Jankel Adler Auction Prices and Value Guide

Jankel Adler auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 643 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Jankel Adler auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Jankel Adler
Source records
643
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Jankel Adler

Jankel Adler (1895–1949) was a Polish-Jewish painter, printmaker, and graphic artist whose career spanned Poland, Germany, France, and England. Born in Tuszyn near Łódź, he trained as an engraver before turning to painting and co-founding the Yung-yidish avant-garde group in Łódź in the early 1920s. He became closely involved with the Cologne Progressives and taught at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where the work of Paul Klee significantly shaped his approach to abstraction. After the rise of the Nazi regime forced him to leave Germany in 1933, Adler lived in Paris and later settled in England, where he spent his final years in Aldbourne, Wiltshire. His paintings and prints are held in major public collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London.

European Avant-gardeYung-yidish group (Łódź)Cologne ProgressivesPaintingPrintmakingDrawingGraphic artAbstract and semi-abstract compositionsJewish cultural themes

Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most commonly encounter Adler's work as oil on canvas paintings, lithographs, etchings, and ink or pencil drawings. His subjects range from abstract and semi-abstract compositions to figurative works with Jewish cultural references. Editioned prints from his graphic output appear regularly at auction, while original paintings are less frequent. Works on paper, including gouaches and watercolors, represent a meaningful segment of his surviving output.

Market and appraisal context

Jankel Adler's secondary market is well-established, with 428 recorded auction lots from April 1993 to May 2026 and 283 lots carrying realized prices. Liquidity is consistent: 24 lots appeared in the most recent 12 months and 22 in the prior period. Prices are widely dispersed — the interquartile range runs from $625 to $8,400 USD with a median of $2,400 — reflecting a tiered market where prints and small works on paper trade at the lower end while significant oil paintings command substantially higher sums. The top recorded price is $190,000. Recent standout results include a £50,000 oil at Lyon & Turnbull (May 2026), a €34,000 oil on canvas at Setdart (February 2026), and a £25,400 oil and gouache on paper at Christie's (October 2025). Adler's work passes through major international houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams) and specialist regional firms (Lyon & Turnbull, Roseberys, Tiroche, Setdart, Hargesheimer, Desa Unicum), reflecting a geographically dispersed market spanning the UK, continental Europe, and Israel. Works on paper, ink drawings, and prints typically realize below $500, while oil paintings from the 1920s–1940s form the premium tier.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Modern and Contemporary Prints & Multiples
  • 20th Century European Paintings
  • Works on Paper
  • Oil on canvas paintings
  • Oil and gouache on paper

Value drivers

  1. Medium and technique: oil paintings generally command higher prices than prints and works on paper
  2. Period: works from the German period (1920s–1933) and those showing Klee's influence may carry added significance
  3. Provenance: exile-era works with documented history from the 1933–1949 period may affect value
  4. Rarity: Adler's relatively short career (died age 53) limits the total body of work available
  5. Institutional holdings: works in major museum collections (MoMA, Tate) reinforce market credibility
  6. Medium: oil paintings on canvas command the highest values; prints, ink drawings, and works on paper trade at substantially lower price points.

Appraisal caveats

  • Adler's market is relatively niche; realized prices vary widely by medium, size, and period.
  • Attribution should be confirmed through expert examination, as Adler's graphic style overlaps with other Central European modernists.
  • Provenance research is important for works from the 1933–1945 era due to looted-art considerations affecting Jewish artists active in Germany.
  • Of 428 recorded lots, 283 carry realized prices; 145 lots lack price data, meaning the lower end of the market may be underrepresented and the distribution may skew upward.

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 Jankel Adler

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Jankel Adler 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 Jankel Adler artwork?

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