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

# Robert Heinecken (1931–2006)

## What is Robert Heinecken’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 55 auction results for Robert Heinecken at 12 houses since 2002. Over the last 24 months the median price was $1,500 including buyer’s premium (middle half $1,200–$1,905, n=9). The auction record is $149,000 for Cliché Vary/Lesbianism (2014, Phillips). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cliché Vary/Lesbianism | Unique construction of sixteen canvas panels with photographic emulsion and pastel chalk | $149,000 | Phillips | Oct 2014 |
| 2 | Selected Images from Are You Rea | Seven gelatin silver prints | $62,500 | Phillips | Oct 2017 |
| 3 | Recto/Verso, 1988 | Berkeley: Landweber/Artists, 1988. Twelve dye destruction prints, each with text overlay | $52,500 | Phillips | Apr 2015 |
| 4 | Jack Jones and the Lennon Sisters #1, 1970 | Graphite | $37,500 | Phillips | Apr 2017 |
| 5 | Figure Cube Abstracted, 1966 | Gelatin silver prints on a wood block | $20,320 | Sotheby's | Nov 2023 |
| 6 | Studies, #55, 1931 | Cartes-de-visite | $20,000 | Christie's | Mar 2015 |
| 7 | Shiva, the Lord Whose Half Is Woman | Relief collage of magazine advertisements | $11,250 | Phillips | Oct 2017 |

**Top auction records: prints & editions**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recto/Verso, 1968 | Berkeley: Landweber/Artists, 1989. Twelve dye destruction prints | $32,500 | Phillips | Oct 2017 |
| 2 | Recto/Verso, 1988 | Pencil | $20,320 | Sotheby's | Feb 2025 |
| 3 | Autoeroticism, 1978 | Photolithograph from the portfolio Vary Cliché (Self-published, 1979), printed 1978 | $11,970 | Phillips | Apr 2021 |

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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 9 | $8,500 |
| Prints | 19 | $7,500 |
| Other | 12 | $2,813 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 50 cm) | 29 | $7,740 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 11 | $3,039 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 55 results from 12 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Robert Heinecken is an American artist with 90 auction lots recorded since 2002, median price $3,120. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page.

A work by Robert Heinecken sold in 2025 for $7,740, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Robert Heinecken work worth?

Across 55 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Robert Heinecken work is $3,120.

The median Robert Heinecken photograph sells for $3,145 across 20 lots.

The median Robert Heinecken print sells for $3,810 across 23 lots.

The median Robert Heinecken work on paper sells for $5,000 across 5 lots.

Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

## Price breakdown by category

| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 28 | $3,810† | $11,970 | 82.1% | 2026-10-15 |
| Paintings | 1 | — | — | 0% | — |
| Works on Paper | 8 | $5,000 | $20,320 | 62.5% | 2025-06-10 |
| Photography | 31 | $3,145† | $149,000 | 64.5% | 2026-02-27 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 3 | $62,500 | $149,000 | — | 2017-10-03 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 16 | $1,527–$10,000† | $5,655† | $11,970 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 5 | $1,134–$5,313 | $2,250 | $9,500 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 14 | $1,031–$29,455† | $2,812† | $149,000 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 5 | $3,039–$10,498† | $5,200† | $37,500 |

† 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 | 2014 | $149,000 |
| Photography | 2017 | $62,500 |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $20,320 |
| Prints & Editions | 2021 | $11,970 |
| Prints & Editions | 2014 | $10,000 |
| Works on Paper | 2016 | $8,500 |

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 Robert Heinecken worth?

Across 55 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Robert Heinecken work is $3,120. The median Robert Heinecken photograph sells for $3,145 across 20 lots. The median Robert Heinecken print sells for $3,810 across 23 lots. The median Robert Heinecken work on paper sells for $5,000 across 5 lots. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is the average price of a Robert Heinecken photograph?

Based on 20 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Robert Heinecken photograph is $3,145. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Robert Heinecken's most expensive photograph?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Robert Heinecken photograph is $149,000.

### What is the average price of a Robert Heinecken print?

Based on 23 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Robert Heinecken print is $3,810. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Robert Heinecken's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Robert Heinecken print is $11,970.

### What is the average price of a small Robert Heinecken print?

Based on 16 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Robert Heinecken print (small (under 50 cm)) is $5,655, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is the average price of a small Robert Heinecken photograph?

Based on 14 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Robert Heinecken photograph (small (under 50 cm)) is $2,812, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Robert Heinecken's auction record?

Robert Heinecken's auction record is $149,000, set in 2014.

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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, “Robert Heinecken auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/robert-heinecken (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.