Yves Tanguy Auction Prices and Value Guide
Yves Tanguy auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 649 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Yves Tanguy auction prices: quick answer
Yves Tanguy auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Yves Tanguy
- Source records
- 649
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Yves Tanguy
Yves Tanguy (1900–1955), born Raymond Georges Yves Tanguy in Paris, was a French Surrealist painter who became one of the movement's most distinctive visual voices. Entirely self-taught, Tanguy began painting after encountering the work of Giorgio de Chirico in the mid-1920s and formally joined the Surrealist group in 1925. He is best known for dreamlike, expansive landscapes populated by biomorphic forms rendered with meticulous precision. After moving to the United States in 1939, he became an American citizen in 1948 and continued painting until his death in 1955. His work is held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate, and the Centre Pompidou. Collectors encounter Tanguy's work at auction primarily as oil paintings, gouaches, watercolors, collages, and drawings.
Surrealismoil paintinggouachewatercolorcollageabstract biomorphic landscapes
Common works and media
Oil paintings on canvas and panel form the core of Tanguy's auction market. He also produced gouaches, watercolors, collages, and ink or graphite drawings, which appear frequently at auction in Works on Paper and Prints & Multiples sales. His subjects are predominantly abstracted landscape-like compositions with biomorphic and geological forms. RKD records him as an illustrator, collagist, and draftsperson in addition to painter, indicating a range of work types that may surface in appraisal contexts.
Market and appraisal context
Yves Tanguy is among the most recognized Surrealist painters, and his mature-period oil paintings—especially those featuring his signature otherworldly landscapes—command strong interest at international auction. Works on paper including gouaches, watercolors, and drawings appear regularly and represent a more accessible segment. Valuation depends on medium, size, date of execution, provenance, condition, and whether the work is authenticated against the catalogue raisonné. The RKD Netherlands documents over 500 catalogued images attributed to Tanguy, reflecting his substantial body of work. Collectors should verify attribution carefully, particularly for works on paper.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- The source pack does not include specific auction result data; realized prices and price trends should be verified against live auction databases
- Authentication and attribution of works on paper require expert examination; some unsigned or lightly signed works may need specialist review
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art 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 Yves Tanguy 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 Yves Tanguy artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.