Il'ja Efimovic Repin Auction Prices and Value Guide
Il'ja Efimovic Repin auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 376 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Il'ja Efimovic Repin auction prices: quick answer
Il'ja Efimovic Repin auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Il'ja Efimovic Repin
- Source records
- 376
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Il'ja Efimovic Repin
Ilya Yefimovich Repin (1844–1930) was a Ukrainian-born painter who became one of the most celebrated artists of the Russian Empire. Trained at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, he joined the Peredvizhniki (Wanderers), a collective committed to realist art addressing social and historical themes. His best-known canvases — Barge Haulers on the Volga, Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan, Religious Procession in Kursk Province, and Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks — are landmarks of nineteenth-century narrative painting. Repin was equally sought after as a portraitist, producing vivid likenesses of Leo Tolstoy, Modest Mussorgsky, and other leading cultural figures. After study years in Paris and Rome, he returned to Russia and taught at the Academy before settling at his Penaty estate in Finland, where he continued working until late in life.
Peredvizhniki (The Wanderers / The Itinerants)RealismOil paintingWatercolorDrawing and graphic worksEngravingHistorical scenes and narrative paintingsPortraits of cultural and literary figuresReligious and ceremonial subjectsSocial realist themes and peasant life
Common works and media
Oil paintings on historical and social-realist themes, portrait commissions of cultural and public figures, religious and ceremonial scenes, charcoal and pencil drawings, watercolor studies, and graphic prints. Portraits of writers, composers, and intellectuals form a large and recognizable portion of his output. Smaller oil sketches and preparatory studies surface more often at auction than finished multi-figure compositions.
Market and appraisal context
Repin's most important paintings reside in Russian state collections and essentially never reach the open market. Collectors are far more likely to encounter portraits, figure studies, drawings, watercolors, and prints. Value depends heavily on medium, subject matter, date, provenance, condition, and whether the work has been published or exhibited. Attributions deserve scrutiny because Repin maintained a busy studio and taught many pupils; specialist connoisseurship or committee authentication is advisable. Russian export restrictions may also affect international sales.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Value drivers
- Major oil paintings of historical or narrative subjects command the strongest market interest; small-scale portraits, drawings, and graphic works appear more frequently at auction
- Provenance linking to the artist's estate, the Penaty collection, or Soviet-era museum deaccession can significantly affect value and requires authentication
- Attribution should consider Repin's large workshop and circle of students; unsigned or weakly documented works need scholarly review
- Medium, date, subject matter, condition, and exhibition or publication history are primary factors; RKD lists over 230 recorded images attributed to the artist
Appraisal caveats
- Repin's most celebrated works are held in major Russian state museums (State Russian Museum, Tretyakov Gallery) and rarely appear at auction; works reaching the market tend to be lesser-known portraits, drawings, or studies
- The artist has been the target of forgeries and misattributions due to his fame and prolific output; specialist authentication is recommended
- Russian sanctions and export restrictions can affect the movement and sale of Repin works internationally
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Tate museum or university
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- Getty Vocabulary Program 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 Il'ja Efimovic Repin 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 Il'ja Efimovic Repin artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.