László Moholy-Nagy Auction Prices and Value Guide
László Moholy-Nagy auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 604 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
László Moholy-Nagy auction prices: quick answer
László Moholy-Nagy auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- László Moholy-Nagy
- Source records
- 604
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About László Moholy-Nagy
László Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946) was a Hungarian-born painter, photographer, sculptor, filmmaker, and designer whose career spanned Central Europe and the United States. A professor at the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau from 1923 to 1928, he became one of the school's most influential figures, championing the integration of technology, photography, and industrial materials into artistic practice. Deeply shaped by Constructivism, Moholy-Nagy experimented across painting, collage, sculpture, photograms, graphic design, stage design, and film. After leaving Germany he worked in Amsterdam and London before emigrating to Chicago in 1937, where he founded the New Bauhaus—later the Institute of Design—carrying the school's interdisciplinary ethos into American art and design education. His work is held by major museums worldwide, including MoMA (123 works), Tate, and the RKD collections.
ConstructivismBauhausPaintingPhotographySculptureCollageAbstract geometric compositionsLight and transparency experiments (photograms, light-space modulators)Industrial materials and new media
Common works and media
Collectors most frequently encounter Moholy-Nagy through his abstract paintings on canvas and board, gelatin silver prints and unique photograms, collages, screenprints and lithographs, and constructed sculptures in metal and Plexiglas. Graphic design work—including book covers, Bauhaus publications, and typographic experiments—also appears on the market. His photographic output spans experimental cameraless images, straight photography, and photomontage. Later Chicago-period works include enamel on Plexiglas paintings and acrylic sculptures.
Market and appraisal context
László Moholy-Nagy's auction market is broad and active, with 210 recorded lots spanning 2002–2026 and 150 priced results. The price distribution is wide: from €160 for small works and photograms to $5,052,000 for a major painting at Sotheby's in May 2025 ("Am 3"). The median sits at $19,200, with the interquartile range spanning $5,000–$93,750, reflecting the steep premium that important Bauhaus-period oils and large-scale works command over prints, photographs, and minor works on paper. Auction liquidity has increased noticeably, with 14 lots crossing the block in the most recent 12-month window versus 6 in the prior period. Top-tier houses dominate: Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Phillips, and Grisebach handle the highest-value material, while German and Austrian regional houses (Karl & Faber, Dorotheum, Lempertz, Kornfeld) account for mid-tier works. The May 2026 Bonhams sale of a 1939 Chicago-period painting ("CH9") at $330,000 confirms sustained demand for large oils beyond the Bauhaus years.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Photographs
- Works on Paper
- Prints and Multiples
- Paintings
- Design
Value drivers
- Medium is a primary value driver: photographs and photograms, paintings, sculptures, and graphic works each carry distinct market brackets
- Bauhaus-period works (1923–1928) are generally the most sought after
- Provenance linking to major institutions or notable collections affects value
- Condition, date, and attribution should be confirmed; the artist worked across many media and periods
- Period: Bauhaus-era works (1923–1928) command the highest prices, followed by Chicago-period oils; Amsterdam/London works are less frequently seen at auction
- Medium: Original paintings and sculptures sit in the upper bracket ($93,750–$5,052,000); photographs, photograms, and works on paper typically range $160–$19,200
Appraisal caveats
- Moholy-Nagy produced work in an unusually wide range of media; careful attribution and dating are essential for accurate appraisal
- Market data specific to price trends and realized auction results was not available in this source pack; consult major auction-house databases for recent comparable sales
- The auction record includes at least two lots attributed to "László" that appear to concern Philip Alexius de László (a 19th-century portrait painter), not Moholy-Nagy; these lots should be excluded from comparable-sale analysis
- Price distribution spans $160–$5,052,000; the median ($19,200) is not representative of all media and periods—use category-specific comparables
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- Tate museum or university
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
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 László Moholy-Nagy 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 László Moholy-Nagy artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.