Albrecht (1471) Dürer Auction Prices and Value Guide

Albrecht (1471) Dürer auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 9,294 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Albrecht (1471) Dürer auction prices: quick answer

Albrecht (1471) Dürer auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Albrecht (1471) Dürer
Source records
9,294
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Albrecht (1471) Dürer

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, and art theorist who is widely regarded as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance. Born and based in Nuremberg, he trained as a goldsmith before turning to painting and printmaking, establishing a Europe-wide reputation while still in his twenties through the exceptional quality of his woodcut prints. Dürer travelled twice to Italy, absorbing the principles of classical proportion, linear perspective, and the nude from Italian Renaissance masters including Giovanni Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci, and synthesised those ideas with the Gothic tradition of Northern Europe. From 1512 he was court artist to Emperor Maximilian I. His three master engravings — Knight, Death, and the Devil, Melencolia I, and Saint Jerome in His Study — are landmarks of Western printmaking. Dürer also authored influential theoretical treatises on human proportion, perspective, and fortification, making him one of the first Northern European artist-intellectuals.

German RenaissanceNorthern Renaissancecopperplate engravingwoodcut printoil paintingwatercolourreligious and biblical scenesportraits and self-portraitsallegorylandscape

Common works and media

Collectors most commonly encounter Dürer through copperplate engravings such as Melencolia I, Knight Death and the Devil, Saint Jerome in His Study, and Adam and Eve, as well as woodcut series including the Apocalypse, the Great Passion, and the Small Passion. Also frequently seen are reproductive engravings after his designs, later restrikes from his original plates, and copies by followers and later printmakers. Original drawings in pen and ink, silverpoint, or watercolour appear at auction less often but are highly prized. Oil paintings are exceedingly rare; only about two dozen autograph panel paintings survive, most held in public institutions.

Market and appraisal context

Albrecht Dürer is among the most liquid Old Master printmakers at auction. The Appraisily auction-record index tracks 110 lots offered between May 2008 and November 2025, of which 72 carried a realised price. The price distribution is wide and positively skewed: observed prices range from €40 at the low end (likely later restrikes, copies, or small-format woodcuts in poor condition) to €800,000 at the high end (presumably exceptional lifetime impressions of major engravings). The median sits at €2,200 and the 75th percentile at €7,000, indicating that the typical Dürer print trades in the low four figures while premium impressions command five- to six-figure sums. Recent activity is steady, with 7 priced lots in the trailing twelve months and 10 in the prior twelve months, confirming continued auction-house demand. The market is dispersed across specialist Old Master print houses — notably Galerie Kornfeld Auktionen AG (Bern), Swann Auction Galleries (New York), Karl & Faber (Munich), Van Ham Kunstauktionen (Cologne), and Sotheby's (London) — as well as regional European houses including Isbilya Subastas, Duran Arte y Subastas, and Stockholms Auktionsverket. The three master engravings (Melencolia I, Knight Death and the Devil, Saint Jerome in His Study) and Apocalypse-series woodcuts anchor the top of the market, while smaller Passion-series sheets and reproductive prints populate the mid and lower tiers.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • copperplate engraving
  • woodcut print
  • drawing (pen, ink, charcoal, silverpoint)
  • watercolour
  • oil painting

Value drivers

  1. Impression type: confirmed lifetime impressions, later lifetime states, posthumous restrikes, and copies after Dürer must be separated before valuation.
  2. Catalogue references and state: Bartsch, Meder, Hollstein, watermark, state, and edition evidence are central for Old Master print comparables.
  3. Subject and series: the three master engravings, Apocalypse sheets, Passion-series woodcuts, and smaller devotional prints occupy different value tiers.
  4. Condition and margins: trimming, plate mark, block margins, paper losses, foxing, staining, flattening, tears, and repairs can materially move value.
  5. Medium and rarity: copperplate engravings, woodcuts, drawings, watercolours, and autograph paintings should not share one comparable set.
  6. Provenance and venue: specialist Old Master print sales and documented provenance should be weighted more heavily than general regional listings.

Appraisal caveats

  • Many later copies, reproduction prints, and posthumous restrikes circulate as Dürer works; authentication by an Old Master prints specialist is essential.
  • Dürer's theoretical treatises (on proportion, fortification, human anatomy) are also collected but represent a different market segment from the visual works.
  • With 9,294 recorded lots in the Invaluable database, Dürer is among the most frequently traded Old Masters — volume does not guarantee authenticity for any individual lot.
  • The current auction profile has been reconciled to the live Appraisily endpoint, but Dürer's market still requires caution because many results mix autograph works, lifetime impressions, later impressions, restrikes, and copies after the artist.

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 Albrecht (1471) Dürer

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Albrecht (1471) Dürer 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 Albrecht (1471) Dürer artwork?

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