# Ulrich Erben artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/ulrich-erben/
Profile generated: 2026-06-01T18:37:37.179Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1940-03-26
- Nationality: German
- Movements: Color field painting, Abstract expressionism
- Common media: Oil on canvas, Works on paper

## About Ulrich Erben

Ulrich Erben (born 1940, Düsseldorf) is a German painter recognized for his contributions to color field abstraction. Trained at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Erben developed a practice centered on the interplay of surface structure, paint application, and the subtle relationships between shades of white and color on a flat picture plane. His work sits within the broader lineage of abstract expressionism, yet is distinguished by its restrained, meditative approach to color and form. From 1980 to 2005, Erben served as Professor of Painting at the Kunstakademie Münster, influencing a generation of younger artists. He received the Konrad-von-Soest Prize for Visual Arts twice, in 1986 and 2008. His exhibition history includes institutional presentations such as Elementare Malerei at the Städtische Kunsthalle Mannheim in 1984.

## Common works and media

Erben's output includes abstract oil paintings on canvas, works on paper, and prints. His canvases typically feature broad fields of muted or luminous color with hard-edge or softly modulated transitions, often in restrained palettes dominated by whites and pale hues. Works on paper and prints from exhibition editions also appear at auction. Collectors may encounter both unique paintings and editioned graphic works.

## Market and appraisal context

Ulrich Erben's work appears with moderate frequency in the post-war and contemporary art market, with over 180 recorded auction lots. For collectors and appraisers, the most relevant valuation factors include the work's medium (oil on canvas versus works on paper), dimensions, date of execution, provenance, and condition. Large-scale canvases from his mature color field period tend to attract stronger market interest. His long academic career and institutional exhibition record lend provenance credibility, but the absence of a published catalogue raisonné means attribution should be supported by documented exhibition or collection history.

## Appraisily data basis

This artist page is compiled from authority records (Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, Library of Congress), biographical references (Wikipedia, Bénézit), and Appraisily's auction-record database. When available, comparable public auction results, sale dates, and realized prices are incorporated to support appraisal context.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/26461
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2475751
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500001521
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/52480785/
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrich_Erben
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85163179