# Ernest Fiene artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/ernest-fiene/
Profile generated: 2026-05-08T12:59:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1894-11-02
- Death date: 1965-08-10
- Nationality: American
- Movements: 20th-century American Realism
- Common media: lithography, etching, oil painting, illustration

## About Ernest Fiene

Ernest Fiene (1894–1965) was a German-born American painter, lithographer, and etcher whose career spanned nearly five decades in the New York art world. Born in Elberfeld, Rhineland, he emigrated to the United States in 1912 and trained at the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and Cooper Union. Fiene became best known for his printed works—particularly lithographs and etchings—depicting New York City skyscrapers, bridges, and industrial waterfronts, as well as pastoral landscapes of Woodstock and rural New England. His art blended realist observation with a modernist sense of structure and rhythm. A member of the National Academy of Design, Fiene also taught and exhibited widely, and his work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and other major institutions. Collectors most often encounter his prints at auction today.

## Common works and media

Fiene's most commonly encountered works at auction are lithographs and etchings, often depicting New York City architecture, bridges, industrial scenes, and rural landscapes. He also produced oil paintings, watercolors, and illustrations. Printed works were typically issued in numbered editions, and collectors should look for edition markings, signatures, and plate dates. Subjects range from iconic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline to figurative compositions and Woodstock-area pastoral scenes.

## Market and appraisal context

Ernest Fiene's prints—especially lithographs and etchings of New York City scenes—appear regularly at auction and represent the majority of his traded work. Original oil paintings are less common on the market and may command higher values. When assessing a Fiene work, key factors include the medium (lithograph, etching, or painting), the subject matter (cityscapes tend to be more sought after), edition information for prints, condition, and provenance. His affiliation with the National Academy of Design and institutional holdings at MoMA provide additional context for collectors evaluating authenticity and significance.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine verified artist identity research from museum records, library authority files, and biographical sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Ernest Fiene, identity data is grounded in the Library of Congress authority file, Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, and the Museum of Modern Art collection record.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81085722
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/27944
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/1870
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5393065
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/75176220/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500000832
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Fiene