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

# Robert Motherwell (1915–1991)

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

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 2,113 auction results for Robert Motherwell at 79 houses since 1989. Over the last 24 months the median price was $2,790 including buyer’s premium (middle half $1,515–$7,665, n=254). The auction record is $12,690,000 for At Five in the Afternoon (2018, Phillips). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | At Five in the Afternoon, 1971 | Acrylic paint | $12,690,000 | Phillips | May 2018 |
| 2 | Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 79, 1962 | Oil paint | $5,089,800 | Sotheby's | May 2021 |
| 3 | Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 130, 1974 | Acrylic on canvas | $4,658,000 | Sotheby's | May 2023 |
| 4 | Untitled (Elegy), 1983 | Charcoal | $4,580,000 | Phillips | May 2019 |
| 5 | Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 160, 1979 | Charcoal | $3,680,000 | Christie's | May 2025 |
| 6 | Open No. 103: Big Square Blue, 1969 | Charcoal | $3,132,500 | Christie's | Nov 2017 |
| 7 | Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 71, 1961 | Oil paint | $2,919,500 | Christie's | Nov 2004 |
| 8 | Elegy to the Spanish Republic (Basque Elegy), 1967 | Oil paint | $2,658,500 | Christie's | Nov 2008 |
| 9 | Je t'aime No. III with Loaf of Bread, 1955 | Charcoal | $2,652,500 | Christie's | Nov 2017 |
| 10 | Spanish Elegy XIV (Palamos), 1953 | Oil and graphite on paperboard | $2,470,000 | Sotheby's | May 2022 |


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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 165 | $171,450 |
| Works on paper | 110 | $27,610 |
| Other | 134 | $5,200 |
| Prints | 1,447 | $3,129 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Large (over 120 cm) | 159 | $40,000 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 1,135 | $3,528 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 445 | $3,000 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 2,113 results from 79 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Robert Motherwell is an American artist with 2,571 auction lots recorded since 1989, median price $3,500. 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 Robert Motherwell sold in 2026 for a hammer price of $5,500 (buyer's premium not included), according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

**12 Robert Motherwell works are coming to auction** (as of 2026-11-02).

- [Robert Motherwell on OpeningBid](https://www.openingbid.art/artist/robert-motherwell?ref=kg:robert-motherwell) — follow free in the OpeningBid app for sale alerts.

## What is a Robert Motherwell work worth?

Across 2,100 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Robert Motherwell work is $3,500.

The median Robert Motherwell print sells for $2,812 across 1,623 lots.

The median Robert Motherwell work on paper sells for $34,010 across 141 lots.

The median Robert Motherwell painting sells for $203,500 across 137 lots.

Medium (50–120 cm) Robert Motherwell prints typically sell for $1,839–$5,305 (the middle half of 1,107 sold lots).

Small (under 50 cm) Robert Motherwell prints typically sell for $1,478–$3,695 (the middle half of 367 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 | 1,806 | $2,812†‡ | $150,000 | 89.9% | 2026-10-22 |
| Paintings | 155 | $203,500†‡ | $12.7M | 88.4% | 2026-07-07 |
| Works on Paper | 161 | $34,010†‡ | $2.5M | 87.6% | 2026-09-15 |
| Photography | 6 | $2,000 | $3,000 | 83.3% | 2020-06-25 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 146 | $290,500† | $12.7M | — | 2026-10-01 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

Robert Motherwell's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (1,806 lots) median $2,812 with 89.9% sell-through. Paintings (155 lots) median $203,500, record $12,690,000. A typical Robert Motherwell painting sells for around 72× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 146 lots) the median is $290,500.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 367 | $1,478–$3,695†‡ | $2,250†‡ | $47,500 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 1,107 | $1,839–$5,305†‡ | $3,024†‡ | $118,750 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 85 | $5,625–$19,050†‡ | $10,000†‡ | $150,000 |

† 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) | 27 | $26,990–$119,875 | $50,000 | $1.6M |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 43 | $64,250–$167,625†‡ | $113,400†‡ | $890,500 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 62 | $320,675–$1.5M | $818,750 | $12.7M |

† 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) | 76 | $10,312–$38,806†‡ | $18,750†‡ | $331,250 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 48 | $33,020–$177,925† | $59,375† | $732,500 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 9 | $99,590–$1.6M | $571,500 | $2.2M |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium (50–120 cm) | 5 | $1,875–$2,125 | $2,000 | $3,000 |

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

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 2018 | $12.7M |
| Paintings | 2021 | $5.1M |
| Works on Paper | 2022 | $2.5M |
| Works on Paper | 2018 | $2.2M |
| Prints & Editions | 2019 | $150,000 |
| Prints & Editions | 2016 | $118,750 |
| Photography | 2020 | $3,000 |
| Photography | 2014 | $2,125 |

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 Motherwell worth?

Across 2,100 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Robert Motherwell work is $3,500. The median Robert Motherwell print sells for $2,812 across 1,623 lots. The median Robert Motherwell work on paper sells for $34,010 across 141 lots. The median Robert Motherwell painting sells for $203,500 across 137 lots. Medium (50–120 cm) Robert Motherwell prints typically sell for $1,839–$5,305 (the middle half of 1,107 sold lots). Small (under 50 cm) Robert Motherwell prints typically sell for $1,478–$3,695 (the middle half of 367 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 Robert Motherwell print?

Based on 1,623 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Robert Motherwell print is $2,812. 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 Robert Motherwell's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Robert Motherwell print is $150,000.

### What is the average price of a Robert Motherwell work on paper?

Based on 141 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Robert Motherwell work on paper is $34,010. 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 Robert Motherwell's most expensive work on paper?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Robert Motherwell work on paper is $2,470,000.

### What is the average price of a Robert Motherwell painting?

Based on 137 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Robert Motherwell painting is $203,500. 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 Robert Motherwell's most expensive painting?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Robert Motherwell painting is $12,690,000.

### What is the average price of a medium Robert Motherwell print?

Based on 1,107 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Robert Motherwell print (medium (50–120 cm)) is $3,024, 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 Robert Motherwell print?

Based on 367 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Robert Motherwell print (small (under 50 cm)) is $2,250, 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 Robert Motherwell's auction record?

Robert Motherwell's auction record is $12,690,000, set in 2018.

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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 Motherwell auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/robert-motherwell (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.