What a Signed Levy-Dhurmer Print Actually Costs
The signature is the whole question. Some Levy-Dhurmer prints carry a genuine autograph worth hundreds, others a printed facsimile worth almost nothing. Here is how to tell them apart and what each should cost.
A genuinely signed Lucien Levy-Dhurmer print, meaning an original lithograph bearing his actual signature, typically sells at auction or through dealers for roughly $300 to $2,000 depending on image and condition. A print with a facsimile or printed signature is worth little more than an unsigned reproduction, whatever the seller charges.
The Price Depends on Which Signature
Levy-Dhurmer made his reputation around 1900 with pastel landscapes and Symbolist portraits, and most of the works on the market are lithographs published in that period. A print he signed by hand sits at the top of the range. Auction records for his signed lithographs generally land between a few hundred dollars and roughly two thousand, with exceptional images and fine condition going higher. Unsigned impressions of the same lithographs sell for a fraction of that.
The trap is the printed signature. Many period lithographs carry the artist's name in the stone or plate, which looks like an autograph and is not one. Sellers know this ambiguity exists, and some use it. Before comparing prices, ask one question. Is the signature in the image or on top of it? A signature that sits within the composition is part of the print. One applied over the paper may be genuine or may be nothing at all, and the price should reflect that doubt.
Is a Signed Levy-Dhurmer Print a Good Investment
Honestly, treat it as a purchase, not an investment. Levy-Dhurmer is admired but not a blue-chip name. His market is thin, meaning few buyers and few sellers, and thin markets move slowly in both directions. A signed lithograph bought well will probably hold most of its value and might appreciate modestly if his reputation continues to grow. It will not behave like a Bonnard or a Redon, where demand is deep and resale is straightforward.
The practical case is different and better. You are paying for a work on paper from the period, hand-signed, with real age to it. Against that, weigh the genuine risks. Paper can be faded, foxed or trimmed. Attribution can be disputed. Selling later may take months. If those risks are acceptable at $500, the purchase makes sense. If you need the money back quickly, it does not, and no dealer should tell you otherwise.
What You Are Actually Paying For
Break the price into parts and the considered stops feeling mysterious. The paper and the impression account for the base value. The hand signature adds a multiple, sometimes two or three times an unsigned impression, because it is verifiable, scarce and permanent. Condition moves everything. A clean impression with full margins commands the top of any range, and a trimmed or sun-faded one falls to the bottom regardless of signature.
None of this applies to modern reproductions, including the editions sold below. Those carry no autograph and make no claim to one, which is why they cost tens rather than hundreds. The honest framing is this. A signed print buys scarcity and provenance. A reproduction buys the image itself, at the size and framing you want, for a small fraction of the price. Different objects, different reasons to own them.
A signature in the stone is decoration. A signature on the paper is the market.
| Type of print | Typical range | What drives the price |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-signed period lithograph | $300 to $2,000 | Autograph, image, condition |
| Unsigned period lithograph | $100 to $500 | Impression quality, margins |
| Facsimile signature print | $50 to $200 | Seller optimism, little else |
| Modern reproduction edition | $30 to $150 | Size, framing, print quality |
Rough market tiers for Levy-Dhurmer prints
Key takeaways
- A hand-signed Levy-Dhurmer lithograph generally costs between $300 and $2,000 at auction or through dealers.
- A printed or facsimile signature adds almost no value, so verify whether the signature sits on the paper or within the image.
- His market is thin, so signed prints are better treated as purchases than as investments.
- Modern reproductions offer the image without the autograph, at a small fraction of the price.
Related questions
How can I tell if the signature on a Levy-Dhurmer print is real?
Look at where the signature sits. If it is part of the printed image, in the stone or plate, it is a facsimile. A genuine autograph is applied by hand on top of the paper, often in pencil, and may sit outside the image area. A qualified dealer or paper conservator can confirm it in person.
Do signed Levy-Dhurmer prints hold their value?
They tend to hold most of their value when bought at fair market prices and kept in good condition, but his market has few active buyers, so resale can be slow. Buy one because you want the object. Any future appreciation is a bonus, not a plan.
Is a reproduction a reasonable alternative to a signed print?
If what you want is the image on your wall, yes. A good reproduction delivers the picture at your chosen size for a small fraction of the cost. It will never carry the age, paper or autograph of a period lithograph, and it should not be priced as if it did.
Lucien Levy-Dhurmer at Auvrique
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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.