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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2006·04 | Deep Sea Diver, New York, 1951 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1976 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Three Dahomey Girls, 1967 | platinum-palladium print | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Kuku Kuku Couple, New Guinea, 1974 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1987 | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Three Sitting Men in Masks, Cuzco, Peru, 1948 | gelatin silver print, printed 1949 | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Gypsy Family, 1966 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1980 | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Cretan Landscape, 1964 | pigment print on porcelainized steel | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Three Moroccan Women and a Baby, Morocco, 1971 | gelatin silver print, printed 1991 | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Moroccan Fantasia, Marrakech, 1951 | dye transfer print, printed 1959-1960 | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Camel Pack, 1975 | platinum-palladium print | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Cigarette 111, 1972 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1974 | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Still Life (with Mouse), New York, 1947 | gelatin silver print | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Broken Egg, 1964 | color coupler print | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Woman on the Beach, Smoking, (Mary Jane Russell), Long Island, N.Y., 1949 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1990 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Nude, no. 81, 1949-1950 | gelatin silver print, printed c. 1980 | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Girl in Bed, 1949 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Callot Swallow-Tail Dress, 1977 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1978 | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Lavender Glory Poppy (New York), 1968 | dye transfer print, printed 1984 | $30,000–$50,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Father and Son with Eggs, Cuzco, 1948 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1978 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Cuzco Town Photographer with Barefoot Girl, Peru, 1948 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1989 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Frozen Foods (New York), 1977 | dye transfer print, printed 1984 | $30,000–$40,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Cigarette #69, 1972 | 4-part platinum-palladium print, mounted on linen, printed 1977 | $50,000–$70,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Three Women of Rissani (Morocco), 1971 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1978 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | After Dinner Games, New York, 1947 | dye transfer print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1959-1960 | $50,000–$70,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), 1950 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1979 | $100,000–$150,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Large Sleeve (Sunny Harnett), New York, 1951 | gelatin silver print, printed 1984 | $30,000–$50,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Woman with Roses (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), 1950 | gelatin silver print, printed 1984 | $30,000–$50,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | Sitting Man With Pink Face (B), New Guinea, 1970 | color coupler print, printed 1994 | $9,000–$10,000 | Unsold listing | Christie's | |
| 2006·04 | Georgia O'Keeffe, New York, January 31, 1948 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1986 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·04 | 'man with pink face, new guinea' | $15,000–$20,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | 'Hell's Angel, Doug' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | 'Vionnet Dress with Fan' | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | 'bouchers, paris' | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·02 | Truman Capote, New York, March 5, 1948 | gelatin silver print | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Anaïs Nin, New York, 1971 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1974 | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Duchess of Windsor, New York, May 27, 1948 | gelatin silver print | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Cleaning Women, London, 1950 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1976 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Bouchers, Paris, 1950 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1976 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Deep Sea Diver, New York, 1951 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1976 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | 3 Cretan Women, September, 1964 | platinum-palladium print mounted on aluminum, printed 1974 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Vogue Beauty Head with Eyes Closed (Front View), New York, 1984 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1991 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Issey Miyake Seaweed Dress, New York, 1987 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1993 | $9,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Ray Bolger, New York, November 7, 1947 | gelatin silver print | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Butcher, London, 1951 | platinum–palladium print, printed 1961 | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·12 | Girl (in Bed) on Telephone (Jean Patchett), New York, Apr. 2, 1949 | gelatin silver print | $35,377–$53,065 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Running Children, Morocco, Rabat, 1951 | gelatin silver print, printed before 1959 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Fish Made of Fish, New York, 1939 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1983 | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Father, Son and Grandfather, New Guinea, 1970 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed September-October 1990 | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Guedras in the Wind (Morocco), 1971 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1978 | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Nude #65, 1949-1950 | gelatin silver print | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Cuzco Newsboy, 1948 | gelatin silver print | $15,000–$25,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Colette, 1960 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1968 | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Vionnet Dress with Fan, 1977 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1979 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Nora Kaye, André Eglevsky and Alicia Alonso; and Alicia Markova, 1948 | 2 gelatin silver prints | $12,000–$18,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Ballet Society, 1948 | gelatin silver print | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Giraffe, 1986 | $4,333–$6,066 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Pablo Picasso at 'La Californie', Cannes, 1957 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed June 1974 | $90,000–$120,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Nude No. 115, 1949-50 | gelatin silver print | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Cigarette 65, New York, 1972 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1974 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Camel Pack, 1975 | platinum-palladium print | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Flat Glove, 1975 | platinum-palladium print | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Cocoa Dress (Balenciaga), Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn, Paris, 1950 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed June 1979 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | The Spilled Cream, 1980 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed June 1981 | $9,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Steel Pieces with Dust, 1980 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1981 | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Two Guedras, 1974 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed December 1977-January 1978 | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Mermaid Dress (Rochas), Paris, (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), 1950 | platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed May-June 1980 | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | 'nude 58' | $10,000–$20,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'steel mill firefighter, new york' | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'motorcycle policeman, new york' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'woman with roses on her arm (lisa fonssagrives-penn)' | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'catwoman (new guinea)' | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'man with pink face (new guinea)' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'train coach waiter, new york' | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'dior fur scarf (jean patchett), new york' | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'three aizo girls of a lagoon village' (three dahomey girls [2]) | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | '3 new guinea men painted white' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'woman in palace (lisa fonssagrives-penn), marrakech, morocco' | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'lorry washers, london' | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'red-lacquered lid, new york' | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | 'collapse' | $10,000–$20,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Mrs. William Rhinelander Stewart, New York, May 20, 1948 | gelatin silver print, printed c. 1948 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Italian Still Life (B), New York, 1981 | dye-transfer print, printed 1992 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Woman with Roses (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), 1950 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1979 | $80,000–$120,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Marlene Dietrich, New York, Nov. 3, 1948 | gelatin silver print | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Seated Warrior, Sitting Girl (Cameroon), 1969 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1979 | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Two Liqueurs, New York, 1951 | dye-transfer print, printed before 1960 | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Salad Ingredients, New York, 1947 | dye-transfer print, printed 1984 | $20,000–$25,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Two Guedras, Morocco, 1971 | gelatin silver print, printed 1984 | $30,000–$40,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Cigarette No. 37, 1974 | 4-part palladium print, printed 1977 | $100,000–$150,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Barnett Newman, New York, 1966 | gelatin silver print, printed 1983 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | After Dinner Games, New York, 1947 | dye-transfer print, printed 1959-1960 | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Girl in Bed on Telephone (Jean Patchett), New York, 1949 | gelatin silver print | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Woman in Moroccan Palace (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), Marrakech, 1951 | platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1983 | $80,000–$120,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | 'girl behind bottle' | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Seine Rowboat, France, 1951 | dye-transfer print, 1959-1960 | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Black and White Vogue Cover, 1950 | platinum-palladium print, printed 1976 | $80,000–$120,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Cuzco Children, Peru, 1948 | gelatin silver print, printed 1984 | $50,000–$70,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Still Life with Watermelon, New York, 1947 | dye-transfer print, printed 1985 | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·10 | Picasso (A), Cannes, France, 1957 | gelatin silver print, printed before 1965 | $60,000–$80,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·08 | Dr. and Mrs. Gilbert H. Grosvenor, Washington D.C., 1951 | $7,309–$9,745 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·08 | Butchers, Paris, 1950 | $24,362–$36,543 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.