Richard Ernst Artschwager Auction Prices and Value Guide
Richard Ernst Artschwager auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 691 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Richard Ernst Artschwager auction prices: quick answer
Richard Ernst Artschwager auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Richard Ernst Artschwager
- Source records
- 691
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Richard Ernst Artschwager
Richard Ernst Artschwager (1923–2013) was an American painter, sculptor, and illustrator whose work defied easy categorization, drawing selectively from Pop Art, Conceptual Art, and Minimalism without belonging fully to any single movement. Born in Washington, D.C., he studied at the University of California in the 1940s before emerging in the 1960s New York art scene with a distinctive practice that combined industrial materials — notably Formica and Celotex — with references to domestic furniture, architecture, and pictorial space. Artschwager is widely recognized for his blps, black lozenge-shaped marks he installed in galleries, streets, and landscapes beginning in the late 1960s, and for his sculptures that blur the boundary between functional object and artwork. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London. Collectors encounter his pieces across painting, sculpture, drawing, and print categories at auction.
Pop ArtConceptual ArtMinimalismPaintingSculptureDrawingIllustrationDomestic objects and furniture formsBlp (blps) — amorphous black shapes placed in architectural and landscape settings
Common works and media
Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Artschwager's work in the following forms: paintings on Celotex board, often depicting interiors, portraits, or landscapes with a distinctive textured surface; sculptures veneered in Formica or crafted from wood that resemble simplified furniture or architectural elements; drawings in graphite, charcoal, or ink on paper; and limited-edition prints. The blp series — applied black lozenge shapes in site-specific installations — also exists in related works on paper and in photographic documentation. Signed and numbered prints are the most common Artschwager works at auction.
Market and appraisal context
Richard Artschwager's auction record spans 23 tracked lots across a near-two-decade window (2007–2025), with 16 carrying realized prices. The market is anchored by blue-chip houses — Christie's and Sotheby's — alongside respected regional specialists such as Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Van Ham, Grisebach, and Piasa. The single highest result, $145,000 for the painting Descent of Zed at Christie's in November 2007, is a significant outlier; the interquartile range sits between roughly $1,400 and $5,300, and the median is $3,750. This dispersion reflects the wide gap between Artschwager's signature large-scale paintings and Formica sculptures on the one hand, and his more common prints, works on paper, and smaller multiples on the other. Recent liquidity has thinned: only one lot appeared in the trailing twelve months versus six in the prior period. This may reflect the natural rarity of major works coming to market rather than softening demand, but it does limit the number of fresh comparables available for appraisal. Cross-border activity in both EUR and USD — with results at Van Ham (Germany), Grisebach (Germany), and Piasa (France) — indicates a geographically dispersed collector base, which is a positive signal for long-term market resilience.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Post-War and Contemporary Art
- Sculpture
- Prints and Multiples
- Works on Paper
- Design and Decorative Art
Value drivers
- [object Object]
Appraisal caveats
- Artschwager's work spans painting, sculpture, drawing, and print editions; auction results vary widely by medium, scale, and period.
- Some sources list his birth year as 1924, but the Library of Congress and Whitney Museum confirm 1923. Appraisers should verify dates when citing catalogue raisonné entries.
- Attribution of unsigned or undocumented works on Celotex should be confirmed through expert authentication or catalogue raisonné consultation.
- The $145,000 result (Descent of Zed, Christie's, Nov 2007) is a single outlier nearly 40 times the median. It should not be used as a standalone benchmark for typical Artschwager values.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- Tate museum or university
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 Richard Ernst Artschwager 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 Richard Ernst Artschwager artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.