# Sam Szafran artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/sam-szafran/
Profile generated: 2026-05-12T10:22:20.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1934-11-19
- Nationality: French
- Common media: pastel, watercolor, painting, drawing

## About Sam Szafran

Sam Szafran (1934–2019) was a French painter, pastelist, watercolorist, and draftsperson known for his intensely personal figurative works. Born on November 19, 1934, Szafran built a career centered on pastel and watercolor, media in which he developed a distinctive handling of light, atmosphere, and densely composed interior scenes. His work is held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and he is documented in major artist databases including the Getty Union List of Artist Names, the RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History), and VIAF. Szafran's output — characterized by recurring subjects rendered with a heavily worked, almost obsessive surface quality — has earned him a recognized place in post-war French art, and collectors regularly encounter his work at international auction.

## Common works and media

Sam Szafran is most commonly encountered at auction as a pastelist and watercolorist. His pastels — often large-format, densely worked figurative compositions — represent the core of his market presence. Watercolors and drawings also appear with some frequency. Oil paintings are less common but do come to market. Prints and multiples may also be found. Subjects in his auction-record profile are predominantly figurative interiors and studio scenes. Collectors evaluating Szafran works should consider medium, dimensions, signature, date, provenance history, and condition, particularly for works on paper where fading or handling damage can significantly affect value.

## Market and appraisal context

Szafran's work appears regularly at auction, with over 400 recorded lots, reflecting sustained secondary-market interest. Pastels and large-scale watercolors are the media most closely associated with his auction profile, though paintings, prints, and drawings also surface. Collectors should note that medium, scale, date, provenance, and condition are the primary factors affecting valuation for Szafran works. Museum representation at institutions such as MoMA underpins collector confidence. As with all post-war works on paper, condition reports and authentication are essential steps before purchase or appraisal.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine researched artist identity from authority files and museum records with Invaluable auction records, including sale dates, realized prices, comparable lots, and auction-house context. Sam Szafran's profile draws on the Getty ULAN, RKD, VIAF, Wikidata, and MoMA collection records, together with over 400 tracked auction results, to give collectors a grounded basis for understanding this artist's market.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2216661
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/212980
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/5761
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/34465009/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500106937
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Szafran