Series identification matters—a plate from Masques et Visages or Les Lorettes is more marketable than an unidentifiable sheet. Complete suites, original watercolors, and autograph manuscripts are comparatively rare and represent the stronger long-term value opportunity. If you are selling, professional condition reporting and correct catalogue referencing (e.g.,Delteil or Armelhault & Bocher numbers) will help attract serious bidders. Be aware that market volume has softened slightly, with 18 lots in the last 12 months versus 27 in the prior period, so realistic reserves are advisable.

### Market caveats

- Some lots in the aggregated record set appear to be misattributed to Gavarni because they match on the given name 'Guillaume' rather than the artist's full identity (e.g., Guillaume Coustou bronzes, Louis Constant Guillaume paintings, Guillaume de L'Isle maps). These inflate the lot count and may distort price statistics. The Appraisily signals should be cross-referenced before citing specific comparables.
- Many recent lots show no recorded price (priceRealised: null), which means the effective sample of confirmed transactions is smaller than the raw lot count suggests.
- Gavarni's prolific output means there is a very long tail of common reprints alongside genuinely scarce early impressions; price dispersion is wide and should not be treated as a narrow range.
- Attribution should be confirmed through standard catalogue raisonné references (Armelhault & Bocher; Delteil), as reproductive prints after Gavarni's designs are common and rarely distinguished in auction listings.
- Prices are reported in multiple currencies (USD, EUR, CHF); direct comparison requires currency normalization at the sale date.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/paul-gavarni/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable (Bernaerts Auctioneers): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-1804-1861-1061-c-84b48ee8ae
- Invaluable (Carnegie's Auction Gallery): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-french-1804-1866-lithograph-musiciens-comiques-ou-pittoresques-279-c-d1a9a50b66
- Invaluable (Carnegie's Auction Gallery): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-french-1804-1866-lithograph-gravestissemens-grotesque-oiseau-173-c-715fe6403c
- Invaluable (District Auction): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-group-antique-french-lithographs-by-paul-gavarni-62-c-8ca8a23267
- Invaluable (Osenat): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gavarni-guillaume-sulpice-chevallier-manuscrit-30-c-9c457b4995
- Invaluable (Santa Fe Art Auction): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-two-lithographs-from-masques-et-visages-ca-1853-31-c-c342971c32
- Invaluable (Aguttes): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-paris-1804-1866-144-c-ae44cf9163
- Invaluable (The Auction Barn): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-1804-1866-tete-a-tete-25-c-eb8874cf7d
- Invaluable (Carnegie's Auction Gallery): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-french-1804-1866-lithograph-gravestissemens-grotesque-bossus-260-c-deb6e5b780
- Invaluable (Lewis & Maese Antiques & Auctions): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-le-saut-gold-leaf-silkscreen-by-guillaume-252-c-d07ac49bdd
- Invaluable (Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gavarni-paul-4206-c-450411a856
- Invaluable (Carnegie's Auction Gallery): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-french-1804-1866-lithograph-gravestissemens-grotesque-oiseau-128-c-3884e3d951
- Invaluable (Carnegie's Auction Gallery): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-paul-gavarni-french-1804-1866-lithograph-musiciens-comiques-ou-pittoresques-43-c-d8146aba52

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines verified biographical data from museum records, library authority files, and scholarly references with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lot information when those records are available.

## Sources

- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/30497
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81098848
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1074290
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/100173039/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500006992
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/36259
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gavarni