Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois Auction Prices and Value Guide

Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,272 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois auction prices: quick answer

Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois
Source records
1,272
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois

Alexandre Benois (1870–1960) was a Russian-born painter, stage designer, illustrator, and art critic who became one of the most influential figures in early twentieth-century Russian art. Born in Saint Petersburg into the prominent Benois artistic dynasty, he co-founded the Mir iskusstva (World of Art) movement and its pioneering magazine, advocating for aesthetic individualism and international artistic engagement. Benois is perhaps best known for his work with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, where his set and costume designs for productions such as Petrushka and Le Pavillon d'Armide transformed modern stagecraft. After leaving Russia following the revolution, he settled in Paris and continued to paint, design, and write until his death. His work is held by major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate, and the Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg.

Mir iskusstva (World of Art)Ballets RussesWatercolorGouacheIllustration and printmakingStage and set designBallet and theatrical scenesRussian imperial and court lifePetersburg landscapes and cityscapesBook illustration and literary subjects

Common works and media

Benois's most commonly encountered works include watercolor and gouache stage and costume designs for ballet and opera productions, book illustrations (particularly for Pushkin and other Russian literary classics), landscape watercolors of Saint Petersburg and its surroundings, interior decorative schemes, and graphic prints. Oil paintings by Benois are less common at auction than his works on paper. Reproductive prints and posthumous editions of his designs also circulate in the secondary market.

Market and appraisal context

Alexandre Benois has a substantial auction footprint, with 558 total lots and 374 priced results recorded in the Appraisily auction database spanning 1989 to March 2026. The price distribution is extremely wide — from $2 at the low end (likely reproductive prints or posthumous editions) to $581,580 at the high end (consistent with major original stage designs or important Ballets Russes-period gouaches). The median price sits at approximately $375, with the interquartile range running from $120 to $1,200, indicating that the majority of traded lots are modest-value works on paper or prints. High-value outliers are driven by original theatrical designs with strong provenance. The artist trades through a credible mix of major international houses (Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams) and regional salerooms (Roseberys, Clars, Keys Fine Art). Liquidity is moderate: 17 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 23 in the prior year, suggesting a slight cooling in trading frequency but continued steady presence at auction.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Old Master and 19th-century Russian paintings
  • Works on paper (watercolors, gouaches, drawings)
  • Theatre and ballet design (set and costume designs)
  • Illustrated books and prints
  • Watercolor

Value drivers

  1. Provenance: works with documented exhibition or Ballets Russes production history carry stronger collector interest.
  2. Medium: original watercolors and gouaches for stage designs are generally more sought after than reproductive prints.
  3. Attribution: the Benois family included multiple artists; correct attribution to Alexandre rather than relatives (Albert Benois, etc.) is important.
  4. Condition: works on paper are vulnerable to light damage and foxing; condition significantly affects value.
  5. Subject: ballet and theatrical subjects connected to specific Diaghilev productions tend to attract the strongest auction results.
  6. Medium: original watercolors and gouaches — especially Ballets Russes stage and costume designs — command the strongest prices; reproductive prints and posthumous editions sit at the low end of the range.

Appraisal caveats

  • With 1,272 auction records in the Appraisily/Invaluable database, Benois is a frequently traded artist across international and Russian salerooms. Individual lot values vary widely depending on medium, subject, period, and provenance.
  • The Appraisily auction database records 558 lots attributed to Benois, but the most recent 24 returned lots include items that do not appear to be Benois artworks (silver flatware, furniture, jewelry, porcelain, militaria). This suggests a name-matching artifact in the feed where lots with titles beginning with 'A' are included. The aggregate statistics (lot count, price distribution, auction-house frequency) are more reliable than the individual recent-lot titles.
  • The price range of $2 to $581,580 is exceptionally wide. The low end almost certainly reflects reproductive prints, posthumous editions, or lots where the artist attribution is minor. The high end is consistent with major original works but should be verified against specific lot details.
  • Several members of the Benois family were active artists. Attribution within the family requires care and may not always be correctly reflected in auction cataloguing.

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 Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois 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 Aleksandr Nikolaevic Benois artwork?

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