# Adolf Arthur Dehn artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/adolf-arthur-dehn/ Profile generated: 2026-05-02T21:14:00.000Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1895-11-22 - Death date: 1968 - Nationality: American - Movements: Regionalism, Social Realism, Caricature - Common media: Lithography, Painting, Printmaking, Watercolor ## About Adolf Arthur Dehn Adolf Arthur Dehn (1895–1968) was an American painter, printmaker, and lithographer whose career engaged several defining movements in twentieth-century American art. Born in Waterville, Minnesota, Dehn became best known for his mastery of lithography, combining technical precision with a wit that captured the absurdities of modern life. Over a career that stretched from the 1920s through the 1960s, he contributed to regionalism, social realism, and caricature, helping shape the visual language of American art between the World Wars. A two-time Guggenheim Fellow, Dehn produced work ranging from satirical social commentary to lyrical landscapes of the Midwest and Mountain West. His prints and paintings are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate in London, and other major institutions. Collectors today encounter his work most often through his prolific output of lithographs, watercolors, and drawings. ## Common works and media Dehn produced lithographs, etchings, watercolors, oil paintings, and drawings. His graphic output includes both editioned prints and unique works on paper. Common subjects include landscapes (particularly Minnesota, Colorado, and New England scenes), social satires of urban and rural life, animal imagery, and caricatures. He also created posters and book illustrations. Signed and numbered lithographs are the most frequently encountered work type at auction, followed by watercolors and drawings. ## Market and appraisal context Adolf Arthur Dehn maintains an active and well-documented secondary market anchored by his prolific output of lithographs, watercolors, and works on paper. Appraisily auction records index 249 lots with 178 priced results spanning 2002 through April 2026, indicating sustained trade over more than two decades. Prices cluster between $175 (25th percentile) and $960 (75th percentile) with a median of $400 USD, though the range stretches from $20 for small or unsigned prints to $9,375 for exceptional unique works. Liquidity is solid: 19 lots appeared in the trailing twelve months and 25 in the prior period, distributed across at least ten named auction houses including Skinner, Heritage Auctions, Christie's, Eldred's, Weschler's, RoGallery, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, Toomey & Co., and DuMouchelles. Recent Eldred's sales in April 2026 concentrated on Dehn's Martha's Vineyard ink-wash landscapes (1932–1934), which realized $175–$1,000 each, while an oil on masonite titled 'Procession' (1951) achieved $900 at DuMouchelles in January 2026 and a 1941 lithograph 'Man from Orizaba' sold for $2,091 at Santa Fe Art Auction. Unique works—oil paintings, large watercolors, and signed early lithographs with low edition numbers—trade at a premium to standard editioned prints. The market is weighted toward prints and multiples rather than paintings, which appear less frequently and command higher prices when they surface. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence Adolf Arthur Dehn maintains an active and well-documented secondary market anchored by his prolific output of lithographs, watercolors, and works on paper. Appraisily auction records index 249 lots with 178 priced results spanning 2002 through April 2026, indicating sustained trade over more than two decades. Prices cluster between $175 (25th percentile) and $960 (75th percentile) with a median of $400 USD, though the range stretches from $20 for small or unsigned prints to $9,375 for exceptional unique works. Liquidity is solid: 19 lots appeared in the trailing twelve months and 25 in the prior period, distributed across at least ten named auction houses including Skinner, Heritage Auctions, Christie's, Eldred's, Weschler's, RoGallery, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, Toomey & Co., and DuMouchelles. Recent Eldred's sales in April 2026 concentrated on Dehn's Martha's Vineyard ink-wash landscapes (1932–1934), which realized $175–$1,000 each, while an oil on masonite titled 'Procession' (1951) achieved $900 at DuMouchelles in January 2026 and a 1941 lithograph 'Man from Orizaba' sold for $2,091 at Santa Fe Art Auction. Unique works—oil paintings, large watercolors, and signed early lithographs with low edition numbers—trade at a premium to standard editioned prints. The market is weighted toward prints and multiples rather than paintings, which appear less frequently and command higher prices when they surface. ### Appraisal notes Appraisily would use these auction records as comparable-sale evidence alongside submitted photographs, verified dimensions, medium identification, signature examination, condition reports, provenance documentation, and edition details (numbering, edition size, whether the impression is an artist's proof or posthumous restrike). Given the breadth of recorded lots, a well-documented Dehn work can usually be positioned against multiple comparable sales within the $175–$960 interquartile range. Works that fall outside this band—large oils, early signed lithographs from the 1920s–1930s in excellent condition, or watercolors with strong subject appeal—may warrant broader research into institutional records and specialist consultation. Condition is particularly important for works on paper, which are vulnerable to foxing, mat burn, light staining, and hinge damage. Edition verification matters because Dehn produced many prints in variable editions and later impressions or restrikes may circulate without clear labeling. ### Valuation factors - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] ### Collector notes ### Market caveats - Approximately 29% of indexed lots (71 of 249) lack realized prices, which may represent unsold lots, withdrawn items, or pre-sale estimates without posted results; this can skew the observed price distribution. - Some lots appear under both 'Adolf Arthur Dehn' and 'Adolph Dehn' spellings, which may cause duplication or fragmentation in aggregate counts. - Dehn produced prints in variable editions and some posthumous impressions or restrikes may circulate; collectors and appraisers should verify edition status against catalogue references. - The source pack does not include categories from a standardized taxonomy; observed categories are inferred from lot titles and the existing artist profile's medium list. - Tate lists Dehn's death year as 1963, while Library of Congress, RKD, VIAF, and Wikidata list 1968; the 1968 date is corroborated by multiple independent authorities and is used in lot descriptions, but the discrepancy may affect some catalogue searches. - Prices in non-USD currencies (CAD, EUR) appear in the record and are reported without conversion, so cross-currency comparisons require adjustment. ### Market evidence sources - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-adolf-arthur-dehn-new-york-minnesota-1895-1968-king-s-beach-near-aquinnah-martha-s-vineyard-circa-1932-ink-wash-on-smooth-wove-paper-15-x-22-framed-22-75-x-30-25-4028-c-b450c60739 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-adolf-arthur-dehn-american-1895-1968-oil-on-masonite-1951-procession-h-16-w-20-frame-size-h-24-25-w-28-1098-c-4e97eaf382 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-adolf-arthur-dehn-american-1895-1968-the-big-hearted-girls-lithograph-signed-and-dated-1932-l-r-and-titled-l-l-frame-17-3-4-x-22-1-4-in-45-1-x-56-5-cm-581-c-3c847559d9 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-adolf-arthur-dehn-american-1895-1968-105-c-29527e54c5 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-adolf-arthur-dehn-american-1895-1968-grey-day-1963-19-3-4-x-25-3-4-in-50-2-x-65-4-cm-frame-24-3-4-x-32-in-62-9-x-81-3-cm-51-c-a06c0f1929 ## Appraisily data basis Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum, library authority, and scholarly sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. ## Sources - RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/21453 - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85052395 - VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/50023467/ - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Dehn - The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/1466 - Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/adolf-dehn-989 - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4684075