# Rolf Iseli artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/rolf-iseli/
Profile generated: 2026-05-14T20:42:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1934-01-22
- Nationality: Swiss
- Movements: Swiss post-war avant-garde
- Common media: painting, sculpture, lithography, collage, printmaking

## About Rolf Iseli

Rolf Iseli (born 1934, Bern) is a Swiss painter, sculptor, lithographer, and graphic artist widely regarded as one of the leading figures of the post-war Swiss avant-garde. He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Bern from 1950 to 1954 while training as a photo and color lithographer, a foundation that shaped his lifelong engagement with print media. After an encounter with American abstract painter Sam Francis in Paris in 1955, Iseli's practice expanded into ambitious scale and material experimentation. From 1961 he divided his time between studios in Bern and Saint-Romain in the Côte d'Or, France. His prints were shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1983, and his work is documented in major institutional collections. Iseli works across painting, sculpture, lithography, and collage, moving fluidly between disciplines throughout a career spanning more than six decades.

## Common works and media

Rolf Iseli is most frequently encountered in appraisal and auction contexts as a printmaker. Lithographs and graphic works form the bulk of his recorded lots, often in editioned formats. He also produced paintings on canvas and panel, sculptural works, and collages. Subjects range from gestural abstraction to organic and landscape-derived forms. Works are typically signed, dated, and numbered where applicable, and may bear gallery or printer stamps from Swiss and French ateliers.

## Market and appraisal context

Rolf Iseli's work appears regularly at auction, primarily in Swiss and continental European sales. His graphic output — especially lithographs and editioned prints — constitutes the largest share of lots encountered by collectors. Original paintings, sculptures, and unique collages are less frequent at auction and may carry different valuation considerations. Key factors affecting appraisal include the specific medium, edition size and numbering for prints, date of execution, condition, provenance from recognized Swiss or French galleries, and comparable realized prices at recent auctions. Collectors should note that Iseli's multi-disciplinary practice means works can vary widely in format and scale.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine verified artist identity research from library authorities, museum records, and scholarly sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Rolf Iseli, identity data is grounded in the Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata authority files.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/41154
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q120540
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/102316418/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500000854
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolf_Iseli
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/2829
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50037679