Karl Knaths Auction Prices and Value Guide
Karl Knaths auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 424 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Karl Knaths auction prices: quick answer
Karl Knaths auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Karl Knaths
- Source records
- 424
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Karl Knaths
Karl Knaths (1891–1971) was an American painter recognized for his distinctive personal adaptation of Cubist principles. Born Otto Karl Knaths in the United States, he developed a visual language that drew on the structural innovations of Cubism while retaining recognizable subject matter. His work reflects the influence of Paul Cézanne, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Stuart Davis, among others, yet it remains identifiable through its characteristic heavy line, careful rendering of depth, disciplined color, and the architectonic arrangement of planes. Knaths's paintings occupy a unique position in American modernism—abstract in method but grounded in observable form. His work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, underscoring his significance within twentieth-century American art. Collectors and appraisers encounter his paintings at auction and in private collections, where his Cubist-inspired compositions attract sustained specialist interest.
Cubismoil paintingworks on paperstill lifelandscapefigurative abstraction
Common works and media
Knaths is primarily known as an oil painter on canvas. His compositions explore Cubist fragmentation of form with recognizable subjects rendered through heavy outlines and structured color planes. Works on paper, including drawings and watercolors, also appear in auction records. Common subjects include still lifes, landscapes, and figurative compositions reinterpreted through his abstract lens. Prints are occasionally encountered. His work does not typically include sculpture, ceramics, or decorative arts.
Market and appraisal context
Knaths's work appears with regularity in the American art auction market, with over four hundred documented lots. Valuation depends on size, period, condition, provenance, and how fully a given work reflects his mature Cubist style. Oil paintings on canvas are the primary medium encountered at auction, though works on paper also surface. Works with strong compositional structure, documented provenance, and gallery or museum exhibition history tend to generate the greatest interest. As with many American modernists whose market is concentrated among specialists, appraisal should account for comparable sale results, the painting's date relative to his most sought-after periods, and the selling venue's reputation.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- Knaths's market is concentrated among American modernism specialists; demand and pricing can vary significantly between general and specialist auction venues.
- No single price range characterizes his output; condition, period, and quality vary widely across recorded lots.
- Exact death date not established in available public authority sources; the death year 1971 is consistently confirmed across VIAF, LoC, and RKD.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- 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 Karl Knaths 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 Karl Knaths artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.