Kimber Smith Auction Prices and Value Guide
Kimber Smith auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 625 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Kimber Smith auction prices: quick answer
Kimber Smith auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Kimber Smith
- Source records
- 625
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Kimber Smith
Kimber Smith (1922–1981) was an American painter and watercolorist associated with postwar abstraction. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he studied at the Art Students League of New York beginning in 1945 and spent formative years working in New York, Paris (1954–1959), and Bern, Switzerland. His time in Paris placed him within the international abstract currents of the 1950s. Smith contributed multiple plates to the landmark artist-book 1¢ Life (1964), a collaboration organized by Sam Francis and Walasse Ting that brought together dozens of painters from the era's vanguard. The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds eight of his works in its permanent collection, including pieces from that portfolio. He died in East Hampton, New York, in 1981.
Postwar abstractionPaintingWatercolorPrintmaking (lithograph)Abstraction
Common works and media
Collectors and appraisers most often encounter Kimber Smith's work as abstract oil paintings on canvas, watercolors on paper, and lithographic prints. His contributions to the 1¢ Life portfolio are well-represented in museum collections and appear periodically on the market. His subjects are consistently non-representational, focusing on abstract composition. Works range from small-format works on paper to larger canvases.
Market and appraisal context
Kimber Smith's auction market spans over three decades, with 103 recorded lots and 52 priced results dating from June 1994 through May 2026. Price dispersion is wide: realised prices range from CAD 75 (small works on paper at regional Canadian houses) to USD 115,000 at the top end, with a median of approximately USD 1,900 and a 75th percentile near USD 9,500. Activity has increased recently, with 23 lots in the trailing 12 months versus 16 in the prior period, suggesting growing but still modest liquidity. Works appear primarily at mid-tier European houses (Germann Auction House, Artcurial, Jeschke Jádi, Koller) and smaller North American venues (Yair Art Gallery, Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting), with occasional appearances at Christie's. The strongest recent result was €9,500 at Artcurial in December 2025. Prints from the 1¢ Life portfolio (1964) appear frequently, often without recorded prices, forming a recognizable but lower-value segment. Oil paintings and larger canvases command the upper end of the range.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Painting
- Watercolor
- Printmaking (lithograph)
Value drivers
- [object Object]
Appraisal caveats
- No catalogue raisonné or artist-estate website was found in the source pack; attribution questions should be handled by specialist review
- Exact birth date (day/month) not confirmed in the collected sources
- Auction records in the source pack are limited; valuation factors are inferred from documented mediums and career context
- No published catalogue raisonné or artist-estate website was found; attribution relies on specialist connoisseurship and provenance research.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History 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 Kimber Smith 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 Kimber Smith artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.