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The Edgar Degas price of a work depends first on which of three markets it belongs to: pastels and paintings, the bronzes cast by the Hébrard foundry from 1919, and the later casts from plasters that surfaced at the Valsuani foundry. Each market has its own catalogue and its own marks. An owner who identifies the market of a work has already placed it within a price range that runs from tens of thousands to tens of millions of dollars.
Edgar Degas price by medium: pastels, bronzes and drawings
The highest Degas prices at auction belong to bronze casts of the Petite danseuse de quatorze ans. A Hébrard cast commissioned in August 1927 set the auction record for the artist when it sold for $41.6 million at Christie's New York on 12 May 2022. Another cast of the same model sold for $33.28 million at Sotheby's London on 24 June 2026.
Pastels of dancers come next. The pastel and gouache Danseuse au repos (1879) sold for $37.04 million at Sotheby's on 3 November 2008. Lower in the range, Deux danseuses, a pastel on tracing paper of about 1891, sold for $1.46 million (£1.09 million) at Sotheby's London on 4 March 2026, against an estimate of £800,000 to £1,200,000.
The smaller Hébrard bronzes and the drawings form the accessible end. A Danseuse saluant cast by Hébrard around 1919 to 1921, 22.5 cm high and numbered 31/F, sold for £45,300 including premium at Bonhams London on 15 October 2026. A charcoal counterproof on blue paper, Danseuse (Buste), sold for $151,200 at Christie's New York on 13 May 2025. Sotheby's estimated the heirs' cast of Grande arabesque, deuxième temps at €400,000 to €600,000 in its Modernités sale of October 2024.
| Market | Marks to look for | Reference catalogue | Price evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pastels and paintings | Signature or stamped "Degas" | Lemoisne, Degas et son œuvre (1946) | $1.46m (2026) to $37.04m (2008) |
| Hébrard bronzes, cast from 1919 | "CIRE PERDUE A.A. HEBRARD" stamp, model number and cast letter | Czestochowski and Pingeot (2002) | £45,300 (2026) to $41.6m (2022) |
| Later casts from the Valsuani plasters | Valsuani foundry mark; reproductions marked as such | Authenticity disputed by scholars | About $60,000 each for the 1997 Little Dancer reproductions |
For the wider market of the period, see our guide to Impressionist and Post Impressionist paintings at auction.
Criteria that set the price of a Degas
Medium and subject come first. A dancer or a bather in pastel commands more than a drawing of the same subject, and the 2026 pastel sold for almost ten times the 2025 charcoal counterproof. Size matters within a medium: the Deux danseuses pastel measures 79.4 by 44.8 cm.
The price of a bronze depends on its model and its cast. Casts of the Petite danseuse sold for more than $33 million in 2022 and in 2026. A small study such as Danseuse saluant sold for £45,300 in 2026. The cast letter matters too: the casts reserved for the heirs, marked HER, and for the foundry, marked HER.D, carry a documented chain back to the family and the founder.
Provenance adds weight that a buyer can verify. The Danseuse saluant sold at Bonhams in 2026 came with a recorded chain from the Hébrard gallery in Paris to the Zoubaloff collection in 1921, then through Paul Rosenberg, two salerooms and a Sydney collection. A bronze with no recorded history before a recent purchase needs research before it can be estimated. Condition and patina complete the assessment once the specialist has the object in hand.
Authenticating a Degas: Lemoisne, Hébrard marks and the Valsuani casts
Paintings and pastels are referenced in Paul-André Lemoisne's catalogue, Degas et son œuvre, published in Paris in 1946. The Deux danseuses sold in 2026 is catalogued there as Lemoisne no. 1102. A pastel that does not appear in Lemoisne needs a documented history and expert opinion before it reaches a sale.
The bronzes are referenced in Joseph S. Czestochowski and Anne Pingeot, Degas Sculptures: Catalogue Raisonné of the Bronzes (Memphis, 2002). After Degas's death in 1917, his heirs authorised the A.A. Hébrard foundry to cast his wax models in bronze. The original agreement provided 22 casts of each model: one set for the heirs, marked HER, one for the foundry, marked HER.D, and twenty sets for sale lettered A to T. A genuine Hébrard cast carries the signature "Degas", the model number with the letter of its set (for example 31/F), and the foundry stamp CIRE PERDUE A.A. HEBRARD. The modèle casts from which the series was taken are held by the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.
The Valsuani casts are a separate and disputed group. In the 1970s Leonard Benatov took over the Valsuani foundry and announced the discovery of a set of Degas plasters, which he repaired and cast. In 1997 he sold 12 reproductions of the Little Dancer for about $60,000 each, marked as reproductions under the tutu. Scholars point to differences in pose, face and hair from the Hébrard model, and a French court later ordered the foundry closed and liquidated. A bronze with a Valsuani mark, or with no foundry mark at all, belongs outside the Hébrard market. Our guide to sculpture casts and editions explains how each cast is documented.
Selling a Degas through LLB Auction
Lyna Brahami, Associate Specialist, answers each valuation request within 48 working hours. The valuation is free and confidential. It carries no commitment to sell. For a bronze, send photographs of the whole figure from four sides, the top of the base, the signature, the number and letter, and the foundry stamp. For a pastel or a drawing, photograph the front, the back, the signature or stamp and any labels, with any certificate, invoice or catalogue reference you hold.
The owner deals with one house from the first photo to the payment. After the valuation, the owner signs a consignment contract with an agreed reserve and commission. The house photographs, researches and catalogues the work, then offers it in the online sale on llb-auction.com, which is also listed on Interenchères. The specialist examines every object in person before it goes to sale. The buyer pays the house, the house settles the seller with a statement, and the result is published with each lot and its hammer price.
You can send your photographs through the valuation request form. Each step of a sale is set out on the selling page. Sellers also reach the house on WhatsApp and by phone at +352 661 225 970.
Sources:
- Forbes, "Degas' 'Little Dancer' Fetches Record-Breaking $41.6 Million In Auction Of Late Ballet Patron's Art Collection", 12 May 2022. forbes.com
- HENI News, "The Little Dancer That Set Edgar Degas's Auction Record", 12 May 2022. heni.com
- HENI News, "Sotheby's Masterpieces from the Lewis Collection Auction Totals $392.6m", 24 June 2026. heni.com
- Sotheby's, Edgar Degas, Deux danseuses, Modern and Contemporary Evening Auction, London, 4 March 2026. sothebys.com
- HENI News, "Edgar Degas Work Sells for $1.46m to Deliver a 5% Annualized Return", 4 March 2026. heni.com
- Bonhams, Edgar Degas, Danseuse saluant, lot 18, 20th and 21st Century Art Evening Sale, London, 15 October 2026. bonhams.com
- HENI News, "Edgar Degas Work Sells for $151,200", 13 May 2025. heni.com
- Sotheby's, Edgar Degas, Grande arabesque, deuxième temps, Modernités, October 2024. sothebys.com
- Norton Rose Fulbright, Andrius R. Kontrimas, "Casting doubts on authenticity of Degas bronze statuary", 8 April 2016. web.archive.org
- Paul-André Lemoisne, Degas et son œuvre, Paris, 1946.
- Joseph S. Czestochowski and Anne Pingeot, Degas Sculptures: Catalogue Raisonné of the Bronzes, Memphis, 2002.
Questions sellers ask
How much is an Edgar Degas painting worth?
Pastels of dancers lead the market for Degas's works in colour. The pastel Danseuse au repos sold for $37.04 million in November 2008, and the pastel Deux danseuses of about 1891 sold for $1.46 million in March 2026. Charcoal drawings sell lower, such as a counterproof that made $151,200 in May 2025. The subject, size, date and Lemoisne reference set where a work sits in that range.
Is my bronze dancer stamped Degas an Hébrard cast?
A Hébrard cast carries the signature Degas, a model number with the letter of its set (A to T, or HER and HER.D for the heirs' and the foundry's casts), and the stamp CIRE PERDUE A.A. HEBRARD on the base. A bronze with no foundry stamp, a different foundry mark or a reproduction mark belongs to another market. Send photographs of the base and every mark so the specialist can compare them with the catalogue of the bronzes.
What is a Degas bronze worth?
The specialist values an Hébrard bronze on its model, its cast letter, its condition and its provenance. A Danseuse saluant numbered 31/F sold for £45,300 including premium in October 2026, while casts of the Petite danseuse de quatorze ans sold for $41.6 million in 2022 and $33.28 million in 2026. In 1997 reproductions of the Little Dancer cast from the Valsuani plasters sold for about $60,000 each.
What are the Valsuani Degas casts?
They are bronzes cast from a set of plasters that Leonard Benatov announced he had found after taking over the Valsuani foundry in the 1970s. Scholars dispute whether these plasters come from Degas. The Valsuani Little Dancer differs from the Hébrard model in its pose and its facial features. Some were sold as reproductions and marked as such under the tutu. They form a separate market from the Hébrard casts.
How does a valuation of a Degas work with LLB Auction?
Lyna Brahami, Associate Specialist, answers each request sent with photographs within 48 working hours. The valuation is free and confidential. It carries no commitment to sell. If you consign, the house agrees a reserve and commission with you in the consignment contract, the specialist examines the work in person, and the house photographs, researches and catalogues it before the online sale on llb-auction.com, also listed on Interenchères.
What does it cost to sell a Degas at LLB Auction?
The valuation from photographs costs nothing. The consignment contract sets the seller's commission. The house publishes no fixed commission rate. The buyer's premium is stated in the conditions of each sale. After the sale the buyer pays the house, and the house settles the seller with a statement and publishes the result with the lot and its hammer price.
Associate Specialist
