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

# Joseph Beuys (1921–1986)

## What is Joseph Beuys’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 1,977 auction results for Joseph Beuys at 84 houses since 1998. Over the last 24 months the median price was $1,607 including buyer’s premium (middle half $628–$6,479, n=78). The auction record is $1,231,396 for Zeitpunkt: Das Massaker von Muenchen (Point of time: The Massacre of Munich) (2016, Christie's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeitpunkt: Das Massaker von Muenchen (Point of time: The Massacre of Munich), 1972 | Chalk | $1,231,396 | Christie's | Feb 2016 |
| 2 | Chikago, 1974 | Chalk | $1,207,500 | Christie's | May 2017 |
| 3 | Wo ist Element 3?, 1984 | Marble | $886,401 | Ketterer Kunst | Jun 2021 |
| 4 | Olivestone (Prototype) | Circa 18th century sandstone and italian olive oil (inner stone: Abruzzian sandstone, Village of Lettomanopello) | $768,372 | Sotheby's | Feb 2007 |
| 5 | Boxkampf für die direkte Demokratie, 1972 | Mixed media in tin and glass vitrine | $629,695 | Christie's | Jun 2006 |
| 6 | Unbetitelt (Feld), 1972 | Chalk | $606,850 | Phillips | Oct 2018 |
| 7 | Untitled (oil, canvas collage and pencil on tracing paper), 1962 | Pencil | $576,927 | Christie's | Jul 2008 |
| 8 | Breeding-Energy-Mensch, 1974 | Chalk | $571,500 | Sotheby's | Nov 2025 |
| 9 | Untitled (pencil, ink, watercolour, tape collage and tracing paper on card) | Pencil, ink, watercolour, tape collage and tracing paper on card | $560,751 | Sotheby's | Oct 2010 |
| 10 | Fluxusobjekt, 1962 | Oil paint | $522,752 | Christie's | Oct 2015 |


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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Sculpture | 25 | $30,203 |
| Works on paper | 132 | $15,992 |
| Paintings | 29 | $11,250 |
| Other | 338 | $6,611 |
| Photographs | 47 | $5,615 |
| Prints | 322 | $1,426 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Large (over 120 cm) | 53 | $50,567 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 473 | $3,583 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 312 | $2,975 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 1,977 results from 84 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Joseph Beuys is a German artist with 2,567 auction lots recorded since 1998, median price $1,250. 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 Joseph Beuys sold in 2026 for $4,480, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

**5 Joseph Beuys works are coming to auction** (as of 2026-11-02).

- [Joseph Beuys on OpeningBid](https://www.openingbid.art/artist/joseph-beuys?ref=kg:joseph-beuys) — follow free in the OpeningBid app for sale alerts.

## What is a Joseph Beuys work worth?

Across 1,882 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Joseph Beuys work is $1,250.

The median Joseph Beuys print sells for $1,007 across 940 lots.

The median Joseph Beuys work on paper sells for $12,865 across 195 lots.

The median Joseph Beuys photograph sells for $3,106 across 63 lots.

Small (under 50 cm) Joseph Beuys prints typically sell for $605–$1,816 (the middle half of 437 sold lots).

Medium (50–120 cm) Joseph Beuys prints typically sell for $617–$2,192 (the middle half of 414 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 | 1,008 | $1,007†‡ | $196,862 | 93.3% | 2026-09-12 |
| Paintings | 28 | $10,727† | $41,988 | 85.7% | 2024-06-05 |
| Works on Paper | 243 | $12,865†‡ | $1.2M | 80.2% | 2026-10-08 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 59 | $17,731‡ | $886,401 | 81.4% | 2025-05-16 |
| Photography | 68 | $3,106†‡ | $224,922 | 92.6% | 2026-07-02 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 97 | $92,471 | $1.2M | — | 2026-06-19 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

Joseph Beuys's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (1,008 lots) median $1,007 with 93.3% sell-through. Paintings (28 lots) median $10,727, record $41,988. A typical Joseph Beuys painting sells for around 11× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 97 lots) the median is $92,471.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 437 | $605–$1,816†‡ | $972†‡ | $27,814 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 414 | $617–$2,192†‡ | $1,160†‡ | $81,155 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 20 | $1,256–$44,206†‡ | $12,641†‡ | $196,862 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

### Paintings

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 12 | $8,430–$22,327 | $15,529 | $41,988 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 10 | $7,668–$17,720† | $9,574† | $32,422 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

### Works on Paper

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 159 | $3,196–$31,069†‡ | $12,277†‡ | $327,123 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 18 | $5,019–$85,542† | $24,425† | $560,751 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 8 | $67,326–$757,012 | $539,578 | $1.2M |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

### Sculpture & Installation

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 22 | $1,721–$26,298‡ | $12,395‡ | $435,766 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 19 | $16,241–$86,235‡ | $24,047‡ | $322,170 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 5 | $3,059–$408,646 | $51,748 | $886,401 |

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

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 22 | $649–$2,030† | $1,322† | $22,309 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 32 | $2,482–$13,728† | $6,564† | $214,260 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 5 | $13,128–$65,087†‡ | $13,750†‡ | $224,922 |

† 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Works on Paper | 2016 | $1.2M |
| Works on Paper | 2017 | $1.2M |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2021 | $886,401 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2019 | $435,766 |
| Photography | 2024 | $224,922 |
| Photography | 2022 | $214,260 |
| Prints & Editions | 2019 | $196,862 |
| Prints & Editions | 2017 | $96,871 |

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 Joseph Beuys worth?

Across 1,882 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Joseph Beuys work is $1,250. The median Joseph Beuys print sells for $1,007 across 940 lots. The median Joseph Beuys work on paper sells for $12,865 across 195 lots. The median Joseph Beuys photograph sells for $3,106 across 63 lots. Small (under 50 cm) Joseph Beuys prints typically sell for $605–$1,816 (the middle half of 437 sold lots). Medium (50–120 cm) Joseph Beuys prints typically sell for $617–$2,192 (the middle half of 414 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 Joseph Beuys print?

Based on 940 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Joseph Beuys print is $1,007. 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 Joseph Beuys's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Joseph Beuys print is $196,862.

### What is the average price of a Joseph Beuys work on paper?

Based on 195 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Joseph Beuys work on paper is $12,865. 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 Joseph Beuys's most expensive work on paper?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Joseph Beuys work on paper is $1,231,396.

### What is the average price of a Joseph Beuys photograph?

Based on 63 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Joseph Beuys photograph is $3,106. 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 Joseph Beuys's most expensive photograph?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Joseph Beuys photograph is $224,922.

### What is the average price of a small Joseph Beuys print?

Based on 437 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Joseph Beuys print (small (under 50 cm)) is $972, 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 medium Joseph Beuys print?

Based on 414 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Joseph Beuys print (medium (50–120 cm)) is $1,160, 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 Joseph Beuys's auction record?

Joseph Beuys's auction record is $1,231,396, set in 2016.

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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, “Joseph Beuys auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/joseph-beuys (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.