# Emil Maetzel artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/emil-maetzel/
Profile generated: 2026-05-18T21:32:09.513Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1877-05-05
- Death date: 1955-06-23
- Nationality: German
- Common media: painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing

## About Emil Maetzel

Emil Maetzel (1877–1955) was a German architect, painter, sculptor, and graphic artist based in Hamburg. Born in Cuxhaven on May 5, 1877, he built a multifaceted practice that spanned architectural design and fine art, working across painting, sculpture, and printmaking. His documented subjects include landscapes and figure compositions. Maetzel was married to the artist Dorothea Maetzel-Johannsen, and the couple was active in Hamburg's cultural scene during the first half of the twentieth century. His work is held in institutional collections, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York. With over 300 documented works appearing in auction contexts, Maetzel is a recurring presence in the German modern art market.

## Common works and media

Collectors most frequently encounter Maetzel's landscape paintings and figure studies, typically in oil on canvas or panel, as well as works on paper including drawings and prints. Sculptural works and graphic editions also appear in auction records. His output reflects a northern German modernist sensibility, with landscapes and human figures as recurring subjects. Works range from small-format studies to larger canvases, and attribution should be confirmed through signature, provenance, or expert review.

## Market and appraisal context

Emil Maetzel's work appears regularly at auction, predominantly as paintings, works on paper, prints, and occasional sculpture. His dual background as an architect and fine artist means collectors may encounter both gallery-quality fine art and architecturally influenced works. Landscape and figure subjects dominate his documented output. When appraising a Maetzel work, key factors include confirmed attribution, medium, subject, date of execution, condition, and provenance tracing back to his Hamburg circle. Comparable auction results should be consulted for current market positioning, as published price guidance is limited.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines structured artist identity research from international authority files — including the Getty Union List of Artist Names, the Dutch RKD, VIAF, and Wikidata — with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lot data when those records are available. Biographical and art-historical claims are sourced and cited; market observations draw on documented auction activity.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/51917
- VIAF (OCLC): https://viaf.org/viaf/69872452/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1336485
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500190915
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/41266
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2014042969