René Portocarrero Auction Prices and Value Guide

René Portocarrero auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,022 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

René Portocarrero auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
René Portocarrero
Source records
1,022
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About René Portocarrero

René Portocarrero (1912–1985) was a Cuban painter, sculptor, ceramicist, and illustrator born in Havana, where he spent most of his career. A leading figure of the second generation of the Cuban vanguardia, Portocarrero helped define Cuban modernism through vividly colored paintings, large-scale murals, and distinctive ceramic works. His art drew on Cuban cultural motifs, religious imagery, and baroque decorative traditions while engaging with international modernist currents. Portocarrero gained international recognition early; his work appeared in the landmark 1944 exhibition Modern Cuban Painters at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which introduced Cuban modern art to a broad North American audience. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he exhibited widely across the Americas and Europe, and his work is held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Cuban modernismCuban vanguardia (second generation)oil paintingceramicsworks on papermuralsCuban cultural identityabstract and figurative composition

Common works and media

Portocarrero worked across a wide range of media. His oil paintings on canvas are the most commonly encountered category in the auction market, often featuring vibrant color, stylized figures, and densely patterned compositions. He also produced gouaches, drawings, and prints. His ceramic plates and sculptural ceramics are well documented. Mural commissions, while less frequently available on the market, form an important part of his legacy. Illustrations for books and scenic designs round out his output.

Market and appraisal context

René Portocarrero maintains a deep and active secondary market, with 272 auction lots recorded since 2002 and 152 carrying realized prices. His work trades regularly at the top tier of the Latin American art market: Christie's and Sotheby's anchor the auction-house roster, supported by Bonhams, Freeman's | Hindman, and international houses including Setdart, Morton Subastas, and Maison Verneuil. Oil paintings from the 1940s–1960s dominate the high end; a Sotheby's sale of Paisaje de Cuba (1944) realized $72,000 in November 2024, and Christie's sold a Gestáltica-series oil for $57,150 in December 2025. Mid-range oils and works on paper commonly land between $16,000–$30,000 (USD), while smaller works on paper and lesser-known subjects trade between $1,600–$4,000. Liquidity is stable, with 11 lots appearing in both the most recent and prior 12-month windows, indicating consistent collector demand rather than speculative spikes. The breadth of auction houses and geographic spread (New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Bogotá, Toronto) confirms broad international market recognition.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • oil painting
  • works on paper
  • ceramics
  • sculpture
  • murals

Value drivers

  1. [object Object]

Appraisal caveats

  • The source pack does not include specific auction records or realized prices. Market-value estimates should reference recent comparable sales from major auction houses.
  • Portocarrero was prolific across multiple media; values vary widely by medium, period, and condition.
  • [object Object]

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 René Portocarrero

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is René Portocarrero 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 René Portocarrero artwork?

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