German/French, 1891–1976
Max Ernst
1,695results on record
78%sell-through
$27,000median result (USD, incl. premium; 96% observed, 4% estimated from hammer)
$15,987,500record in our coverage
Drawn from 1,695 recorded results (1,522 sold · 173 passed) across 39 auction houses, 1998–2026. 4 upcoming lots on the ledger. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 96% observed, 4% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| prints | 246 | 78% | $1,618 |
| painting | 226 | 82% | $167,391 |
| works on paper | 109 | 75% | $30,550 |
| other | 108 | 69% | $4,973 |
| sculpture | 80 | 95% | $43,055 |
| ceramics & design | 47 | 60% | $4,419 |
| photography | 9 | n/a | $4,153 |
Medium is recorded for 825 of 1,695 results (49%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Pablo Picasso Max Ernst Pablo Picasso
| Metric | Max Ernst | Pablo Picasso |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $27,000 | $10,507 |
| Record price | $15,987,500 | $179,365,000 |
| Results on record | 1,695 | 29,706 |
| Years active at auction | 1998–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Pablo PicassoJoan MiróMarc ChagallSalvador Dalí
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
74/ 100
- Sell-through78%
- Meets estimate59%
- Market depth1,695 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 | 545 | 85% | $87,500 | 0.88× |
| Christie's | 517 | 88% | $63,169 | — |
| Bonhams | 175 | 62% | $2,040 | 0.83× |
| Phillips | 112 | 94% | $6,930 | — |
| Ketterer Kunst | 91 | — | $1,565 | — |
| Dorotheum | 72 | 64% | $1,666 | — |
| Lempertz | 32 | 79% | $18,449 | — |
| Heritage Auctions | 34 | 71% | $1,188 | — |
| Grisebach | 14 | — | $18,734 | — |
| Freeman's | Hindman | 10 | 100% | $2,469 | 1.04× |
| Rago | 7 | 100% | $441 | — |
| Finarte | 8 | 75% | $739 | 1.38× |
| Artcurial | 5 | — | $18,015 | 0.85× |
| Wright | 7 | 71% | $10,000 | — |
| Stockholms Auktionsverk Fine Art | 5 | — | $1,620 | 0.69× |
| Historia Auktionshaus | 6 | 83% | $739 | — |
| Kruso Art | 8 | 62% | $437 | 0.64× |
| Marques dos Santos Leilões | 7 | 57% | $992 | — |
| Koller | 3 | — | $926 | — |
| Strauss & Co | 4 | 75% | $880 | 1.29× |
| SBI Art Auction | 3 | 67% | $789 | — |
| Gomér & Andersson Jönköping | 2 | — | $314 | 0.60× |
| Hermitage Fine Art | 2 | 100% | $1,238 | 0.73× |
| Itineris Auction House | 2 | 100% | $481 | 0.47× |
| Lyon & Turnbull | 1 | — | $1,961 | 1.71× |
| Galerie Bassenge | 1 | — | $527 | — |
| WETTMANN Kunstauktionen | 1 | 100% | $494 | — |
| Tiroche | 1 | 100% | $6,875 | 0.65× |
| Art collect | 1 | — | $625 | 0.29× |
| Ishtar | 1 | 100% | $125 | — |
| Matsart | 1 | 100% | $87,500 | 1.40× |
| Art La Rosa - Casa d'Aste | 1 | 100% | $274 | — |
| Montefiore auction house | 1 | 100% | $600 | 0.96× |
| Casa d'aste Boetto | 1 | 100% | $614 | 1.38× |
| Lamas Bolaño | 2 | 50% | $262 | 0.50× |
| Karljohan Auktioner | 1 | — | $574 | 0.88× |
| VAN HAM Kunstauktionen GmbH Co. KG | 2 | 50% | $22,402 | 1.36× |
| The Bidder | 1 | 0% | — | — |
| Greco Fine Arts & Auctioneers | 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 1,912 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 173 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026·09 | Le Château étoilé (Spies-Leppien 17) | frottage printed in colours on wove paper | $5,393–$8,090 | upcoming | Sotheby's | |
| 64 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2026·09 | L'Oiseau Bleu, Studie für Gemini | $800–$1,200 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·08 | “Grand palais”, litografi i färg, signerad, 109/500. | $420–$420 | Gomér & Andersson Jönköping | |||
| 2026·08 | litografi, signerad, numrerad 23/200. | $525–$525 | Karljohan Auktioner | |||
| 2026·07 | Composition from "Homage to Max Ernst" | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·07 | LITOGRAFI, "Le Surreallisme", numrerad 54/180. | $417–$417 | Gomér & Andersson Jönköping | |||
| 2026·07 | Bird | $600–$900 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·07 | Vase Bleue | $800–$1,100 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·07 | Elektra | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·07 | Untitled (Flipping) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·07 | Déchets d'Atelier, 1968 | $343–$457 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·07 | Paysage pour Histoire Naturelle, 1952 | $5,702–$7,983 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·06 | From: Lewis Carrolls Wunderhorn. 1970. | $1,235–$1,482 | Koller | |||
| 2026·06 | 1891 – 1976 | Mixed media | $7,000–$10,000 | Tiroche | ||
| 2026·06 | Un chant d'amour | $800–$1,200 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·06 | Untitled | $800–$1,100 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·06 | Tavola 13 | $400–$500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·06 | L'Oiseau caramel | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·06 | Die Alexanderschlacht | $10,476–$13,968 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·06 | Untitled | $6,984–$9,312 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·06 | L'Ecclésiaste (Opus Dei) | $116,400–$174,600 | Lempertz | |||
| 2026·05 | Elektra | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·05 | Untitled (Flipping) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·05 | Delight | $100,000–$150,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·05 | Ohne Titel (Vademecum mobile) | $70,000–$90,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·05 | Le monde est une fable (Le temps est un songe) | oil on canvas | $200,000–$300,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·05 | Tortue | bronze with dark brown patina | $40,000–$60,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·05 | Nocturne | oil on canvas laid down on panel | $30,000–$50,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·05 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2026·05 | Sammlung von Briefen und Postkarten, 1915-1968 | $5,824–$5,824 | Ketterer Kunst | |||
| 2026·05 | Untitled (Rooster) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·05 | Un chant d'amour | $800–$1,200 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·05 | Untitled | $800–$1,100 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·05 | Tavola 13 | $400–$500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·04 | "Si le cant et la parade ne suffisent pas" from "Oiseaux en Péril". | $1,620–$2,160 | Stockholms Auktionsverk Fine Art | |||
| 2026·04 | "Paroles peintes". | $1,080–$1,620 | Stockholms Auktionsverk Fine Art | |||
| 2026·04 | "Nous sommes la somme de nos envergures" from "Oiseaux en Péril". | $1,620–$2,160 | Stockholms Auktionsverk Fine Art | |||
| 2026·04 | "Mon fiancé est une idée saugrenue" from "Oiseaux en Péril". | $1,620–$2,160 | Stockholms Auktionsverk Fine Art | |||
| 2026·04 | "Tous les couloirs du soir lilas" from "Oiseaux en Péril". | $1,620–$2,160 | Stockholms Auktionsverk Fine Art | |||
| 2026·04 | Composition from "Homage to Max Ernst" | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·04 | Vase Bleue | $800–$1,100 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·04 | Oiseau mère, 1972 | $468–$702 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·04 | Bird | $600–$900 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·04 | “Le Brebi | etching | — | Historia Auktionshaus | ||
| 2026·04 | (Ville) | huile et grattage sur papier marouflé sur Isorel | $47,188–$70,782 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·04 | Paysage jaune | $94,376–$141,564 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | Dancers under the starry sky | $70,782–$94,376 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | Comète | $294,550–$412,370 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·04 | Elektra | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·04 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2026·04 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2026·04 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2026·04 | Untitled (Flipping) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Montagne sacrée | $800–$1,067 | Christie's | |||
| 2026·03 | La Tourangelle | $57,695–$80,773 | Bonhams | |||
| 2026·03 | Zu: Kurt Schwitters, La loterie au jardin zoologique | $2,934–$5,068 | Christie's | |||
| 2026·03 | Hibou | lithograph in colours, 1955, on cream wove paper, watermark | $467–$667 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Untitled (Rooster) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Le Château étoilé (Spies-Leppien 17) | $6,696–$9,375 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·03 | Untitled | $800–$1,100 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Un chant d'amour | $800–$1,200 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Tavola 13 | $400–$500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Untitled | Lithograph and etching on brown wove paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2026·03 | „Hibou“. 1955 | Colour lithograph on wove paper | $1,156–$1,734 | Grisebach | ||
| 2026·03 | Hochzeit von Himmel und Erde - Variation in Blau und Rot | on panel | $160,027–$240,040 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Êtes-vous Niniche? | bronze with dark brown patina | $53,342–$80,013 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Paysage immobile | on panel | $66,678–$93,349 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Sedona I | bronze with brown and green patina | $106,685–$160,027 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Paysage | oil on canvas | $93,349–$133,356 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Barbares marchant vers l'ouest | $133,617–$200,426 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·03 | Bird | $600–$900 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Vase Bleue | $800–$1,100 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Seestück (Seascape) | oil on canvas | $2,004,255–$3,340,426 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Sun over the desert | oil and ink and paper collage on canvas | $400,851–$668,085 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Le monde des flous - Refus absolu de vivre comme un tachiste | $467,660–$734,894 | Christie's | |||
| 2026·03 | 'Lit-Cage et son Paravent', 1974 | in. (184.5 x 49.8 x 5.4 cm) (each panel of the screen) | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | La Parisienne | bronze with a black patina | $534,468–$801,702 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·03 | Composition from "Homage to Max Ernst" | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·03 | Ohne Titel | gouache and oil on paper | $80,170–$106,894 | Christie's | ||
| 2026·02 | La Femme aussi | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·02 | Another Beautiful Morning | $50,000–$70,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·02 | Oiseau et cage: A Double-Sided Work | $6,000–$8,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·02 | Elektra | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·02 | Untitled (Grand Oiseau) | Colored pencil on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2026·02 | Untitled (Flipping) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·02 | Lustrée matinale | $23,800–$35,700 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2026·02 | Untitled (Rooster) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·02 | Festin: one plate; and Hommage à San Lazzaro, from San Lazzaro et ses amis (Homage to San Lazzaro, from San Lazzaro and His Friends) (S. & L. 249.VI) | $1,200–$1,500 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·02 | Après moi le XXe Siècle, from Hommage à Max Ernst; and Untitled, from XXe Siècle no. 42 (S. & L. 202 & 252) | $800–$1,200 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·02 | Untitled; and Untitled (S. & L. 248) | $800–$1,200 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·02 | Paramyths; and Untitled, from Les Demeures d'Hypnos (S. & L. 115) | $1,000–$1,500 | Phillips | |||
| 2026·01 | Tavola 13 | $400–$500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·01 | Un chant d'amour | $800–$1,200 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·01 | Untitled | $800–$1,100 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2026·01 | Hibou | lithograph on paper | $915–$1,220 | Strauss & Co | ||
| 2025·12 | Elektra | $500–$700 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2025·12 | Untitled (Flipping) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2025·12 | Untitled (Rooster) | $1,000–$1,500 | Unsold listing | Dane Fine Art | ||
| 2025·12 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2025·12 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.