# Oscar Niemeyer artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/oscar-niemeyer/
Profile generated: 2026-05-25T12:26:16.465Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1907-12-15
- Death date: 2012-12-05
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Movements: Modern Architecture, Brazilian Modernism
- Common media: Reinforced concrete (architectural), Architectural drawings and sketches, Furniture and industrial design

## About Oscar Niemeyer

Oscar Niemeyer (1907–2012) was a Brazilian architect widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern architecture. Born Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho in Rio de Janeiro, he became internationally celebrated for his sculptural use of reinforced concrete, producing the sweeping curves and organic forms that define his signature style. Niemeyer's most recognized achievement is the design of civic buildings for Brasília, the planned capital of Brazil inaugurated in 1960, including the Palácio da Alvorada, the Catedral Metropolitana, and the National Congress. He also contributed to the design of the United Nations headquarters in New York. Over a career spanning more than seven decades, he completed major commissions across Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, including the French Communist Party headquarters in Paris and the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói. His legacy is managed by the Fundação Oscar Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Niemeyer's work in the form of mid-century furniture and seating designs, architectural sketches and working drawings, limited edition serigraphs and exhibition posters, and licensed reproductions of his iconic furniture pieces. His design output includes chairs, tables, and loungers characterized by the same curvilinear forms seen in his buildings. Original drawings related to specific building projects are the rarest and most valuable category. Exhibition posters and prints from museum shows are more widely available and represent an accessible entry point for collectors of Brazilian modernist design.

## Market and appraisal context

Oscar Niemeyer's presence in the auction market centers on design objects, furniture, original architectural drawings, and limited edition prints rather than traditional fine art. Works connected to his major architectural projects—particularly the Brasília civic buildings or the UN headquarters—command the strongest interest. When evaluating Niemeyer-related pieces, appraisers consider provenance tied to a specific commission, documentation from the Fundação Oscar Niemeyer, edition status for prints and furniture, condition, and whether the item is estate-licensed. His furniture and design collaborations appear regularly at international design sales, while original sketches and drawings are traded in both design and works-on-paper categories.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum records, library authority files, and official artist estates with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Oscar Niemeyer, identity data is sourced from Wikidata, the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the Library of Congress, MoMA, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and the Fundação Oscar Niemeyer official site.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q134165
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Niemeyer
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500007310
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/95725437/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82013357
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/8103
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/213336
- Fundação Oscar Niemeyer: http://www.niemeyer.org.br