The House of the Hanged Man Auction History

Paul Cézanne painted the work in 1873 and showed it in the First Impressionist Exhibition in 1874; soon after, Comte Armand Doria purchased it—identified by the Musée d’Orsay as the first Cézanne sold to a private amateur. [1][4]

In 1889 Doria exchanged the canvas with Victor Chocquet for Cézanne’s Neige fondante, and it remained with the Chocquets until the 1899 “Vente Veuve Chocquet” at Galerie Georges Petit, where Comte Isaac de Camondo acquired it for a reported 6,200 francs; Monet urged Camondo to buy, reportedly via Durand‑Ruel. [1][3][8]

In 1911 Camondo bequeathed the painting to the French State for the Musée du Louvre (accepted by decree on 23 November 1911). It was shown at the Louvre from 1914, then at the Galerie du Jeu de Paume from 1947, and has been assigned to the Musée d’Orsay since 1986 (inventory RF 1970). [1][2]

This canvas occupies a pivotal place in Cézanne’s market narrative. The Musée d’Orsay notes it was the first work the artist succeeded in selling to a private amateur—Comte Armand Doria—following its appearance in the 1874 Impressionist exhibition, marking the very start of the painter’s commercial acceptance. [1]

The subsequent chain of enlightened patrons—Doria, the great Cézanne champion Victor Chocquet, and the collector Isaac de Camondo—reads like a who’s who of late‑19th‑century taste. The 1899 “Vente Veuve Chocquet” at Galerie Georges Petit provides the work’s key public market data point: a reported 6,200‑franc price when Camondo purchased it from a mixed lot, with Monet encouraging the acquisition (Durand‑Ruel reportedly intermediating). While the lot structure complicates precision, the event is well‑documented and anchors the painting’s historical market valuation. [1][3][8]

No public sale followed: Camondo’s 1911 bequest transferred the picture to the French State, removing it permanently from the commercial market. It entered the Louvre, later the Jeu de Paume, and has been assigned to the Musée d’Orsay since 1986 (RF 1970). This secure museum status underscores the work’s canonical importance and explains the absence of modern pricing. [1][2]

For broader context, Cézanne’s market has since achieved blue‑chip heights: the auction record stands at $137.79 million for La Montagne Sainte‑Victoire (Christie’s, 2022), while The Card Players reportedly sold privately for more than $250 million in 2011; a major still life fetched $59.3 million in 2019. These benchmarks frame the artist’s overall demand, even though this particular painting is not tradable as state property. [5][6][7]