Raoul Pène DuBois Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Raoul Pène DuBois Art Value Price Guide

Dec. 12, 2024
RAOUL PÈNE DUBOIS (1914-1985) Rainbow flapper.
Est: $500 - $750
RAOUL PÈNE DUBOIS (1914-1985) Rainbow flapper. Costume sketch for an unknown production, 1982. Mixed media including gouache and pencil on paper. 345x244 mm; 13½x9⅝ inches. Initialed and dated "R.P.B. NY '82" in lower right image.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 24, 2024
Raoul Pène Du Bois (1914-1985) Studies of a Mother with Two Children; Circus Lion; Dancer; Performers; Portrait of a Dandy; Figure in Turban (Seven Works) sizes to 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm)
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Raoul Pène Du Bois (1914-1985) Studies of a Mother with Two Children; Circus Lion; Dancer; Performers; Portrait of a Dandy; Figure in Turban (Seven Works) Mother unsigned; four initaled 'RPB'; two signed 'Raul Pene du Bois' (lower left and right, respectively) Mother oil on board; the rest gouache on paper sizes to 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm)
Bonhams
Oct. 24, 2024
Raoul Pène Du Bois (1914-1985) The Theatre of Raoul Pene Du Bois In Retrospect 18 x 28 in. (45.7 x 71.1 cm)
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Raoul Pène Du Bois (1914-1985) The Theatre of Raoul Pene Du Bois In Retrospect titled, inscribed and dated 'N.Y. Sept. 30 1968' (within the composition) ink, ink wash, and whiting on paper 18 x 28 in. (45.7 x 71.1 cm)
Bonhams
Jun. 14, 2024
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS (New York/California, 1912-1985), Figure with a top hat and cane., Gouache on paper, 14” x 11” sight. Framed 21” x 18”.
Est: $500 - $700
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS New York/California, 1912-1985 Figure with a top hat and cane. Signed lower right "Raul Pene DuBois".
Eldred's
Jun. 14, 2024
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS (New York/California, 1912-1985), Woman in a black dress., Goauche on paper, 14” x 11” sight. Framed 21” x 18”.
Est: $500 - $700
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS New York/California, 1912-1985 Woman in a black dress. Signed lower right "Raoul Pene DuBois".
Eldred's
Feb. 16, 2024
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS (New York/California, 1912-1985), Two works depicting female figures., Inks on paper, 10” x 8” sight. Framed 17” x 15”.
Est: $500 - $1,000
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS New York/California, 1912-1985 Two works depicting female figures. Both signed lower right "Raul Pene DuBois".
Eldred's
Nov. 03, 2023
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS (New York/California, 1912-1985), Woman in a black dress., Goauche on paper, 14” x 11” sight. Framed 21” x 18”.
Est: $900 - $1,200
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS New York/California, 1912-1985 Woman in a black dress. Signed lower right "Raoul Pene DuBois".
Eldred's
Nov. 03, 2023
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS (New York/California, 1912-1985), Figure with a top hat and cane., Gouache on paper, 14” x 11” sight. Framed 21” x 18”.
Est: $900 - $1,200
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS New York/California, 1912-1985 Figure with a top hat and cane. Signed lower right "Raul Pene DuBois".
Eldred's
Nov. 03, 2023
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS (New York/California, 1912-1985), Two works depicting female figures., Inks on paper, 10” x 8” sight. Framed 17” x 15”.
Est: $600 - $900
RAOUL HENRI PENE DU BOIS New York/California, 1912-1985 Two works depicting female figures. Both signed lower right "Raul Pene DuBois".
Eldred's
Oct. 01, 2023
A RAUL PENE DU BOIS DESIGN FOR "OH KAY!" BROADWAY SHOW
Est: $400 - $500
Raoul Pene Du Bois (American, 1914-1985), watercolor and ink on paper painting depicting a design for the Broadway musical show "Oh Kay!" 1926. Signed, titled and dated on the verso. Raoul Pene Du Bois was an American costume designer and scenic designer for the stage and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.
Helios Auctions
Apr. 22, 2023
PENE DU BOIS 1943 CARMEN JONES COSTUME PAINTING
Est: $100 - $150
Raoul Pene Du Bois, American, 1914 to 1985, pencil and gouache on paper painting depicting two theater costume designs for the Carmen Jones theater show. Signed. Carmen Jones is a 1943 Broadway musical with music by Georges Bizet and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II which was performed at The Broadway Theatre. Conceptually, it is Bizets opera Carmen updated to a World War II era African American setting. The Broadway musical was produced by Billy Rose, using an all black cast, and directed by Hassard Short. Raoul Pene Du Bois was an American costume designer and scenic designer for the stage and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction. Mid Century American Theatre Costume Design Paintings For Collectors.
Antique Arena Inc
Mar. 16, 2023
PENE DU BOIS, Raoul (1914-1985). Doctor Jazz. 1974. 45 x 29...
Est: $200 - $400
PENE DU BOIS, Raoul (1914-1985). Doctor Jazz. 1974. 45 x 29 ½”. Unbacked. A.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Jul. 24, 2022
LG Raoul Pene Du Bois (1914-1985) NY, Gouache
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Raoul Pene Du Bois. Grisaille Portrait of Sailor Youth (Mid 20th Century). Signed Gouache Painting on Antique Paper. Born 1914 Staten Island, New York, USA Died 1985 New York, New York, USA Raoul Pene Du Bois was an American set and costume designer and the creative force behind much of Broadways visual charm and Hollywoods fashion-forward allure during the mid twentieth century. In the 1930s Du Bois was responsible for costuming several annual revues of the Zigfield Follies on Broadway. In the 40s, Du Bois was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category of Best Art Direction for his work on films. In the 50s, he dressed the cast of the iconic, runaway Broadway hit, GypsyA Steven Sondheim musical first starring Ethel Merman (Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Hello, Dolly!). In the 60s, Du Bois was hired as the head costume designer for the film version of Gypsy, starring Rosalind Russel (His Girl Friday, Auntie Mame, Wonderful Town). And finally in the last decade of his life, he styled Ruby Keeler (42nd Street) and the rest of the ensemble cast in the Broadway smash hit, No, No, Nanette. In all, Raoul Pene Du Bois was nominated for six Tonys, two of which he wonone for Best Costume Design for No, No, Nanette and one for Best Scenic Design in Wonderful Town. This piece by Du Bois, Grisaille Portrait of Sailor Youth, is particularly interesting because it combines some very classic art historical techniques with Du Bois background in theatre and his cinematic sensibility. The scale is monumental, very nearly life-size, which cements its dramatic presence. However the practice of grisaille (French for grayed and meaning in English painted in all gray) is actually a millennia-old method of painting first popularized during the Northern and Italian Renaissance in pieces like Van Eycks Ghent Altarpiece (1432) and Giottos Scrovegni Chapel (1305) respectively. Similarly, the sailors stance on the prow of his boat is quintessential contrappostothe Italian word to describe the posture of a subject in a work of art where the upper body is twisted away from the legs and hips on the axial plane. Contrapposto was developed over 2,000 years ago during the golden age of Hellenistic sculpture around 400 BCE and is considered today to be one of the greatest and most lasting achievements of Ancient Greek Art. Perhaps the most famous example of contrapposto is Michelangelos David and certainly this piece by Du Bois, Grisaille Portrait of Sailor Youth, evokes a similar aura of youthful eroticism and Adonic male beauty. Lastly, the flat, angular bridge of the nose along with the simple, geometric delineation of the abdominal musculature are piercingly reminiscent of the faces and bodes in Picassos Self Portrait (1907) and Standing Female Nude (1908). Du Boiss style of painting is not outright Cubism, but the influence of Picasso is evident. It is likely that this piece could have been a sketch for a costume design or even a prop or backdrop on one of Du Bois many sets that he managed. However we can never rule out the possibility that he intended Grisailles Portrait of Sailor Youth as a stand-alone painting. What is certain is that Du Bois creative vision shaped American film and theatre during the twentieth century and after his untimely stroke in 1985, the New York Public Library acquired his archives given his significant cultural impact and contributions the the nations arts and letters. Grisailles Portrait of Sailor Youth is a unique piece by a Broadway giant that combines daring eroticism, theatrical flair, and a masterful knowledge of art historical techniques in order to render this work at once radically fresh and rooted firmly in tradition. Overall Size: 62 x 40 in. Sight Size: 58 x 36 in.
Sarasota Estate Auction
Apr. 02, 2022
THEATRICAL WATERCOLOR PAINTING BY RAOUL PENE BOIS
Est: $100 - $150
Raoul Pene Du Bois (American costume designer and scenic designer for the stage and film, 1914–1985) watercolor painting on paper, original maquette for theater bill. Framed.
Antique Arena Inc
Dec. 18, 2021
AMERICAN MIXED MEDIA PAINTING BY RAOUL PENE BOIS
Est: $100 - $150
Raoul Pene Du Bois (American costume designer and scenic designer for the stage and film, 1914–1985) mixed media (watercolor, pastel, pencil) painting on paper depicting the theatrical design of costumes, 1935. Signed lower right. Framed.
Antique Arena Inc
Dec. 18, 2021
THEATRICAL WATERCOLOR PAINTING BY RAOUL PENE BOIS
Est: $100 - $150
Raoul Pene Du Bois (American costume designer and scenic designer for the stage and film, 1914–1985) watercolor painting on paper, original maquette for theater bill. Framed.
Antique Arena Inc
May. 18, 2020
Raoul Pene Du Bois Painting AFRICAN-AMERICAN Dancer
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Raoul Pene Du Bois (American,1917-1985). Raoul Pene Du Bois framed oil painting on canvas. African-American dancer backstage after theater rehearsal. Twice stamped on verso-(stretcher and canvas) ESTATE OF RAOUL PENE DU BOIS-Connelly estate stamp. Oil on canvas. Circa 1950s. Dimensions: canvas: 24 in. x 40 in. Condition: good original estate condition, no repairs noted. Provenance: private estate.
Kensington Estate Auctions
Jun. 20, 2019
RAOUL PÈNE DU BOIS (1914-1985) Artist's Model.
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
RAOUL PÈNE DU BOIS (1914-1985) Artist's Model . Oil on canvas. 40x24 inches, 101.5x61.5 cm. With the Connelly Sale Estate black ink stamp, verso.
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 05, 2018
PENE DU BOIS, RAOUL. 1914-1985. Original gouache, "Banjo Man," costume design for the Broadway musical Sugar Babies, 1979,
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
PENE DU BOIS, RAOUL. 1914-1985. Original gouache, "Banjo Man," costume design for the Broadway musical Sugar Babies, 1979, gouache, ink and pencil, 280 x 195 mm, matted and framed.WITH: Two silhouette drawings for Kitty (1945) starring Paulette Goddard and Ray Milland, ink and wash over pencil, 310 x 210 mm; 115 x 70 mm, the larger of the two initialed lower right" "R.P.D.," each matted and framed. Raoul Pene Du Bois, nephew of painter Guy Pene Du Bois and cousin of illustrator William Pene Du Bois, was one of the premiere Broadway costume and set designers of the 20th-century. He was only 14 years old when he designed four showgirl costumes for Ziegfeld Follies of 1934. In all he designed costumes and/or scenery for 48 shows including the original productions of Jumbo (1935), DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), Call Me Madam (1950), The Music Man (1957) and Gypsy (1960). He won the Tony for scenic design for Wonderful Town in 1953 and costumes for No, No, Nanette in 1971. Sugar Babies was his final show. He was nominated twice for the Oscar for Best Art Direction. The two silhouettes were part of the decor of Mitchell Liesen's comedy Kitty set in London in the late 18th Century. Raoul Pene Du Bois' theater designs for Jumbo profoundly affected Mr. Knight when a boy. "Seeing that production in the extraordinary Hippodrome theater...was the first and most influential event that led to my later career in the theater," he now admits. "It also began a fascination with the circus itself and design for the theater."
Bonhams
Sep. 26, 2015
RAOUL PENE DU BOIS (1912-?): BELLHOP
Est: $500 - $700
RAOUL PENE DU BOIS (1912-?): BELLHOP Gouache on paper, 1932, signed with initials 'RPB' and dated lower left; together with English School: Military Men, three watercolors on paper, two titled and one indistinctly signed and dated 1912. 7 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. to 19 x 13 in. (frames). Collection of Vincent Petragnani, Kent, CT
STAIR
Sep. 03, 2015
Raoul Pene Du Bois (American, 1912-1985)
Est: $200 - $400
9 1/2" x 12 1/4" paper sizeUntiled set design sketch and backdrop. Mixed media gouache and ink on paper, signed R.P.B. in pencil lower right, framed under glass, overall 16" x 18 3/4". Online Bidding and additional information at AspireAuctions.com
Aspire Auctions Fine Art & Antiques
Sep. 20, 2013
Raoul Henri Pène Du Bois (American, 1912-1985), Set Design for Haydn Concerto, Signed "Raoul Pène du Bois" l.l., inscribed "N.Y. Dec. 1
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Raoul Henri Pène Du Bois (American, 1912-1985) Set Design for Haydn Concerto Signed "Raoul Pène du Bois" l.l., inscribed "N.Y. Dec. 1967" l.r. Ink and gouache on paper, 10 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. (26.5 x 36.9 cm), unmatted, unframed. Condition: Scattered minor foxing, subtle rippling, acid burn to outermost edges of sheet on front and reverse. Provenance: Sotheby's New York, Dance, Theater & Opera: Costume and Designs, Books, Prints and Photographs, Wednesday, December 9, 1998, Lot 220. N.B. New York City Ballet, 1968, choreography by John Taras, music by Haydn.
Skinner
Sep. 10, 2011
William Pène Dubois (1916-1993) and Raoul Pène DuBois (1914-1985): "The Circus"
Est: $500 - $700
William Pène Dubois (1916-1993) and Raoul Pène DuBois (1914-1985): "The Circus" A series of twenty-one watercolor, pen and ink drawings, signed. Largest 29 9/16 x 28 3/4 in.
STAIR
Jun. 21, 2011
Raoul Henri Pène du Bois (American, 1912-1985)
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
Raoul Henri Pène du Bois (American, 1912-1985) Set design for Kitty: Visiting the Exhibition signed 'Raoul Pène du Bois' (lower right) pen and black ink and brown wash and gouache 9¼ x 12 in. (23.5 x 30.5 cm.)
Christie's