> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/dorothea-lange · updated 2026-11-02

# Dorothea Lange (1895–1965)

## What is Dorothea Lange’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 534 auction results for Dorothea Lange at 22 houses since 1993. Over the last 24 months the median price was $2,540 including buyer’s premium (middle half $1,353–$4,909, n=68). The auction record is $609,600 for Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California (2023, Sotheby's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936 | Oversized gelatin silver print, the photographer's '1163 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley, California' stamp on the reverse, framed, 1936, probably printed in the 1940s | $609,600 | Sotheby's | May 2023 |
| 2 | 'white angel breadline' | — | $445,000 | Sotheby's | Oct 2007 |
| 3 | san francisco waterfront | — | $289,000 | Sotheby's | Apr 2008 |
| 4 | White Angel Bread Line, San Francisco, 1933, 1895 | Cartes-de-visite | $200,000 | Christie's | Oct 2017 |
| 5 | White Angel Breadline, 1957 | Cartes-de-visite | $200,000 | Phillips | Apr 2019 |
| 6 | White Angel Bread Line, San Francisco, 1933, 1950 | Cartes-de-visite | $175,000 | Christie's | Oct 2018 |

**Top auction records: prints & editions**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936 | Cartes-de-visite | $337,500 | Phillips | Apr 2019 |
| 2 | Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936 | Pencil | $305,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | Oct 2022 |
| 3 | Migratory Cotton Picker, Eloy, Arizona, 1940, 1940 | Cartes-de-visite | $200,000 | Christie's | Oct 2017 |
| 4 | Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936 | Gelatin silver print | $179,200 | Sotheby's | Apr 2026 |

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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 458 | $5,648 |
| Works on paper | 5 | $4,250 |
| Other | 37 | $3,400 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 13 | $7,500 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 458 | $5,600 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 534 results from 22 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Dorothea Lange is an American artist with 830 auction lots recorded since 1993, median price $5,576. 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 Dorothea Lange sold in 2026 for $166,400, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Dorothea Lange work worth?

Across 525 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Dorothea Lange work is $5,576.

The median Dorothea Lange photograph sells for $5,648 across 464 lots.

The median Dorothea Lange print sells for $2,794 across 9 lots.

The median Dorothea Lange work on paper sells for $18,150 across 6 lots.

Small (under 50 cm) Dorothea Lange photographs typically sell for $3,122–$15,000 (the middle half of 427 sold 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 | 9 | $2,794 | $20,400 | — | 2026-10-15 |
| Works on Paper | 6 | $18,150 | $32,200 | — | 2011-10-07 |
| Photography | 604 | $5,648†‡ | $609,600 | 76.8% | 2026-10-22 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 27 | $134,500 | $609,600 | — | 2026-10-22 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 9 | $2,540–$8,190 | $2,794 | $20,400 |

### Works on Paper

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 6 | $8,594–$19,936 | $18,150 | $32,200 |

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 427 | $3,122–$15,000†‡ | $5,715†‡ | $337,500 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 8 | $5,502–$21,875 | $14,128 | $609,600 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Photography | 2023 | $609,600 |
| Photography | 2019 | $337,500 |
| Works on Paper | 1999 | $32,200 |
| Prints & Editions | 2006 | $20,400 |
| Works on Paper | 2002 | $20,315 |
| Prints & Editions | 2014 | $10,000 |

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 Dorothea Lange worth?

Across 525 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Dorothea Lange work is $5,576. The median Dorothea Lange photograph sells for $5,648 across 464 lots. The median Dorothea Lange print sells for $2,794 across 9 lots. The median Dorothea Lange work on paper sells for $18,150 across 6 lots. Small (under 50 cm) Dorothea Lange photographs typically sell for $3,122–$15,000 (the middle half of 427 sold 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 Dorothea Lange photograph?

Based on 464 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Dorothea Lange photograph is $5,648. 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 Dorothea Lange's most expensive photograph?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Dorothea Lange photograph is $609,600.

### What is the average price of a small Dorothea Lange photograph?

Based on 427 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Dorothea Lange photograph (small (under 50 cm)) is $5,715, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. 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 Dorothea Lange's auction record?

Dorothea Lange's auction record is $609,600, set in 2023.

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Data last updated 2026-11-02. OpeningBid tracks 15,390,829 auction lots from 577 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Dorothea Lange auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/dorothea-lange (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.