Hale Aspacio Woodruff Auction Prices and Value Guide
Hale Aspacio Woodruff auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 215 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Hale Aspacio Woodruff auction prices: quick answer
Hale Aspacio Woodruff auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Hale Aspacio Woodruff
- Source records
- 215
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Hale Aspacio Woodruff
Hale Aspacio Woodruff (1900–1980) was an American painter, muralist, and printmaker recognized as a leading figure in twentieth-century African American art. Born in Cairo, Illinois, he studied in Paris at the Académie Moderne and the Académie Scandinave during the late 1920s before joining the faculty of Atlanta University, where he taught from 1931 to 1946 and founded the university's annual art exhibition for Black artists. Woodruff is best known for his large-scale murals addressing African American history and Southern life, as well as lithographs and paintings that moved between figurative narrative and abstraction. His later career centered in New York City, where he continued to paint and teach. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, and his murals remain landmarks of American public art.
Harlem Renaissanceoil paintingmuralprintmakingdrawingAfrican American life and historySouthern rural scenesabstraction
Common works and media
Collectors are likely to encounter Woodruff's lithographs and linocuts, many depicting scenes of African American rural life, figures, and abstract compositions. Oil paintings range from figurative canvases to later abstract works. Mural studies and preparatory drawings surface less often but represent some of his most significant output. Screenprints and exhibition posters also appear in the secondary market.
Market and appraisal context
Hale Woodruff's work appears regularly at auction across American art, African American fine art, and Post-War print categories. With over 200 recorded lots, collectors most frequently encounter his lithographs, linocuts, and works on paper. Unique paintings and mural studies are comparatively rare. Key valuation factors include medium and scale, the period of creation, documented provenance, exhibition history, and condition. Works tied to his Atlanta University years or his Paris study period often attract heightened interest. Attribution should be verified, as his graphic style overlaps with contemporaries in African American modernist circles.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Value drivers
- Medium and scale: murals and large canvases are rarer than works on paper and prints
- Period: works from the Atlanta University period and Paris period may carry additional provenance interest
- Institutional holdings: represented in major museum collections including MoMA
- Provenance and exhibition history strengthen value
- Attribution should be confirmed; Woodruff's graphic works share stylistic territory with contemporaries in African American modernist circles
Appraisal caveats
- Market context is derived from identity research and the artist's auction presence (215 records); specific price ranges require review of individual comparable lots.
- Print editions and reproductive works may appear more frequently at auction than unique paintings or mural studies.
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 library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
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 Hale Aspacio Woodruff 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 Hale Aspacio Woodruff artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.