# Jules Olitski artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/jules-olitski/
Profile generated: 2026-05-08T14:26:02.297Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1922-03-27
- Death date: 2007-02-04
- Nationality: American, Ukrainian
- Movements: Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting, Post-Painterly Abstraction
- Common media: painting, printmaking, sculpture

## About Jules Olitski

Jules Olitski (1922–2007), born Jevel Demikovski in Ukraine, was an American painter, printmaker, and sculptor who became one of the defining figures of post-war abstract art in the United States. Associated with Color Field painting and Post-Painterly Abstraction, Olitski gained critical attention in the 1960s for large-scale canvases that used stained and sprayed acrylic to dissolve figure-ground distinctions into atmospheric fields of color. His work is held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London. Over a career spanning five decades, Olitski moved through distinct phases — from the stained canvases of the early 1960s, through the landmark spray paintings, to later sculptural reliefs and more gestural paintings — maintaining a sustained engagement with the expressive possibilities of pure color. His estate is managed by the Jules Olitski Art Foundation, and his work is represented by Yares Art in New York.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers encounter Olitski's work across several formats. Large-scale abstract paintings on canvas — especially the spray paintings and stained color-field works of the 1960s — are the most iconic. Monotypes, screenprints, etchings, and other editioned prints circulate frequently at auction. Later in his career, Olitski produced painted metal reliefs and freestanding sculptures. Works on paper, including pastels and watercolors, also appear. Subjects are overwhelmingly non-representational, centered on color relationships and surface effects rather than figurative imagery.

## Market and appraisal context

Jules Olitski's work appears regularly at major auction houses in Post-War and Contemporary Art sales. His 1960s spray paintings are the most sought-after period, with large canvases from this era commanding the strongest results. Stained paintings from the same decade also carry premium interest. Later paintings, sculptural reliefs, and works on paper trade at more varied price levels. Editioned prints and works on paper provide a more accessible entry point for collectors. Provenance, exhibition history, and condition are key factors, particularly for unstretched canvases and spray-painted surfaces that are sensitive to handling. Authentication can be referenced against the catalogue raisonné maintained by the Jules Olitski Art Foundation.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum, library authority, and estate sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Jules Olitski, identity data is grounded in records from the Getty Union List of Artist Names, the Library of Congress, VIAF, the RKD, MoMA, Tate, and the Jules Olitski Art Foundation.

## Sources

- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/60452
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50048462
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/4399
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jules-olitski-2198
- Jules Olitski Art Foundation: http://olitski.com
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q428550
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500009050
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/197390831/
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Olitski