# Paul Sérusier artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/paul-serusier/
Profile generated: 2026-05-23T17:43:32.650Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1864-11-09
- Death date: 1927-10-06
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Nabis, Synthetism, Cloisonnism, Pont-Aven School
- Common media: oil on canvas

## About Paul Sérusier

Paul Sérusier (1864–1927) was a French painter and art theorist whose encounter with Paul Gauguin at Pont-Aven in 1888 became a turning point in late nineteenth-century art. Under Gauguin's guidance, Sérusier painted a small landscape on a cigar box lid using pure, unmixed color — a work his circle dubbed Le Talisman — which ignited the Nabis movement. Trained at the Académie Julian in Paris, Sérusier became a central figure among the Nabis, a group of young artists who embraced Synthetism and Cloisonnism, prioritizing emotional and spiritual expression over naturalistic representation. His writings on color theory and composition influenced a generation of avant-garde painters. Collectors encounter Sérusier's work across Breton landscapes, symbolist compositions, and religious subjects rendered in bold, flat color planes.

## Common works and media

Collectors are most likely to encounter Sérusier's oil paintings on canvas and board, particularly Breton landscapes, pastoral scenes, and symbolist or religious compositions. Works on paper, including drawings and watercolors, also appear. His palette is characterized by bold, non-naturalistic color and simplified forms reflecting Synthetist principles. Prints and reproductions may circulate; original graphic works are less common at auction than paintings.

## Market and appraisal context

Sérusier's works appear at auction primarily as oil paintings and works on paper within the Post-Impressionist category. Provenance linking a work to the Pont-Aven circle or the Nabis group can strengthen interest. Key valuation factors include medium, dimensions, date of execution, subject matter, condition, and documented exhibition or publication history. Attributions within the Pont-Aven circle require careful authentication, as stylistic crossover among Gauguin's followers is common. Comparable auction records from Christie's, Sotheby's, and other major houses should inform any appraisal.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured artist-identity research from museum records, library authority files, and scholarly databases with auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. This page draws on sources including the RKD, Getty ULAN, VIAF, Tate, and Wikidata.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q326606
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/72060
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/32004766/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500029078
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/paul-serusier-1924
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_S%C3%A9rusier
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82152735
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/5353