Pavel Tchelitchew Auction Prices and Value Guide
Pavel Tchelitchew auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,074 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Pavel Tchelitchew auction prices: quick answer
Pavel Tchelitchew auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Pavel Tchelitchew
- Source records
- 1,074
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Pavel Tchelitchew
Pavel Tchelitchew (1898–1957) was a Russian-born painter, set designer, and costume designer who became a significant figure in twentieth-century surrealist and neo-romantic art. Born in Kaluga, Russia, he fled after the Bolshevik Revolution and lived in Berlin and Paris before settling in the United States, where he was naturalized in 1952. Tchelitchew is best known for his haunting figurative paintings that explore human anatomy, metamorphosis, and interior vision—most notably Hide-and-Seek (Cache-Cache, 1940–42), now in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. In addition to his easel paintings, he designed sets and costumes for leading ballet and theater productions in Europe and America. His work is held by major institutions including MoMA, Tate, and is extensively documented by the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History.
SurrealismNeo-RomanticismOil paintingWatercolorGouachePastelHuman figure and anatomyInterior visions and metamorphosisPortraiture
Common works and media
Collectors and appraisers most commonly encounter Tchelitchew's oil on canvas figurative paintings, often depicting distorted or transparent human forms. Also prevalent are works on paper in gouache, watercolor, and pastel, as well as ink drawings and lithographic prints. His costume and stage designs for ballet and theater productions circulate in both the fine-art and performance-design markets. Portrait work forms another recognizable category within his output.
Market and appraisal context
Tchelitchew's works appear regularly at auction across Post-War and Contemporary Art and Impressionist and Modern Art sales. Oil paintings from his major surrealist period of the 1930s and 1940s tend to be the most sought-after, while his gouaches, watercolors, pastels, and graphic works are more accessible price points. Theater and costume designs represent a niche collecting segment with dedicated buyers. Provenance linking a work to notable exhibitions or prominent collections can meaningfully affect value. As with many émigré artists, careful attention to attribution is important—Tchelitchew's name appears in multiple transliterations across catalogue entries.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Value drivers
- Medium: oil paintings generally command higher prices than works on paper, gouaches, or graphic works
- Provenance: documented exhibition history at MoMA, Tate, or other major institutions strengthens value
- Attribution: works should be verified against known oeuvre; Tchelitchew used multiple name variants which can complicate cataloguing
- Subject: surrealist figure studies and his major painting 'Hide-and-Seek' (Cache-Cache, 1940–42, MoMA) are among his most recognized works
Appraisal caveats
- With 1,074 auction records in the Invaluable/Appraisily dataset, Tchelitchew has a substantial market history, but prices vary widely by medium, size, date, and condition.
- Set and costume designs form a distinct market segment with a different collector base than easel paintings.
- Death date is reported as both July 29 (RKD) and July 31 (Library of Congress); this minor discrepancy does not affect market value but should be noted in cataloguing.
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 (OCLC) 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 Pavel Tchelitchew 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 Pavel Tchelitchew artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.