American, 1917–2009
Irving Penn
1,559results on record
73%sell-through
$28,800median result (USD, incl. premium; 100% observed, 0% estimated from hammer)
$567,600record in our coverage
Drawn from 1,559 recorded results (1,372 sold · 187 passed) across 17 auction houses, 1998–2026. 21 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 | 972 | 87% | $27,960 |
| other | 58 | 64% | $22,860 |
| ceramics & design | 19 | 58% | $23,220 |
| prints | 10 | 100% | $23,500 |
| sculpture | 6 | 100% | $19,515 |
| painting | 4 | 100% | $8,066 |
| works on paper | 4 | 50% | $31,090 |
Medium is recorded for 1,073 of 1,559 results (69%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Robert Mapplethorpe Irving Penn Robert Mapplethorpe
| Metric | Irving Penn | Robert Mapplethorpe |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $28,800 | $15,000 |
| Record price | $567,600 | $726,348 |
| Results on record | 1,559 | 1,490 |
| Years active at auction | 1998–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Robert MapplethorpeHenri Cartier-bressonHelmut NewtonHorst P. Horst
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
73/ 100
- Sell-through73%
- Meets estimate61%
- Market depth1,559 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 | 641 | 97% | $28,944 | — |
| Sotheby's | 425 | 68% | $28,576 | 0.88× |
| Phillips | 364 | 77% | $36,250 | — |
| Heritage Auctions | 46 | 70% | $11,352 | — |
| Bonhams | 57 | 53% | $10,240 | 0.76× |
| Grisebach | 8 | — | $11,009 | — |
| Lempertz | 5 | 50% | $20,696 | — |
| Wright | 8 | 38% | $215 | — |
| Artcurial | 3 | — | $535 | 0.73× |
| Finarte | 3 | 100% | $2,634 | 0.84× |
| Rago | 3 | 67% | $14,075 | — |
| SBI Art Auction | 4 | 50% | $11,781 | — |
| Chiswick Auctions | 1 | 100% | $7,102 | — |
| Lyon & Turnbull | 1 | — | $6,988 | 3.20× |
| Stockholms Auktionsverk Fine Art | 1 | — | $9,101 | 0.71× |
| Karlstad Hammarö Auktionsverk | 1 | — | $64 | 0.95× |
| Freeman's | Hindman | 1 | 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 1,593 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 187 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026·09 | 'Butcher, London' | $40,000–$60,000 | upcoming | Bonhams | ||
| 2026·09 | Augustus John, 1960; printed 1976 | platinum palladium print | $10,000–$15,000 | upcoming | Freeman's | Hindman | |
| 2026·09 | Cecil Beaton, 1958; printed 1972 | platinum palladium print, flush-mounted to aluminum | $5,000–$7,000 | upcoming | Freeman's | Hindman | |
| 2026·09 | Nude 58, 1950; printed 1968 | platinum palladium print | $25,000–$35,000 | upcoming | Freeman's | Hindman | |
| 2026·09 | Two Men with Grass Hair, New Guinea , 1970; printed 1983 | platinum palladium print on Rives paper flush-mounted to aluminum | $10,000–$15,000 | upcoming | Freeman's | Hindman | |
| 2026·09 | A Group of Five First Edition Volumes, 1991- | $337–$472 | upcoming | Chiswick Auctions | ||
| 94 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2026·07 | Charbonnier, Paris | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·07 | Ocelot (SK87) | — | SBI Art Auction | |||
| 2026·06 | Passage; Platinum Prints; Dancer (3 books), 1991; 2001; 2005; | 4to | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2026·06 | Cigarette No. 17, New York | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·06 | Nude No. 143, New York | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·06 | Father kneeling with seated child, Cuzco, Peru | $17,460–$23,280 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·05 | Fish Bones on a Plate, New York, 21 October 1993 | — | Chiswick Auctions | |||
| 2026·04 | The Museum of Modern Art, New York. | $54–$54 | Karlstad Hammarö Auktionsverk | |||
| 2026·04 | Marcel Duchamp, New York, April 30 | $30,000–$40,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Orchid, Rhyncholaelia Digbyana, New York | $16,252–$24,379 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Woman in Feather Hat, New York | $40,631–$67,718 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Rock Groups, Big Brother and the Holding Company and The Grateful Dead, San Francisco | $16,252–$24,379 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Cigarette No. 86 | $13,544–$20,315 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Deep Sea Diver, New York’ | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Taxi Driver (New York)’ | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Motorcycle Policeman, New York’ | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Gas Company Mechanic, N. Y.’ | $50,000–$70,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Flower Delivery Messenger, N. Y.’ | $45,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Porter (Train Station Porter) (Pullman Porter), New York’ | $45,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | ‘Train Coach Waiter, New York’ | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | Cigarette No. 42 | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Three Squatting Sisters, Nepal | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Three Asaro Mud Men | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Tambul Warrior, New Guinea | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Sculptor’s Model, Paris | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Girl Drinking (Mary Jane Russell), New York | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Black and White Vogue Cover (Jean Patchett), New York | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Nude 40 | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·04 | Nora Kaye, André Eglevsky and Alicia Alonso, New York | Gelatin silver print | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2026·03 | 'Four Guedras (Morocco)' | $30,000–$50,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·03 | Cuzco Children | $60,000–$80,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·02 | Watercolor Palette, New York | $40,000–$60,000 | Rago | |||
| 2026·01 | VOGUE Fashion Portraits | — | SBI Art Auction | |||
| 2026·01 | Chanel Zipper Belt (for 'Vogue') | $800–$1,200 | Bonhams | |||
| 2025·12 | Two Liqueurs | $100,000–$150,000 | Rago | |||
| 2025·11 | Nude 115 | $9,266–$13,900 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | Chanel Feather Headdress [by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Haute Couture], New York, 1994 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1996, flush-mounted on aluminium | $52,254–$75,478 | Christie's | ||
| 2025·10 | Dorian Leigh and Ray Bolger, Vogue Cover | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | 'Mermaid Dress (Rochas), Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn' | $60,000–$90,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | Rock Groups, San Francisco (Big Brother and the Holding Company and The Grateful Dead) | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2025·10 | Salad Ingredients, New York | $50,000–$70,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Young Gypsy Couple, Extremadura, Spain | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Still Life with Watermelon, New York | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Black and White Hat, New York | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Ginkgo Leaves, New York | $200,000–$300,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Nude No. 58, New York | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Untitled | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Black and White Vogue Cover, New York | $80,000–$120,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Black and White Fashion (Jean Patchett), New York | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Callot Swallow-Tail Dress (about 1919), New York | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Marriageable Young Woman of Imilchil, Morocco | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | New Guinea Man and Child with White Faces, New Guinea | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Girl Behind Bottle (Jean Patchett), New York | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Marcel Duchamp (1 of 2), New York | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Miles Davis Hand on Trumpet, New York | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong (1 of 3), New York | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Girl in Bath (Jean Patchett), New York | $80,000–$120,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Young Woman in a Net (Miyake Design), New York | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Bouillabaisse, Barcelona | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Cracked Egg, New York | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | 12 Hands of Miles Davis and His Trumpet, New York | $60,000–$80,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Train Coach Waiter, New York | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Charwomen, London | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Italian Still Life (B), New York | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Lorry Washers, London | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Orangutan and Chimpanzee with Coconut, New York | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Gisele Reading (A), New York | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Woman in a Burlap Sack, New York | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Coffee Pot, New York | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Giraffe, Prague | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Window Washer, London | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Fishmonger, London | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Still Life of Nine Pieces | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Télégraphiste, Paris | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Composition with Pitcher and Eau de Cologne, New York | $12,000–$18,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Chanel Feather Headdress, New York | $40,000–$60,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Gaultier Eye Earrings, New York | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Metropolis, New York | $20,000–$30,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Sewing Machine and Four Objects | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Untitled | $10,000–$15,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Bee (A), New York | $60,000–$80,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York | $200,000–$300,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Poppy ‘Barr's White’, New York | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Yves Saint Laurent Blouse, New York | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Single Miyake Warrior, New York | $25,000–$35,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Silver and Gold Makeup (B), New York | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Chimney Sweep (B), London | $50,000–$70,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Rag and Bone Man (A), London | $50,000–$70,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Three Poppies 'Arab Chief', New York | $100,000–$150,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Mouth (For L’Oréal) (A), New York | $200,000–$300,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Croissant, New York | $30,000–$50,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | The Spilled Cream, New York | $15,000–$25,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Lily 'Imperial Pink', New York | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2025·10 | Poppy 'Burgundy', New York | $70,000–$90,000 | Phillips | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.