Charles VALTON (1851-1918)

In the 19th century, art lovers fell for a new form of sculpture where the animal was king. Animal sculpture is still popular today with price levels up by 100% over the last 10 years.

The booming sculpture market of 1997-2003 brought an explosion in the prices of certain sculptors, including Rembrandt BUGATTI (+317%), Charles VALTON (+217%) and Édouard Marcel SANDOZ (+93%). Their gains were typical of the renewed market interest in animal sculpture.

Finding a niche in a declining market.

Collectors are being bombarded with offers aimed at reviving the current sluggish market. But the figures tell a different story. The buy-in ratio over the last six months has averaged 37% and auction houses are increasingly struggling to fill their catalogues. By 23 September, only 185 fine art sales had been announced for October 2003 compared to 263 a year earlier.