# Eileen Gray artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/eileen-gray/
Profile generated: 2026-05-05T06:08:08.917Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1878-08-09
- Death date: 1976-10-31
- Nationality: Irish
- Movements: Modern Movement in architecture and design
- Common media: Lacquerwork, Tubular steel furniture, Architecture, Rug and textile design, Interior design

## About Eileen Gray

Eileen Gray (1878–1976) was an Irish-born designer and architect recognized as one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century design. Born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith in Brownswood, Wexford, she studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London and the Académie Julian in Paris before establishing her career in France. Gray first gained acclaim for her innovative lacquerwork and interiors, later pioneering tubular steel furniture and modernist architecture. She is best known for E-1027, the modernist villa she co-designed with Jean Badovici on the Côte d'Azur, and for iconic furniture pieces including the Bibendum chair and the adjustable E 1027 table. Though long overshadowed by male contemporaries such as Le Corbusier, Gray's contributions to the Modern Movement have been substantially reappraised, and her work is now held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

## Common works and media

Gray's output spans lacquer panels and folding screens, tubular steel furniture including chairs, tables, and shelving units, hand-knotted rugs with bold geometric patterns, and residential architectural projects. Pieces most commonly encountered at auction include the Bibendum chair, the adjustable E 1027 side table, the Non Conformist chair, and lacquered screens with abstract motifs. Her rug designs appear periodically. Original architectural drawings and interior design sketches by Gray are rare but highly valued when they surface.

## Market and appraisal context

Eileen Gray's auction market is deep and liquid, with 603 catalogued lots spanning 1999 to May 2026 and 479 priced results in the Appraisily dataset. Price dispersion is exceptionally wide — from $55 for late re-edition small accessories to $21.9 million for period originals with exceptional provenance — reflecting the vast difference between authorized re-editions (ClassiCon, Aram) and documented atelier pieces. The median price of $950 and P75 of $3,800 show that most lots are re-edition furniture and lighting, while period lacquerwork and unique commissions trade at entirely different tiers. Gray's work circulates through the top design auction houses — Christie's, Sotheby's, Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen, Artcurial, Adam's, Koller, and Wright — as well as regional houses where re-editions appear at accessible price points. The 58 lots in the trailing 12 months are down from 75 in the prior period, suggesting a modest softening in volume though not necessarily in pricing for premium pieces.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Eileen Gray's auction market is deep and liquid, with 603 catalogued lots spanning 1999 to May 2026 and 479 priced results in the Appraisily dataset. Price dispersion is exceptionally wide — from $55 for late re-edition small accessories to $21.9 million for period originals with exceptional provenance — reflecting the vast difference between authorized re-editions (ClassiCon, Aram) and documented atelier pieces. The median price of $950 and P75 of $3,800 show that most lots are re-edition furniture and lighting, while period lacquerwork and unique commissions trade at entirely different tiers. Gray's work circulates through the top design auction houses — Christie's, Sotheby's, Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen, Artcurial, Adam's, Koller, and Wright — as well as regional houses where re-editions appear at accessible price points. The 58 lots in the trailing 12 months are down from 75 in the prior period, suggesting a modest softening in volume though not necessarily in pricing for premium pieces.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would combine these 603 auction records with detailed photographs, precise dimensions, medium identification (period lacquer, tubular steel, chrome, glass), signature or maker's marks, condition reports — especially lacquer surface integrity — provenance documentation, and edition or re-edition status. The E 1027 side table alone illustrates the range: re-editions by ClassiCon realize €500–€1,100, while period originals in chrome-plated steel from 1927 command multiples of that. Attribution to Gray's atelier versus later authorized production is the single most consequential factor. Comparable lots should be filtered by edition status, medium, and condition before applying price guidance.

### Valuation factors

- Period original versus authorized re-edition (ClassiCon, Aram) is the dominant value differentiator; re-editions typically realize a fraction of period-piece prices
- Provenance linking to known commissions (e.g., the Madame Mathieu-Lévy apartment), exhibitions, or the E-1027 interior commands substantial premiums
- Lacquer surface condition is critical — original lacquer panels and screens are fragile and restoration history significantly affects value
- Medium and model rarity: unique lacquer screens, the Bibendum chair, and Transat chairs in period condition are far rarer than E 1027 tables
- Documentation such as original drawings, E-1027 monographs, or exhibition history adds measurable provenance value
- Market venue matters: lots at Christie's and Sotheby's with full cataloguing realize higher prices than regional house sales of similar re-edition pieces

### Collector notes

- The E 1027 adjustable side table is the most frequently traded Gray design, but most lots at auction are ClassiCon or later re-editions priced €500–€1,100 ($150–$550 at US regional houses). Period originals in chrome-plated steel from 1927 are far more valuable.
- Transat lounge chairs in lacquered wood realized €3,000–€3,800 in recent sales; the 'd'après' designation on one lot signals it was a later interpretation rather than a period piece.
- Gray's lacquer screens are the premium tier — a c.1980 smaller iteration of the 1922 Brick Screen for Madame Mathieu-Lévy realized €16,000 at Adam's in October 2024.
- Re-edition daybeds by ClassiCon sold for €2,600 at Setdart in May 2026, providing a benchmark for authorized modern production.
- The Jumo No. 71 adjustable lamp from the 1930s realized $1,600, indicating strong collector interest in Gray's lighting designs beyond furniture.
- The 2023 Christie's lot of a headboard and wall-mounted bookcase (described as IMPORTANT) with no published price likely represents a high-value period piece — major houses often suppress price publication for premium lots.
- Volume has softened slightly (58 lots in the last 12 months versus 75 in the prior period), which may reflect market-wide design-sale trends rather than Gray-specific demand.

### Market caveats

- The $21.9 million maximum price is an outlier and reflects a single landmark sale; it should not be used as a typical benchmark for Gray's work at large
- Many lots titled 'EILEEN GRAY' at regional auction houses are authorized re-editions (ClassiCon, Aram) rather than period pieces — the lot description often distinguishes these but titles alone may not
- Several recent lots show null priceRealised, indicating either unsold lots or prices not yet published; these lots should not be interpreted as zero-value evidence
- Gray's designs have been widely reproduced both authorized and unauthorized; period attribution requires expert authentication and should not be assumed from auction titles alone
- Prices are denominated in mixed currencies (EUR, USD); direct comparison requires currency normalization at the sale date
- The 603-lot dataset is drawn from the Appraisily auction record index, which aggregates from public auction feeds; completeness depends on feed coverage and may not capture every private sale or smaller house

### Market evidence sources

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- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-eileen-gray-1878-1976-a-pair-of-height-adjustable-chromed-steel-and-glass-side-tables-the-so-called-classicon-adjustable-table-e1027-1970s-789-c-574b2753c0
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- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-eileen-gray-side-table-mod-e-1027-1927-99-c-8c76565085
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- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-eileen-gray-1878-1976-an-eileen-gray-for-classicon-black-frame-e1027-side-table-52cm-d-x-55-64cm-h-194-c-ca8f9e6817
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-eileen-gray-1878-1976-an-eileen-gray-for-classicon-black-frame-tube-floorlamp-104cm-h-193-c-9c89e8eb80

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines verified identity research drawn from the Library of Congress Name Authority File, the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and the Museum of Modern Art with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lot data when those records are available.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80036940
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/241723
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500017693
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/95789647/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q438129
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/2313
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eileen_Gray