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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $39, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2001·04 | A widow in her bedroom, N.Y.C. | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·10 | Retired man and his wife at home in a nudist camp one morning, N.J. | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·10 | A family one evening in a nudist camp, PA. | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·10 | Tattooed Man at a Carnival, MD (1970) | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·04 | Untitled (Vineland) (1970-71) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·04 | Identical Twins | $60,000–$80,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·12 | A child crying, N.J. | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·12 | Untitled (1) | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·12 | Rudolf Nureyev and Erik Bruhn, 1963 | $3,371–$4,719 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·10 | Headless Woman | $8,000–$10,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·10 | A Box of Ten Photographs | $80,000–$100,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·10 | Topless dancer in her dressing room, San Francisco, Cal. | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·10 | Two Girls in Matching Bathing Suits, Coney Island, New York (1967) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Mae West in a Chair at Home, Santa Monica, C.A. (1965) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·12 | Female impersonators' dressing room, NYC (1958) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·11 | Man at a parade on Fifth Avenue, N.Y.C., 1969 | gelatin silver print, printed later by Neil Selkirk | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1998·10 | Untitled (8) (1970-71) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·10 | Topless Dancer in Her Dressing Room, San Francisco, California (1968) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·10 | Headless Woman (1961) | $9,000–$12,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·10 | Mother Holding Her Child at a Diaper Derby, New Jersey (1967) | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | Untitled (7) (1970-71) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | Teenage Couple on Hudson Street, N.Y.C. | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | Untitled 18 (1970-71) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | The House of Horrors, Coney Island, NY (1962) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $39, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.