Pierre Tal-Coat Auction Prices and Value Guide

Pierre Tal-Coat auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 783 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Pierre Tal-Coat auction prices: quick answer

Pierre Tal-Coat auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Pierre Tal-Coat
Source records
783
Market update
2026-02-16

Pierre Tal-Coat market snapshot

Pierre Tal-Coat shows deep auction liquidity with 382 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $2,000. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 23 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-11-13.

Realized price distribution

  • Under $1,000 (28.5% · 51 sales)
  • $1,000 to $10,000 (53.1% · 95 sales)
  • $10,000+ (18.4% · 33 sales)
Median sale (last 12 months)
$1,800
Sales recorded (last 12 months)
23
Median shift vs prior year
+100.0%
Latest recorded sale
2025-11-13

Artist context

About Pierre Tal-Coat

Pierre Tal-Coat (born Pierre Louis Jacob, 1905–1985) was a French painter, sculptor, and graphic artist recognized as a leading figure of Art informel and Tachisme, the post-war European movements that emphasized gestural abstraction and spontaneous mark-making. Born in Clohars-Carnoët in Brittany, he adopted the pseudonym Tal-Coat—Breton for 'front of wood'—around 1927. Over a career spanning five decades, he worked across oil painting, watercolor, pastel, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Tal-Coat died in Saint-Pierre-de-Bailleul, Eure, in 1985.

TachismeArt informelpaintingsculpturepastelwatercolor

Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Tal-Coat's oil-on-canvas abstract compositions, often characterized by bold gestural brushwork and earthy or muted palettes. Watercolors, pastels, and ink drawings also appear regularly at auction. He produced graphic works and illustrated books, and a smaller number of sculptures are known. Prints—both lithographs and etchings—circulate in the secondary market. Subjects range from fully non-objective abstractions to landscape-derived compositions reflecting his Breton roots.

Market and appraisal context

Pierre Tal-Coat has an established secondary-market footprint spanning over 25 years, with 390 auction lots recorded since December 2000 and 179 of those carrying realized prices. His work trades regularly at major international houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Artcurial, Piasa, and Tajan, as well as smaller regional firms. Liquidity is stable: 21 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 23 in the prior period. Price dispersion is wide—from a $10 minimum to a $50,400 maximum (USD)—reflecting the material difference between mass-market prints and significant oil paintings. The interquartile range ($484–$7,620) anchors most activity around mid-tier works on paper and smaller paintings, while top-tier gestural canvases at Christie's and Sotheby's reach into five figures. The most expensive recent lot was a Sans titre at Christie's Paris in May 2025, realizing €10,080. Prints and lithographs dominate volume but trade at the lower end (CHF 50–USD 200), whereas unique works on paper and paintings command the middle and upper range. The market is predominantly European (France and Switzerland) with some US presence.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Post-War European painting
  • Works on paper (drawings, watercolors, pastels)
  • Prints and graphic works

Value drivers

  1. Medium and support: oil on canvas generally commands higher values than works on paper or prints
  2. Provenance and exhibition history: works with documented gallery or museum provenance are more sought after
  3. Period: mature Tachiste/Art informel works from the 1950s–1960s tend to be the most recognized
  4. Attribution: works signed 'Tal-Coat' or 'Tal Coat'; name variations should be verified against catalogues and authority records
  5. Medium and support: oil on canvas generally commands the highest values; works on paper (watercolor, pastel, ink, wash) trade in the mid range; lithographs and other prints at the lower end.
  6. Period and style: mature Tachiste/Art informel works from the 1950s–1960s are the most recognized and sought after; later works (1970s–1980s) also trade but typically at lower levels.

Appraisal caveats

  • No catalogue raisonné or dedicated estate website was found in the source pack; attribution verification may require additional expert consultation.
  • The artist used multiple name forms (Tal-Coat, Tal Coat, Pierre Jacob); auction listings may appear under variant spellings.
  • No published catalogue raisonné was identified; attribution verification may require expert consultation beyond what authority records provide.
  • The artist used multiple name forms (Tal-Coat, Tal Coat, Pierre Jacob, Pierre Louis Jacob, René Pierre Tal-Coat); auction records may be fragmented across these variants, and some lots may be misattributed.

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 Pierre Tal-Coat

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Pierre Tal-Coat 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 Pierre Tal-Coat artwork?

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