# Julian Schnabel artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/julian-schnabel/
Profile generated: 2026-05-04T18:55:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1951-10-26
- Nationality: American
- Movements: Neo-expressionism, Contemporary art
- Common media: Oil and ceramic plates on canvas, Oil on velvet, Wax painting, Resin, Spray paint, Works on paper, Sculpture, Photography

## About Julian Schnabel

Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951, Brooklyn, New York) is an American painter, sculptor, and filmmaker who rose to international prominence in the early 1980s as a leading figure of the Neo-expressionist movement. He is best known for his plate paintings—large-scale works in which broken ceramic plates are adhered to wooden supports and combined with bold, gestural brushwork. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Schnabel has worked across an unusually broad range of supports and materials, including velvet, tarpaulin, wax, resin, and spray paint, as well as producing sculpture, works on paper, and photographs. Beyond the visual arts, Schnabel has established himself as a significant independent filmmaker, directing Before Night Falls (2000) and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), for which he received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director and a Golden Globe. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London.

## Common works and media

Schnabel's output spans multiple distinct series. Plate paintings—large-scale compositions on wooden supports with embedded broken ceramic—remain his signature work. Velvet paintings feature oil on velvet fabric, often with bold color fields. Wax paintings, tarp paintings, resin paintings, spray paintings, and canvas paintings round out the principal painting categories. He has also produced sculptures, works on paper, watercolors, drawings, and photographs. His official catalogue organizes these into named series including Wax Paintings, Wood Paintings, Plate Paintings, Velvet Paintings, Paintings on Printed Materials, Resin Paintings, Tarp Paintings, Spray Paintings, Intervention Paintings, Canvas Paintings, and Works on Paper.

## Market and appraisal context

Julian Schnabel's auction market is deep and well-established, with 523 cataloged lots spanning from June 1999 to April 2026, of which 324 carry realized prices. The price distribution is broad: the median sits at $23,750, the 75th percentile at $96,000, and the ceiling reaches $1,750,000, reflecting the gap between entry-level prints and works on paper at one end and major plate paintings and large-scale sculptures at the other. Top-tier works consistently appear at Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips, and Bonhams in Post-War and Contemporary Art sales. Recent highlights include a plate painting Victory After S-chanf I selling for $330,200 at Christie's (September 2025), the patinated bronze sculpture Golem at $279,400 at Christie's (November 2025), and an executed 1985 plate painting Untitled reaching $160,000 at Bonhams (November 2025). At the same time, prints and multiples—serigraphs, screenprints, and carbon prints—regularly trade between $800 and $2,000 at regional houses. The most historically significant and valuable category remains early plate paintings from the late 1970s and 1980s, followed by large-scale sculptures. Schnabel's furniture and design commissions for the Gramercy Park Hotel have also created a niche auction category, with tables selling between $48,000 and $55,000. Liquidity is strong but has softened slightly: 22 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window compared to 35 in the prior period, which may reflect cyclical consignment patterns or a modest cooling in demand.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Julian Schnabel's auction market is deep and well-established, with 523 cataloged lots spanning from June 1999 to April 2026, of which 324 carry realized prices. The price distribution is broad: the median sits at $23,750, the 75th percentile at $96,000, and the ceiling reaches $1,750,000, reflecting the gap between entry-level prints and works on paper at one end and major plate paintings and large-scale sculptures at the other. Top-tier works consistently appear at Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips, and Bonhams in Post-War and Contemporary Art sales. Recent highlights include a plate painting Victory After S-chanf I selling for $330,200 at Christie's (September 2025), the patinated bronze sculpture Golem at $279,400 at Christie's (November 2025), and an executed 1985 plate painting Untitled reaching $160,000 at Bonhams (November 2025). At the same time, prints and multiples—serigraphs, screenprints, and carbon prints—regularly trade between $800 and $2,000 at regional houses. The most historically significant and valuable category remains early plate paintings from the late 1970s and 1980s, followed by large-scale sculptures. Schnabel's furniture and design commissions for the Gramercy Park Hotel have also created a niche auction category, with tables selling between $48,000 and $55,000. Liquidity is strong but has softened slightly: 22 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window compared to 35 in the prior period, which may reflect cyclical consignment patterns or a modest cooling in demand.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would use these 523 auction records as a comparable-sales baseline, cross-referenced against the specific work's photos, dimensions, medium, signature, condition report, provenance documentation, and edition details. Because Schnabel's prices vary dramatically by series—plate paintings command a different tier than velvet, wax, or resin paintings, and prints and works on paper occupy yet another—the appraiser must first identify the correct series and material category before selecting comparable lots. Condition is especially critical for plate paintings, where ceramic fragments can crack, detach, or chip over time; any condition issues should be documented and reflected in the valuation. Provenance linking the work to notable gallery exhibitions, museum showings, or distinguished collections can meaningfully affect value. For prints and editions, the appraiser should verify edition number, signature, and impressions against catalogue references. Recent sale prices from the same series and similar scale provide the most reliable value indicators, adjusted for market timing and condition.

### Valuation factors

- Series identification: plate paintings are the most historically significant and highest-valued series; velvet, wax, tarp, and resin paintings each carry distinct market profiles
- Scale: large-scale paintings and sculptures command significantly higher prices; small works on paper and prints trade in a much lower tier
- Date of execution: early plate paintings from the late 1970s–1980s carry Neo-expressionist historical importance and premium pricing
- Condition: ceramic plate fragments are inherently fragile; condition of substrate, plates, and paint surface materially affects value
- Provenance and exhibition history: works with documented gallery or museum exhibition records are more sought after
- Edition details for prints: edition number, signature, and catalogue verification affect value for serigraphs and screenprints
- Market liquidity: auction frequency has softened from 35 to 22 lots year-over-year, which may affect consignment timing and realized prices

### Collector notes

- Plate paintings from the late 1970s and 1980s are the most sought-after category; expect prices in the mid-six to seven figures at major houses for important examples
- Prints, serigraphs, and small works on paper offer an accessible entry point, typically trading between $800 and $4,000 at auction
- Schnabel's Gramercy Park Hotel furniture commissions have created a unique collecting niche; these objects have sold between $8,000 and $55,000
- Large-scale bronze sculptures (such as Golem at $279,400) are rare at auction and represent a distinct high-value category
- Condition reports are essential for plate paintings—request detailed documentation of ceramic fragment stability before purchasing

### Market caveats

- Appraisily auction signals are derived from public auction feeds and may not capture every private sale or gallery transaction; actual transaction volume is likely higher than cataloged lot counts
- Prices span multiple currencies (USD, EUR, GBP) across international houses; currency conversion and regional market differences should be considered when comparing lots
- The year-over-year decline in lot count (35 to 22) could reflect consignment timing, market cyclicality, or shifting seller behavior rather than a decline in the artist's market standing
- Schnabel's prominence as a filmmaker adds cultural visibility but does not directly translate to uniform pricing across all visual art categories
- Market performance varies significantly between painting series; each series should be evaluated against its own comparable sales rather than the artist's overall price range

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/julian-schnabel/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Christie's (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-b-1951-victory-after-s-chanf-i-oil-plates-and-bondo-o-371-c-5ab468ab09
- Christie's (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-b-1951-golem-patinated-bronze160-x-115-1-2-x-110-1-2-in-798-c-277e699c81
- Bonhams (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-b-1951-untitled-62-x-49-x-10-in-157-5-x-124-5-x-25-4-cm-executed-in-1985-228-c-ba11951d47
- Christie's (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-b-1951-untitled-albondigas-oil-modeling-paste-and-s-366-c-8324d5892c
- Dreweatts 1759 (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-american-b-1951-untitled-monjas-de-calle-con-buen-ojo-107-c-a204ceeb29
- Wright (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-unique-table-from-gramercy-park-hotel-new-york-131-c-e89f8de2fd
- Christie's (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-ne-en-1951-reinaldo-long-debate-irresolute-39-c-5c6d4caf1e
- Dorotheum (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-251-c-0c3b43745d
- Bonhams (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-ne-en-1951-childhood-4-2016-tirage-au-charbon-sur-papier-vergesignee-et-numerotee-44-45image-79-5-x-57-cm-cadre-99-x-76-5-cmcarbon-print-on-laid-paper-signed-and-numbered-44-45-204-c-718db408ab
- RoGallery (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-i-d-rather-have-a-live-woman-than-a-frozen-leopard-screenprint-52-c-c23e7f706d
- Christie's (via Invaluable): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-julian-schnabel-ne-en-1951-sans-titre-boni-lux-243-c-7e36123c8f

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research drawn from museum records, library authority files, and the artist's official catalogue with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Julian Schnabel, identity data has been cross-referenced against the Library of Congress Name Authority File, VIAF, RKD, MoMA, and Tate.

## Sources

- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/70766
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82243633
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q345379
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Schnabel
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/5245
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/julian-schnabel-1905
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/66504730/
- Julian Schnabel: https://julianschnabel.com
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500020477