# Pierre Fix-Masseau artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/pierre-fix-masseau/
Profile generated: 2026-05-05T01:55:18.259Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1905-06-07
- Death date: 1994-10-02
- Nationality: French
- Common media: Lithography, Commercial art and poster design, Painting

## About Pierre Fix-Masseau

Pierre Fix-Masseau (1905–1994) was a French lithographer, commercial artist, and painter best known for a prolific career in poster design that spanned more than five decades. Born and based in Paris, he produced advertising posters for a wide range of clients—including automotive brands such as Bugatti, tobacco products like Gitanes Caporal, railway companies, beverages, and tourism campaigns. His collected poster output was published in the monograph Affiches 1928–1983. The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds examples of his work. Fix-Masseau operated within the rich tradition of French commercial graphic art, contributing to the visual culture of mid-twentieth-century advertising and public communication.

## Common works and media

Original stone-lithograph and offset-lithograph advertising posters are the most commonly encountered format. Typical subjects include automobile and luxury-goods advertising (Bugatti, Bally), tobacco and beverage brands (Gitanes, Canada Dry), railway and travel promotions (Chemin de fer du Nord, tourism posters for destinations such as Château d'If and Ceylan), and public-safety campaigns (La Prévention routière). He also produced book illustrations and commercial graphic design beyond poster formats.

## Market and appraisal context

Pierre Fix-Masseau's auction market is well-established and poster-centric, with 142 lots tracked by Appraisily across specialist and general auction houses since 2002. Of those, 61 carry realized prices ranging from $50 to $16,250 USD, with a median of $550 and a 75th percentile of $3,500. The market shows a pronounced value split between pre-war stone-lithograph designs and later works: his iconic 1932 "Exactitude" poster for Bugatti realized $16,250 at Swann Auction Galleries (Oct 2024), while his 1990 "Synergie" lithograph fetched $150 at Quinn's. Liquidity is moderate but steady, with 7 lots appearing in the trailing 12 months and 9 in the prior period. The market is concentrated at specialist poster houses—Poster Auctions International, Swann Auction Galleries, and The Ross Art Group account for the majority of volume—though Christie's and Artcurial also appear, confirming crossover visibility into broader prints-and-multiples sales. Collectors primarily encounter original lithographic advertising posters for automotive brands (Bugatti), tobacco (Gitanes), railways (Chemin de fer du Nord), electronics (Philips), and travel destinations. Hand-signed examples from his late career circulate regularly at Ross Art Group.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Pierre Fix-Masseau's auction market is well-established and poster-centric, with 142 lots tracked by Appraisily across specialist and general auction houses since 2002. Of those, 61 carry realized prices ranging from $50 to $16,250 USD, with a median of $550 and a 75th percentile of $3,500. The market shows a pronounced value split between pre-war stone-lithograph designs and later works: his iconic 1932 "Exactitude" poster for Bugatti realized $16,250 at Swann Auction Galleries (Oct 2024), while his 1990 "Synergie" lithograph fetched $150 at Quinn's. Liquidity is moderate but steady, with 7 lots appearing in the trailing 12 months and 9 in the prior period. The market is concentrated at specialist poster houses—Poster Auctions International, Swann Auction Galleries, and The Ross Art Group account for the majority of volume—though Christie's and Artcurial also appear, confirming crossover visibility into broader prints-and-multiples sales. Collectors primarily encounter original lithographic advertising posters for automotive brands (Bugatti), tobacco (Gitanes), railways (Chemin de fer du Nord), electronics (Philips), and travel destinations. Hand-signed examples from his late career circulate regularly at Ross Art Group.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would use the 142 indexed auction records to identify comparable lots by subject, period, size, and technique. An appraisal submission with clear photographs, dimensions, medium confirmation (stone lithograph vs offset), signature details (printed or hand-signed), condition report (folds, creases, tears, fading, foxing), provenance history, and edition or print-run information allows matching against priced comparables. The wide price range ($50–$16,250) means attribution to a specific title and date is critical: a 1932 pre-war Bugatti poster and a 1990 hand-signed reprint of "Trains and Globes" occupy entirely different value tiers. Verification against the Affiches 1928–1983 monograph strengthens attribution confidence. Condition is especially impactful because most Fix-Masseau posters were produced for commercial display and commonly survive with fold lines, edge wear, or toning.

### Valuation factors

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### Collector notes

- The Fix-Masseau poster market is accessible to collectors at multiple price points. Entry-level later-career lithographs and hand-signed reprints can be acquired for $150–$350, while iconic pre-war titles in good condition range from $900 to over $16,000. The market is liquid enough that specialist poster auctions (Poster Auctions International, Swann, Ross Art Group) offer Fix-Masseau lots several times per year, giving buyers reasonable opportunity to compare conditions and prices. When acquiring, prioritize original stone-lithograph impressions from the 1930s–1950s in the best affordable condition, as these have demonstrated the strongest price appreciation. Confirm whether a poster is linen-backed or unrestored, as this affects both display quality and resale value. Be aware that the same title may appear repeatedly (e.g., "Trains and Globes" and "Exactitude" have been offered multiple times), so check the realized-price history before bidding. The presence of Christie's and Artcurial in the house list means premium estimates sometimes occur, but the deepest comparable pool is at the specialist poster houses.

### Market caveats

- The auction market for Fix-Masseau is centered on original printed posters rather than unique fine-art works; paintings and original artwork by him are rarely encountered at auction and may not follow poster pricing patterns.
- Of 142 indexed lots, only 61 have publicly available realized prices, meaning the price distribution is based on a subset and may not fully represent the market ceiling or floor.
- Many recent lots (particularly at The Ross Art Group) lack realized prices, making it difficult to assess current demand for hand-signed late-career works.
- Attribution should be verified against the published monograph Affiches 1928–1983 and library catalogue records; no comprehensive catalogue raisonné of his full graphic output has been identified.
- The same poster title may appear in multiple printings or editions (original vs reprint), and distinguishing these requires careful examination of paper, ink, printer's marks, and catalogue references.
- Prices span a wide range ($50–$16,250) driven largely by period and subject; an appraisal requires identification of the specific title and date to select meaningful comparables.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/pierre-fix-masseau/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-original-vintage-trains-and-globes-poster-1990-hand-signed-by-pierre-fix-masseau-101-c-2884e60b40
- Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-original-vintage-trains-and-globes-poster-1990-hand-signed-by-pierre-fix-masseau-114-c-6974e70b59
- Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-original-vintage-trains-and-globes-poster-1990-hand-signed-by-pierre-fix-masseau-209-c-b0e46d2907
- Invaluable / Sworders: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-pierre-fix-masseau-french-1905-1994-venice-simplon-orient-express-325-c-a68381d07f
- Invaluable / Poster Auctions International Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-pierre-fix-masseau-naranjal-salteno-vintage-poster-147-c-c77d102248
- Invaluable / Lucas Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-pierre-fix-masseau-parigi-1905-1994-455-c-8dd4fd3ae9
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-pierre-fix-masseau-1905-1994-exactitude-1932-39x24-inches-99x61-cm-edita-paris-12-c-2c846e5983
- Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-original-vintage-trains-and-globes-poster-1990-hand-signed-by-pierre-fix-masseau-269-c-5b64f8ea02
- Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-original-vintage-trains-and-globes-poster-1990-hand-signed-by-pierre-fix-masseau-178-c-f1c4d199ff
- Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-original-vintage-trains-and-globes-poster-1990-hand-signed-by-pierre-fix-masseau-140-c-a954af8b9b
- Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-original-vintage-trains-and-globes-poster-1990-hand-signed-by-pierre-fix-masseau-113-c-1be4083a59
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-pierre-fix-masseau-1905-1994-exactitude-1932-391-2x241-2-inches-1001-2x621-4-cm-edita-paris-97-c-6714d2096b
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-pierre-fix-masseau-1905-1994-le-mont-st-michel-1937-40x241-2-inches-1011-2x621-4-cm-edita-paris-263-c-96541509c6

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Pierre Fix-Masseau, identity data is drawn from the Library of Congress Name Authority File, VIAF, Wikidata, and the MoMA collection catalogue. Market observations are informed by the 719 auction records indexed by Appraisily and the published monograph Affiches 1928–1983.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n90653526
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/46760948/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2093436
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/8386
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500082516