Jan Matulka Auction Prices and Value Guide
Jan Matulka auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 311 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Jan Matulka auction prices: quick answer
Jan Matulka auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Jan Matulka
- Source records
- 311
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Jan Matulka
Jan Matulka (1890–1972) was a Czech-American painter, printmaker, and illustrator whose career bridged European modernism and the American avant-garde. Born in Prague, he immigrated to the United States and developed a versatile practice that moved between Cubist-influenced abstraction, figurative painting, and landscape. Matulka taught at the Art Students League of New York, where his students included Dorothy Dehner, Burgoyne Diller, and David Smith — sculptors who would become central figures in American abstract art. Though his name is less familiar to the public than some peers, art historians regard him as an important conduit of modernist ideas into mid-century American painting. His work is held by institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
American ModernismAbstract ExpressionismCubismOil paintingPrintmakingIllustrationWatercolorLandscapeAbstract compositionStill life
Common works and media
Matulka worked in oil on canvas, watercolor, gouache, and various print media. His subjects ranged from abstract and Cubist-inspired compositions to representational landscapes and still lifes. Illustration work also forms part of his oeuvre. Collectors most frequently encounter oil paintings, works on paper, and editioned prints at auction.
Market and appraisal context
Jan Matulka's work appears at auction primarily in American Art and Post-War Contemporary categories, with over three hundred recorded lots. Oil paintings from his most engaged modernist periods tend to attract the strongest interest, while prints, watercolors, and illustrations trade at more accessible levels. Collectors should consider medium, date, provenance, and stylistic period when evaluating a Matulka work, as his output shifted across several modes. Condition and expert attribution remain important factors, especially for unsigned or lightly documented pieces. Comparable auction results should be reviewed for an informed appraisal.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- Matulka is recognized in art-historical scholarship but is less widely known among general collectors than some of his contemporaries, which can mean thinner auction records and wider price ranges.
- No single catalogue raisonné was identified in the public source pack; attribution questions should be referred to a specialist.
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
- Wikidata library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF 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 Jan Matulka 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 Jan Matulka artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.