French/Polish, 1908–2001
Balthus
260results on record
65%sell-through
$33,202median result (USD, incl. premium; 98% observed, 2% estimated from hammer)
$19,002,500record in our coverage
Drawn from 260 recorded results (228 sold · 32 passed) across 16 auction houses, 1998–2026. 4 upcoming lots on the ledger. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 98% observed, 2% estimated from hammer method · log scale
Where does a value land in this market?
The same figure also answers the seller's question: which house clears a work like this, and for how much — expected proceeds by house, from the sell-through the rest of this page is built on.
Every sold result for this market, low to high (log scale) — the dashed line is the median. Enter a value to see where it lands.
By medium where medium is recorded or stated in the catalog line
| Medium | Results | Sell-through | Median result (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| works on paper | 66 | 84% | $22,662 |
| painting | 27 | 57% | $250,900 |
| prints | 13 | 100% | $1,351 |
| other | 3 | n/a | $4,800 |
Medium is recorded for 109 of 260 results (42%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Pablo Picasso Balthus Pablo Picasso
| Metric | Balthus | Pablo Picasso |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $33,202 | $10,507 |
| Record price | $19,002,500 | $179,365,000 |
| Results on record | 260 | 29,706 |
| Years active at auction | 1998–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Pablo PicassoMarc ChagallJoan MiróHenri Matisse
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
61/ 100
- Sell-through65%
- Meets estimate38%
- Market depth260 results
How readily and near-estimate this market clears — sell-through, estimate reliability, and depth, blended into one score. "Meets estimate" is the share of sold lots hammering at or above the low estimate, over catalogs that print a real appraisal: a house whose printed low is a starting bid would meet its estimate on every lot, so those lots are excluded from this term only — their prices and outcomes still count in the other two. Method →
Where this artist sells best
| House | Results | Sell-through | Median | vs. estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sotheby's | 130 | 69% | $47,597 | 0.75× |
| Christie's | 83 | 93% | $34,379 | — |
| Bonhams | 10 | 60% | $18,049 | 0.85× |
| Phillips | 6 | 83% | $10,000 | — |
| Ketterer Kunst | 4 | — | $9,905 | — |
| Wright | 5 | 60% | $750 | — |
| International Autograph Auctions | 3 | — | $295 | 0.76× |
| Freeman's | Hindman | 3 | 67% | $4,800 | 0.50× |
| SBI Art Auction | 2 | 100% | $992 | — |
| Rago | 1 | 100% | $2,250 | — |
| Grisebach | 1 | — | $12,026 | — |
| Heritage Auctions | 2 | 50% | $5,250 | — |
| Lempertz | 3 | 0% | — | — |
| Finarte | 1 | 0% | — | — |
| Casa d'aste Boetto | 1 | 0% | — | — |
| Dorotheum | 5 | 0% | — | — |
The same artist across every house we cover — hammer-vs-estimate side by side. A dash in the estimate column can mean withheld rather than unpublished: the house publishes no hammer price, or its printed low is a starting bid rather than an appraisal. Method →
Prices realized 264 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 32 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2026·09 | Étude pour "Jeune fille se chaussant" | Pencil on paper | $13,847–$17,308 | Sotheby's | ||
| 2026·09 | Nu debout et personnage assis | Pencil on paper | $11,539–$17,308 | Sotheby's | ||
| 2026·06 | Le Vase bleu | $197,412–$329,020 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·05 | Le Gottéron | $200,000–$300,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·05 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2026·04 | Michelina | graphite et pierre noire sur papier | $23,594–$35,391 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | (1908-2001) | $231–$347 | International Autograph Auctions | |||
| 2026·03 | Michelina | pencil on buff paper | $8,001–$10,668 | Christie's | ||
| 2025·10 | Nu | graphite sur papier en peau d'éléphant | $34,836–$58,060 | Christie's | ||
| 2025·09 | (1908-2001) | $295–$414 | International Autograph Auctions | |||
| 2025·05 | Étude pour "Le Peintre et son modèle" | graphite et estompe sur papier | $13,627–$18,170 | Christie's | ||
| 2025·04 | Mais C'était un de Leurs Grands Amusements de se Sauver dans la Lande ( Study for Wuthering Heights, a double-sided work), 1933 | China ink on paper | $8,000–$12,000 | Freeman's | Hindman | ||
| 2025·04 | Jeune Fille Lisant , 1924-25 | India ink on paper | $5,000–$8,000 | Freeman's | Hindman | ||
| 2025·04 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2025·04 | Étude pour 'Femme couchée' | $15,822–$23,733 | Bonhams | |||
| 2024·12 | (1908-2001) | $211–$316 | International Autograph Auctions | |||
| 2024·11 | Jeune fille à sa toilette | $200,000–$300,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2024·11 | Nu assis | pencil on paper | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2024·11 | La Ferme à Chassy (Le Printemps) | $300,000–$500,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·11 | Étude pour 'Jeune fille à la fenêtre' | $80,000–$120,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·10 | Jeunes Garçons Jouant au Cerceau , 1924-1925 | Ink on paper | $4,000–$6,000 | Freeman's | Hindman | ||
| 2024·10 | Buste de jeune fille | oil on canvas | $261,262–$391,894 | Christie's | ||
| 2024·09 | Twelve Lithographs for Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë | $1,329–$1,993 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·07 | Minotaure et jeune fille; projet de blason (recto); Sans titre (verso) | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2024·06 | Étude pour "Thérèse rêvant" | $63,284–$88,597 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·06 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2024·06 | Dessins (Drawings) | $2,554–$3,831 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·06 | L'Élèvement des Filles de Leucippe (copy after Rubens) | $4,349–$5,436 | Lempertz | |||
| 2024·06 | Ignudo (after Michelangelo) | $5,436–$6,523 | Lempertz | |||
| 2024·06 | Scène érotique - Étude de personnage | $7,610–$9,785 | Lempertz | |||
| 2024·05 | Le panier de cerises | oil and Casein on canvas | $200,000–$300,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2024·04 | Etude pour "Léna de profil" | $6,412–$8,549 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·04 | Portrait de Frédérique | $12,471–$18,707 | Bonhams | |||
| 2024·03 | Nu assoupi | $25,000–$35,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·12 | Le Gottéron | $91,530–$137,295 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·11 | Portrait de Frédérique 弗雷德里克的肖像 | $6,412–$8,976 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·11 | La Patience | $12,000,000–$18,000,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·11 | La Ferme à Chassy (Le Printemps) | $700,000–$900,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·11 | Fleurs | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·10 | Jeune fille assise | $316,740–$527,900 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·10 | Étude pour 'Femme couchée' | $30,305–$42,427 | Bonhams | |||
| 2023·10 | Étude pour ‘Le Peintre et son modèle’ | $340,996–$487,138 | Phillips | |||
| 2023·07 | Fruits dans une assiette | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·06 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2023·06 | Paysage de Monte Calvello | $13,314–$19,971 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·04 | L’enfant gourmand | $87,552–$109,440 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2023·04 | Portrait de Laurence B. | huile sur toile | $16,410–$21,880 | Christie's | ||
| 2023·04 | Étude de nu | huile sur papier marouflé sur toile | $87,520–$131,280 | Christie's | ||
| 2023·03 | Légumes dans un bol et huilier | watercolour and pencil on paper | $23,981–$35,971 | Christie's | ||
| 2023·03 | Nature morte au chapeau bernois | oil on canvas | $71,942–$95,922 | Christie's | ||
| 2022·11 | La Sieste | $700,000–$1,000,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2022·11 | Le Vigneron | $120,000–$180,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·11 | Fruits dans une assiette | $80,000–$120,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·11 | Nu assoupi | $70,000–$90,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·10 | Tôt le matin | $246,525–$345,135 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·10 | Nu debout ( recto ); Nu debout les bras croisés ( verso ) | graphite sur papier | $4,865–$7,784 | Christie's | ||
| 2022·10 | Katia endormie | pencil on paper | $80,000–$120,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2022·10 | Portrait d'Alice | $4,496–$6,744 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·05 | Le Gottéron | $300,000–$500,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·05 | Nu au béret | pencil on paper | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2022·05 | Portrait de Jacqueline Matisse | $32,521–$45,029 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·05 | Nu sur un canapé | $5,003–$7,505 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·03 | Etude pour "Nu au repos" | $13,174–$19,760 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2022·03 | Nu endormi | $989,460–$1,319,280 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2021·12 | Portrait de Laurence B | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2021·11 | Deux Dormeuses | $60,000–$80,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2021·11 | Japonaise au miroir noir | Casein and tempera on canvas | $1,500,000–$2,000,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2021·10 | Nudo disteso, 1974 | $28,982–$34,779 | Finarte | |||
| 2021·09 | Portait de Frédérique | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2021·07 | Jeune fille à la fenêtre (from the Dessins portfolio) | $500–$700 | Wright | |||
| 2021·05 | Etude pour "Le Rêve II" | pencil on paper | $150,000–$250,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2021·05 | Nu allongé | oil on canvas | $100,000–$150,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2021·05 | Étude pour "Le Chat de la Méditerranée" | $500,000–$700,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2021·03 | Léna aux bras croisés | $164,374–$211,338 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2021·03 | Portrait de Frédérique | $7,045–$9,393 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2021·02 | Jeune fille à la fenêtre (from the Dessins portfolio) | $500–$700 | Wright | |||
| 2020·10 | Nature morte | huile sur toile | $41,496–$65,208 | Christie's | ||
| 2020·08 | 嵐が丘より | — | SBI Art Auction | |||
| 2020·07 | und Rainer Maria Rilke, Mitsou, 1921 | $2,038–$2,038 | Ketterer Kunst | |||
| 2020·06 | nu à la veste rose | $112,220–$168,330 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2020·03 | Untitled | $3,000–$5,000 | Rago | |||
| 2020·03 | Butterflying | $5,000–$7,000 | Wright | |||
| 2020·03 | Untitled (study for Nu de Profil) | $10,000–$15,000 | Wright | |||
| 2020·02 | Jeune fille lisant | pencil on paper | $9,079–$12,970 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·11 | étude pour "le rêve i" | $250,000–$350,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·11 | Etude pour Nu au repos | pencil on paper | $200,000–$300,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·11 | Katia dans un fauteuil les bras levés | pencil on paper | $250,000–$350,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | (1908-2001) | $110,870–$123,066 | Casa d'aste Boetto | |||
| 2019·10 | Portrait de Frédérique Tison | graphite sur papier | $11,144–$16,716 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·05 | étude pour “le salon” | $2,500,000–$3,500,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·05 | Nu debout | pencil on paper | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·05 | Thérèse sur une banquette | oil on board | $12,000,000–$18,000,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·12 | Femme nue allongée | brown crayon on paper | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·06 | Paysage de Monte Calvello | $15,810–$23,715 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·05 | Double étude de nu | China ink on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2018·05 | Jeune fille assoupie | pencil on paper | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·05 | Untitled | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·05 | Etude pour Nu de profil | on paper, lightly squared for transfer | $300,000–$500,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·05 | Nu assis | brown Conté crayon on paper | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·05 | Portrait d'Alice 11 3/8 x 9 1/8 in (29 x 23 cm) | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.