Cindy Sherman Auction Prices and Value Guide
Cindy Sherman auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 2,016 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Cindy Sherman auction prices: quick answer
Cindy Sherman auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Cindy Sherman
- Source records
- 2,016
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Cindy Sherman market snapshot
Cindy Sherman shows very deep auction liquidity with 1,104 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $20,000. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 57 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-12-20.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (12.8% · 94 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (28.6% · 211 sales)
- $10,000+ (58.6% · 432 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $1,000
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 57
- Median shift vs prior year
- +100.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2025-12-20
Artist context
About Cindy Sherman
.jpg){kind=link}
Born
1954
Nationality
American
Also known as
Cynthia Morris Sherman
Cindy Sherman (born 1954) is an American artist and photographer whose practice centers on staged photographs of invented characters. Since the late 1970s, she has used her own image to examine how identity is constructed through familiar visual codes drawn from art, celebrity culture, gender roles, film, television, advertising, and magazines. Sherman is closely associated with the Pictures Generation, artists who responded critically and often humorously to the expanding mass-media environment. Her early Untitled Film Stills (1977–1980) established a durable model for her work: carefully arranged scenes, guises, poses, props, and settings that suggest recognizable character types rather than straightforward portraiture. Her broader practice continues to test the relationship between performance, photography, representation, and social expectation. Collectors commonly encounter numbered Untitled photographs, works identified by series, editioned prints, and occasional posters or related editioned material. Accurate identification therefore depends on the title or number, date, medium, dimensions, edition information, and provenance.
Pictures GenerationPhotographyStaged photographic self-portraitureConstruction and performance of identityGender roles and culturally familiar character typesVisual codes drawn from art, celebrity, film, television, advertising, and magazines
Common works and media
Sherman's characteristic works are staged photographs in which she appears as invented or culturally familiar character types. The best-known early series represented in the sources is Untitled Film Stills (1977–1980). Collection and auction contexts may also include numbered Untitled photographs, photographic prints and editions, posters, billboard-related material, and mixed-media or sculptural entries. Titles, numbers, dates, processes, dimensions, and edition details are important for distinguishing superficially similar works.
Market and appraisal context
Sherman's market is best assessed by matching like with like, especially works from the same series or closely related Untitled numbers. Relevant factors include medium, dimensions, date and career period, edition details, condition, inscriptions, attribution confidence, provenance, exhibition history, and catalogue references. Recent public auction results for comparable works can provide context, but an overall median should not be treated as a prediction for a particular photograph or edition. Appraisily's current page reflects matched public auction data, while private sales, incomplete feeds, and later attribution changes may not be represented. A professional appraisal should confirm the specific object, its edition status, physical condition, and supporting documentation before reaching a value conclusion.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Photographs and photographic editions
- Works on paper, prints, posters, and editions
- Mixed-media and sculptural works
Value drivers
- Medium, dimensions, date, and period within the artist's career
- Condition, restoration history, and surface quality
- Signature, inscriptions, edition details, and attribution confidence
- Provenance, exhibition history, and catalogue references
- Recent public auction results for works with comparable characteristics
- Subject matter, rarity, and current demand
Appraisal caveats
- Public auction records provide appraisal context but are not a final valuation; private transactions and incomplete feeds may not be represented. Source: https://appraisily.com/artist/cindy-sherman/
- Condition and authentication or attribution findings can materially alter an appraisal conclusion. Source: https://appraisily.com/artist/cindy-sherman/
- The supplied market page reports both 1,104 tracked lots and 1,174 records, so its count definitions should be reconciled before displaying a single total. Source: https://appraisily.com/artist/cindy-sherman/
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
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 Cindy Sherman 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 Cindy Sherman artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.