Waldemar Swierzy Auction Prices and Value Guide

Waldemar Swierzy auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,569 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Waldemar Swierzy auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Waldemar Swierzy
Source records
1,569
Market update
2026-02-16

Waldemar Swierzy market snapshot

Waldemar Swierzy shows deep auction liquidity with 475 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $1,100. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 1 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-08-06.

Realized price distribution

  • Under $1,000 (46.8% · 52 sales)
  • $1,000 to $10,000 (52.3% · 58 sales)
  • $10,000+ (0.9% · 1 sales)
Median sale (last 12 months)
$0
Sales recorded (last 12 months)
1
Median shift vs prior year
0.0%
Latest recorded sale
2025-08-06

Artist context

About Waldemar Swierzy

Waldemar Świerzy (1931–2013) was a Polish poster artist, caricaturist, and professor whose prolific output helped define the visual identity of post-war Polish graphic design. Born in Katowice and based in Warsaw for much of his career, Świerzy produced hundreds of posters for Polish film, theater, circus, and cultural events from the early 1950s through the 2000s. His bold use of color, expressive illustration, and visual wit made his designs immediately recognizable and placed him among the foremost practitioners of the Polish poster tradition. Notable works include posters for landmark Polish films such as Man of Marble and Without Anesthesia. Świerzy also taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. His work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and his posters are documented in major library authority records worldwide.

Polish Poster SchoolPosters (screen prints, lithographs)Caricature and illustrationFilm posters (Polish cinema)Theater and performing arts postersCircus postersCultural event and exhibition posters

Common works and media

Collectors most frequently encounter Świerzy's work in the form of offset-lithograph and screen-printed posters for Polish films, theater productions, circus performances, and cultural exhibitions. His film posters for Polish cinema—from the 1960s through the 1980s—are among the most commonly traded items. He also produced exhibition posters, book covers, and caricature illustrations. Original screen-printed editions from his peak period are more desirable than later reprints.

Market and appraisal context

Waldemar Świerzy's work has a well-established secondary market with 491 auction lots recorded by Appraisily spanning 2008 to April 2026, of which 123 carry realized prices. The price distribution is wide: recent lots at Freedom Auction Company in April 2026 realized $40–$150 for poker-series lithographs and later-edition prints, while the overall dataset shows a median of $900, a 75th percentile of $1,900, and a recorded high of $11,210. This dispersion reflects the divide between common later-edition lithographs and original screen-printed film or circus posters from the 1960s–1970s, which command significantly more. Liquidity is moderate: 10 lots appeared in the trailing 12 months versus 16 in the prior 12-month window, suggesting a steady but not high-volume market. Major houses handling his work include Desa Unicum SA (Warsaw), Swann Auction Galleries (New York), and RoGallery, alongside specialist and regional auctioneers such as New Ideas Auctions, Freedom Auction Company, DUMBO Auctions, MDP Auction, Artprecium, Crow's Auction Gallery Ltd, and Grant Zahajko Auctions.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Posters
  • Prints and multiples
  • Posters (screen prints, lithographs)
  • Caricature and illustration

Value drivers

  1. Medium and printing method (screen print vs. offset lithograph) can significantly affect value
  2. Iconic film poster designs (e.g. for major Polish directors) tend to be more sought after by collectors
  3. Condition, edition size, and provenance are key factors given the poster medium
  4. Museum-collection provenance (MoMA holdings) supports long-term collectibility
  5. Printing method is the primary value driver: original screen prints from the 1960s–1970s are significantly more valuable than offset lithographs or later limited-edition prints
  6. Title and cultural significance: iconic film posters (e.g., for Andrzej Wajda films) and CYRK circus posters attract stronger collector demand than generic or later-series works

Appraisal caveats

  • Poster prices vary widely based on title recognition, cultural significance, and print run; some designs trade at modest levels while iconic images command premiums
  • The price distribution spans $40 to $11,210; applying a single value range without identifying the specific printing method, period, and title would be misleading
  • Many recent lots from New Ideas Auctions show no realized price, indicating either unsold lots or post-sale data not yet reported—absence of a price does not mean no market
  • One recent lot (Burstow & Hewett, CYRK poster) was sold in GBP (£80); currency conversion may affect comparable-lot analysis

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 Waldemar Swierzy

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Waldemar Swierzy 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 Waldemar Swierzy artwork?

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