# Abraham Rattner artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/abraham-rattner/ Profile generated: 2026-05-03T03:30:21.087Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1895-07-08 - Death date: 1978-02-14 - Nationality: American - Movements: Modernism - Common media: Oil painting, Watercolor, Design ## About Abraham Rattner Abraham Rattner (1895–1978) was an American painter born in Poughkeepsie, New York, recognized for his vividly colored compositions and recurring engagement with religious themes. After serving as a camouflage artist with the U.S. Army in France during World War I, Rattner moved to Paris in 1920, where he lived and worked for two decades before returning to New York City in 1940. His time in Paris placed him alongside European modernists, and his mature work blends figurative painting with a distinctive use of saturated color. Rattner's paintings are held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Collectors most often encounter his oil paintings and watercolors, which range from biblical narratives to figurative abstractions. ## Common works and media Rattner's most commonly encountered works at auction and in collections include oil paintings on canvas and panel, watercolors on paper, and drawings. His subjects range widely but are dominated by biblical and religious narratives, figurative compositions, and abstracted landscapes. Prints and design works are also known. Works span much of the twentieth century, from his early Paris years through his later New York period. ## Market and appraisal context Abraham Rattner's secondary market is well established, with 333 auction lots recorded from 1991 through early 2026 and 127 lots with published realized prices. Auction activity has increased year over year (24 lots in the most recent 12 months vs. 13 in the prior period), suggesting steady collector interest. His work has appeared at major houses including Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, and Hindman, as well as numerous regional specialists such as RoGallery, Nadeau's Auction Gallery, Clarke Auction Gallery, and Millea Bros. Price dispersion is wide: the interquartile range spans $100–$1,638 USD with a median of $325 and a ceiling of $23,000. Oil paintings with figurative or religious subjects command the strongest results—Hindman sold 'Figure with Wings and Mask, 1950' for $6,000 in December 2023. By contrast, individual lithographs such as the well-circulated 'Fire' (1937, Verve) routinely trade between $20 and $125, reflecting high edition availability. Portfolios like 'In the Beginning…' have realized $325–$850 depending on condition and completeness. Watercolors and drawings show a broad range from $15 to several hundred dollars, influenced heavily by subject matter, size, and inscriptions. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence Abraham Rattner's secondary market is well established, with 333 auction lots recorded from 1991 through early 2026 and 127 lots with published realized prices. Auction activity has increased year over year (24 lots in the most recent 12 months vs. 13 in the prior period), suggesting steady collector interest. His work has appeared at major houses including Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, and Hindman, as well as numerous regional specialists such as RoGallery, Nadeau's Auction Gallery, Clarke Auction Gallery, and Millea Bros. Price dispersion is wide: the interquartile range spans $100–$1,638 USD with a median of $325 and a ceiling of $23,000. Oil paintings with figurative or religious subjects command the strongest results—Hindman sold 'Figure with Wings and Mask, 1950' for $6,000 in December 2023. By contrast, individual lithographs such as the well-circulated 'Fire' (1937, Verve) routinely trade between $20 and $125, reflecting high edition availability. Portfolios like 'In the Beginning…' have realized $325–$850 depending on condition and completeness. Watercolors and drawings show a broad range from $15 to several hundred dollars, influenced heavily by subject matter, size, and inscriptions. ### Appraisal notes Appraisily would use these auction records as comparable-sale evidence alongside physical inspection of the work's medium, dimensions, signature, date, condition, provenance, and exhibition or publication history. For oil paintings, comparable lots at major houses (Hindman, Sotheby's, Christie's) provide the most reliable value benchmarks; for prints and lithographs, the large volume of regional-house results establishes a clear low-to-mid range. Edition details (for prints), inscriptions, and dedication marks materially affect value—inscribed works such as the Nadeau's lots show how personalization can broaden or narrow the buyer pool. Condition reports are essential, especially for works on paper and loose canvases. Provenance linking to Rattner's Paris period (1920–1940) or to major exhibitions would be a material value driver noted in any formal appraisal. ### Valuation factors - Medium is the strongest price differentiator: oil paintings on canvas consistently outperform prints, drawings, and works on paper - Subject matter matters—biblical and religious compositions (e.g., 'Study for Crucifixion') and figurative works attract more competitive bidding than generic abstractions - Date of execution: works from the mature Paris and early New York periods (1920s–1950s) tend to carry more weight than later pieces - Provenance linking to the artist's Paris period, major exhibitions, or notable collections can meaningfully affect value - For prints and lithographs, edition size, numbering, and condition are critical; the 'Fire' lithograph (1937) appears frequently, indicating wide circulation and modest individual value - Inscriptions and dedications may increase interest for some collectors but can narrow the market for others - Condition is especially important for works on paper, loose canvases, and framed prints—damage, fading, or foxing will reduce value - Scale correlates with price: larger canvases and compositions tend to achieve higher results at major houses ### Collector notes ### Market caveats - Auction prices reflect the secondary market and may not represent retail or insurance replacement values, which are typically higher - The $23,000 maximum price is an outlier; the vast majority of lots trade below $2,000, and the median is $325 - Several recent lots show null realized prices, indicating unsold or bought-in results—this suggests a segment of the market with limited buyer depth - Some auction catalogues list Rattner's birth year as 1893 while the Library of Congress authority record establishes 1895-07-08; this discrepancy may affect dating of early works and should be resolved through expert consultation - Attribution should be verified against a catalogue raisonné or specialist opinion; the artist's figurative-modernist style overlaps with other mid-century American painters - Currency mix in recent results (USD and AUD) requires careful comparison when using Australian house results as comparables - No single catalogue raisonné is referenced in the source materials; collectors should seek expert authentication for high-value attributions ### Market evidence sources - Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/abraham-rattner/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0 - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-american-1895-1978-le-feu-fire-color-lithograph-on-paper-dated-1937-frame-21-25-h-17-25-w-780-c-605689889f - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-in-the-beginning-portfolio-3246-c-4b55cf53f5 - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-drawing-titled-the-maccabees-1967-294-c-1df770bb27 - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-drawing-titled-the-maccabees-1967-184-c-2279176691 - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-long-face-ink-and-wash-on-paper-164-c-3193cfa196 - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-american-1893-1978-variations-for-the-menorah-folk-art-composition-in-blue-yellow-and-black-lithograph-signed-lower-right-rattner-inscribed-to-flossie-bernard-with-all-my-love-esther-12-25-79-122-c-bc44eacace - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-fire-1937-verve-litho-on-paper-4048-c-9ee4e7a948 - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-in-the-beginning-portfolio-2189-c-a8d4aa2a85 - Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-abraham-rattner-fire-lithograph-748-c-ff7484d920 ## Appraisily data basis Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum, library authority, and biographical sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Abraham Rattner, identity data is grounded in the Library of Congress Name Authority File, VIAF, RKD, and the Museum of Modern Art collection records. ## Sources - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50054006 - VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/126793353/ - RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/65683 - The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/4821 - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q330528 - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Rattner