> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/balthus-balthasar-klossowski-de-rola · updated 2026-11-02 # Balthus (1908–2001) Balthus is a French artist with 65 auction lots recorded since 1991, median price $1,690. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page. A work by Balthus sold in 2026 for $34,375, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. ## What is a Balthus work worth? Across 49 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Balthus work is $1,690. The median Balthus print sells for $1,470 across 22 lots. The median Balthus work on paper sells for $29,860 across 11 lots. The median Balthus painting sells for $736,484 across 2 lots. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified. ## Price breakdown by category | Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Prints & Editions | 27 | $1,470†‡ | $3,910 | 81.5% | 2025-03-07 | | Paintings | 2 | $736,484 | $1.4M | — | 2006-11-09 | | Works on Paper | 11 | $29,860†‡ | $151,774 | — | 2026-04-17 | | Photography | 2 | $697† | $775† | — | 2014-12-05 | | Masterpieces (top of market) | 3 | $151,774 | $1.4M | — | 2006-11-09 | † hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified. Balthus's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (27 lots) median $1,470 with 81.5% sell-through. Paintings (2 lots) median $736,484, record $1,415,856. A typical Balthus painting sells for around 501× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 3 lots) the median is $151,774. ## Price by size ### Prints & Editions | Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record | |---|---|---|---|---| | small (under 50 cm) | 9 | $1,100–$2,223†‡ | $1,400†‡ | $2,445 | | medium (50–120 cm) | 6 | $635–$1,660 | $1,261 | $1,900 | † hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified. ### Works on Paper | Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record | |---|---|---|---|---| | small (under 50 cm) | 9 | $15,777–$61,818† | $34,375† | $151,774 | † hammer price — buyer's premium not included. Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots. ## Notable results | Medium | Year | Price | |---|---|---| | Paintings | 2006 | $1.4M | | Works on Paper | 2004 | $151,774 | | Works on Paper | 1999 | $65,173 | | Paintings | 2000 | $57,112 | | Prints & Editions | 1999 | $3,910 | | Prints & Editions | 2004 | $3,400 | | Photography | 2014 | $775† | | Photography | 2014 | $619† | † hammer price — buyer's premium not included. The highest recorded result in each medium. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a Balthus worth? Across 49 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Balthus work is $1,690. The median Balthus print sells for $1,470 across 22 lots. The median Balthus work on paper sells for $29,860 across 11 lots. The median Balthus painting sells for $736,484 across 2 lots. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified. ### What is the average price of a Balthus print? Based on 22 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Balthus print is $1,470. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified. ### What is Balthus's most expensive print? The highest price recorded at auction for a Balthus print is $3,910. ### What is the average price of a Balthus work on paper? Based on 11 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Balthus work on paper is $29,860. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified. ### What is Balthus's most expensive work on paper? The highest price recorded at auction for a Balthus work on paper is $151,774. ### What is Balthus's auction record? Balthus's auction record is $1,415,856, set in 2006. --- Data last updated 2026-11-02. OpeningBid tracks 15,390,829 auction lots from 577 auction houses, refreshed nightly. Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Balthus auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/balthus-balthasar-klossowski-de-rola (updated 2026-11-02). Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.