What a Georges Lacombe Framed Print Should Cost You
Framed Lacombe editions sit in a narrow price band, and most of the variation comes from size and framing, not from the artist. Here is what the money buys.
A Georges Lacombe framed print typically costs between 60 and 300 dollars, depending on size and framing. Small framed editions run roughly 60 to 120, medium pieces 120 to 250, and large formats 250 to 300 or more. Whether that is worth it depends on the reproduction quality and the frame, which you can judge before buying.
The Real Price Bands For Framed Editions
Framed Lacombe prints cluster into three bands. Small editions, around 30 by 40 centimetres with a simple frame, usually sell for 60 to 120 dollars. Medium formats near 50 by 70 land between 120 and 250. Large framed pieces, at 70 by 100 or bigger, run from about 250 upward. Anything far outside those bands deserves scrutiny in either direction.
The artist himself explains almost none of that spread. Lacombe was a Nabi, working in the decades either side of 1900, and his reputation is modest but settled. Licensing costs for historical work are low. What you are paying for is paper, ink, glazing, the frame, and the seller's margin. That is why the same image can double in price between two shops with no change in the art.
Where The Money Actually Goes
A framed print is a composite product. The print itself, on decent archival paper with good colour management, might account for a quarter of the retail price. The frame, the mount, and the glazing usually take the larger share. Solid wood costs more than MDF. Real glass costs more than acrylic, and shatters in transit more often.
This matters because the frame is where sellers hide margin. A 90 dollar framed print and a 180 dollar framed print can hold identical reproductions. Before paying the difference, ask what the frame is made of and whether the glazing is specified. A seller who answers clearly is usually selling honestly. One who cannot, is not.
Check before you pay
- Ask whether the paper is archival or standard poster stock
- Ask what the frame material is, wood or composite
- Ask whether glazing is glass or acrylic and how it ships
- Compare the unframed price to see what the framing adds
Whether It Is Worth The Price
For a skeptical buyer, the honest framing is this. A framed print is not an investment, and Lacombe's market for reproductions will not appreciate. What you are buying is a permanent object for a wall, and the value is use value. If the image earns its place in the room for ten years, 150 dollars was cheap. If it comes down in two, it was expensive at any price.
Worth also depends on the work itself. Lacombe's Nabi paintings, with their flat colour and simplified form, hold up well in reproduction because the style survives translation to print. His carved wood sculpture does not translate at all, so avoid sellers leaning on it. Buy the paintings, check the frame specs, and the price band will make sense. The risk is not overpaying for Lacombe. It is overpaying for framing you did not ask about.
The frame is where sellers hide their margin, and it is the one part you are allowed to question.
| Size | Typical price | What varies most |
|---|---|---|
| Small, about 30 x 40 cm | 60 to 120 dollars | Frame material |
| Medium, about 50 x 70 cm | 120 to 250 dollars | Glazing and mount |
| Large, 70 x 100 cm and up | 250 dollars and above | Shipping and framing cost |
Typical framed Lacombe edition prices by size
Key takeaways
- Framed Lacombe prints generally cost between 60 and 300 dollars depending on size.
- Most of the price difference between sellers comes from framing, not from the artwork.
- Ask for frame material, glazing type, and paper quality before paying a considered.
- A framed print is a use purchase, not an investment, so judge it by how long it stays on the wall.
Related questions
Why do framed Lacombe prints cost more than canvas versions?
Framing adds materials and labour that canvas does not require. A frame, mount, and glazing can add 40 to 150 dollars to an otherwise identical reproduction. Canvas editions stretch over a bar and ship lighter, which keeps their price lower at comparable sizes.
Are Lacombe prints a good investment?
No, not in the financial sense. Reproductions of historical artists do not appreciate, and Lacombe's reproduction market is small and stable. Buy one as an object you want to live with. The return is daily use over years, not resale.
Is a more expensive Lacombe print always better quality?
Not reliably. Price tracks framing and margin as much as print quality. A mid-priced edition on archival paper with a named frame material often beats a costlier one with unspecified components. Judge the listed specifications, not the number on the tag.
From the Auvrique collection
Made to order · Every size
Every size, every country, delivery included
Editions are made to order and shipped worldwide. Choose a format and a size, and the price you see is the price you pay.
View the collectionGeneral art-historical background drawn from public museum records and standard reference literature. Pricing reflects Auvrique editions and is indicative only.