American, 1915–1991
Robert Motherwell
2,411results on record
86%sell-through
$5,000median result (USD, incl. premium; 90% observed, 10% estimated from hammer)
$12,690,000record in our coverage
Drawn from 2,411 recorded results (2,224 sold · 187 passed) across 20 auction houses, 1998–2026. 29 upcoming lots on the ledger. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 90% observed, 10% 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 | 1,035 | 94% | $4,500 |
| painting | 114 | 73% | $149,000 |
| works on paper | 70 | 76% | $48,438 |
| ceramics & design | 39 | 77% | $7,500 |
| other | 19 | 71% | $6,000 |
| sculpture | 5 | 75% | $9,472 |
Medium is recorded for 1,282 of 2,411 results (53%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Andy Warhol Robert Motherwell Andy Warhol
| Metric | Robert Motherwell | Andy Warhol |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $5,000 | $32,500 |
| Record price | $12,690,000 | $195,040,000 |
| Results on record | 2,411 | 15,103 |
| Years active at auction | 1998–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Andy WarholRoy LichtensteinPablo PicassoJim Dine
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
77/ 100
- Sell-through86%
- Meets estimate55%
- Market depth2,411 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 | 612 | 95% | $5,975 | — |
| Sotheby's | 603 | 85% | $13,750 | 0.95× |
| Bonhams | 313 | 79% | $3,570 | 0.80× |
| Heritage Auctions | 221 | 94% | $3,500 | — |
| Phillips | 220 | 85% | $6,000 | — |
| Rago | 113 | 90% | $2,570 | — |
| Freeman's | Hindman | 83 | 95% | $2,750 | 0.75× |
| Wright | 72 | 82% | $2,875 | — |
| Dorotheum | 12 | 75% | $5,633 | — |
| Doyle | 9 | 78% | $2,880 | — |
| SBI Art Auction | 8 | 62% | $1,840 | — |
| Ketterer Kunst | 4 | — | $2,521 | — |
| Barridoff Auctions | 4 | 100% | $3,594 | 1.15× |
| Lyon & Turnbull | 2 | 100% | $1,203 | 0.77× |
| Grisebach | 1 | — | $43,476 | — |
| Artcurial | 1 | — | $14,745 | 0.40× |
| Matsart | 1 | 100% | $4,062 | 1.08× |
| Kruso Art | 2 | 50% | $41 | 0.10× |
| Clark's Auction Company | 1 | 100% | $12,500 | 0.33× |
| Auktionshaus am See | 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 3,099 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2006·04 | america-la france variations iii (w.a.c. 331) | $2,500–$3,500 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | delos (w.a.c. 525) | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | easter day; el general; and la guerra ii (w.a.c. 244, 246 and 253) | $3,000–$4,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | three figures (w.a.c. 489) | $14,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | Blue Elegy (W.A.C. 379) | $60,000–$80,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | Red Open with White Line (W.A.C. 238) | $3,000–$4,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | At the Edge (W.A.C. 345) | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | Perpetual Summer (W.A.C. 361) | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | Red Sea II (W.A.C. 242) | $6,000–$8,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | Elegy Black Black (W.A.C. 309) | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | Redness of Red (W.A.C. 354) | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | st. michael i, state ii (walker arts center 235) | $3,000–$4,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | Mexican Night II (W.A.C. 348) | $15,000–$20,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | america-la france variations vi (w.a.c. 334) | $2,000–$3,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | wave (w.a.c. 475) | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | red sea iii (w.a.c. 316) | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·04 | three poems by octavio paz (w.a.c. 388-414) | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·03 | Elegy I | $6,077–$7,813 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·03 | hollow men suite (belknap 336-342) | $6,998–$10,497 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·03 | put out all flags (belknap 230) | $5,249–$6,998 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·02 | Untitled, from the Octavio Paz Suite (B. 378; E. & B. 439) | lithograph, 1988, on | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·02 | Sirens II (B. 383; E. & B. 444) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·02 | Signs on White (B. 251A; E. & B. 284) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·02 | Roth-Händle (B. 137; E. & B. 168) | $1,800–$2,200 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·02 | Through Black Emerge Purified (B. 288; E. & B. 315) | $1,200–$1,800 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·02 | Untitled (B. 38; E. & B. 67) | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·02 | Untitled, from Basque Suite (B. 51; E. & B. 80) | $1,800–$2,200 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·02 | Australia (B. 296; E. & B. 322) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2006·02 | Wind, from the Octavio Paz Suite (B. 368; E. & B. 429) | lithograph, 1988, on | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | Drunk with Turpentine | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·11 | Samurai | $30,000–$40,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·11 | Cape Cod | $80,000–$120,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·11 | New England Elegy #3 | $700,000–$900,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·11 | Elegy Fragment II (B. 328; E. & B. 360) | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·11 | Burning Sun (B. 310; E. & B. 357) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·11 | On the Wing (B. 309; E. & B. 340) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·11 | Untitled (B. 195; E. & B. 226) | lithograph, 1978, on | $1,500–$2,500 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·11 | America-La France Variations IX (B. 305; E. & B. 337) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·11 | Casa de la Mancha (B. 319; E. and B. 349) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·11 | Djarum (Belknap 145; Engberg & Banach 176) | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·10 | Bastos (W.A.C. 169) | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | game of chance (w.a.c. 377) | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Mediterranean Light (W.A.C. 524) | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | lament for lorca (w.a.c. 289) | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Burning Elegy (W.A.C. 520) | $30,000–$40,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | america-la france variations v and vii (w.a.c. 333 and 335) | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | three poems by octavio paz (w.a.c. 388-414) | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | american-la france variations iii and iv (w.a.c. 331 and 332) | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Elegy Black Black (W.A.C. 309) | $14,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Black Sea (W.A.C. 241) | $2,000–$2,500 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | america-la france variations vi and ix (w.a.c. 334 and 337) | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Redness of Red (W.A.C. 354) | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Hermitage (W.A.C. 180) | $3,000–$4,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Red Open with White Line (W.A.C. 238) | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Elegy Study (W.A.C. 240) | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Red Sea I (W.A.C. 193) | $6,000–$8,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | easter day; el general; and la guerra ii (w.a.c. 244, 246, and 253) | $3,000–$4,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Red Sea II (W.A.C. 242) | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | Black with No Way Out (W.A.C. 313) | $8,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | summer design series: harvest leaf; atascadero ii; black rumble; and vivo (sepia) (w.a.c. 147, 220, 356 and 365) | $4,500–$5,500 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·10 | (1915-1991) | $1,057–$1,410 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Harvest with Blue Bottom (B. 124; E. & B. 143) | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Untitled (B. 151; E. & B. 182) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | La Guerra II (B. 220; E. & B. 253) | $700–$900 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Gesture III (B. 171; E. & B. 207) | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | St. Michael III (B. 206; E. & B. 237) | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Monster (B. 139; E. & B. 170) | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Harvest with Orange Stripe (B. 127; E. & B. 146) | $1,000–$2,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Untitled, from New York International (B. 28; E. & B. 50) | $800–$1,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | America-La France Variations VI (B. 302; E. & B. 334) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Gesture II (State I) (B. 169; E. & B. 205) | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Easter Day (B. 212; E. & B. 244) | $700–$900 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Untitled (B. 150; E. & B. 181) | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Harvest, in Scotland, from Summer Light Series (B. 129; E. & B. 144) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | El General (B. 214; E. & B. 246) | $700–$900 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Airless Black (B. 279; E. & B. 311) | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | The Highlands (B. 128; E. & B. 152) | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | Game of Chance (B. 345; E. & B. 377) | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | America-La France Variations IX (B. 305; E. & B. 337) | $1,800–$2,200 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·09 | In White with Green Stripe (B. 346; E. & B. 378) | $3,500–$4,500 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·06 | Lament for Lorca | $2,152–$3,228 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·06 | Palo Alto | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·06 | Robert Motherwell | $545–$726 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·06 | (1915 - 1991) | $7,263–$10,895 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·05 | Two Figures No. 8 | $30,000–$40,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·05 | untitled | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·05 | New Year's Dawn No. 2 | $50,000–$70,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·05 | The Pink Mirror | oil and paper collage on board | $500,000–$700,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·05 | Untitled | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·05 | Drunk with Turpentine | $18,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·05 | the red and the black no. 42 | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·05 | Automatic Image #3 | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·05 | the red and the black no. 25 | $30,000–$40,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·03 | 3 sheets: Capriccio. Chair. Music, 1960 | Lithograph | $1,593–$1,593 | Ketterer Kunst | ||
| 2005·02 | America-La France Variations III (B. 299; E. and B. 331) | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·02 | America-La France Variations VIII (B. 304; E. and B. 336) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·02 | La Casa de la Mancha (B. 319; E. and B. 349) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·02 | Game of Chance (B. 345; E. and B. 377) | $5,000–$8,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·02 | Plate 4, from Africa Suite (B. 43; E. and B. 72) | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2005·02 | Untitled, from A la Pintura (see Belknap 82-102; Engberg and Banach 111-131) | $1,000–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.