Manuel Neri Auction Prices and Value Guide

Manuel Neri auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 183 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Manuel Neri auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Manuel Neri
Source records
183
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Manuel Neri

Manuel Neri (1930–2021) was an American sculptor and painter celebrated for his life-size figurative sculptures in plaster, bronze, and marble. Born in California, Neri maintained a studio in Benicia, California, from 1965 and established a second studio in Carrara, Italy, in 1981 dedicated to marble carving. Over four decades, beginning in the early 1970s, he worked primarily with the same model, Mary Julia Klimenko, producing drawings and sculptures that merge contemporary emotional expression with Modernist sculptural form. His figures convey psychological depth through gesture, body language, and a distinctive surface treatment that ranges from rough-hewn plaster to polished marble. Neri's work is held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is documented by major art-history institutions including the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names and the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History.

Modernist sculptureFigurative artPlasterBronzeMarbleDrawingFemale figureLife-size figurative sculpture

Common works and media

Neri's most frequently encountered works include life-size plaster figurative sculptures, bronze casts of the female figure, marble carvings produced in his Carrara studio, and figurative drawings in charcoal and pastel. His signature subject is the standing or seated female nude, often referencing his long-time model Mary Julia Klimenko. Painted plaster surfaces with visible tool marks and polychrome accents are characteristic of his plaster originals. Bronze editions, marble carvings, and related drawings may all appear independently at auction.

Market and appraisal context

Manuel Neri's sculptures appear in Post-War and Contemporary art auctions, with works spanning plaster maquettes, life-size bronzes, carved marble figures, and drawings on paper. Medium and scale are primary value drivers: full-size figurative bronzes and marbles from his Carrara period tend to attract the strongest collector interest. Provenance linked to his Benicia or Carrara studios, documented exhibition history, and museum-held comparables all support attribution confidence. Collectors should verify medium, dimensions, date of execution, and condition, and should compare lots against realized prices in major auction databases, as specific sale records were not available in the current research sources.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Post-War and Contemporary Sculpture

Value drivers

  1. Medium: plaster, bronze, and marble sculptures each carry different market values; marble works from his Carrara period may carry premium interest
  2. Scale: Neri is known for life-size figurative works; smaller maquettes or studies may differ in value from full-scale pieces
  3. Provenance: works originating from his Benicia or Carrara studios, or with documented exhibition history, support stronger attribution
  4. Museum representation: works held by MoMA and documented by RKD support institutional standing
  5. Drawings and works on paper form a distinct segment of his output alongside sculptural works

Appraisal caveats

  • Auction performance data was not available in the collected source pack; collectors should consult major auction databases for realized prices.
  • The source pack did not include specific auction-house records; market value estimates should be corroborated with comparable sale results.

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 Manuel Neri

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Manuel Neri 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 Manuel Neri artwork?

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