> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/bela-bartok · updated 2026-11-01

# Béla Bartók (1881–1945)

## What is Béla Bartók’s work worth? {#value}

As of 3 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 10 auction results for Béla Bartók at 1 houses since 2024. Over the last 24 months the median price was $6,873 including buyer’s premium (middle half $5,460–$13,937, n=10). The auction record is $168,003 for Autograph field-book of Hungarian folksong transcriptions (2024, Sotheby's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

**Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Autograph field-book of Hungarian folksong transcriptions | Pencil | $168,003 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 2 | Collection of 24 Hungarian folksong transcriptions, 1906-1930s | Ink | $27,491 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 3 | Autograph notebook documenting Bartók's phonograph recordings of Hungarian folksongs, 1906-1907 | Pencil | $15,273 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 4 | Collection of autograph letters by Ditta Bartók, and other Bartók-related material | Tin | $9,927 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 5 | Autograph letter to Klára Gombossy, 1916 | Book | $7,636 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 6 | Four autograph letters to Klára Gombossy, 1916 | Autograph letters | $6,109 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 7 | .  Autograph letter signed to Klára Gombossy, 4 March 1916, partially published, ABOUT HIS OWN MUSIC, 1916 | Conte | $5,804 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 8 | Slovak folksong-text transcriptions, 1915-1916 | Manuscript | $5,346 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 9 | Autograph notebook documenting Bartók's phonograph recordings of Slovak folksongs | Pencil | $4,582 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |
| 10 | Autograph manuscript of 18 Hungarian folksong texts | Manuscript | $2,596 | Sotheby's | Dec 2024 |


**Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 9 | $6,109 |

**Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 50 cm) | 7 | $5,804 |

Data as of 3 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 10 results from 1 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Béla Bartók is a Hungarian artist with 10 auction lots recorded since 2024, median price $6,873.

A work by Béla Bartók sold in 2024 for $168,003, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Béla Bartók work worth?

Across 10 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Béla Bartók work is $6,873.

The median Béla Bartók work on paper sells for $21,382 across 4 lots.

## Price breakdown by category

| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works on Paper | 4 | $21,382 | $168,003 | — | 2024-12-12 |

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Works on Paper | 2024 | $168,003 |
| Works on Paper | 2024 | $27,491 |

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 Béla Bartók worth?

Across 10 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Béla Bartók work is $6,873. The median Béla Bartók work on paper sells for $21,382 across 4 lots.

### What is Béla Bartók's auction record?

Béla Bartók's auction record is $168,003, set in 2024.

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Data last updated 2026-11-01. OpeningBid tracks 15,222,099 auction lots from 571 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Béla Bartók auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/bela-bartok (updated 2026-11-01).

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.