Per Kirkeby Auction Prices and Value Guide

Per Kirkeby auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 664 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Per Kirkeby auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Per Kirkeby
Source records
664
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Per Kirkeby

Per Kirkeby (1938–2018) was a Danish painter, sculptor, printmaker, poet, and filmmaker based in Copenhagen. Originally trained as a geologist, Kirkeby maintained a prolific artistic career spanning more than five decades, from the early 1960s through the 2010s. His practice encompassed oil painting, bronze and brick sculpture, works on paper, printmaking, and experimental film. Kirkeby's paintings are noted for their layered, gestural surfaces and evocations of natural and geological structure, reflecting his scientific background. His work is held in major international public collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Represented by Michael Werner Gallery, he exhibited widely across Europe and North America and is regarded as one of the most significant Scandinavian artists of the postwar era.

oil paintingbronze sculpturebrick sculpture and architectural worksprintmaking (woodcuts, lithographs)abstract and gestural compositionsnatural and geological formations

Common works and media

Kirkeby commonly produced oil paintings on canvas and Masonite, bronze sculptures, brick constructions and site-specific architectural sculptures, woodcuts and lithographs, drawings and watercolors on paper, and experimental films. His paintings typically feature abstract, layered compositions with natural and geological references. Outdoor brick sculptures are a distinctive part of his three-dimensional work. Collectors may also encounter illustrated books and collaborative publications featuring his poetry and graphic work.

Market and appraisal context

Per Kirkeby maintains an active and well-documented secondary market with 377 auction lots recorded by Appraisily, of which 235 carry realized prices. His work has appeared consistently at auction since at least 2001, with the most recent recorded sale in December 2025. Liquidity is stable: 40 lots appeared in the trailing 12 months and 41 in the prior 12-month window. The price distribution is wide—from €51 for small prints at regional houses to €457,200 for major paintings at international salerooms—reflecting the breadth of his oeuvre across media and scale. The median realized price of €6,350 sits within the mid-range, while the 75th percentile at €40,000 indicates strong demand for prime paintings and sculptures. Kirkeby is traded at top-tier houses (Christie's, Sotheby's) as well as leading Scandinavian and German specialists (Bruun Rasmussen, Grisebach, Kunsthaus Lempertz, Van Ham, Karl & Faber), confirming broad geographic demand across Northern Europe and beyond. Prints and lithographs circulate frequently at mid-tier houses such as Art Atelier and AaG Auktionshaus, forming an accessible entry point for collectors.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • oil painting
  • bronze sculpture
  • brick sculpture and architectural works
  • printmaking (woodcuts, lithographs)
  • works on paper and drawing

Value drivers

  1. Medium and support (oil on canvas, oil on Masonite, bronze, brick)
  2. Date of execution and period within his five-decade career (1962–2013)
  3. Provenance and exhibition history
  4. Condition and authenticity documentation
  5. Size and scale of the work
  6. Medium and support: oil on canvas commands the highest prices; oil on Masonite, bronze, and brick sculpture form a strong mid-to-upper tier; lithographs and prints occupy the accessible tier.

Appraisal caveats

  • Kirkeby's gestural, abstract painting style overlaps with other Northern European post-war painters; attribution should reference published catalogues and exhibition records.
  • The artist's oeuvre spans painting, sculpture, printmaking, and film—each segment has a distinct market profile.
  • A Michael Werner Gallery press release recorded the death year as 1939 in its headline, but the birth year is confirmed as 1938 by the Library of Congress and RKD.
  • Kirkeby's gestural, abstract painting style overlaps with other Northern European postwar painters; attribution should reference published catalogues and exhibition records rather than style alone.

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 Per Kirkeby

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Per Kirkeby 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 Per Kirkeby artwork?

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