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?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $39, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2020·04 | untitled (female impersonators backstage, n. y. c.) | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2020·04 | untitled (1) | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·11 | madame alix grès, pour harper's bazaar, 1964 | $6,923–$9,231 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·11 | a puerto rican housewife, nyc, 1963 | $5,770–$8,077 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·11 | the junior interstate ballroom dance champions, yonckers ny, 1962 | $23,078–$34,617 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·10 | 'lady at a masked ball with two roses on her dress, n. y. c.' | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·10 | 'widow in her bedroom, 55th street, n .y. c.' | $80,000–$120,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·10 | jim warren’s famous monsters fan club, queens, new york, chapter | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2019·10 | Teenage boy on a bench in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962 | gelatin silver print | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | Two girls in matching bathing suits, Coney Island, N.Y., 1967 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | A young waitress at a nudist camp, N.J. 1963 | gelatin silver print, printed 1967 | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | Mae West in her bedroom, Santa Monica, Cal. 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | A young Negro boy, Washington Square Park, N.Y.C., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | Outer display on 42nd St. for 'New Orleans After Dark', N.Y.C., 1958 | gelatin silver print | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | Woman on a park bench on a sunny day, N.Y.C., 1969 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·10 | Two female impersonators backstage, N.Y.C. | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | Loser at a Diaper Derby, N.J. | $5,000–$7,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | People on a park bench, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | Retired man and his wife at home in a nudist camp one morning, N.J. | $60,000–$80,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | Woman carrying a child in Central Park, N.Y.C. | $6,000–$8,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | Woman with parcels, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | Waitress, Nudist Camp N.J. | $12,000–$18,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | Couple in bed under paper lantern, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·10 | The Junior Interstate Ballroom Dance Champions, Yonkers, NY | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·07 | Female impersonators in mirrors, NYC | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2019·06 | Lady in a rooming house parlor, Albion, NY | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·06 | Patriotic Young Man with a Flag, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·06 | Puerto Rican Woman with a Beauty Mark, NYC | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·05 | Blaze Starr backstage, Baltimore, MD | $8,090–$10,787 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·04 | Female Impersonators in Mirrors, New York City | Gelatin silver printed by Neil Selkirk,1980 | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2019·04 | Transvestite at her birthday party, N.Y.C. | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2019·04 | Woman in her rocking chair, S.C. | $6,000–$8,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2019·04 | Widow in her bedroom, N.Y.C. | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2019·04 | Burlesque comedienne in her dressing room, Atlantic City, NJ | $15,000–$25,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2019·04 | Child in a beret, N.Y.C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·04 | Two Ladies Walking In Central Park, N.Y.C. | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·04 | Young Couple in Washington Square Park, NYC | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·04 | Clouds on Screen at a Drive-In Movie, N.J. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·04 | Couple arguing, Coney Island, N.Y. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2019·04 | A family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N.Y. 1968 | gelatin silver print, printed 1970–1971 | $250,000–$350,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·04 | Man and a boy on a bench in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962 | gelatin silver print, printed 1963 | $15,000–$25,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·04 | Untitled (3), 1970–1971 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·04 | Topless dancer in her dressing room, San Francisco, Cal., 1968 | gelatin silver print, printed 1973 by Neil Selkirk | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·04 | A very thin man in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1961 | gelatin silver print, printed by 1965 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·04 | Untitled (4), 1970–1971 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·03 | Teenage couple on Hudson Street N.Y.C, 1963 | gelatin silver print | $161,799–$242,699 | Christie's | ||
| 2019·01 | Mae West in a Chair at Home, Santa Monica | $7,000–$9,000 | Wright | |||
| 2018·12 | Four people at a gallery opening, N.Y.C. | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·12 | Untitled (7) | $7,000–$9,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·11 | Kenneth Noland and girlfriend Stephanie Gordon | $9,231–$11,539 | Lempertz | |||
| 2018·11 | Transvestite at a Drag Ball, New York City | $3,462–$4,616 | Lempertz | |||
| 2018·11 | Girl in a coat lying on her bed, NYC, 1968 | $8,077–$10,385 | Christie's | |||
| 2018·10 | Identical twins, Roselle, N.J., 1966 | gelatin silver print, printed 1966–1969 | $500,000–$700,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·10 | Masked woman in a wheelchair, Pa., 1970 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·10 | Blaze Starr backstage, Baltimore, Md., 1964 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·10 | Untitled (8) | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | Two ladies walking in Central Park, N.Y.C. | $50,000–$70,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | Adolescent girl at a nudist camp, N.J. | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | Two boys smoking in Central Park, N.Y.C. | $50,000–$70,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | A house on a hill, Hollywood, Cal. | $35,000–$55,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | A castle in Disneyland, Cal. | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | Lady in a rooming house parlor, Albion, NY | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | Young couple on a bench in Washington Square Park, N.Y.C. | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | New York skyline in a lobby, NYC | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | Woman at a counter smoking, N.Y.C. | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·10 | Patriotic young man with a flag, N.Y.C. | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·10 | A family one night in a nudist camp, Pennsylvania | $40,000–$60,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·05 | 'woman with a briefcase and pocketbook', nyc, 1962 | $26,967–$40,450 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·05 | Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. | $94,383–$121,350 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·04 | 'identical twins, roselle, n. j.' | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | 'topless dancer in her dressing room, san francisco, cal.' | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | 'a jewish giant at home with his parents in the bronx, n. y.' | $50,000–$70,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | 'child with a toy hand grenade in central park, n. y. c.' | $70,000–$100,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | 'mexican dwarf in his hotel room, n. y. c.' | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | 'boy in straw hat waiting to march in a pro-war parade, n. y. c.' | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | 'rocks on wheels, disneyland, cal.' | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | 'russian midget friends in a living room on 100th st, nyc' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·04 | A House on a Hill, Hollywood, Cal. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2018·04 | A young man and his girlfriend with hot dogs in the park, N.Y.C. 1971 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·04 | Woman with a locket in Washington Square Park, N.Y.C., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·04 | Untitled (19), 1970–1971 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·04 | A box of ten photographs | $500,000–$700,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2018·04 | Tattooed man at a carnival, Md., 1970 | gelatin silver print, printed 1973 by Neil Selkirk | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·04 | Amy Arbus in Profile, c. 1959 | gelatin silver print, mounted on board | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·04 | Russian midget friends in a living room on 100th St, N.Y.C., 1963 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2018·02 | Portfolio (twelve photographs) | Photogravure | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2017·12 | Transvestite at her Birthday Party, N.Y.C. | Gelatin silver, 1972 | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2017·11 | „Child teasing another, N.Y.C.“. 1960 | Later gelatin silver print from Neil Selkirk | $5,770–$8,077 | Grisebach | ||
| 2017·11 | Identical twins, Roselle, N.J, 1966 | $461,560–$692,340 | Christie's | |||
| 2017·10 | Young Girl at Nudist Camp | $5,000–$7,000 | Wright | |||
| 2017·10 | Two ladies at the automat, N. Y. C., 1966 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2017·10 | Untitled (8), 1970–1971 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2017·10 | Mrs. T. Charlton Henry in an evening gown, Philadelphia, PA., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2017·10 | national junior interstate dance champions of 1963, yonkers, n. y. | $150,000–$250,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·10 | Albino Sword Swallower at a Carnival, MD. | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2017·10 | A family one night in a nudist camp, Pennsylvania | $60,000–$80,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2017·07 | 'Russian Midget Friends in a Living Room on 100th St, NYC' | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·05 | A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y., 1970 | gelatin silver print | $300,000–$500,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2017·04 | Female Impersonator on a Bed, N.Y.C., 1961 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2017·04 | Bishop on her Bed, Santa Barbara, Cal., 1964 | gelatin silver print | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $39, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.