Demetre Chiparus (Romanian, 1886-1947)

Who was sculptor Demetre Chiparus?

Demetre Chiparus was a Romanian sculptor who was one of the most important artists of the Art Deco era. His work often falls in the Realist category and can often use chryselephantine, a medium made by combining bronze and ivory. He rose to prominence with a series of sculptures in the early part of the 20th century. It would be in the 1920s when Chiparus saw his largest commercial success. He created sculptures based on dancers from the Russian and French art communities. These sculptures were renowned for their fluidity and bright aesthetics.

Chiparus famously exhibited at the Paris Salon a few times in his life, the first in 1923 when he premiered his piece Javelin Thrower then again in 1928. His work fell out of popularity in the 1940s, but has since become extremely collected by many disparate groups of the art and design community. His evocative pieces have found their home in some of the wealthiest families of Europe. He has a major collection of work on display at Casa Lis, a famous art nouveau and art deco museum in Salamanca, Spain.

What kind of art did Demetre Chiparus make?

Demetre Chiparus is best known for his Art Deco sculptures. These sculptures are often bright and evocative, featuring dancers, children, and animals. Chiparus has an almost preternatural ability to imply movement in his pieces and his subjects often showcase that talent in various ways. His use of chryselephantine, a mixture of bronze and ivory, gives his pieces a historical weight, even as his subjects could be considered playful or frivolous. This was played up in many of his works that were influenced by ancient Egyptian art and French Theater. Chiparus is considered one of the main sculptors of the Art Deco movement, and his pieces often reflect that value when they come up at auction.

How did sculptor Demetre Chiparus get started?

Demetre Chiparus was born in 1886 to a middle-class family in Dorohoi, Romania. Chiparus was interested in sculpting from a young age. Around the age of 23, Chiparus moved to Italy where he was able to study under renowned sculptor, Raffaello Romanelli. He was schooled in many traditional techniques but wasn’t satisfied with his schooling. In 1912 he traveled to Paris where he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Antonin Mercie and Jean Boucher. It was there that he first began creating his Art Deco pieces from chryselephantine. Many of these were produced in Paris between 1913 and 1933. He would remain in Paris up until his death in 1937.

How much are Demetre Chiparus sculptures worth?

Demetre Chiparus has a wide range of value on his sculptures -- from just a few hundred dollars for some pieces all the way up to nearly a million dollars for major works. His highest-selling piece at auction is $936,000 for the sculpture Les Girls (1928) on April 17, 2007. Another piece from this series was sold for nearly half that amount just five years later. Many of Chiparus’s more famous works can be worth right around the $500,000 range. Chiparus sculptures are quite popular with many collectors because of his Art Deco style.

Where to buy Demetre Chiparus sculptures for sale?

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How to value Demetre Chiparus sculptures?

The best way to value art is to compare past auction prices for similar works. View past sale prices below. When you’re ready to sell, contact Heritage Auctions to request an auction estimate of the likely selling price at auction. If you need a formal written appraisal for estate planning or insurance, please contact our Appraisal Services department.