# Yaakov Agam artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/yaakov-agam/ Profile generated: 2026-05-07T05:02:00.000Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1928-05-11 - Nationality: Israeli, French - Movements: Kinetic art, Optical art (Op art), Abstract art - Common media: Sculpture (kinetic), Painting, Multimedia art, Prints and multiples ## About Yaakov Agam Yaakov Agam (born Yaacov Gipstein, 1928, Rishon LeZion, Israel) is an Israeli-French sculptor and painter recognized as one of the founding figures of kinetic and optical art. He studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem before moving to Paris in 1951, where he became part of the international avant-garde. Agam's practice centers on movement, transformation, and viewer participation: his paintings shift with the observer's position, his sculptures incorporate movable elements, and his public installations invite tactile engagement. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and he has been the subject of retrospectives and large-scale public commissions worldwide. A recipient of the Israel Prize for Visual Arts, Agam remains one of the most widely exhibited artists associated with post-war abstract and kinetic art. ## Common works and media Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Agam's silkscreen and lithographic prints, often editioned and featuring geometric abstract compositions in bold color. Transformable or polymorphic relief paintings—works with ribbed or folded surfaces that change appearance depending on viewing angle—are also common. Three-dimensional kinetic sculptures, ranging from tabletop to monumental scale, appear less frequently but are well documented in museum collections. Agam has also produced artist books, Judaica (including a notable Haggadah), stained glass and architectural commissions, and public art installations. ## Market and appraisal context Yaakov Agam maintains a well-established and liquid secondary market spanning nearly two decades of tracked auction activity (2006–2026), with 74 recorded lots and 57 priced results. The price distribution is wide but characteristic of a prolific post-war printmaker: the bulk of results cluster between $240 (25th percentile) and $952 (75th percentile), with a median of $413 USD. These accessible price points correspond primarily to editioned silkscreens, lithographs, serigraphs, and agamograph prints, which make up the majority of traded lots. A long right tail reaches $38,400, reflecting unique or large-scale three-dimensional and kinetic works, such as signed prismographs ($4,400), three-dimensional artworks ($5,000), and higher-value pieces at Clarke Auction Gallery ($2,800–$3,000). The market is distributed across a broad roster of houses including Alma (Israel), Christie's, Grisebach (Germany), Pasarel, and multiple US regional auctioneers (Ahlers & Ogletree, Shapiro, Clarke, Revere, DuMouchelles, John Moran), indicating healthy geographic demand. Liquidity has moderated slightly: recent 12-month traded volume (6 lots) is below the prior 12-month period (9 lots), though this may reflect normal auction-cycle variance rather than softening demand. Agam's standing as a named founder of kinetic art, combined with institutional representation at MoMA and other major museums, supports ongoing collector interest. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence Yaakov Agam maintains a well-established and liquid secondary market spanning nearly two decades of tracked auction activity (2006–2026), with 74 recorded lots and 57 priced results. The price distribution is wide but characteristic of a prolific post-war printmaker: the bulk of results cluster between $240 (25th percentile) and $952 (75th percentile), with a median of $413 USD. These accessible price points correspond primarily to editioned silkscreens, lithographs, serigraphs, and agamograph prints, which make up the majority of traded lots. A long right tail reaches $38,400, reflecting unique or large-scale three-dimensional and kinetic works, such as signed prismographs ($4,400), three-dimensional artworks ($5,000), and higher-value pieces at Clarke Auction Gallery ($2,800–$3,000). The market is distributed across a broad roster of houses including Alma (Israel), Christie's, Grisebach (Germany), Pasarel, and multiple US regional auctioneers (Ahlers & Ogletree, Shapiro, Clarke, Revere, DuMouchelles, John Moran), indicating healthy geographic demand. Liquidity has moderated slightly: recent 12-month traded volume (6 lots) is below the prior 12-month period (9 lots), though this may reflect normal auction-cycle variance rather than softening demand. Agam's standing as a named founder of kinetic art, combined with institutional representation at MoMA and other major museums, supports ongoing collector interest. ### Appraisal notes Appraisily would use the 57 priced auction records in this dataset as a comparable-sales baseline, filtered by medium, dimensions, edition details, and date of execution. For prints and multiples (agamographs, serigraphs, lithographs), the edition number, total edition size, and whether the work is an artist proof or numbered copy are critical value differentiators—the observed range of $150–$800 for standard editioned prints versus $2,800–$5,000 for dimensional and sculptural works illustrates this spread. Physical condition is especially important for Agam's kinetic and polymorphic works: mechanical operation of moving elements, integrity of perspex or ribbed surfaces, and color stability under shifting viewing angles all affect value. Provenance documentation, gallery labels, signature authentication, and inclusion in catalogues raisonnés or exhibition histories further refine valuation. For higher-value unique works or large sculptures, comparable lots from Christie's and major houses would be weighted more heavily than regional house results. The artist is living and active, so supply dynamics may shift; appraisal reports should note this and recommend periodic re-evaluation. ### Valuation factors - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] ### Collector notes ### Market caveats - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] ### Market evidence sources - undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/yaakov-agam/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-b-1928-contemporary-israeli-kinetic-abstract-animation-agamograph-print-521-c-d1dd306a80 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-jerusalem-rainbow-agamograph-585-c-4a7d48e7a2 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-israeli-b-1928-serigraph-on-wove-paper-1980-beyond-the-visible-h-22-w-22-5-frame-size-h-34-5-w-34-5-1338-c-fdc442c8b4 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-b-1928-agamograph-perspex-91-c-fb648f8851 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-agam-b-1928-prismograph-244-c-d974343bd6 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-b-1928-signed-numbered-three-dimensional-artwork-390-c-73541048ba - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-israeli-b-1928-101-c-6034b0a841 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-israeli-b-1928-55-c-c0943a9add - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-yaakov-agam-thanksgiving-rainbow-serigraph-302-c-a374e98b61 ## Appraisily data basis This artist page is built from identity records maintained by the Library of Congress, VIAF, RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History), Wikidata, and the Museum of Modern Art. Market context draws on Appraisily and Invaluable auction-lot data, including sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots where available. Biographical and art-historical claims are cited to authority and museum sources. ## Sources - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80032245 - RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/626 - The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/79 - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q276030 - VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/5137281/ - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaacov_Agam