Grace Hartigan Auction Prices and Value Guide

Grace Hartigan auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 250 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Grace Hartigan auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Grace Hartigan
Source records
250
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Grace Hartigan

Grace Hartigan (1922–2008) was an American painter and a central figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement and the broader New York School of the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she moved to New York City in 1945 after studying with painter Isaac Lane Muse. Immersed in the circle of Jackson Pollock, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, and the poet Frank O'Hara, Hartigan developed a distinctive practice that moved between pure abstraction and figurative imagery. She deliberately rejected the era's either/or divide between abstract and representational painting, embracing subjects from everyday life and popular culture at a time when such choices were considered unconventional within her milieu. Her work is held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and numerous other major institutions. From 1965 until her death she directed the Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art, mentoring generations of younger artists.

Abstract ExpressionismNew York Schooloil paintingworks on paperfigurative abstractionmodern life and popular culture

Common works and media

Hartigan is best known for large-scale oil paintings on canvas that blend gestural abstraction with recognizable imagery. She also produced works on paper including drawings and collages, as well as prints. Subjects range from purely abstract compositions to figurative works incorporating figures, still-life elements, and motifs drawn from popular culture and art-historical references. Works titled after or inspired by poetry, particularly in collaboration with Frank O'Hara, also appear in exhibition and auction records.

Market and appraisal context

Grace Hartigan's work appears regularly in Post-War and Contemporary Art and American Art auctions. Her large-scale oil paintings from the 1950s — the period most closely tied to her Abstract Expressionist peers — tend to attract the strongest collector interest. Works on paper and prints are also common at auction and provide a more accessible entry point. Provenance, exhibition history, condition, and the period within her career all factor into how individual lots are assessed. Her institutional representation, including holdings at MoMA, and her documented role within the New York School provide ongoing scholarly and market context.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Appraisal caveats

  • The source pack does not include specific auction results; realized-price comparisons should be verified through dedicated auction databases.
  • Attribution and dating of Hartigan works should be confirmed, as her style shifted notably between abstraction and representation across her career.

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 Grace Hartigan

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Grace Hartigan 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 Grace Hartigan artwork?

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