# Niklaus Stöcklin artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/niklaus-stocklin/
Profile generated: 2026-05-10T01:49:13.850Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1896-04-19
- Death date: 1982-12-31
- Nationality: Swiss
- Movements: New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit), Magic Realism
- Common media: oil painting, printmaking / engraving, graphic design / poster design

## About Niklaus Stöcklin

Niklaus Stöcklin (1896–1982) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, and poster designer whose work is regarded as a leading Swiss expression of New Objectivity and Magic Realism. Active from around 1916 until his death in 1982, Stöcklin is considered among the international co-founders of these interwar movements, particularly through his early paintings. Beyond his gallery work, he achieved wide recognition as a poster designer of international standing, producing bold, precisely rendered commercial graphics that remain sought after by collectors. His paintings — often still lifes and figurative compositions — combine meticulous realism with an unsettling, dreamlike atmosphere characteristic of Magic Realism. Stöcklin is documented in major reference works including Bénézit, Thieme/Becker, and Vollmer, and his work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers are most likely to encounter Stöcklin's work in the form of oil paintings (especially still lifes and figurative subjects from the 1920s–1940s), original graphic works including engravings and prints, and his widely circulated lithographic poster designs. Posters for Swiss brands and cultural institutions are among his most frequently traded works. Drawings and watercolors also appear periodically at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

Niklaus Stöcklin's work appears at auction across several categories: Swiss modern paintings, modern prints and Multiples, and vintage posters. His early New Objectivity paintings from the 1920s and 1930s are generally considered the most significant period and may carry the strongest collector interest. Stöcklin's poster designs form a distinct and actively traded market segment, appreciated both as graphic design and as examples of Swiss commercial modernism. When evaluating a Stöcklin work for appraisal, key factors include the medium (original painting versus print or poster), the period of execution, condition, provenance, and whether the piece has documented exhibition or publication history. His listing in standard reference dictionaries such as Bénézit and Thieme/Becker supports attribution research.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured identity research from authority files and museum collections with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Niklaus Stöcklin, identity data is sourced from Wikidata, VIAF, the Library of Congress Name Authority File, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and the Museum of Modern Art.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1990471
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niklaus_Stoecklin
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/19952486/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86138134
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/5671
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/75349