Roberto Matta Auction Prices and Value Guide
Roberto Matta auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 5,163 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Roberto Matta auction prices: quick answer
Roberto Matta auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Roberto Matta
- Source records
- 5,163
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Roberto Matta
Roberto Matta (1911–2002), born Roberto Antonio Sebastián Matta Echaurren in Santiago, Chile, was one of the most influential Latin American painters of the twentieth century and a leading figure in the international Surrealist movement. Initially trained as an architect, Matta joined the Surrealist circle in Paris in the late 1930s before relocating to New York during World War II, where his visionary canvases—filled with luminous, biomorphic forms and shifting spatial structures—deeply influenced the emerging Abstract Expressionist generation. His major works, including The Vertigo of Eros (1944, MoMA) and Black Virtue (1943, Tate), are held by major museums worldwide. Later in his career, Matta's work turned toward social and political themes. He is recognized for bridging European Surrealism and American abstract painting, and his legacy is managed by the Matta Archives, which is compiling a multi-volume catalogue raisonné.
Surrealismoil paintinggouachedrawingcosmic and psychological landscapesabstract biomorphic forms
Common works and media
Matta's most commonly encountered works in appraisal and auction contexts include oil paintings on canvas, gouaches on paper, ink and crayon drawings, and occasional prints. His signature imagery features biomorphic, cosmic landscapes with glowing color fields and interlocking spatial planes. Well-known painting series include the Psychological Morphologies and Inscape works of the late 1930s through the 1950s. Later works from the 1960s and 1970s incorporate more overtly political and figurative elements. Museum-held reference works—such as The Vertigo of Eros (MoMA), The Onyx of Electra (MoMA), Black Virtue (Tate), and Burn, Baby, Burn (LACMA)—illustrate the range of scale and subject collectors may encounter.
Market and appraisal context
Roberto Matta has a deep and liquid secondary market spanning over three decades of recorded auction activity. Appraisily auction records index 2,486 lots with 1,450 carrying realized prices, dating from November 1995 through April 2026. The price distribution is exceptionally wide: recorded sales range from approximately $20 for prints and multiples at regional houses to over $5 million for major 1940s–1950s oil paintings at top-tier sales. The median price of $2,600 and 25th percentile of $450 indicate that the bulk of traded material consists of works on paper, gouaches, etchings, and prints—a more accessible segment—while the 75th percentile at $30,000 marks the threshold where significant paintings and large-scale compositions begin. Recent annual liquidity remains strong: 118 priced lots in the trailing twelve months and 156 in the prior twelve-month period, demonstrating sustained collector and institutional demand. Top observed auction houses include Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Artcurial, Cornette de Saint-Cyr, Piasa, Tajan, and Swann Auction Galleries, alongside regional and online specialists such as RoGallery, EmporiumArt, and TGP Auction. Works appear across Post-War and Contemporary Art, Impressionist and Modern Art, and Latin American Art sale categories. The recent lot sample confirms a two-tier market: prints and small works on paper commonly trade between $150 and $1,200, while period oil paintings such as Fig Leaf (1945) realized $135,000 at Bonhams in November 2024.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Post-War and Contemporary Art
- Impressionist and Modern Art
- Latin American Art
Value drivers
- Provenance and certificate of authenticity from the Matta Archives are critical for attribution
- Large-scale oil paintings from the 1940s–1950s are the most sought-after at auction
- Works on paper, gouaches, and drawings represent a more accessible segment of the market
- The Matta Archives is actively compiling a multi-volume catalogue for authentication purposes
- Medium is the strongest price determinant: large-scale oil paintings from the 1940s–1950s command the highest results, while prints and works on paper trade at a fraction of that level
- Period and date: Psychological Morphologies and Inscape works from the late 1930s through the 1950s are the most sought-after; later political canvases from the 1960s–1970s are less consistently valued
Appraisal caveats
- Attribution should be confirmed through the Matta Archives (info@mattaarchives.com), as the catalogue raisonné is still in progress.
- Condition reports are especially important for works on paper, which can be vulnerable to fading and foxing.
- The catalogue raisonné is in progress; attribution should be verified through the Matta Archives before any transaction
- The price distribution is extremely wide ($20–$5,010,500): artist-level averages or medians are not reliable proxies for individual work valuation
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Roberto Matta artist official site
- Library of Congress library authority
- Tate museum or university
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- VIAF library authority
- Wikidata 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 Roberto Matta 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 Roberto Matta artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.