Ricardo Opisso Sala Auction Prices and Value Guide
Ricardo Opisso Sala auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 937 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Ricardo Opisso Sala auction prices: quick answer
Ricardo Opisso Sala auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Ricardo Opisso Sala
- Source records
- 937
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Ricardo Opisso Sala
Ricardo Opisso Sala (1880–1966) was a Spanish Catalan illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist, painter, and watercolorist. Born in Barcelona, Opisso became one of the most prolific visual chroniclers of Catalan urban life in the early twentieth century, known for lively ink drawings and watercolors depicting street scenes, café culture, festivals, and popular types. His caricature and illustration work appeared widely in Catalan and Spanish periodicals. Opisso operated under several name variants—including Ricard Opisso, Ricardo Opisso i Sala, and the pseudonym Bigre—which are reflected in library authority records and auction catalogues. His production spans original drawings, watercolors, prints, and published illustrations, making his work accessible to collectors across a range of media and price points.
ink drawingwatercoloroil paintingprint illustrationcaricature and satireCatalan popular cultureBarcelona street and café scenes
Common works and media
Original ink drawings and watercolors of Barcelona street and café scenes, caricatures of public figures and popular types, illustrated book and periodical contributions, posters, and prints. Watercolor cityscapes and festival scenes are among the most sought-after categories. Reproductive illustrations from newspapers and books also circulate and should be distinguished from original artworks.
Market and appraisal context
Ricardo Opisso Sala maintains an active and well-documented secondary market. Appraisily's auction-record index tracks 323 total lots dating from May 2006 through April 2026, with 114 priced lots establishing a clear price distribution. The observed range spans €50 to €5,500, with a median of €600, a 25th percentile at €350, and a 75th percentile at €1,000. All prices are denominated in EUR, reflecting the artist's Spanish Catalan market. Recent activity is robust: 21 lots appeared in the trailing twelve months (up from 16 the prior year), indicating stable-to-growing liquidity. The market is concentrated in Spanish auction houses, with Subarna Subastas handling the largest share of recent lots, followed by Balclis, Ansorena, Arce Subastas, Ader, and Templum Fine Art Auctions. Works on paper dominate: ink drawings and watercolors from circa 1910–1920 are the most frequently encountered types, with original compositions of Barcelona street scenes, festival subjects, and narrative genre scenes commanding the strongest prices among recent comparables (e.g., "Espectadores de la carrera de caballos" at €2,700, "CARNIVAL" at €1,300, and "Paquito o la Alegría de los Loros" at €1,600). Simpler portrait studies and small-format works cluster below €500.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- ink drawing
- watercolor
- oil painting
- print illustration
Value drivers
- Medium and technique: ink drawings, watercolors, and illustrated prints are the most frequently encountered work types
- Attribution: works appear under multiple name forms (Ricard Opisso, Ricardo Opisso i Sala, Opisso Sala) which can affect cataloguing consistency
- Provenance: works connected to Barcelona and Catalan cultural institutions may carry additional provenance weight
- Subject matter: caricatures, café and street scenes, and Catalan festival themes are characteristic subjects
- Medium: original ink drawings and watercolors dominate the market; oil paintings are less frequently encountered and may carry a premium. Reproductive print illustrations trade at significantly lower levels.
- Subject matter: narrative genre scenes, Barcelona street and café views, carnival and festival subjects, and horse-racing scenes command higher prices than simple portrait studies.
Appraisal caveats
- Bénézit notes the death year as possibly 1960 rather than 1966; this discrepancy should be considered when dating works
- No specific art movement membership is documented in the available sources; avoid attributing Opisso to Catalan Modernisme or other movements without further scholarly confirmation
- With over 900 recorded auction appearances, Opisso's market is active but dominated by works on paper rather than major paintings; appraisal should distinguish between original works and reproductive illustrations
- Of 323 tracked lots, only 114 have recorded prices (35%); the remaining lots either did not sell, had no price reported, or are pending, so the price distribution reflects a subset of the full market.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) library authority
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File) library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- Library of Congress 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 Ricardo Opisso Sala 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 Ricardo Opisso Sala artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.