We’re on the mailing lists of a few national and international auction houses and receive regular alerts about upcoming sales. This week, an email came through from one of them with an image of a lot that immediately caught our eye. It was a painting by Charles Levier (1920-2004).
Levier was Corsican-born, with a French father and American mother. After serving in the French army during the 2nd World War, he divided his time between France and the USA. Examples of his work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Atlanta Museum, the Seattle Museum and the San Diego Museum amongst others. His works were collected by celebrities such as Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Baron Edmond de Rothschild and Dean Martin.
His style reminds us a bit of Geoffrey Key and Peter Stanaway, but mainly Bernard Buffet.
He seems to have been hugely prolific, and his work is easy to acquire. The price of his original oils vary widely, depending on size and subject matter; they’ve sold for anything from $400 to almost $10,000.
If you’re interested, have a look on eBay, Etsy and 1st Dibs for examples currently for sale.
