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. 24 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?
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 3,094 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $39, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2000·06 | (1915-1991) | $2,022–$2,697 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·06 | Robert Motherwell | $809–$1,079 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·05 | Robert Motherwell | $944–$1,348 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·05 | Elegy Study | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·05 | (1915-1991) | $1,348–$1,618 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·05 | Burning Elegy | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·05 | French Revolution Bicentennial Suite III; and IV (B. 351-2) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·05 | Red Sea II (B. 211) | $4,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2000·05 | Hollow Men Suite , London, Waddington Graphics, 1985-6 (Belknap 36-42) | $7,000–$10,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Spanish Elegy Study | oil on paper | $50,000–$70,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·11 | Elegy Study (Belknap 209) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Untitled (B. 26) | $600–$800 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Untitled, from Ten Works by Ten Painters (Belknap 5) | $600–$800 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Africa Suite : Two Plates (Belknap 47; and 48) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Beau Geste , London and Paris, Waddington Graphics and Editions Daniel Papierski, 1989 (B. 417-22) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Mexican Night II (B. 318) | $12,000–$15,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Drunk with Turpentine No. 42 | ink on board | $30,000–$40,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·11 | In Darkest Stepaside | acrylic and paper collage on board | $50,000–$70,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·11 | Untitled | ink on paper | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·11 | Alphabet Series : one plate (B. 343; E. & B. 375S) | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Elegy Study I (B. 425; E. & B. 488) | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Mexican Night II (B. 318; E. & B. 348) | $15,000–$20,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Running Elegy (Belknap 261; Engberg & Banach 303) | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·11 | Running Elegy II, Yellow State (B. 295; E. & B. 321) | etching and aquatint in black and yellow, 1983, on Larroque handmade paper watermarked | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·09 | Untitled (from VVV Portfolio ) | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Signs on Copper (Belknap 252) | $4,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Game of Chance (B. 345) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Lament for Lorca (B. 254) | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Australian Stone (B. 314) | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Elegy Black Black (B. 274) | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | (1915-1991) | $270–$539 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations VI (B. 302; E. & B. 334) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations V (B. 301; E. & B. 333) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations IV (B. 300; E. & B. 332) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations III (B. 299; E. & B. 331) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations II (B. 298; E. & B. 330) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations I (Belknap 297; Engberg & Banach 329) | $8,000–$12,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Blue Elegy (B. 347; E. & B. 379) | $80,000–$120,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Game of Chance (B. 345; E. & B. 377) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations IX (B. 305; E. & B. 337) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations VIII (B. 304; E. & B. 336) | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | America-La France Variations VII (B. 303; E. & B. 335) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Mozart Rondo | $20,000–$25,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Hermitage (Belknap 149) | $3,500–$4,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Anchor #3 | oil on board | $70,000–$90,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·06 | Harvest with Orange Stripe (Gemini 480) | $2,000–$2,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | The Dalton Print (B. 208) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·06 | Black Rumble (B. 308) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Gauloises Bleues (Raw Umber Edge) (B. 70; E. & B. 99) | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Africa Suite : Africa 7-9 (Belknap 46-8; Engberg & Banach 75-7) | $3,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Blue 6-11, from A la pintura (see B. 91; E. & B. 120) | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Airless Black (B. 279; E. & B. 311) | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | America-La France Variations II (B. 298; E. & B. 330) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | America-La France Variations IV (B. 300; E. & B. 332) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | America-La France Variations VII (B. 303; E. & B. 335) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Black Rumble (B. 308; E. & B. 356) | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | On the Wing (B. 309; E. & B. 340) | $4,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | The Red Queen (B. 414; E. & B. 476) | $5,000–$7,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Frontier #12 | $20,000–$30,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Jacob's Ladder and Burning Bush | $9,000–$12,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Fusains suprieurs | $30,000–$40,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Gypsy Curse (B. 286) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Red Sea III (B. 292) | $7,000–$9,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Black Rumble (B. 308) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Hollow Men Suite (B. 336-42) | $7,000–$10,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | French Revolution Bicentennial Suite II (B. 350) | $1,500–$1,800 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | French Revolution Bicentennial Suite III (B. 351) | $1,500–$1,800 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | French Revolution Bicentennial Suite IV (B. 352) | $1,500–$1,800 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Raphael Alberti, A la Pintura , New York, Universal Limited Art Editions, 1968-72 (Belknap 82-102) | $12,000–$15,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Hermitage (B. 149) | $4,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·01 | Africa Suite : Four Plates (Belknap 45-7 and 49) | $4,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·01 | Tricolor (B. 24) | $500–$700 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·01 | Rite of Passage III (B. 217) | $1,800–$2,200 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·01 | America--La France Variations III (B. 299) | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·11 | Delicados | $50,000–$70,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·10 | (1915-1991) | $539–$809 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·10 | Robert Motherwell | $1,079–$1,618 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·07 | The Red and the Black No. 52 | $8,090–$10,787 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·05 | Summer Trident (E. & B. 505) | lithograph in blue, 1990, on Japanese Kozo | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | ||
| 1998·05 | Pauillac, #1, from Summer Light Series (Belknap 119; Engberg & Banach 148) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·05 | Three Figures (B. 426; E. & B. 489) | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·05 | Untitled, from Octavio Paz Suite (E. & B. 431) | lithograph, 1988, on Japanese Gampi | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | ||
| 1998·05 | Mediterranean Interior and Black Table | $50,000–$70,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·05 | Elegy Study | $100,000–$150,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | Automatism A (Belknap 6) | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | Three Figures (B. 426) | $4,000–$5,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | America-La France Variations V (B. 301; T. 447) | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | America-La France Variations III (B. 299; T. 445) | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | Flags (B. 408) | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | America-La France Variations IX (B. 305; T. 451) | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·04 | On the Wing (B. 309; T. 454) | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·02 | Two Figures, No. 12 | $25,000–$35,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·01 | Mask (For Ingmar Bergman) (E. & B. 474; B. 412) | $6,742–$9,438 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·01 | The Red Queen (Engberg & Banach 476; Belknap 414) | $5,393–$8,090 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $39, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.