How Much Is The Floor Scrapers Worth?

Final estimate: $90–130 million (hypothetical open‑market value). Gustave Caillebotte’s The Floor Scrapers (Les Raboteurs de parquet, 1875) is a cornerstone of the artist’s oeuvre and a key image in the story of modern urban realism, owned by the Musée d’Orsay. As a work in a French national collection, it is legally inalienable; this valuation reflects what the painting would command in an unrestricted international sale under optimal conditions (excellent condition, clear title, full global marketing) [1][4].

Method and anchors. We benchmark this estimate to two hard price signals and then apply a masterpiece premium. First, Caillebotte’s current auction record is $53.03 million for Young Man at His Window (1876; Christie’s New York, 2021), acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum—evidence of deep institutional demand for top‑tier, mid‑1870s figural interiors [2]. Second, the Musée d’Orsay’s acquisition of Boating Party (La Partie de bateau) at €43 million in 2022 provides a private, institutional yardstick for a masterpiece‑level Caillebotte, further underscoring scarcity and willingness to pay at the highest level [3]. Given The Floor Scrapers’ superior canonical status, breakthrough subject, and scale (102 × 147 cm), a substantial premium to the $53m auction record is justified [1].

Why this work commands the premium. The Floor Scrapers is widely regarded as one of Caillebotte’s defining statements—rejected by the Salon and exhibited with the Impressionists in 1876, it reframed modern Paris by dignifying urban labor through radical viewpoint, cropping, and light. It is reproduced in virtually every survey of the artist, has a strong loan and publication record, and sits at the center of recent scholarly reassessments of Caillebotte’s modern‑life project [1][5]. While a related 1876 variant exists, the 1875 Orsay canvas is the prime, canonical version [5]. Within Caillebotte’s market, subject quality, art‑historical weight, and scale drive outsized competition; this picture unites those attributes at the highest level.

Positioning versus peers and market conditions. At the top end of late‑19th‑century painting, true icons continue to attract global, institution‑caliber competition. Compared with the 2021 record interior and the €43m museum purchase, The Floor Scrapers should clear these benchmarks decisively under ideal sale mechanics (competitive guarantee, international touring, and top‑tier scholarship). The indicated $90–130 million range reflects both the artist’s recalibrated ceiling and cross‑artist pricing for modern‑life icons by leading Impressionist‑era masters [2][3].

Notes. This valuation presumes excellent material condition; undisclosed structural or condition issues would compress the range, while pristine condition and peak market timing could bias results to the upper band. Legal inalienability means this is a theoretical fair‑market indication rather than a trading level [4].