Menashe Kadishman Auction Prices and Value Guide
Menashe Kadishman auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 7,899 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Menashe Kadishman auction prices: quick answer
Menashe Kadishman auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Menashe Kadishman
- Source records
- 7,899
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Menashe Kadishman
Menashe Kadishman (1932–2015) was an Israeli sculptor and painter whose work spans minimalist steel sculpture, large-scale public installations, and vividly expressive paintings. Born in Tel Aviv, he studied under Moshe Sternschuss and Rudi Lehmann before attending London's Central Saint Martins and Slade School of Fine Art in the late 1950s, where he worked with Anthony Caro and Reg Butler. His early career produced gravity-defying steel and glass sculptures aligned with international Minimalism. A transformative period as a shepherd on a northern kibbutz in the early 1950s seeded his lifelong sheep motif, which became his most recognized subject after 1995. Kadishman represented Israel at the 1978 Venice Biennale with a flock of live colored sheep, and received the Israel Prize for Sculpture in 1995. His works are held by MoMA, the Tate, the Israel Museum, the Jewish Museum Berlin, and the Storm King Art Center, among others.
MinimalismConceptual ArtSteel sculptureOil and acrylic paintingGlass and metal sculptureWorks on paper and printsSheep (signature motif across paintings, sculptures, and prints)Faces and masksBiblical and Jewish themes (Binding of Isaac)
Common works and media
Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Kadishman's acrylic and oil sheep paintings on canvas, which feature individualized sheep faces rendered in bold color against bright grounds. Screen prints and lithographs of sheep subjects circulate widely. His sculptural output includes painted steel gravity-defying forms from the 1960s, bronze and iron public sculptures, and the Shalechet (Fallen Leaves) installation comprising scattered iron face disks. Works on paper — drawings, prints, and mixed-media pieces — appear regularly at auction. Monumental outdoor sculptures in steel and stone are found in public and private collections across Israel, Europe, and the United States.
Market and appraisal context
Menashe Kadishman maintains an active and liquid secondary market with 1,506 auction lots recorded from May 2001 through April 2026, of which 701 carry published realized prices. Trading volume has grown year-over-year, with 106 lots in the most recent twelve months versus 87 in the prior period — a 22% increase suggesting sustained or rising collector interest. Price dispersion is wide: the recorded range spans $10 to $55,000, with a median of $850 and an interquartile range of $276–$2,070. The bulk of traded material consists of prints, works on paper, and small-scale sheep paintings, which cluster in the $150–$500 range at specialist Israeli auction houses such as Yair Art Gallery, Tiroche Auction House, and Alma. Mid-tier results of $1,100–$1,800 are observed for unique works on paper and smaller sculptures (e.g., Alma, March 2026: Deer at $1,200, Episode with a Horse Head at $1,800). The upper range, represented by the $55,000 maximum, is associated with large-scale sculptures or significant oil paintings at major houses including Sotheby's. RoGallery (US) and Abell Auction also contribute regularly to the American market for prints and multiples. The presence of Sotheby's among the top-ten houses by frequency confirms blue-chip auction validation, while the dominance of Israeli specialist houses reflects the artist's domestic market depth. Collectors should expect that sheep-subject prints and multiples trade frequently at accessible price points, while unique large-scale sculptures and important early minimalist works occupy a separate, premium tier.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Post-War and Contemporary Art
- Israeli and Middle Eastern Art
- Prints and Multiples
- Works on paper and prints
- Oil and acrylic painting
Value drivers
- Medium is the primary value differentiator: unique oil and acrylic paintings and large-scale steel or bronze sculptures trade at multiples of print and works-on-paper prices
- Subject matter matters: sheep-motif works are the most liquid and frequently traded, while early minimalist sculptures (1960s) and biblical-themed pieces (e.g., Sacrifice of Isaac) are rarer and may carry premiums
- Scale directly affects price: small works on paper and prints cluster below $500, mid-size paintings and small sculptures in the $1,000–$5,000 range, and monumental works can reach tens of thousands
- Provenance from major museum exhibitions (Venice Biennale 1978, Israel Museum, Jewish Museum Berlin) or the artist's estate can materially increase value
- Edition size and number for prints and multiples: lower-numbered impressions from small editions carry higher per-unit value
- Condition is especially important for steel and glass sculptures (corrosion, structural integrity) and for works on paper (foxing, fading, handling creases)
Appraisal caveats
- No published catalogue raisonné was identified; attribution cannot be cross-referenced against a systematic catalog and should be verified through expert review or estate confirmation
- Many lots at Israeli specialist houses (Yair Art Gallery, Tiroche, Ishtar) lack published realized prices, which may underrepresent actual transaction values in that market segment
- The dataset includes 1,506 lots but only 701 with prices (46.5%), meaning price-distribution statistics are based on a subset and may not fully represent the universe of traded works
- Lot titles vary in detail; some include medium, date, and dimensions while others are generic (e.g., 'Menashe Kadishman'), making automated comparable matching imprecise
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- VIAF 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
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 Menashe Kadishman 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 Menashe Kadishman artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.