Alberto Magnelli Auction Prices and Value Guide

Alberto Magnelli auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 845 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Alberto Magnelli auction prices: quick answer

Alberto Magnelli auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Alberto Magnelli
Source records
845
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Alberto Magnelli

Alberto Magnelli (1888–1971) was an Italian painter and printmaker recognized as a significant figure in the post-war Concrete art movement. Born in Florence, he was largely self-taught and gravitated toward modernist abstraction early in his career. By 1932 he had relocated to Paris, where he moved within circles that included Hans Arp, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and other avant-garde artists. Magnelli's work is characterized by bold geometric forms, interlocking shapes, and a restrained but vibrant color palette. His compositions moved beyond representational references toward pure abstract construction, aligning him with the Concrete art principles articulated in the mid-twentieth century. He was named Officier des Arts et Lettres by the French government in 1966. Works by Magnelli are held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He died in Meudon, near Paris, in 1971.

Concrete artModern artpaintingprintmakingwoodcutgraphic artabstract composition

Common works and media

Magnelli produced oil paintings on canvas and panel, but a substantial portion of his recorded output consists of prints — etchings, woodcuts, and lithographs — often published in artist books and portfolios. Notable printed series include contributions to 23 Gravures (1934–35) and 10 Origin (1942), both held by MoMA. Geometric abstract compositions with interlocking rectangular and curvilinear forms are a hallmark of his mature style. Works on paper, including ink drawings and gouaches, also appear in auction and museum contexts.

Market and appraisal context

Alberto Magnelli has a well-established and active secondary market, with 569 auction lots recorded by Appraisily spanning from May 1997 to May 2026. Of these, 322 carry a realized price. The price distribution is wide: the recorded minimum is €40 and the maximum is €1,161,250, with a median of €3,315 and an interquartile range of €313–€24,750. This dispersion reflects the broad range of media in play — from posters and dedicated catalogues at the low end, through prints, collages, and works on paper in the mid-range, to important oil-on-canvas paintings from the mature Concrete period commanding six-figure sums. Liquidity is healthy: 36 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 32 in the prior 12 months, indicating steady or slightly increasing supply. The artist is traded at top-tier houses (Christie's, Sotheby's) as well as specialist European firms (Artcurial, Finarte, Cornette de Saint-Cyr, Aguttes, Cambi Casa d'Aste), confirming broad geographic demand across Continental Europe and the UK. Recent Christie's London sales in early 2026 realized £6,985–£25,400 for oil compositions, while Finarte Milan achieved €48,000 for a 1956 oil titled "Introduction." The highest single recorded price in the recent-lot sample is a Sotheby's 2011 sale at €456,750, and the overall maximum of €1,161,250 indicates that major museum-quality canvases can exceed seven figures.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Post-War & Contemporary Art
  • Prints & Multiples
  • Modern Art
  • painting
  • printmaking

Value drivers

  1. Medium and support: oil on canvas works generally command higher prices than works on paper or prints
  2. Period: works from the artist's mature Concrete art phase are most sought after
  3. Provenance: documented exhibition history and inclusion in major museum collections affect value
  4. Condition: as with all works on paper and prints, condition significantly affects appraisal
  5. Medium and support: oil on canvas works command significantly higher prices than prints, works on paper, or ephemera; the record maximum (€1,161,250) is for a major oil painting
  6. Period: works from Magnelli's mature Concrete art phase (c. 1940s–1960s), such as the 1956 "Introduction" that sold for €48,000 at Finarte, are the most sought-after

Appraisal caveats

  • The source pack does not include specific auction records or realized price data; a full appraisal should incorporate recent comparable sales.
  • Attribution should be verified through catalogue raisonné or expert authentication, especially for unsigned prints.
  • Realized prices in the source pack span multiple currencies (EUR, GBP, CHF, USD); direct comparison requires currency normalization at the prevailing exchange rate on each sale date
  • Several recent lots show null priceRealised values, meaning they may have been bought-in, withdrawn, or the result is not yet reported — these lots should not be treated as comparable sales without verification

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Data basis

This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Alberto Magnelli

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Alberto Magnelli worth?

Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.

Can Appraisily value my Alberto Magnelli artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.