{"slug":"honore-de-balzac","artist_id":"3ce1386e-42c4-4bed-abc7-4ba2d20bb263","canonical_slug":"honore-de-balzac","name":"Honoré de Balzac","built_at":"2026-11-02","categories":[{"bucket":"Prints & Editions","lots_n":31,"sold_n":18,"median_price_usd_minor":44876,"record_price_usd_minor":3822249,"record_basis":"hammer","priced_lots_hammer_only":7,"priced_lots_unverified":2,"sell_through_pct":58.1,"last_sale_date":"2026-04-01","first_sale_year":2005},{"bucket":"Sculpture & Installation","lots_n":4,"sold_n":4,"median_price_usd_minor":24978,"record_price_usd_minor":141352,"record_basis":"premium","priced_lots_hammer_only":1,"priced_lots_unverified":2,"sell_through_pct":null,"last_sale_date":"2022-06-13","first_sale_year":2010},{"bucket":"Other","lots_n":42,"sold_n":35,"median_price_usd_minor":31600,"record_price_usd_minor":625000,"record_basis":"premium","priced_lots_hammer_only":10,"priced_lots_unverified":4,"sell_through_pct":83.3,"last_sale_date":"2026-10-15","first_sale_year":1998},{"bucket":"Masterpieces","lots_n":3,"sold_n":3,"median_price_usd_minor":2006624,"record_price_usd_minor":3822249,"record_basis":"hammer","priced_lots_hammer_only":1,"priced_lots_unverified":0,"sell_through_pct":null,"last_sale_date":"2019-10-17","first_sale_year":2011},{"bucket":"Works on Paper","lots_n":1,"sold_n":1,"median_price_usd_minor":355245,"record_price_usd_minor":355245,"record_basis":"premium","priced_lots_hammer_only":0,"priced_lots_unverified":0,"sell_through_pct":null,"last_sale_date":"2016-11-15","first_sale_year":2016}],"sizes":[],"notable":[{"bucket":"Prints & Editions","year":"2011","total_price_usd":3822249,"priced_basis":"hammer"},{"bucket":"Prints & Editions","year":"2016","total_price_usd":2006624,"priced_basis":"premium"},{"bucket":"Sculpture & Installation","year":"2022","total_price_usd":141352,"priced_basis":"premium"},{"bucket":"Sculpture & Installation","year":"2010","total_price_usd":25000,"priced_basis":"unverified"},{"bucket":"Works on Paper","year":"2016","total_price_usd":355245,"priced_basis":"premium"}],"last_sold":{"year":"2026","total_price_usd":40461,"priced_basis":"premium"},"upcoming_count":0,"content_modified":"2026-10-23","value_block_hash":"c19f008bf92ec98e31b4b7e6610ac99576720445","value":{"slug":"honore-de-balzac","name":"Honoré de Balzac","as_of":"2026-11-02","newest_result_date":"2026-10-15","results_total":58,"houses_total":27,"first_year":1999,"median_24m":{"usd_minor":23441,"p25_usd_minor":15456,"p75_usd_minor":37860,"n":6,"basis":"premium"},"record":{"title":"Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu","work_year":"1931","usd_minor":2006624,"basis":"premium","sale_year":2016,"sale_month":"2016-12","house_name":"Christie's","lot_id":"3915c8fc-33df-48f7-a3b2-cf1c948bda1f"},"by_medium":[{"medium":"Other","n":23,"median_usd_minor":40461},{"medium":"Sculpture","n":6,"median_usd_minor":24600}],"by_size":[{"band":"Small (under 50 cm)","n":8,"median_usd_minor":224080}],"methodology_url":"https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data","top10":{"originals":[{"rank":1,"title":"Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu","work_year":"1931","medium":"13 eaux-fortes hors texte et 67 bois","usd_minor":2006624,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Christie's","sale_month":"2016-12","lot_id":"3915c8fc-33df-48f7-a3b2-cf1c948bda1f"},{"rank":2,"title":"La Comedie Humaine","work_year":"1888-later","medium":"Black half morocco, color illustrations","usd_minor":625000,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Christie's","sale_month":"2019-10","lot_id":"80eae0f7-bbb1-4c0a-8378-799bef46f5c2"},{"rank":3,"title":"Sur la destruction projettée du monument élevé au duc de Berry","work_year":"1832","medium":"Manuscrit de travail abondamment remanié","usd_minor":556057,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Sotheby's","sale_month":"2023-12","lot_id":"ad7d626a-b72e-40b0-940d-ad33efe9744d"},{"rank":4,"title":"Histoire intellectuelle de Louis Lambert","work_year":"1833","medium":"Book, printed on China paper, dark green half-morocco binding, ribbed spine with gilt decoration, marbled edges","usd_minor":535550,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Ader","sale_month":"2015-11","lot_id":"f2a204a1-d29d-4d68-8ca2-870db6f0a1b6"},{"rank":5,"title":"Lettre autographe signée à Alfred de Vigny","work_year":"1831","medium":"Autograph letter on paper","usd_minor":355245,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Artcurial","sale_month":"2016-11","lot_id":"1a61a705-6c07-4c4f-98d7-97524b1c393c"},{"rank":6,"title":"Lettre autographe paraphée adressée à Monsieur [Delestre-Poirson]","work_year":"1799","medium":"Bois","usd_minor":339824,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Christie's","sale_month":"2004-11","lot_id":"2fe94c85-64c1-4463-abc4-fbcbb0e29956"},{"rank":7,"title":"Lettre autographe signée à Hippolyte Souverain","work_year":null,"medium":"2 pages in-8","usd_minor":258348,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Cornette de Saint Cyr (Bonhams)","sale_month":"2022-06","lot_id":"d0dd5852-d3b7-4cba-a9cc-cf3261dcd123"},{"rank":8,"title":"Lettre autographe signée à son éditeur H. Delloye","work_year":null,"medium":"Autograph letter, 3 pages in-8","usd_minor":229642,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Cornette de Saint Cyr (Bonhams)","sale_month":"2022-06","lot_id":"1a6b31e6-ed8a-431c-97db-587261e365c5"},{"rank":9,"title":"Bust of Honoré de Balzac","work_year":null,"medium":"Chased and patinated bronze with sea green marble base","usd_minor":141352,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Christophe Joron-Derem","sale_month":"2022-06","lot_id":"6c7cd502-f902-45d5-a0d9-85487646f99d"},{"rank":10,"title":"Un grand homme de province à Paris, Scène de la Vie de Province","work_year":"1839","medium":"2 volumes in-8, demi-maroquin brun à coins, filets dorés, dos lisse orné, tête dorée, non rogné","usd_minor":108336,"basis":"premium","house_name":"Ader","sale_month":"2021-10","lot_id":"962610c6-9bf8-4b90-8a96-4ec6ee5bd8a7"}],"editions":[]},"paragraph":"As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 58 auction results for Honoré de Balzac at 27 houses since 1999. Over the last 24 months the median price was $234 including buyer’s premium (middle half $155–$379, n=6). The auction record is $20,066 for Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu (2016, Christie's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.","title":"Honoré de Balzac value: auction records & prices (updated Nov 2026)"}}