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

# Joseph Kosuth (b. 1945)

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

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 174 auction results for Joseph Kosuth at 32 houses since 1990. Over the last 24 months the median price was $42,757 including buyer’s premium (middle half $330–$64,000, n=21). The auction record is $337,000 for Five Words in Yellow Neon (2008, Sotheby's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Five Words in Yellow Neon | Yellow neon tubing | $337,000 | Sotheby's | May 2008 |
| 2 | Titled (A.A.I.A.I.), 1968 | Two mounted photographs | $289,800 | Christie's | Nov 2022 |
| 3 | 'Glass - One and Four defined' | Four glass square panels and four definitions | $288,710 | Sotheby's | Jul 2008 |
| 4 | Untitled (Grey Concrete Floor Surface) | Paste-up documentation on paper and 4 floatglass panels | $245,962 | Sotheby's | Oct 2007 |
| 5 | Four Colors Four Words (blue, red, yellow, green) | Tubes de néons et transformateur électrique | $197,764 | Sotheby's | Dec 2013 |
| 6 | Five Words in Orange Neon, 1965 | Neon | $189,811 | Christie's | Feb 2005 |
| 7 | FIVE WORDS IN VIOLET NEON, 1965 | Neon | $169,644 | Christie's | Oct 2005 |

**Top auction records: prints & editions**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One and Eight - A description (Violet), 1965 | Neon | $231,500 | Christie's | Nov 2004 |
| 2 | North, East, South, West (From Art as Idea as Idea) | Offset print on vinyl, in four parts | $228,482 | Phillips | Feb 2016 |
| 3 | One and Eight-A Description, 1965 | Neon | $190,500 | Sotheby's | May 2025 |

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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 28 | $64,250 |
| Other | 75 | $37,500 |
| Works on paper | 14 | $7,750 |
| Prints | 33 | $571 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Large (over 120 cm) | 56 | $60,728 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 26 | $6,313 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 53 | $1,265 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 174 results from 32 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Joseph Kosuth is an American artist with 255 auction lots recorded since 1990, median price $15,902. 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 Kosuth sold in 2026 for $64,500, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Joseph Kosuth work worth?

Across 172 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Joseph Kosuth work is $15,902.

The median Joseph Kosuth print sells for $478 across 53 lots.

The median Joseph Kosuth photograph sells for $64,000 across 29 lots.

The median Joseph Kosuth sculpture sells for $39,665 across 14 lots.

Medium (50–120 cm) Joseph Kosuth prints typically sell for $211–$933 (the middle half of 44 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 | 76 | $478†‡ | $228,482 | 69.7% | 2026-05-22 |
| Paintings | 2 | $76,652 | $77,322 | — | 2016-10-06 |
| Works on Paper | 19 | $10,584‡ | $94,500 | 73.7% | 2026-01-23 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 22 | $39,665 | $167,571 | 63.6% | 2024-04-19 |
| Photography | 29 | $64,000† | $289,800 | — | 2026-04-23 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 25 | $154,118 | $337,000 | — | 2026-03-05 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

Joseph Kosuth's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (76 lots) median $478 with 69.7% sell-through. Paintings (2 lots) median $76,652, record $77,322. A typical Joseph Kosuth painting sells for around 160× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 25 lots) the median is $154,118.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 5 | $60–$312 | $250 | $737 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 44 | $211–$933†‡ | $478†‡ | $228,482 |

† 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) | 10 | $4,177–$13,410 | $7,750 | $13,860 |

### Sculpture & Installation

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| large (over 120 cm) | 8 | $39,752–$134,411 | $84,375 | $167,571 |

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium (50–120 cm) | 7 | $68,874–$102,687 | $84,720 | $150,000 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 19 | $41,742–$64,874† | $57,006† | $289,800 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Photography | 2022 | $289,800 |
| Prints & Editions | 2016 | $228,482 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2021 | $167,571 |
| Photography | 2018 | $164,727 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2016 | $154,118 |
| Works on Paper | 2022 | $94,500 |
| Paintings | 2015 | $77,322 |
| Paintings | 2016 | $75,982 |

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 Kosuth worth?

Across 172 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Joseph Kosuth work is $15,902. The median Joseph Kosuth print sells for $478 across 53 lots. The median Joseph Kosuth photograph sells for $64,000 across 29 lots. The median Joseph Kosuth sculpture sells for $39,665 across 14 lots. Medium (50–120 cm) Joseph Kosuth prints typically sell for $211–$933 (the middle half of 44 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 Kosuth print?

Based on 53 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Joseph Kosuth print is $478. 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 Kosuth's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Joseph Kosuth print is $228,482.

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

Based on 29 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Joseph Kosuth photograph is $64,000. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Joseph Kosuth's most expensive photograph?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Joseph Kosuth photograph is $289,800.

### What is the average price of a Joseph Kosuth sculpture?

Based on 14 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Joseph Kosuth sculpture is $39,665.

### What is Joseph Kosuth's most expensive sculpture?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Joseph Kosuth sculpture is $167,571.

### What is the average price of a medium Joseph Kosuth print?

Based on 44 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Joseph Kosuth print (medium (50–120 cm)) is $478, 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 large Joseph Kosuth photograph?

Based on 19 sold lots, the median auction price of a large Joseph Kosuth photograph (large (over 120 cm)) is $57,006, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Joseph Kosuth's auction record?

Joseph Kosuth's auction record is $337,000, set in 2008.

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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 Kosuth auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/joseph-kosuth (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.