Emilio Grau Sala Auction Prices and Value Guide
Emilio Grau Sala auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,445 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Emilio Grau Sala auction prices: quick answer
Emilio Grau Sala auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Emilio Grau Sala
- Source records
- 1,445
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Emilio Grau Sala
Emilio Grau Sala (1911–1975) was a Spanish painter, printmaker, illustrator, and watercolorist born in Barcelona. He trained at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Barcelona and became active as an exhibiting artist by the early 1930s. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Grau Sala relocated to Paris with his wife, the painter Ángeles Santos Torroella, and spent much of his subsequent career working in France. His practice spanned oil painting, pastel, watercolor, drawing, printmaking, and illustration, placing him within the broad current of twentieth-century Spanish and French figurative painting. Grau Sala is recorded in major reference works including Bénézit, Vollmer, and the Saur index, and his work is documented in the RKD, VIAF, and Library of Congress authority files. Collectors encounter his paintings, works on paper, and prints at European and international auctions with notable frequency.
Post-Impressionism / École de Parisoil paintingwatercolorpastelprintmakinglandscapesfigurative compositionsstill life
Common works and media
Grau Sala is most frequently encountered in appraisal and auction contexts as an oil-on-canvas painter of figurative compositions, landscapes, and still lifes. He also produced a significant body of work on paper, including watercolors, pastels, and drawings. His printmaking output includes graphic works and illustrations, and he is credited as a set painter and decorator, suggesting theatrical or decorative commissions may occasionally surface. Illustrated books and lithographic editions also appear in auction records.
Market and appraisal context
Emilio Grau Sala maintains a liquid and well-documented secondary market with 570 auction lots recorded in the Appraisily index, of which 305 carry a realized price. Records span from September 2003 through April 2026, and activity is rising: 62 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 46 in the prior 12-month period. The price distribution shows meaningful dispersion—minimum observed price of approximately €1 (prints and small works on paper) through a maximum of €60,000 for top-tier oils—with a median near €4,400 and an interquartile range of roughly €700–€13,000. Spanish salerooms dominate: Setdart Auction House, Subastas Segre, Ansorena, Sala Retiro Subastas, and TGP Auction handle the greatest volume. French houses (Artcurial, Tajan, Aguttes) and international firms (Christie's, Sotheby's, Freeman's) also appear, confirming cross-border demand. Recent comparable oils on canvas from Paris-period figurative subjects have realized between €3,200 and €14,000 at Setdart, while watercolors and works on paper typically trade in the €250–€4,600 band. Works with gallery labels (Sala Parés, Galeriá Sennacheribbo) or documented provenance tend to sell at or above estimate.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- oil painting
- watercolor
- gouache
- pastel
- drawing
Value drivers
- Medium: oils generally command higher prices than watercolors, pastels, or works on paper
- Provenance: works with Paris gallery or documented exhibition history may carry premiums
- Attribution: Grau Sala is catalogued in Bénézit, Vollmer, and Saur reference works, supporting authenticity research
- Subject and period: Paris-period works and figurative compositions are well-represented in auction records
- Condition and date: as with most 20th-century works on paper and canvas, condition reports and confirmed dating significantly affect value
- Medium: oils on canvas and panel consistently achieve the highest prices (€3,200–€14,000 in recent results); watercolors and gouaches trade in the €550–€4,600 range; ink drawings and prints fall below €1,500.
Appraisal caveats
- With over 1,400 auction lots recorded, Grau Sala's market is broadly distributed across European and international salerooms; individual results vary widely by medium, size, and subject.
- The RKD records a discrepancy in some sources listing a birth year of 1899 versus the consensus 1911-06-22; verify dating against catalogue entries when evaluating older attributions.
- No single catalogue raisonné is referenced in the available sources; authentication relies on stylistic analysis, provenance, and reference-work entries.
- Price distribution statistics (min €1, median €4,400, max €60,000) blend results in multiple currencies (EUR, USD, and possibly others); direct currency-normalized comparability should be confirmed for appraisal use.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) library authority
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File) library authority
- Library of Congress 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 Emilio Grau Sala 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 Emilio Grau Sala artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.