Austrian/American, 1898–1962
Ludwig Bemelmans
184results on record
94%sell-through
$7,680median result (USD, incl. premium; 99% observed, 1% estimated from hammer)
$302,400record in our coverage
Drawn from 184 recorded results (176 sold · 8 passed) across 10 auction houses, 1998–2026. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 99% observed, 1% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| works on paper | 78 | 91% | $4,375 |
| painting | 18 | 89% | $4,830 |
| ceramics & design | 4 | 100% | $10,785 |
| other | 3 | 67% | $1,550 |
Medium is recorded for 103 of 184 results (56%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Milton Avery Ludwig Bemelmans Milton Avery
| Metric | Ludwig Bemelmans | Milton Avery |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $7,680 | $45,000 |
| Record price | $302,400 | $6,069,500 |
| Results on record | 184 | 794 |
| Years active at auction | 1998–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Milton AveryNorman RockwellLeroy NeimanGuy Carleton Wiggins
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
82/ 100
- Sell-through94%
- Meets estimate58%
- Market depth184 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sotheby's | 75 | 98% | $16,315 | 0.86× |
| Heritage Auctions | 54 | 96% | $3,250 | — |
| Christie's | 27 | 100% | $6,462 | — |
| Bonhams | 21 | 86% | $4,807 | 0.91× |
| Freeman's | Hindman | 2 | 100% | $1,056 | 1.18× |
| Phillips | 1 | 100% | $53,340 | — |
| Wright | 1 | 100% | $3,096 | — |
| Rago | 1 | 100% | $2,176 | — |
| HELIOS | 1 | 0% | — | — |
| Capsule Gallery Auction | 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 184 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 8 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2019·02 | View from Carl Shurz Park | $10,000–$15,000 | Capsule Gallery Auction | |||
| 2018·10 | sketch for madeline and the bad hat | $25,000–$35,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·05 | madeline & pepito chez maxim's | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2018·03 | impressions of brandy | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·12 | Original pen and ink and pastel drawing of Pepito the Bad Hat, | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2017·11 | Madeline Waving, Miss Clavel and Eleven Schoolgirls | mixed media on paperboard | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2017·03 | Black and white gouache on paper affixed to masonite, being murals for Hapsburg House, | $40,000–$60,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·10 | Madeleine; together with Pepito | watercolor and ink on paper | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·10 | To the Scene of the Disaster | watercolor, ink and gouache on paper | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2016·10 | Lion Studies (from Madeline and the Gypsies) | ink and wash on paper | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·12 | "and sometimes they were very sad." ca. 1953 | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·12 | Original ink drawing, Madeline and Pepito, | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·11 | Madaleine and Pepito 36 x 24in | $40,000–$60,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·10 | Children at the Zoo | Gouache, watercolor, and ink on board | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·10 | To the One I Love Best, book cover | Watercolor and gouache, with pen and ink on board | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·10 | Rue de la Sardine, The Best of Times story illustration, December | Oil, tempera, and ink on three separate pieces of paper collaged together on board | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·10 | The Captain's Breakfast | Oil on cardboard | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·10 | "In London Pepito got thin and thinner...," Madeline in London, interior book illustration | Watercolor and pencil on board | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·07 | Sketch for Walker's Bourbon | collage--ink, pencil, gouache and paper on paper | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·06 | "these birds have seen all this before," from madeline in london (published 1961) | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·06 | "but in london there's a place to get / a retired horse to keep as a pet," from madeline in london (published 1961) | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·06 | parisian street scene with madeline, miss clavel, and pupils. [late 1950's–early 1960's] | $25,000–$35,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·06 | "fill the house with lovely flowers," from madeline in london (published 1961) | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·06 | "and covered him up / and put him to bed," from madeline in london (published 1961) | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·05 | A Lovely Dawn and All Was Well, Madeline-Inspired illustration | Ink and pencil on board | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·04 | Madeline and Pepito in Paris | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·04 | Original ink and color crayon drawing, Pepito the Bad Hat, | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·05 | Madeline's Rescue, The Seine, Pont Pont Neuf, Statue of the Vert Galant, original book illustration | Gouache, tempera, watercolor and ink on paper laid on board | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2014·05 | Profile of a Woman, preliminary sketch | Pastel and ink on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2014·05 | Waiter Serving Lobster, cartoon illustration | Casein with ink, watercolor and pencil on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2014·02 | Original watercolor, Au bord de la Seine, | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·12 | Woman and Man on a Stroll, original watercolor and pencil on paper, 279 x 215 mm, | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·12 | Pepito Gets Mounted, and Madeline With Him | mixed media on board | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2013·10 | Madeline in London, preliminary sketch | Pen, watercolor, and pencil on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2013·10 | the hameau of marie antoinette versailles (he almost turned into a saint in fact) | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2013·06 | Father, Dear Father. New York: Viking, 1953. | $250–$350 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·04 | The Restaurant | $3,000–$5,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2012·12 | Original pen & ink and watercolor on paper, 545 x 440 mm, of Miss Clavel and eleven of the little girls | $2,000–$4,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2011·12 | Gare Saint Lazare in Paris | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·09 | sacre coeur and nun on a motorcycle | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·05 | Untitled (Children and Horse) | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·05 | A Little Sunshine, A Little Rain | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·04 | madeline and pepito | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·12 | Madeline in London | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·03 | there was sorrowing... | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·02 | Children's book illustration | Mixed media | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2009·12 | And How to Ride the Circus Steed | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2009·09 | Piazza di Spagne | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2009·09 | Place de la Concorde | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2009·03 | Madeline specialty drawing | Ink and watercolor on paper... | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2009·03 | Madeline illustration | Ink on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2008·12 | A Little Sunshine, A Little Rain | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2008·05 | and lo and behold, the former barbarian turned into a vegetarian | $75,000–$100,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2008·03 | in the middle of the night, miss clavel turned on the light and said, "something is not right" | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2007·10 | "in the autumn wind he boasted, that he flew the highest kite" | $25,000–$35,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2007·03 | Working Schedule: Madeline and the Bad Hat | gouache, ink and pencil on paper | $7,000–$10,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2007·03 | Marly Le Roi | watercolor, gouache and pencil on board | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2007·03 | Hotel Ville Franche | gouache and watercolor on paper | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2007·03 | little madeline sat in bed, cried and cried, her eyes were red | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2007·03 | Madeline and the Gypsies | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·12 | BEMELMANS, Ludwig | two watercolor drawings on paper (some pale matburn), each matted and framed | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·12 | Sketch from Madeline and the Bad Hat | gouache and watercolor on paper | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·06 | Having a Bath | ink on paperboard | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·03 | Trimming the Hedge | oil on canvas | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·03 | La Loge | oil on canvas | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·03 | preliminary sketch for " she came in time to save the bad hat" from "madeline and the bad hat" | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·03 | 'but madeline said, "i know what to do"', illustration for "madeline and the bad hat" | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·03 | San Sebastian | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·03 | the spanish ambassador arrives, preliminary sketch for "madeline and the bad hat" | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·02 | Monkey head studies; A woman, turned to the left; and A gentleman smoking a cigar | pencil on paper | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·06 | a view of upper manhattan (grant's tomb and riverside church with the george washington bridge and little red lighthouse in the background) | $2,000–$3,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·06 | french street scene | $3,000–$5,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·06 | Zurich | $3,000–$5,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·03 | The Palm Court at the Plaza | mixed media and collage on paperboard | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·03 | "Could it Perhaps Be Santa?" | mixed media on paper laid down on board | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·03 | Sketch for 'Madeline in London': "A Little Sunshine, A Little Rain" | mixed media on paperboard | $15,000–$25,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2004·12 | Bastille Day | mixed media on paperboard | $15,000–$25,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2003·05 | Fox Hunting | watercolor and ink wash on paper | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·05 | Road to Monaco | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Bridge Over the Seine | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·06 | Pigeons Flying in Brooklyn | $1,500–$2,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·06 | Nuns and Swans | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·06 | Low Tide, Honfleur | $1,800–$2,200 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·06 | Antibes | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.