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Alexandre Defaux

Born : 1826Died : 1900Documented citizenships : France

The French painter Alexandre Defaux, associated with the Barbizon School and whose full name was Jean Alexandre Defaux, was born in Bercy on 27 September 1826 and died in Melun on 4 March 1900. A pupil of Jean-Baptiste Corot, he worked mainly in oil, while also practising pastel and watercolour. His early landscapes are described as marked by Corot: they include expansive panoramic urban views and figures dressed as Neapolitan peasants. In the 1850s, he also painted views of Norman towns and large medieval churches.

Defaux’s subjects range from landscapes to lively scenes. He painted sunny farmyards where hens or geese gathered, as well as quiet woodland scenes, described as removed from all human or animal activity. He worked almost exclusively in the Barbizon region or in Normandy. His repertoire also includes scenes of Parisians boating and picnics among flocks of sheep. At the 1859 Salon, he presented quarries around Montmartre and woodland scenes from the Fontainebleau region. He exhibited regularly at the Salon until 1897. La Forêt de Fontainebleau, shown hors concours at the 1879 Salon, was acquired by the French state; a large canvas depicting the Breton cliffs and the port of Pont-Aven was also acquired in 1880. His distinctions at the Salon include a third-class medal in 1871, a third prize in 1874, a second-class medal in 1875 and a second medal in 1879. He received the insignia of a knight of the Legion of Honour in 1881.

This profile brings together identity references for Alexandre Defaux and paintings, drawings and works on paper documented in auction catalogues.

Documented auction references

16auction references
3auction houses
13documented results with prices

Dobiaschofsky · Piguet · Schuler

References include catalogue entries and available results; they do not all represent completed sales. Attributed works and special lots are excluded from the priced results.

Works recorded at auction

Alexandre Defaux — Poules, coqs et poussins au poulailler
Photograph : Piguet · Enlarge image ↗
Piguet

Poules, coqs et poussins au poulailler

Oil on panel

Original catalogue wording

Poules, coqs et poussins au poulailler
huile sur panneau

Catalogue period : 2022-03-01 — 2022-03-16

Published result : 400 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 800–1200

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Au poulailler,
Photograph : Piguet · Enlarge image ↗
Piguet

Au poulailler,

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Au poulailler,
huile sur toile

Catalogue period : 2021-03-02 — 2021-03-17

Published result : 480 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 300–500

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Au bord de la rivière.
Photograph : Dobiaschofsky · Enlarge image ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 2492

Au bord de la rivière.

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Au bord de la rivière.
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2020-11-07

Published result : 100 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 1000

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Flusslandschaft
Photograph : Schuler · Enlarge image ↗
Schuler · Lot 6914

Flusslandschaft

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Flusslandschaft
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2018-06-18

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

Estimate : CHF 600–800

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Chickens and Ducks in the Farmyard
Photograph : Schuler · Enlarge image ↗
Schuler · Lot 6915

Chickens and Ducks in the Farmyard

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Hühner und Enten auf dem Hof
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2018-06-18

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

Estimate : CHF 700–900

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Enten am Ufer.
Photograph : Dobiaschofsky · Enlarge image ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 416

Enten am Ufer.

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Enten am Ufer.
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2017-11-10

Published result : 1900 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 1800

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Ducks by the pond, with farmhouses in the background
Photograph : Schuler · Enlarge image ↗
Schuler · Lot 6912

Ducks by the pond, with farmhouses in the background

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Enten am Teich, im Hintergrund Bauernhäuser
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2016-06-13

Published result : 1800 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 600–800

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Garden view with chickens and pumpkins
Photograph : Schuler · Enlarge image ↗
Schuler · Lot 6913

Garden view with chickens and pumpkins

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Gartenansicht mit Hühnern und Kürbissen
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2016-06-13

Published result : 600 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 300–500

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 418

Hühnerhof-Idylle.

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Hühnerhof-Idylle.
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2014-05-16

Published result : 2000 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 3000

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 673

Hühnerschar im Schnee.

Oil on wood

Original catalogue wording

Hühnerschar im Schnee.
Öl auf Holz

Catalogue period : 2014-05-16

Published result : 600 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 1000

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 375

The poultry yard

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Der Hühnerhof.
Öl auf Leinwand

Catalogue period : 2013-11-08

Published result : 1500 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 2800

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 392

Riverbank with boats at dusk.

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Flussuferpartie mit Kähnen in der Dämmerung.
Öl auf Lwd.

Date to be documented

Published result : 2400 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 4600

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 379

Sonnige Hühnerhofszene.

Oil on hardboard

Original catalogue wording

Sonnige Hühnerhofszene.
Öl auf Htf

Date to be documented

Published result : 2900 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 3000

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 339

Landschaft mit Hühnerhof.

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Landschaft mit Hühnerhof.
Öl auf Lwd.

Date to be documented

Published result : 5000 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 2400

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Dobiaschofsky · Lot 679

Weiher mit Enten und Hühnerschar.

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Weiher mit Enten und Hühnerschar.
Öl auf Lwd.

Date to be documented

Published result : 1100 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 2000

View the lot at the auction house ↗
Alexandre Defaux — Schafherde im Wald.
Photograph : Dobiaschofsky · Enlarge image ↗
Dobiaschofsky

Schafherde im Wald.

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Schafherde im Wald.
Öl auf Leinwand

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Sources and references

SwissArtGallery documentary note based on the cited sources. Titles, media and qualifications are provided in the profile language; the original catalogue wording remains available in each record.
Profile updated :

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