# Arbit Blatas artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/arbit-blatas/
Profile generated: 2026-05-09T13:27:16.743Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1908-11-19
- Death date: 1999-04-27
- Nationality: Lithuanian, French, American
- Common media: painting, sculpture, graphic arts, set design / scenography

## About Arbit Blatas

Arbit Blatas (1908–1999), born Nicolai Arbitblatas in Lithuania to a Jewish family, was a painter, sculptor, and stage designer whose career spanned nearly seven decades and two continents. Trained in the French school, he was active in Paris during the 1930s before relocating to the United States in 1940, where he continued working until the end of his life. His practice encompassed oil painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and theatrical scenography. Blatas's work is represented in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and a major retrospective exhibition, "Return to the Homeland," was staged in Vilnius and Klaipėda in 2011–2012. His authority records appear in the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD, and the Library of Congress, reflecting his recognized place in twentieth-century art.

## Common works and media

Common works by Arbit Blatas include oil paintings on canvas and panel, bronze sculptures, lithographs and other graphic works, and set and costume designs for the stage. Subjects range across portraiture, figural compositions, and theatrical scenes. Works may appear in auction catalogues under several name forms, including Nicolai Arbit-Blatas and Neemija Arbitblatas.

## Market and appraisal context

Collectors encounter Arbit Blatas's work across painting, sculpture, and works on paper at auction. Key factors affecting appraisal include the specific medium, whether the piece dates from his European period (1930s France) or his longer American period (1940 onward), documented provenance, and condition. His museum representation at MoMA lends institutional credibility to attributions. Auction records under variant names — Nicolai Arbitblatas, Neemija Arbitblatas — should be cross-referenced to ensure full comparables coverage.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum records, library authority files, and biographical sources with available auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots. For Arbit Blatas, key sources include the Museum of Modern Art, the RKD, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and Wikidata.

## Sources

- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/8928
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/596
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2859653
- VIAF (OCLC): https://viaf.org/viaf/79081897/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500043256
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91000714
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbit_Blatas