LIVE LOTS 17,750,525 HOUSES 866 UNSOLD RECORDED 4,679,484 UPDATED NIGHTLY
TheBasis.Art

American, 1917–2009

Irving Penn

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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

$16K$32K$47K1998: $15K median, 17 sold1999: $11K median, 38 sold2000: $8.8K median, 9 sold2001: $10.0K median, 11 sold2002: $35K median, 43 sold2003: $15K median, 10 sold2004: $22K median, 30 sold2005: $35K median, 91 sold2006: $29K median, 131 sold2007: $31K median, 50 sold2008: $23K median, 38 sold2009: $20K median, 29 sold2010: $58K median, 23 sold2011: $48K median, 24 sold2012: $24K median, 33 sold2013: $36K median, 57 sold2014: $31K median, 108 sold2015: $23K median, 63 sold2016: $36K median, 54 sold2017: $44K median, 51 sold2018: $44K median, 70 sold2019: $35K median, 46 sold2020: $21K median, 37 sold2021: $48K median, 38 sold2022: $23K median, 49 sold2023: $21K median, 36 sold2024: $23K median, 45 sold2025: $36K median, 100 sold2026: $31K median, 31 sold19982005201220192026

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.

$29K$64$568K

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

MediumResultsSell-throughMedian 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

$16K$32K$47K1998: $7.5K median1999: $6.3K median2000: $7.6K median2001: $6.2K median2002: $9.7K median2003: $10K median2004: $9.6K median2005: $26K median2006: $11K median2007: $21K median2008: $12K median2009: $21K median2010: $16K median2011: $14K median2012: $10K median2013: $16K median2014: $19K median2015: $12K median2016: $18K median2017: $21K median2018: $19K median2019: $13K median2020: $15K median2021: $13K median2022: $18K median2023: $15K median2024: $12K median2025: $9.8K median2026: $22K median1998: $15K median1999: $11K median2000: $8.8K median2001: $10.0K median2002: $35K median2003: $15K median2004: $22K median2005: $35K median2006: $29K median2007: $31K median2008: $23K median2009: $20K median2010: $58K median2011: $48K median2012: $24K median2013: $36K median2014: $31K median2015: $23K median2016: $36K median2017: $44K median2018: $44K median2019: $35K median2020: $21K median2021: $48K median2022: $23K median2023: $21K median2024: $23K median2025: $36K median2026: $31K median19982005201220192026
MetricIrving PennRobert Mapplethorpe
Median result$28,800$15,000
Record price $567,600 $726,348
Results on record1,5591,490
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

HouseResultsSell-throughMedianvs. 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

DateLotMediumvs. estimateEstimate USDResult USD, incl. premiumHouse
100 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass
2005·08 Woman in Moroccan Palace (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), 1951 $243,620–$365,430 Christie's
2005·08 Hippie Family Kelly San Francisco, 1969 tirage argentique monté sur carton, tiré en 1984 $9,745–$14,617 Christie's
2005·08 Hell's Angels, San Francisco, 1967 $18,272–$30,452 Christie's
2005·08 Two New Guinea Young Women with Feathers, New Guinea, 1970 $18,272–$30,452 Christie's
2005·08 Three Rissani Women with Bread, Morocco, 1971 tirage argentique viré au sélénium monté sur carton, tiré en 1984 $30,452–$42,634 Christie's
2005·08 Marlene Dietrich, New York, 1948 $24,362–$36,543 Christie's
2005·08 Jean Cocteau, Paris, 1949 $9,745–$14,617 Christie's
2005·08 Hat (Isabella), New York, 1960 tirage argentique viré au sélénium monté sur carton, tiré en 1985 $30,452–$42,634 Christie's
2005·08 Vogue Fashion Photograph (Verushka), New York, 1963 $18,272–$30,452 Christie's
2005·08 Truman Capote (Sitting on Chair), New York, 1948 $12,181–$18,272 Christie's
2005·08 Three Asaro Mud Men, New Guinea, 1970 tirage argentique monté sur carton, tiré en 1984 $36,543–$60,905 Christie's
2005·08 Cigarette 69, New York, 1974 $24,362–$36,543 Christie's
2005·08 Camel Pack, New York, 1975 $18,272–$30,452 Christie's
2005·08 Woman with Roses (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn) Pleated Chiffon Evening Dress by, Paris, 1950 tirage argentique monté sur carton, tiré en 1979 $48,724–$73,086 Christie's
2005·08 New York Still Life, New York, 1947 $30,452–$42,634 Christie's
2005·06 (SM) Flat Glove, 1975 platinum-palladium print $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2005·06 Colette, Paris, 1960 gelatin silver print $15,000–$25,000 Christie's
2005·06 Alix Black Dress (1938), New York, 1974 gelatin silver print, printed 1975-1976 $20,000–$30,000 Christie's
2005·06 Lorry Washers, London, 1950 platinum-palladium print, printed 1974 $40,000–$60,000 Christie's
2005·06 Marlene Dietrich, December 23, 1948 gelatin silver print $15,000–$25,000 Christie's
2005·05 Man Ray, 1964 gelatin silver print $14,668–$22,002 Christie's
2005·05 Black and White Vogue Cover (Jean Patchett), New York, 1950 gelatin silver print, printed 1984 $22,002–$33,003 Christie's
2005·05 Marlene Dietrich, New York, 1948 $22,060–$33,091 Sotheby's
2005·05 'scarred dahomey girl', 1967, printed july 1984 $5,515–$9,192 Sotheby's
2005·05 Girl Drinking (Mary Jane Russell), New York, 1949, printed 1979 $55,151–$91,918 Sotheby's
2005·04 Nude 149, 1950 platinum-palladium print, printed 1976 $18,000–$22,000 Christie's
2005·04 Young Quechuan Man, Cuzco, Peru, 1948 gelatin silver print, printed 1949 $25,000–$35,000 Christie's
2005·04 Woman in Chicken Hat (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York, c. 1949 platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1984 $30,000–$50,000 Christie's
2005·04 Man Lighting Girl's Cigarette, New York, 1949 gelatin silver print, printed 1983 $20,000–$30,000 Christie's
2005·04 Girl in Bed (Jean Patchett), New York, 1949 platinum-palladium print, flush mounted on aluminum, printed 1970 $12,000–$18,000 Christie's
2005·04 Sculptor's Model, Paris, 1950 platinum-palladium print, printed 1976 $8,000–$10,000 Christie's
2005·04 Rose, Colour Wonder, London, 1970 dye-transfer print, 1990 $15,000–$20,000 Christie's
2005·02 Nude Study, 1950 gelatin silver print, printed 1980 $9,000–$12,000 Christie's
2005·02 Moments Preserved $300–$500 Christie's
2004·11 Fashion Study (Isabella Albonico in Black Net Hat with Diamante Brooch), circa 1962 $1,483–$2,225 Sotheby's
2004·11 Cecil Beaton, London, 1950, printed 1984 $4,635–$6,489 Sotheby's
2004·11 Truman Capote, New York, 1965, printed 1986 $14,832–$22,247 Sotheby's
2004·10 Theatre accident, 1947 tirage dye-transfer monté sur carton, tiré en 1984 $25,584–$38,376 Christie's
2004·10 Two Liqueurs, New York, 1951 $89,544–$115,128 Christie's
2004·10 'cigarette no. 34' $8,000–$12,000 Sotheby's
2004·10 'Sitting Girl (Cameroon)' (Nubile Young Beauty of Diamaré) $12,000–$18,000 Sotheby's
2004·10 'girl drinking (m.j.r.)' $30,000–$50,000 Sotheby's
2004·10 'tambul warrior (new guinea)' $10,000–$15,000 Sotheby's
2004·10 'cigarette no. 52' $7,000–$10,000 Sotheby's
2004·10 'mermaid dress (rochas), lisa fonssagrives-penn' $30,000–$50,000 Sotheby's
2004·10 'woman with roses on her arm (lisa fonssagrives-penn)' $20,000–$30,000 Sotheby's
2004·10 Seine Rowboat, France, 1951 $7,000–$9,000 Christie's
2004·10 Alfred Hitchcock, New York, May 23, 1947 gelatin silver print, printed before 1955 $12,000–$18,000 Christie's
2004·10 Marlene Dietrich, New York, 1948 gelatin silver print $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2004·10 Cigarette #8, 1972 platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1974-1975 $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2004·10 Cigarette, 1974 platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1975 $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2004·10 Seated Warrior, Reclining Girl, Cameroon, 1974 platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1982 $9,000–$12,000 Christie's
2004·10 Vogue Fashion Photograph (Verushka), New York, 1963 platinum-palladium print flush-mounted on aluminum, printed 1990 $8,000–$10,000 Christie's
2004·10 Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York, 1950 gelatin silver print, printed 1983 $20,000–$30,000 Christie's
2004·10 Zebra, 1986 gelatin silver print $8,000–$10,000 Christie's
2004·05 Two Guedras, Morocco, 1971 platinum print, printed 1977 $14,247–$21,371 Christie's
2004·05 Woman with Roses on her Arm (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), 1950 gelatin silver print, printed 1984 $12,466–$16,028 Christie's
2004·04 Lisa Fonssagrives $5,000–$7,000 Sotheby's
2004·04 'barnett newman' $8,000–$12,000 Sotheby's
2004·04 'man with pink face' $6,000–$9,000 Sotheby's
2004·04 'nubile young beauty of diamaré (cameroon)' $10,000–$15,000 Sotheby's
2004·04 'girl (in bed) on telephone (jean patchett)' $20,000–$30,000 Sotheby's
2004·02 Moments Preserved $200–$300 Christie's
2004·02 Cigarette #69, 1974 platinum-palladium print on aluminum $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2003·11 marchand de concombres, paris, 1950, printed 1974 $3,393–$5,089 Sotheby's
2003·10 'nude 55' $5,000–$7,000 Sotheby's
2003·10 'parade' $7,000–$10,000 Sotheby's
2003·10 'nude 119' $5,000–$7,000 Sotheby's
2003·10 'girl behind bottle' $25,000–$35,000 Sotheby's
2003·10 'cocoa-colored balenciaga dress (lisa fonssagrives-penn)' $8,000–$12,000 Sotheby's
2003·10 '2 guedras' $20,000–$30,000 Sotheby's
2003·06 Lily, Imperial Pink (New York), 1971 dye-transfer print, printed 1990 $50,000–$70,000 Christie's
2003·06 Alexandra Beller (NN), New York, December 1999 gelatin silver print, flush-mounted, printed January 2000 $8,000–$12,000 Christie's
2003·05 'three women of rissani (morocco)', 1971, printed july 1978 $24,543–$32,724 Sotheby's
2002·10 Barnett Newman, New York $9,000–$12,000 Christie's
2002·10 Frederick Kiesler and Willem de Kooning, New York wood, clay, wire, plastic, acrylic and found objects $3,000–$5,000 Christie's
2002·10 Camel Pack, New York fluorescent, metallic, pearlescent acrylic, and Roll-a-tex on two attached canvases $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2002·10 Dahomey Children acrylic on paper collage on paper $6,000–$8,000 Christie's
2002·10 Three Women of Rissani, Morocco (on a paper label affixed to the backing board) $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2002·10 Three Single Oriental Poppies, New York wengee wood, oak wood and stainless steel $18,000–$22,000 Christie's
2002·10 Black and White Vogue Cover (Jean Patchett), New York $30,000–$40,000 Christie's
2002·10 Man Lighting Girl's Cigarette (Jean Patchett) alabaster, nylon and light system, in two parts $10,000–$15,000 Christie's
2002·05 3 Dahomey Women (I) $5,846–$8,769 Christie's
2002·05 Picasso, Cannes $17,537–$26,306 Christie's
2002·04 Mouth for L'Oréal, New York, 1986 dye-transfer print, printed 1992 $50,000–$70,000 Christie's
2002·04 12 Hands of Miles Davis and His Trumpet, New York, July 1 1986 gelatin silver print, printed 1998 $20,000–$30,000 Christie's
2002·04 Picasso (B), Cannes, 1957 platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed February 1985 $60,000–$80,000 Christie's
2002·04 Frozen Foods, New York, 1977 dye-transfer print, printed 1984 $50,000–$70,000 Christie's
2002·04 Igor Stravinsky, New York, April 22 1948 gelatin silver print, printed 1984 $15,000–$20,000 Christie's
2002·04 Kate Moss, New York, April 25 1996 platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed March 1997 $30,000–$40,000 Christie's
2002·04 Cigarette and Lips, New York, before 1961 chromogenic print, printed December 2005 $20,000–$30,000 Christie's
2002·04 Gisele, New York, April 1 1999 gelatin silver print, printed November 1999 $30,000–$40,000 Christie's
2002·04 Ginkgo Leaves, New York, 1990 dye-transfer print, printed 1992 $60,000–$80,000 Christie's
2002·04 Hell's Angels (San Francisco), 1967 platinum-palladium print, printed 1969 $20,000–$30,000 Christie's
2002·04 Three Standing Men, Cuzco, 1948 gelatin silver print $15,000–$25,000 Christie's
2002·04 The Small Waist, New York, June 13, 2000 chromogenic print $20,000–$30,000 Christie's
2002·04 Cigarette 34, 1972 platinum-palladium print, printed 1974 $25,000–$35,000 Christie's
2002·04 Summer Sleep, New York, 1949 dye-transfer print, printed 1985 $60,000–$80,000 Christie's
2002·04 Picasso (B), Cannes, 1957 platinum-palladium print, flush-mounted on aluminum, printed January 1985 $60,000–$80,000 Christie's
2002·04 Running Children, Morocco (Rabat), 1951 gelatin silver print, printed before 1959 $30,000–$50,000 Christie's

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