# Raoul François Larche artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/raoul-francois-larche/
Profile generated: 2026-05-06T17:29:05.870Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1860-10-22
- Death date: 1912-06-02
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Art Nouveau
- Common media: sculpture, painting

## About Raoul François Larche

Raoul François Larche (1860–1912) was a French sculptor associated with the Art Nouveau movement. Born in Saint-André-de-Cubzac near Bordeaux, he trained in Paris under the sculptors Eugène Delaplanche, Jean-Alexandre-Joseph Falguière, and François Jouffroy. Larche established his reputation through elegant figural sculpture, becoming particularly recognized for his graceful female forms — both nude and draped — as well as allegorical compositions and religious subjects including several notable figures of Christ. Active during the height of Art Nouveau, Larche brought the movement's characteristic flowing lines and naturalistic ornament to three-dimensional bronze and terracotta work. His sculptures were produced in collaboration with prominent Parisian foundries and circulated widely as both unique pieces and edited casts. Museums including the Museum of Modern Art (New York) hold examples of his work. Larche died in Paris at the age of 51.

## Common works and media

Larche's auction record spans predominantly bronze sculpture, including table-top and life-size figural groups, allegorical female nudes, draped standing figures, and religious subjects. Terracotta and plaster models also appear. His bronze editions were typically cast by Parisian foundries and range from small decorative objects to larger salon-scale pieces. Painted works are catalogued in authority files but are rarely encountered at auction. Collectors most commonly see Larche's Art Nouveau female figures, which were produced in multiple sizes and editions.

## Market and appraisal context

Raoul François Larche maintains an active and well-documented secondary market centred on Art Nouveau bronze sculpture. Appraisily's auction index records 145 total lots, of which 97 carry realised prices, spanning from June 2002 through March 2026. Sale venues range from top-tier international houses — Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams — to specialist and regional firms across France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Realised prices show wide dispersion: the recorded minimum is €175 (Aguttes, a small bust, 2025) while the maximum is $57,500 USD (Morphy Auctions, a major bronze group, 2024). The interquartile range runs from roughly $800 to $12,000, with a median near $2,800. The most sought-after model is the Loïe Fuller gilt-bronze table lamp, originally designed for the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle; examples have realised $10,000 USD (Weschler's, 2021), CHF 8,000 (Schuler Auktionen, 2024), and comparable five-figure sums at other houses. Standard bronze figural groups and busts trade more typically in the €800–€5,000 band. Liquidity has moderated slightly, with 10 priced lots in the most recent 12 months versus 18 in the prior 12 months, but the market remains consistently supplied across European and North American sales.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Raoul François Larche maintains an active and well-documented secondary market centred on Art Nouveau bronze sculpture. Appraisily's auction index records 145 total lots, of which 97 carry realised prices, spanning from June 2002 through March 2026. Sale venues range from top-tier international houses — Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams — to specialist and regional firms across France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Realised prices show wide dispersion: the recorded minimum is €175 (Aguttes, a small bust, 2025) while the maximum is $57,500 USD (Morphy Auctions, a major bronze group, 2024). The interquartile range runs from roughly $800 to $12,000, with a median near $2,800. The most sought-after model is the Loïe Fuller gilt-bronze table lamp, originally designed for the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle; examples have realised $10,000 USD (Weschler's, 2021), CHF 8,000 (Schuler Auktionen, 2024), and comparable five-figure sums at other houses. Standard bronze figural groups and busts trade more typically in the €800–€5,000 band. Liquidity has moderated slightly, with 10 priced lots in the most recent 12 months versus 18 in the prior 12 months, but the market remains consistently supplied across European and North American sales.

### Appraisal notes

An Appraisily appraisal of a Raoul François Larche work would combine the 145-lot auction record with close physical examination. Key inputs the appraiser would request: high-resolution photographs showing patina colour and surface texture; overall dimensions and weight; photographs or transcriptions of any foundry marks (especially Siot-Decauville), signature, edition numbers, or foundry seals; the specific model or title where identifiable; condition notes including repairs, re-patination, or casting flaws; and documented provenance. Comparable lots would be drawn from the Appraisily database, prioritising matches by model, size, and edition status. The Loïe Fuller lamp, for example, has a distinct premium tier; generic busts and small figural groups trade at substantially lower levels. Authentication is a material concern because Art Nouveau decorative bronzes were widely reproduced in the 20th century, and copies without proper foundry documentation are common.

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### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/raoul-francois-larche/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Freeman's: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-francois-raoul-larche-french-1860-1912-bronze-light-sculpture-24-c-1c04f421e4
- Invaluable / Ostantix Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-raoul-francois-larche-1860-1912-a-french-gilt-bronze-art-nouveau-table-lamp-sculpture-430-c-84a4a82914
- Invaluable / Morphy Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-francois-raoul-larche-1860-1912-2402-c-12c41d88ac
- Invaluable / Bamfords Auctioneers: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-francois-raoul-larche-french-1860-1912-dark-patinated-bronze-bust-a-y-1962-c-9864b9fbf8
- Invaluable / Weschler's: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-francois-raoul-larche-french-1860-1912-loie-fuller-ormolu-gilt-bronze-lamp-designed-for-paris-world-fair-1900-97-c-65e401bb7b
- Invaluable / Setdart Auction House: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-francois-raoul-larche-france-1860-1912-the-fauns-ca-1900-bronze-with-green-patina-stamp-of-the-foundry-siot-decauville-fondeur-paris-signed-with-the-seal-of-the-foundry-siot-decauville-fondeur-paris-66-c-11c5d0c7f4
- Invaluable / Vallot Auctioneers: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-francois-raoul-larche-french-1860-1912-15-c-da781c43fb
- Invaluable / Zorrilla Subastas: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-francois-raoul-larche-500-c-c87f8c9e6f

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured identity research from museum records, library authority files, and biographical sources with auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. This page draws on the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, the Museum of Modern Art collection record, and Wikidata, alongside Appraisily's auction database.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/212252
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3083640
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/95783215/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500016634
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/3387
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois-Raoul_Larche