Eileen Agar Auction Prices and Value Guide
Eileen Agar auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 266 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Eileen Agar auction prices: quick answer
Eileen Agar auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Eileen Agar
- Source records
- 266
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Eileen Agar
Eileen Agar (1899–1991) was an Argentine-born British painter, photographer, and collagist who became one of the most distinctive voices in British Surrealism. Born in Buenos Aires to a British family, she moved to England in 1911 and studied under Henry Tonks at the Slade School of Fine Art in the mid-1920s. Agar was the only professional British woman artist to exhibit at the landmark 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition in London, a role that secured her place in the movement's history. Over a seven-decade career she worked across painting, collage, assemblage, and photography, often combining found natural objects with painterly techniques. Her circle included Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, Paul Éluard, Roland Penrose, and Lee Miller, and a 1937 visit to Picasso and Dora Maar proved especially formative. She continued producing abstract and surrealist compositions into the late 1980s.
SurrealismAbstract artPainting (oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolour)PhotographyCollageAssemblagePortraits (early period, c. 1927–1928)Surrealist and abstract compositionsNatural forms (shells, rocks, marine life)
Common works and media
Agar is best known for Surrealist paintings, collages, and assemblages incorporating found natural objects such as shells, rocks, and marine material. She also produced experimental photographs and later large-scale colourful abstract paintings. Collectors may encounter early portraits from the late 1920s, photomontages, mixed-media constructions, editioned prints, and works on paper including gouaches, watercolours, and ink drawings.
Market and appraisal context
Eileen Agar's work appears at auction chiefly as paintings, collages, photographs, and mixed-media assemblages. Collectors should note that works from her 1930s Surrealist period tend to attract the strongest interest, particularly pieces with documented exhibition at the 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition or provenance linking them to her modernist circle. Provenance, medium, condition, and attribution are key valuation factors; mixed-media works incorporating found materials warrant careful condition reports, and photographic prints should be checked for edition details. Comparable public auction records from major houses provide the most reliable pricing benchmarks.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- No public auction result specifics were available in the source pack; comparable lot records from major auction houses should be consulted for pricing benchmarks.
- The birth-year discrepancy (1899 vs. 1904) in authority records may appear in older catalogue entries and should not be treated as evidence of misattribution.
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 Eileen Agar 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 Eileen Agar artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.