American, 1923–1971
Diane Arbus
811results on record
74%sell-through
$12,500median result (USD, incl. premium; 100% observed, 0% estimated from hammer)
$1,197,000record in our coverage
Drawn from 811 recorded results (697 sold · 114 passed) across 12 auction houses, 1998–2026. 8 upcoming lots on the ledger. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 100% observed, 0% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| photography | 438 | 84% | $13,750 |
| ceramics & design | 22 | 77% | $11,400 |
| other | 10 | 80% | $132,000 |
| prints | 4 | 75% | $1,750 |
| painting | 3 | n/a | $9,560 |
Medium is recorded for 477 of 811 results (59%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Irving Penn Diane Arbus Irving Penn
| Metric | Diane Arbus | Irving Penn |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $12,500 | $28,800 |
| Record price | $1,197,000 | $567,600 |
| Results on record | 811 | 1,559 |
| Years active at auction | 1998–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Irving PennRobert MapplethorpeHenri Cartier-bressonAnsel Adams
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
68/ 100
- Sell-through74%
- Meets estimate48%
- Market depth811 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christie's | 245 | 95% | $13,750 | — |
| Sotheby's | 246 | 72% | $15,625 | 0.78× |
| Phillips | 196 | 77% | $13,380 | — |
| Heritage Auctions | 39 | 87% | $4,375 | — |
| Bonhams | 51 | 45% | $8,320 | 0.78× |
| Grisebach | 16 | — | $8,401 | — |
| Lempertz | 9 | 100% | $4,435 | — |
| Rago | 5 | 100% | $4,064 | — |
| Wright | 4 | 75% | $6,250 | — |
| Viscontea auction house | 2 | 50% | $1,641 | 0.57× |
| SBI Art Auction | 1 | 0% | — | — |
| Finarte | 2 | 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 824 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 114 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026·09 | A husband and wife in the woods at a nudist camp, N.J., 1963; printed 1972 | gelatin silver print | $4,000–$6,000 | upcoming | Freeman's | Hindman | |
| 2026·09 | Monography, 1972 | $337–$472 | upcoming | Chiswick Auctions | ||
| 96 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2026·07 | A husband and wife in the woods at a nudist camp, N. J. | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·06 | Diane Arbus | 1st edition monograph | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2026·06 | Penelope Tree in her Living Room, New York City | $2,910–$3,492 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·06 | Child in a Beret, New York City | $2,910–$3,492 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·06 | Baseball Game in Central Park, New York City | $4,656–$5,820 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·06 | Girl in a Party Dress, New York City | $2,910–$3,492 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Mexican dwarf in his hotel room in N. Y. C.’ | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Identical twins, Roselle, N. J.’ | $70,000–$100,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘The King and Queen of a Senior Citizens Dance, N.Y.C.’ | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | A Child Crying, N. J. | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Xmas tree in a living room in Levittown, L. I.’ | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Retired man and his wife at home in a nudist camp one morning, N. J.’ | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | A family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N. Y. | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Kids in the surf, Coney Island, N.Y. | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Boy above a Crowd, N.Y.C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Couple on a pier, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Girl in a watch cap, N.Y.C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | The human pincushion, Ronald C. Harrison, N.J. | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Bishop on her bed, Santa Barbara | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | Siamese Twins in a carnival tent, N.J. | $6,000–$8,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | Two Ladies at the Automat, NYC | $20,000–$30,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | 'Parlor, Xmas, Levittown' (Xmas tree in a living room in Levittown, L.I.) | $20,000–$30,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | Germaine Greer | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | Lillian and Dorothy Gish | $7,000–$10,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | 'Courtship, Teenage Couple, Hudson St.' | $60,000–$90,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | Mae West on her bed, Santa Monica, CA | $12,000–$18,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | Two Boys Smoking in Central Park, NYC | Gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2026·04 | A Young Man and His Girlfriend with Hot Dogs in the Park, NYC | Gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2026·03 | Albino sword swallower at a carnival, MD | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·03 | A young waitress at a nudist camp, N.J. | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2025·11 | A Child Crying, N. J. | $5,792–$8,108 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·11 | Tattooed Man at a Carnival, MD. | $9,266–$13,900 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | Lady at a Masked Ball with Two Roses on Her Dress, NYC | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | Two Ladies at the Automat, NYC | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | 'A young man in curlers at home on West 20th Street, N. Y. C.' | $50,000–$70,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | 'A family on the lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N. Y.' | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | 'A young Brooklyn family going for a Sunday outing, N.Y.C.' | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | A young man and his pregnant wife in Washington Square Park, NYC | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | 'A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N. Y.' | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | 'Boy with a straw hat waiting to march in a pro-war parade, N. Y. C.' | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | Identical Twins, Roselle, N. J. | $500,000–$700,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | Three Puerto Rican Ladies, NYC | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Lady at a Masked Ball with Two Roses in Her Dress, NYC | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Woman with a beehive hairdo, N.Y.C. | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Jayne Mansfield Climber-Ottaviano, Actress, with her daughter, Jayne Marie, L.A., California | $6,000–$8,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Alan Arbus | Gelatin silver print | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2025·10 | Girl in a Shiny Dress, NYC | $5,000–$7,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2025·07 | Mexican Dwarf in his Hotel Room in N. Y. C. | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·07 | Untitled (19) | $3,500–$4,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2025·07 | Two Girls in Matching Bathing Suits, Coney Island, NY | $6,000–$8,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2025·06 | James Brown backstage at the Apollo Theater, N.Y.C. 1966 | $2,722–$4,084 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·05 | Lady Bartender at Home with a Souvenir Dog, New Orleans, LA | $11,339–$17,008 | Lempertz | |||
| 2025·05 | Charles Atlas Seated in His Palm Beach Home, FLA | — | SBI Art Auction | |||
| 2025·05 | Untitled (27) | $3,000–$5,000 | Rago | |||
| 2025·05 | A Naked Man Being a Woman | $5,000–$7,000 | Rago | |||
| 2025·05 | A Child Crying, N.J. 1967 | $4,000–$6,000 | Rago | |||
| 2025·04 | Man and a Boy on a Bench in Central Park, New York | Gelatin silver print on Agfa paper, printed later by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2025·04 | A Crying Child, New Jersey | Gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2025·04 | Untitled (20), 1970-71 (Variant) | gelatin silver print, printed by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | upcoming | Christie's | |
| 2025·04 | Elizabeth Taylor look-alike with hands in her hair, London, England, 1969 | gelatin silver print | $30,000–$50,000 | upcoming | Christie's | |
| 2025·04 | Two Ladies at the Automat, N.Y.C | $19,384–$32,307 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·04 | A Woman with Her Baby Monkey, N.J. | $5,000–$7,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·04 | Camp Lakecrest Campers as Trees, Dutchess County, N.Y. | $5,000–$7,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·04 | Boy above a Crowd, N.Y.C. | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·03 | Untitled (Woman With Prizes, Coney Island, New York) | $7,000–$10,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2025·03 | Untitled (19) | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2025·02 | A Family on Their Lawn One Sunday in Westchester, N. Y. | $300,000–$500,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·11 | Child in Nightgown, Shelter Island, NY | $6,337–$8,450 | Lempertz | |||
| 2024·11 | Child running in the Parc, New York City | $6,337–$8,450 | Lempertz | |||
| 2024·11 | Headless Man, N.Y.C | $3,781–$6,302 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·11 | A family one evening in a nudist camp, 1965 | $6,320–$8,848 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·11 | Identical twins, Roselle, N.J., 1967 | $505,614–$758,421 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·11 | Masked woman in a wheelchair, P.A., 1970 | $5,056–$7,584 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·11 | Transvestite at a drag ball, N.Y.C., 1970 | $2,528–$3,792 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·11 | Muscle man in his dressing room with trophy, N.Y.C., 1962 | $6,320–$8,848 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·11 | Family beauty contest at a nudist camp, P.A., 1965 | $6,320–$8,848 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·11 | Two girls in matching bathing suits, Coney Island, N.Y., 1967 | $6,320–$8,848 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·10 | Anderson Hays Cooper, N. Y. C. | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·10 | Young Couple on a Bench in Washington Square Park, NYC | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·10 | Untitled (6) | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·10 | Lady in a Rooming House Parlor, Albion, N. Y. | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·10 | Untitled (3) | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·10 | Woman with a Locket in Washington Square Park, NYC | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2024·10 | Girl with a cigar in Washington Square Park, N.Y.C. | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·10 | Woman by a lampost, N.Y.C. | $6,000–$8,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·10 | Drooping American flag, N.Y.C. | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·10 | Untitled (6) | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2024·10 | Lady bartender at home with a souvenir dog, New Orleans, LA., 1964 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2024·10 | Jacqueline Susann and her husband, Irving Mansfield, Beverly Hills, Cal., 1969 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2024·10 | Boy with a straw hat waiting to march in a pro-war parade, NYC, 1967 | gelatin silver print, printed 1967-1969 | $100,000–$150,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2024·10 | Bishop at the Altar, Santa Barbara | Gelatin silver print on Agfa paper, printed 1984 by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2024·10 | Blaze Starr in her Living Room, Baltimore, Maryland | Gelatin silver print on Agfa paper, printed later by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2024·10 | Young Couple on a Bench in Washington Square, New York City | Gelatin silver print, printed 1972 by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2024·10 | James Brown Backstage at the Apollo Theater, New York City | Gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2024·10 | Woman with Headless Dummy | Gelatin silver print, printed 2003 by Neil Selkirk | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2024·09 | Untitled (19) | $5,000–$7,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2024·09 | The Albino Sword Swallower and Her Sister, MD. | $6,000–$9,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2024·09 | Untitled (3) | $6,000–$8,000 | Bonhams | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.