Georg Pencz Auction Prices and Value Guide

Georg Pencz auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 408 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Georg Pencz auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Georg Pencz
Source records
408
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Georg Pencz

Georg Pencz (c. 1500–1550) was a German painter, engraver, printmaker, and tapestry designer active in Nuremberg and later Wrocław. One of the notable German Renaissance artists working in the first half of the sixteenth century, Pencz is recognized for his accomplished engravings and paintings. He worked across a broad range of media, including panel painting, copperplate engraving, drawing, and tapestry design, serving as court painter later in his career. Born in Nuremberg around 1500–1502, Pencz married Margaretha Graf, daughter of the painter Michel Graf, in 1529. He died in Wrocław in October 1550. His work is documented in the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, the Getty Union List of Artist Names, and multiple international library authority files, confirming his standing as a significant figure in German Renaissance visual arts.

German Renaissanceengravingpaintingprintmakingdrawingportraitsreligious scenesmythological scenes

Common works and media

Collectors are most likely to encounter Pencz through his copperplate engravings, which include small-scale religious compositions, mythological scenes, and portrait studies. His painted works—primarily panels with religious or allegorical subjects—appear far less frequently. Drawings in pen and ink or chalk also surface at auction, as do designs for tapestry. Prints may exist in multiple impressions with varying states, so plate condition, paper quality, and margins are important points of examination. Works attributed to Pencz's workshop or circle also appear in the market and should be distinguished from securely autograph pieces.

Market and appraisal context

Georg Pencz's work appears regularly in the Old Master print and drawing market. His engravings constitute the largest share of offered lots, while paintings by his hand are comparatively rare and command greater attention when they surface. For collectors and appraisers, the key factors affecting value include the quality and condition of the impression (for prints), confirmed attribution versus circle-of or follower-of designations, provenance history, and subject matter. Pencz's work is catalogued under name variants including Benntz, Penz, and Prenntz, which can complicate auction searches and attribution review. Specialist consultation is recommended for any painting attributed to Pencz, given the scarcity of securely attributed painted works.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Old Master Prints
  • Old Master Paintings
  • Old Master Drawings

Value drivers

  1. Medium: engravings and prints appear most frequently at auction; paintings are considerably rarer
  2. Attribution: works are sometimes catalogued as 'circle of' or 'follower of' Pencz; confirmed attribution affects value significantly
  3. Condition: for prints, impression quality, plate wear, and paper condition are primary value drivers
  4. Provenance: documented collection history strengthens attribution and value for a 16th-century artist

Appraisal caveats

  • The source pack did not include major auction-house lot records; specific price ranges and recent sale comparables were not available for this research pass.
  • Pencz's name variants (Benntz, Penz, Prenntz, Benz) may cause attribution ambiguity in auction cataloguing.
  • Paintings by Pencz are far less common than prints; any painting attributed to him warrants specialist authentication.

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 Georg Pencz

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Georg Pencz 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 Georg Pencz artwork?

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