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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $39, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2017·04 | Bishop on her Bed, Santa Barbara, Cal., 1964 | gelatin silver print | $20,000–$30,000 | 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 | Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962 | gelatin silver print | $400,000–$600,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2017·04 | 'Fire Eater at a Carnival, Palisades Park, N. J.' | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·04 | 'Russian Midget Friends in a Living Room on 100th St, NYC' | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·04 | 'Couple on a Pier, NYC' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·04 | 'Young Boy with a Button Flag in a Pro-War Parade N. Y. C.' (Patriotic Young Man) | $70,000–$100,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·04 | A Young Waitress at a Nudist Camp, N.J. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2017·04 | Patriotic Young Man with a Flag, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2017·04 | Masked Woman in a Wheel Chair, PA. | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·11 | 'Mother holding her Child', N.J., 1967 | $9,231–$13,847 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·11 | 'topless dancer in her dressing room', san francisco, california, 1968 | $17,308–$23,078 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·11 | Untitled #8, 1970-1971 | $8,077–$10,385 | Christie's | |||
| 2016·11 | Waitress, Nudist Camp, N.J. | $26,967–$40,450 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·11 | A Woman with her Baby Monkey, N.J. | $5,000–$7,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·10 | Two Friends at Home, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·10 | 'Man at a Parade on Fifth Avenue NYC' | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·10 | Young Man in a Baggy Suit, N. Y. C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·10 | 'A Castle in Disneyland, Cal.' | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·10 | Toddler being held in garden, N.J. | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Marvin Israel | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Thomas Hoving on a bench, N.Y.C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Fat man at a carnival, MD., 1970 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·10 | Baby in a lacey bonnet, N.Y.C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | A sleeping baby, N.J. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Toddler being held by nurse, N.J. | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Mrs. T. Charlton Henry on a floral easy chair, Philadelphia, Pa. | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Max Maxwell Landar, Uncle Sam, N.Y.C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Reed Buchanan, N.Y.C. | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Beauty contest at a nudist camp, PA., 1965 | gelatin silver print | $30,000–$50,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·10 | Two female impersonators, Apollo theater, N.Y.C., 1962 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·10 | Promotion Flyer for 'A Box of Ten Photographs' | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Maria Christina Drew, N.Y.C. | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Ruth St. Denis (alternate), Cal. | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Seated female impersonator with arms crossed on her bare chest, N.Y.C. | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962 | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·10 | Headless man, N.Y.C., 1961 | gelatin silver print | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·05 | Burlesque Commedienne in her Dressing Room, Atlantic City, NY, 1963 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,090–$10,787 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·05 | Three transvestites in evening dress at a lounge, N.Y.C. | $13,483–$20,225 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·05 | Woman with a locket in Washington Square Park, N.Y.C. | $5,393–$8,090 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·04 | Two Friends at Home, N.Y.C. | $10,000–$15,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·04 | A Woman with her Baby Monkey, N.J. | $7,000–$9,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·04 | Loser at a Diaper Derby, N.J. | Gelatin silver, printed by Neil Selkirk in 1972 | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2016·04 | 'A House on a Hill, Hollywood, Cal.' | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·04 | 'A Castle in Disneyland, Cal.' | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·04 | Boy with a straw hat waiting to march in a pro-war parade, N.Y.C., 1967 | gelatin silver print | $200,000–$300,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·04 | Untitled 8, 1970-1971 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·04 | South Bay Singles: Couple on a Chaise Lounge | $6,000–$8,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·04 | Untitled No. 1 | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·04 | Miss Venice Beach, Cal. | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2016·04 | 'Tattooed Man at a Carnival MD' | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·04 | 'Xmas Tree in a Living Room in Levittown LI' | $25,000–$35,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·02 | A young girl at a nudist camp, PA., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Lady in a rooming house parlor, Albion, NY., 1963 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Mia Villiers-Farrow on a bed, 1964 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Albino sword swallower and her sister, Hagerstown, MD., 1970 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Teenager with a baseball bat, N.Y.C., 1962 | gelatin silver print | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Burlesque comedienne in her dressing room, Atlantic City, NJ., 1963 | gelatin silver print | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Lady at a masked ball with two roses on her dress, 1967 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Untitled #01, 1970-71 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Mae West in a chair at home, Santa Monica, Cal., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | A family one evening in a nudist camp, PA., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·02 | Two friends in the Park, N.Y.C., 1965 | gelatin silver print | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·12 | Two friends at home, N.Y.C., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·12 | Untitled (21), 1970-1971 | gelatin silver print, printed by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·12 | Untitled (20), 1970-71 (Variant) | gelatin silver print, printed by Neil Selkirk | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·11 | Untitled (28) | gelatin silver print | $6,742–$9,438 | Unsold listing | Christie's | |
| 2015·11 | 'identical twins, cathleen and colleen, roselle, new jersey', 1967 | $230,780–$346,170 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·11 | 'triplets, new jersey', 1963 | $92,312–$138,468 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·11 | Portfolio | Twelve photogravures | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·10 | A Woman with her Baby Monkey, N.J. | $10,000–$15,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·10 | A woman in a bird mask, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·10 | Man at a parade on Fifth Avenue, N.Y.C. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·10 | A family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N.Y. | $250,000–$350,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·10 | A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y. | $50,000–$70,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·10 | 'a castle in disneyland, cal.' | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·10 | national junior interstate dance champions of 1963, yonkers, n. y. | $250,000–$350,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·10 | Untitled (3), 1970-1971 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·07 | 'blonde girl with shiny lipstick, n. y. c.' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·07 | 'South Bay Singles: Couple on a Chaise Lounge' | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·07 | 'A Young Man and His Girlfriend with Hot Dogs in the Park, N. Y. C.' | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·07 | 'girl in her circus costume, md' | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·06 | „Madame Alix Gres, N.Y.C.“. 1964 | Later gelatin silver print by Neil Selkirk | $5,193–$5,770 | Grisebach | ||
| 2015·05 | Identical Twins, Roselle, N.J. | $337,082–$471,915 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·05 | Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962 | gelatin silver print | $500,000–$700,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·04 | Addie Taylor in her Shack, Beaufort, South Carolina | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·04 | Lady at a masked ball with two roses on her dress, N.Y.C. | $8,000–$12,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·04 | Barefoot Child Jumping Rope, NYC | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·04 | Jayne Mansfield Climber-Ottaviano, actress, with her daughter Jayne Marie, L.A., C.A. | $7,000–$9,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·04 | Lady bartender at home with souvenir dog, New Orleans | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·04 | 'Masked Woman in a Wheelchair, PA' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·04 | 'young boy with a button and flag in a pro-war parade, n. y. c.' (patriotic young man) | $70,000–$100,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·04 | 'Burlesque Commedienne in Her Dressing Room, Atlantic City, N.J.' | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·04 | A widow in her bedroom on 55th St., NYC | $200,000–$250,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2015·03 | Couple under a paper lantern, N.Y.C., 1966 | gelatin silver print | $30,000–$50,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·03 | A young girl at a nudist camp, PA, 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $7,000–$9,000 | Unsold listing | Christie's | |
| 2015·03 | Young couple on a bench in Washington Square Park, N.Y.C., 1965 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·03 | Uncle Sam in the snow, Washington, D.C., 1960 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·03 | Three circus ballerinas, N.J., 1964 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·03 | Masked woman in a wheelchair, PA, 1970 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Unsold listing | Christie's | |
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $39, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.