# Pierre-Jean David d'Angers artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/pierre-jean-david-d-angers/
Profile generated: 2026-05-24T17:34:30.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1788-03-12
- Death date: 1856-01-05
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Neoclassicism
- Common media: bronze sculpture, medals and medallions, marble, plaster, drawing

## About Pierre-Jean David d'Angers

Pierre-Jean David d'Angers (1788–1856) was a French sculptor, medalist, and draftsman whose prolific output of portrait medallions earned him recognition as one of the foremost chroniclers of early nineteenth-century European cultural life. Born in Angers on March 12, 1788, he adopted the name David d'Angers after entering the Paris studio of the painter Jacques-Louis David in 1809, honoring his Angevin roots while distinguishing himself from his celebrated teacher. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he produced hundreds of bronze medallion portraits depicting writers, scientists, politicians, and fellow artists, creating an unmatched visual record of the era's intellectual elite. He also received major public commissions for architectural sculpture and funerary monuments, served as an academy lecturer, and was an active freemason. His sculptural style bridged the Neoclassical discipline of his training with an emerging Romantic expressiveness, particularly in his sensitive portrait work.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most commonly encounter David d'Angers' work in the form of cast bronze portrait medallions, typically round or oval, bearing profile likenesses of notable contemporaries from the arts, sciences, and politics. Other frequently seen work types include marble portrait busts, plaster casts and reductions, bas-relief plaques, small-scale bronze figurative sculptures, and ink or graphite preparatory drawings. Architectural sculptures and large public monuments exist primarily in situ and seldom appear at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

David d'Angers' works appear at auction most frequently as bronze portrait medallions, which he produced in large numbers throughout his career. These are complemented by marble and plaster busts, bas-relief plaques, small bronze statuettes, and preparatory drawings. Condition, provenance, foundry marks, and whether a piece is a lifetime cast or later reproduction are primary factors in appraisal. Portrait medallions of historically significant sitters tend to generate stronger collector interest. Major monumental sculptures and architectural commissions are held in public collections and rarely come to market. The wide reproduction of his popular medallion designs means attribution and authenticity deserve careful attention.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines identity research drawn from museum records, library authority files, and biographical sources—including the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and Wikidata—with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots from the Invaluable database when those records are available.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q364498
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_d'Angers
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500115506
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/69026614/
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/109803