Bob Carlos Clarke Auction Prices and Value Guide
Bob Carlos Clarke auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 795 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Bob Carlos Clarke auction prices: quick answer
Bob Carlos Clarke auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Bob Carlos Clarke
- Source records
- 795
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Bob Carlos Clarke
Bob Carlos Clarke (1950–2006) was a British-Irish photographer born in Ireland whose career spanned fine-art, editorial, and commercial image-making. He is best known for his boldly composed erotic photographs of women, which balanced meticulous technical precision with provocative visual storytelling. Beyond erotica, Clarke produced accomplished still lifes, documentary work, celebrity portraits, and fashion photography, demonstrating a versatility that placed him in both gallery and publishing contexts. His images appeared in high-profile magazines including Playboy, and his photographic books gained a dedicated following among collectors. Clarke's distinctive style — characterized by dramatic lighting, rich tonal range, and an unflinching approach to desire and glamour — has kept his work in active circulation on the secondary market. He died in London in March 2006 at the age of 55, leaving a body of work that continues to attract interest from photography collectors worldwide.
gelatin silver printsC-type color photographsphotographyerotic photographystill lifefashion photographycelebrity and portrait photography
Common works and media
Collectors most frequently encounter Clarke's gelatin silver prints and chromogenic (C-type) color photographs, particularly his erotic and fashion compositions featuring the female form. Still-life studies, celebrity portraits, and editorial work from magazine commissions also appear on the market. His images have been published in monographs and softcover books, which themselves have collectible value. Open-edition poster prints and reproduction book pages circulate widely and are typically priced well below original fine-art prints.
Market and appraisal context
Bob Carlos Clarke's photographs trade actively at auction, with 137 documented lots and 69 priced results spanning October 2005 through April 2026. His work appears at a wide range of houses — from top-tier names (Christie's, Phillips, Bonhams) to UK regional specialists (Roseberys, Dreweatts 1759, Chiswick Auctions, Forum Auctions, Joshua Kodner, Bamfords) and continental sellers (Finarte in Italy). The price distribution shows meaningful dispersion: realized prices range from approximately $20 at the low end to $10,000 at the top, with a median near $450 and a 75th percentile around $1,200. This spread reflects the sharp distinction between unsigned or open-edition prints on the one hand and signed, limited-edition fine-art prints on the other. Erotic and fetish-themed compositions (PVC Suit, Fem Dom, Desire) and figurative studies (Portrait of Pippa, Tanya Van Hoorn) dominate recent offerings and tend to achieve the stronger results. Liquidity is moderate but real — 13 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window, down from 30 in the prior 12 months, suggesting the market is active but not flooded. Clarke's death in 2006 fixed the supply of vintage prints, which supports long-term value retention for well-documented examples.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- gelatin silver prints
- C-type color photographs
- photography
- erotic photography
- fashion photography
Value drivers
- Print edition and numbering — limited-edition fine-art prints typically command stronger prices than open editions or unsigned commercial work
- Print medium and process — gelatin silver prints versus C-type color photographs may differ in collector demand
- Provenance and authenticity documentation
- Subject matter — erotic and fashion images are the most sought-after category
- Vintage versus later printing
- Print medium — gelatin silver prints dominate the auction record and typically track at a different price tier than C-type color photographs; confirm which process applies to the subject print
Appraisal caveats
- Market data in the source pack is limited; specific realized prices and auction records were not included. Collectors should consult major auction-house databases for current pricing.
- Clarke's output spans fine-art, editorial, and commercial commissions; distinguishing between these categories is important for appraisal.
- Auction prices in the source pack are denominated in mixed currencies (USD, GBP, EUR) and have not been normalized to a single currency; direct price comparisons require conversion at the relevant sale-date exchange rate
- Of 137 recorded lots, only 69 (50%) have published realized prices; the remaining lots may have sold below estimate, been bought in, or have prices not yet reported
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- VIAF (OCLC) library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
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.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Bob Carlos Clarke 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 Bob Carlos Clarke artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.