Gilbert & George Auction Prices and Value Guide
Gilbert & George auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 679 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Gilbert & George auction prices: quick answer
Gilbert & George auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Gilbert & George
- Source records
- 679
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Gilbert & George
Gilbert & George are a British artist duo consisting of Gilbert Proesch, born in 1943 in the Italian Dolomites, and George Passmore, born in 1942 in Plymouth, England. They met in 1967 while studying sculpture at St. Martin's School of Art in London and have worked as a single entity ever since, famously declaring, 'We are two people, but one artist.' Emerging alongside Pop, Minimalist, and Conceptual art, they developed a wholly distinctive practice grounded in the concept of 'living sculpture'—treating their own appearances, routines, and conversations as the artwork itself. Over more than five decades they have produced brightly coloured, large-format photo-based works, performances, charcoal drawings, postal editions, and graphic pieces that address urban life, identity, sexuality, religion, and mortality. In 2017 the pair celebrated fifty years of collaboration, and in 2023 they opened the Gilbert & George Centre in London's East End to present rotating exhibitions of their work.
Contemporary ArtPerformance ArtConceptual ArtPhotographyPhotomontageCharcoal on paperSelf-portraitureUrban life and LondonIdentity and sexualityReligion
Common works and media
Large-format colour photographic works and photomontages are the most frequently encountered Gilbert & George pieces in auction and appraisal contexts. Other common formats include charcoal-on-paper drawings from the early 1970s, screen prints and graphic multiples, postcard and postal art editions, book works, and early performance documentation. Subject matter ranges widely across urban London street scenes, self-portraits of the artists in their signature suits, religious and bodily imagery, text-based compositions, and commentary on social and political themes.
Market and appraisal context
Gilbert & George have a deep and well-documented secondary market spanning more than two decades, with 382 auction lots recorded (232 with published prices) between June 2001 and May 2026. The price distribution is wide: realised prices range from $10 at the low end for unsigned ephemera and exhibition posters to $1,273,250 at the top for major large-format photographic works. The median price sits at approximately $500, and the interquartile range runs from $150 to $3,500, indicating that the majority of lots passing through auction are small-scale multiples, prints, posters, and works on paper rather than the large-scale photomontages for which the duo is best known. The top tier—works at Sotheby's and Christie's—has achieved six-figure results, including £345,300 for 'Bloody Life No. 9' (Sotheby's, 2007) and £52,500 for 'Holy Piss' (Christie's, 2017). Ten or more distinct auction houses appear in the record, including Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips, Bonhams, Forum Auctions, Roseberys, and several continental European houses, demonstrating broad geographic liquidity across the UK, continental Europe, and the US. However, volume has contracted recently: 32 priced lots in the most recent twelve-month period compared with 76 in the prior twelve months, which may reflect market cyclicality, consignment timing, or a shift toward private sales.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Photography
- Photomontage
- Screen prints and multiples
- Charcoal on paper
- Postal art
Value drivers
- Series and period: early Charcoal on Paper Sculptures and Postal Sculptures from the late 1960s–1970s are comparatively scarce; later large-format photo works from named series are more commonly encountered at auction.
- Edition size and number: many photo-based works are produced in editions; lower edition numbers and smaller total runs tend to be more sought after.
- Dimensions and scale: large-scale photomontages generally command higher prices than smaller prints or works on paper.
- Provenance and exhibition history: works with documented gallery provenance, major museum exhibition records, or catalogue raisonné references carry stronger attribution.
- Condition: photographic surfaces, colour stability, and backing condition are material factors for photo-based works.
- Gallery stamps and signatures: authentic signatures and gallery stamps support attribution.
Appraisal caveats
- Gilbert & George have produced work in a wide range of formats and editions over more than five decades, so condition, edition details, and provenance should be verified on a per-work basis.
- Market evidence cited here is drawn from institutional and biographical sources rather than a comprehensive auction-price survey.
- The artists' official site was not accessible at the time of research; additional catalogue or exhibition details may be available directly from the Gilbert & George Centre.
- Price data covers 232 of 382 recorded lots; 150 lots lack published realised prices and are excluded from distribution statistics.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- Tate museum or university
- Library of Congress library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- RKD library authority
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 Gilbert & George 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 Gilbert & George artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.