Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1778)
What is Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s work worth?
As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 2,403 auction results for Giovanni Battista Piranesi at 95 houses since 1988. Over the last 24 months the median price was $861 including buyer’s premium (middle half $420–$1,767, n=144). The auction record is $358,000 for An architectural fantasy: the entrance to a palace with a monumental staircase by a fountain (2001, Christie's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.
| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An architectural fantasy: the entrance to a palace with a monumental staircase by a fountain, 1720 | Black chalk | $358,000 | Christie's | Jan 2001 |
| 2 | Folge von 15 Bll.: Carceri d'Invenzione, 1745 | Radierung, mit Kupferstich überarbeitet, auf festem Bütten | $132,751 | Karl & Faber | May 2017 |
| 3 | Two gesturing figures (recto); The falls at Tivoli (verso), 1720 | Pen and brown ink ( | $99,500 | Christie's | Jan 2002 |
| 4 | Head of a young man, turned to the right (recto); Figure studies (verso), 1720 | Traces of black chalk, pen and brown ink ( | $93,750 | Christie's | Jan 2017 |
| 5 | Vedute di Roma, 1748 | Etchings, 1748-1778, sixty-seven plates from a contemporary Roman Edition, Hind's Edition B 3 a-b with Piranesi's address and price where called for, fine to very fine impressions, watermark double-encircled Fleur-de-Lys (H. 3) on several plates, with full margins, minor defects at the sheet edges, occasional old minor repairs in the margins, some unobtrusive surface dirt, the usual central fold, in generally good condition, bound in marbled paper boards (album) | $79,620 | Christie's | Jul 2001 |
| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Study of four figures, 1720 | Pen and black ink, on a fragment of one of the artist's etchings | $279,400 | Christie's | Feb 2026 |
| 2 | Carceri, 1749 | 1749-50, on laid paper, watermark Fleur-de-Lys in Single Circle (Robison 5), a very fine, early set of the First Edition, Second Issue, printed with a light, selectively wiped plate tone, all but two plates in the first state, the | $225,000 | Christie's | Jan 2019 |
| 3 | Carceri d'Invenzione, 1758 | 1758, all Robison's state I, except R. 29 and R. 35 both Robison's state II (according to Robison R. 38 is normally seen in the second state rather than the first state as here), generally very fine impressions of these rare, early states, before the numbers and rework, on laid paper without apparent watermark (R. 37 with encircled Fleur-de-Lys, similar to Robison wmk. 5), with wide margins, the usual central fold (each with remains of a guard | $139,095 | Christie's | Jul 2003 |
| 4 | Carceri. D'Invenzione, 1745 | Etching | $96,617 | Galerie Kornfeld Auktionen Bern | Sep 2024 |
| 5 | Carceri d’Invenzione | Etchings with engraving, on laid paper | $87,500 | Christie's | Jan 2017 |
| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Works on paper | 13 | $4,773 |
| Prints | 1,141 | $1,297 |
| Other | 79 | $1,195 |
| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Large (over 120 cm) | 21 | $2,509 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 1,019 | $1,250 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 77 | $567 |
Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 2,403 results from 95 houses · How we compute these figures
Giovanni Battista Piranesi is an Italian artist with 3,294 auction lots recorded since 1988, median price $1,043. 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 Giovanni Battista Piranesi sold in 2026 for a hammer price of $1,267 (buyer's premium not included), according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.
7 Giovanni Battista Piranesi works are coming to auction (as of 2026-11-02). Follow Giovanni Battista Piranesi free on OpeningBid for sale alerts.
See the full Giovanni Battista Piranesi record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
View Giovanni Battista Piranesi on OpeningBid →What is a Giovanni Battista Piranesi work worth?
Across 2,321 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Giovanni Battista Piranesi work is $1,043.
The median Giovanni Battista Piranesi print sells for $978 across 2,008 lots.
The median Giovanni Battista Piranesi work on paper sells for $8,835 across 24 lots.
The median Giovanni Battista Piranesi sculpture sells for $30,560 across 5 lots.
Medium (50–120 cm) Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints typically sell for $546–$1,917 (the middle half of 1,701 sold lots).
Small (under 50 cm) Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints typically sell for $240–$988 (the middle half of 110 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 | 2,609 | $978†‡ | $279,400 | 77% | 2026-10-27 |
| Works on Paper | 30 | $8,835‡ | $358,000 | 80% | 2026-07-02 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 7 | $30,560 | $79,620 | 71.4% | 2025-07-10 |
| Photography | 1 | $20,685 | $20,685 | — | 2019-06-26 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 121 | $12,754‡ | $358,000 | — | 2026-09-15 |
† 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) | 110 | $240–$988†‡ | $477†‡ | $279,400 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 1,701 | $546–$1,917†‡ | $977†‡ | $225,000 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 21 | $1,772–$8,740‡ | $2,786‡ | $21,780 |
† 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) | 18 | $4,106–$74,883‡ | $8,835‡ | $358,000 |
‡ 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Works on Paper | 2001 | $358,000 |
| Prints & Editions | 2026 | $279,400 |
| Prints & Editions | 2019 | $225,000 |
| Works on Paper | 2002 | $99,500 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2001 | $79,620 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2025 | $31,817 |
| Photography | 2019 | $20,685 |
The highest recorded result in each medium. See the full sale history on OpeningBid.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Giovanni Battista Piranesi worth?
Across 2,321 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Giovanni Battista Piranesi work is $1,043. The median Giovanni Battista Piranesi print sells for $978 across 2,008 lots. The median Giovanni Battista Piranesi work on paper sells for $8,835 across 24 lots. The median Giovanni Battista Piranesi sculpture sells for $30,560 across 5 lots. Medium (50–120 cm) Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints typically sell for $546–$1,917 (the middle half of 1,701 sold lots). Small (under 50 cm) Giovanni Battista Piranesi prints typically sell for $240–$988 (the middle half of 110 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 Giovanni Battista Piranesi print?
Based on 2,008 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Giovanni Battista Piranesi print is $978. 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 Giovanni Battista Piranesi's most expensive print?
The highest price recorded at auction for a Giovanni Battista Piranesi print is $279,400.
What is the average price of a Giovanni Battista Piranesi work on paper?
Based on 24 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Giovanni Battista Piranesi work on paper is $8,835. Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).
What is Giovanni Battista Piranesi's most expensive work on paper?
The highest price recorded at auction for a Giovanni Battista Piranesi work on paper is $358,000.
What is the average price of a medium Giovanni Battista Piranesi print?
Based on 1,701 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Giovanni Battista Piranesi print (medium (50–120 cm)) is $977, 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 the average price of a small Giovanni Battista Piranesi print?
Based on 110 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Giovanni Battista Piranesi print (small (under 50 cm)) is $477, 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 Giovanni Battista Piranesi's auction record?
Giovanni Battista Piranesi's auction record is $358,000, set in 2001.
See the full Giovanni Battista Piranesi record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
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