# Anders Zorn artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/anders-zorn/
Profile generated: 2026-04-30T09:42:07.850Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1860-02-18
- Death date: 1920-08-22
- Nationality: Swedish
- Common media: oil painting, etching, sculpture

## About Anders Zorn

Anders Leonard Zorn (1860–1920) was a Swedish painter, etcher, and sculptor who achieved wide international recognition during his lifetime. Born and raised in Mora, Sweden, he trained in Stockholm before building a career that spanned Europe and the United States. Zorn is best known for his accomplished portraiture, counting King Oscar II of Sweden and three American presidents—Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft, and Theodore Roosevelt—among his sitters. Beyond formal portraits, he produced a substantial body of nudes, genre scenes, and landscapes, often rendered in oil or as finely detailed etchings. His technical fluency across painting and printmaking placed him among the most sought-after European artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Late in life, Zorn returned to Mora, where he established the Swedish literary Bellman Prize and contributed to cultural life in Sweden until his death in 1920.

## Common works and media

Zorn's output spans oil paintings (portraits, nudes, and genre scenes), etchings of similar subjects, watercolors, and a smaller number of sculptures. His etched portraits and figure studies are especially common in the secondary market. Nudes in outdoor settings, Swedish rural life scenes, and formal commissioned portraits represent recurring subject categories that collectors encounter at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

Anders Zorn commands a deep and well-documented secondary market spanning more than three decades of recorded auction activity. The Appraisily auction-record index tracks 942 total lots, of which 762 carry realized prices, with the earliest recorded sale dating to October 1993 and the most recent to April 2026. Price dispersion is exceptionally wide—ranging from $10 at the low end to $26,000,000 at the high—reflecting a stark medium-driven stratification. Original oil paintings, particularly full-length portraits and figure compositions, anchor the upper tier; attributed and signed oils have recently realized $12,000 at regional houses, while catalogue-verified major oils at top-tier houses account for the seven-figure and higher results. Etchings and prints constitute the bulk of turnover: recent Swann Auction Galleries lots from 2026 realized $1,397–$5,080 for individual etchings, and Revere Auctions lots from 2025 realized $250–$400 for single etchings. The market shows consistent liquidity, with 27 priced lots in the trailing twelve months and 36 in the prior twelve months. Ten named auction houses appear among the top sellers, including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Bukowskis, and Stockholms Auktionsverket, alongside strong US regional representation from Swann, Revere, Skinner, and Rachel Davis Fine Arts. This breadth of house-level participation signals sustained international collector demand across both the painting and print segments.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Anders Zorn commands a deep and well-documented secondary market spanning more than three decades of recorded auction activity. The Appraisily auction-record index tracks 942 total lots, of which 762 carry realized prices, with the earliest recorded sale dating to October 1993 and the most recent to April 2026. Price dispersion is exceptionally wide—ranging from $10 at the low end to $26,000,000 at the high—reflecting a stark medium-driven stratification. Original oil paintings, particularly full-length portraits and figure compositions, anchor the upper tier; attributed and signed oils have recently realized $12,000 at regional houses, while catalogue-verified major oils at top-tier houses account for the seven-figure and higher results. Etchings and prints constitute the bulk of turnover: recent Swann Auction Galleries lots from 2026 realized $1,397–$5,080 for individual etchings, and Revere Auctions lots from 2025 realized $250–$400 for single etchings. The market shows consistent liquidity, with 27 priced lots in the trailing twelve months and 36 in the prior twelve months. Ten named auction houses appear among the top sellers, including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Bukowskis, and Stockholms Auktionsverket, alongside strong US regional representation from Swann, Revere, Skinner, and Rachel Davis Fine Arts. This breadth of house-level participation signals sustained international collector demand across both the painting and print segments.

### Appraisal notes

An Appraisily appraisal for a work attributed to Anders Zorn would draw on this 942-lot auction record base to establish comparable-sale context. The appraiser would photograph the work, record dimensions, identify the medium (oil on canvas, etching on paper, watercolor, or sculpture), examine the signature and any date inscriptions, assess condition (foxing, toning, craquelure, relining, trimming of plate marks), and document provenance history (gallery labels, stamps, collection marks, exhibition records). For etchings, edition number, plate size, and state are critical valuation inputs; for paintings, attribution confidence (signed vs. attributed vs. workshop) materially affects value. Given the extreme price dispersion—from under $100 for posthumous prints or books to eight figures for major oils—accurate medium and attribution identification is the single most consequential step. The appraiser would filter comparables by medium, size, date, subject, and condition to derive a supportable value range, cross-referencing against catalogue raisonné entries where possible.

### Valuation factors

- Medium is the primary value driver: original oil paintings command orders of magnitude more than etchings or prints. An attributed oil recently realized $12,000 at a regional house, while authenticated major oils at Christie's and Sotheby's have reached seven and eight figures.
- Attribution confidence materially affects value: works signed by Zorn, works attributed to Zorn, works 'after' Zorn, and workshop or circle pieces occupy distinct value tiers. Catalogue raisonné verification is essential for oil paintings.
- For etchings, edition state, plate size, impression quality, and paper condition drive price differentiation. Early impressions on quality paper sell for multiples of later or trimmed impressions.
- Portrait subject identity influences value: royal, presidential, and well-known society sitters command premiums over anonymous or generic figure studies.
- Provenance history—documented exhibition records, notable collection provenance, and gallery stamps (e.g., Schweitzer Galleries, New York)—supports attribution confidence and adds value.
- Condition is critical: foxing, toning, trimmed margins, relining, overpainting, or craquelure can substantially reduce value for both paintings and works on paper.
- Geographic market differences: Scandinavian houses (Stockholms Auktionsverket, Bukowskis) and US houses (Swann, Christie's, Sotheby's) may produce different results for the same medium category due to collector-base composition.

### Collector notes

- Zorn etchings offer a relatively accessible entry point: recent lots at Swann Auction Galleries realized $1,397–$5,080, and single etchings at Revere Auctions realized $250–$400. Expect to pay in the mid-hundreds to low-thousands for individual etchings in good condition.
- The print segment is the most liquid part of the Zorn market—more lots circulate, and turnover is steady. This benefits sellers seeking reasonably quick disposition and buyers seeking incremental acquisitions.
- Attributed oil paintings carry higher risk and reward: an attributed Zorn oil on canvas realized $12,000 in March 2026, but authenticated oils by Zorn have reached millions. Buyers should insist on catalogue raisonné verification or expert authentication before paying a premium for an attribution.
- Works labeled 'after' Zorn are reproductions or follower pieces, not by the artist's hand. These trade at nominal prices (e.g., $175 for a print 'after' Zorn) and should not be confused with original etchings or paintings.
- The market shows a slight decline in trailing twelve-month volume (27 lots vs. 36 in the prior year), which may reflect normal cyclical variation rather than softening demand. Monitor upcoming Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bukowskis sales for directional confirmation.
- Scandinavian provenance can add credibility to attribution claims, given Zorn's Swedish nationality and the concentration of expertise at Stockholm-based houses.
- Books and printed ephemera related to Zorn trade at nominal levels ($50 for two books in 2023) and are not investment-grade Zorn material.

### Market caveats

- The $26,000,000 maximum recorded price represents the extreme high end and likely reflects a major, fully authenticated oil painting sold through a top-tier house. This figure should not be used as a benchmark for typical Zorn material; the 75th percentile is $4,200 and the median is $850.
- Several recent lots are described as 'attributed to' Zorn or 'after' Zorn; these are not confirmed autograph works and their prices should not be compared directly to signed or catalogue-raisonné-listed pieces.
- One lot has an incorrect death year ('1922' instead of 1920) in its title, illustrating that auction cataloguing can contain errors that affect searchability and comparability.
- Prices are reported in mixed currencies (USD and EUR); currency conversion should be applied before direct comparison.
- Some recent lots lack realized prices (noted as null), indicating either unsold results or post-sale data not yet captured. Absence of a price does not confirm the lot failed to sell.
- The Appraisily auction-record data is derived from public auction feeds and may not capture every sale, particularly private transactions or results from houses not indexed in the feed.
- Market observations cover 1993–2026 but do not account for inflation or currency-fluctuation adjustments across the full time span.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/anders-zorn/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Antique Arena Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-swedish-american-female-nude-etching-by-anders-zorn-6-c-76347d28a2
- Invaluable / Widder Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-utemeland-1860-1922-mora-56-c-6274513990
- Invaluable / Widder Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-utemeland-1860-1922-mora-55-c-f9c4c32862
- Invaluable / Widder Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-utemeland-1860-1922-mora-54-c-c2047d5bd8
- Invaluable / Hill Auction Gallery: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-nude-swedish-figural-swan-print-after-anders-zorn-456-c-9b6428a825
- Invaluable / Revere Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-mrs-thompson-seton-etching-1901-19-c-daf4dce89d
- Invaluable / Grant Zahajko Auctions, LLC: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-2-books-art-471-c-756413892a
- Invaluable / Winterberg-Kunst: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-ein-ring-234-c-ba35629f6d
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-1860-1920-cabin-1917-172-c-a9c0467b59
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-1860-1920-frightened-1912-170-c-53d0221b8d
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-1860-1920-dagmar-1912-171-c-ba3cffb7f3
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-1860-1920-the-new-maid-1909-169-c-c80be64264
- Invaluable / Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-swedish-1860-1920-attributed-to-nude-woman-in-forest-landscape-signed-zorn-and-dated-95-lower-right-oil-on-canvas-back-of-stretcher-stamped-schweitzer-galleries-958-madison-ave-new-york-three-time-3-c-1d0a2e2528
- Invaluable / Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-sw-1860-1920-bride-s-maid-of-honor-455-c-547bc41cad
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-1860-1920-a-toast-ii-1893-48-c-218f810a9e
- Invaluable / Swann Auction Galleries: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-1860-1920-zorn-and-his-wife-1890-47-c-5c2b1f401c
- Invaluable / James Cox Gallery: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-swedish-1860-1920-139-c-ac14e3982f
- Invaluable / Revere Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-princess-ingeborg-of-sweden-ii-print-462-c-dbdaffb7f4
- Invaluable / Revere Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-a-ring-etching-1906-461-c-a2c50b1f63
- Invaluable / Revere Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-aurore-etching-1909-460-c-e7f7ed122b
- Invaluable / Burchard Galleries Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-etching-of-nude-bathers-1234-c-9286624fb4
- Invaluable / Burchard Galleries Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-anders-zorn-etching-of-nude-bathers-1045-c-2a34f0b978

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine researched artist identity and biographical data with public auction records, auction-house cataloguing, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. The information above reflects published museum, library-authority, and encyclopedic sources and should be supplemented with professional appraisal for specific objects.

## Sources

- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/86559
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q206820
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Zorn
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/6584
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File): https://viaf.org/viaf/59091344/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500002927
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80063107