Fritz Scholder Auction Prices and Value Guide

Fritz Scholder auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,851 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Fritz Scholder auction prices: quick answer

Fritz Scholder auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Fritz Scholder
Source records
1,851
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Fritz Scholder

Fritz Scholder (1937–2005) was a Luiseño-American painter, printmaker, sculptor, and educator whose expressionist works challenged romanticized depictions of Native American life. Born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, Scholder studied at Sacramento State College and the University of Arizona before joining the faculty of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe in 1964. Although an enrolled member of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, he resisted the label "Indian artist," insisting on being recognized simply as an artist. His Indian series of the late 1960s and early 1970s—marked by vivid color, gestural brushwork, and psychological intensity—brought him national attention. Works from this period and beyond are held by the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the Denver Art Museum, and other major collections worldwide. Across painting, lithography, monotype, sculpture, and photography, Scholder explored themes ranging from Native identity to ancient Egypt, mystery women, and floral still life.

ExpressionismPostmodernismPop Art influencepainting (oil and acrylic)lithographymonotypesculpture (bronze)Native American portraits and figuresstereotypes and mythos of the American Indianancient Egypt

Common works and media

Scholder worked across oil and acrylic painting, lithography, monotype, serigraphy, bronze sculpture, and photography. His most recognized works include expressionist portraits and figures from the Indian series, depicting Native American subjects with bold, saturated color and gestural distortion. Additional recurring series address ancient Egyptian imagery, enigmatic female figures, and floral compositions. Limited-edition lithographs and exhibition posters are frequently encountered in the secondary market. Bronze sculptures and monotypes also appear at auction. Collectors may find both unique works and editioned multiples spanning several decades of production from the 1960s through the early 2000s.

Market and appraisal context

Fritz Scholder maintains a deep and liquid secondary market, with 852 auction lots recorded by Appraisily spanning December 1993 through April 2026. Of those, 721 carry realized prices, producing a distribution from $10 (posters and minor prints) to $400,000 (major unique works). The interquartile range ($540–$4,000) and median of $1,300 reflect the high volume of editioned lithographs, serigraphs, and posters that circulate widely, while unique paintings and sculptures from hallmark series—particularly the Indian series—command five- and six-figure prices. Recent standout results include a 1994 Dancer oil selling at Bonhams for $120,000 (November 2025), Man & Dog #1 acrylic on canvas reaching $60,200 at Bradford's (November 2022), and a large Self Portrait acrylic realizing $40,000 at Soulis Auctions (February 2026). Annual throughput remains robust at 80–94 priced lots per year, with consistent representation at Santa Fe Art Auction, Hindman, Heritage Auctions, Bonhams, Christie's, and regional specialists including Altermann Galleries, J Levine, Bradford's, and RoGallery. The market is well-established, geographically distributed, and benefits from sustained institutional and collector interest in Native American and Post-War Contemporary art.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Post-War and Contemporary Art
  • Native American Art
  • Prints and Multiples
  • Painting (oil and acrylic)
  • Lithography

Value drivers

  1. [object Object]

Appraisal caveats

  • Scholder produced a large volume of editioned lithographs, posters, and serigraphs; these are widely available and should not be confused with unique paintings or sculptures.
  • Attribution should be verified for unsigned or undocumented works, as Scholder's style has been widely imitated in the Native American art market.
  • Limited-edition posters, such as the 'Sunset Indian' edition from 1980, represent a distinct commercial category from fine-art prints and carry different valuation expectations.
  • [object Object]

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 Fritz Scholder

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Fritz Scholder 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 Fritz Scholder artwork?

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