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

# Vanessa German (b. 1976)

## What is Vanessa German’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 19 auction results for Vanessa German at 5 houses since 2021. Over the last 24 months the median price was $17,000 including buyer’s premium (middle half $10,078–$19,755, n=11). The auction record is $45,360 for a stunning rebuke to the manufacture of your benevolence by the fat negro sculpturess v.german upon the rape of her bountiful wholeness (2021, Phillips). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | a stunning rebuke to the manufacture of your benevolence by the fat negro sculpturess v.german upon the rape of her bountiful wholeness, 2016 | Mixed-media assemblage | $45,360 | Phillips | Nov 2021 |
| 2 | Prize Winner, 2012 | Wood | $41,280 | Phillips | Feb 2026 |
| 3 | Untitled, 2017 | Mixed media assemblage | $38,700 | Phillips | Jul 2026 |
| 4 | Flight, 2019 | Acrylic paint | $21,590 | Phillips | Jul 2023 |
| 5 | Sometimes I be so sad it’s like I think I almost cannot make it but then I do (hammer piece), 2012 | Plaster | $21,590 | Rago Arts | May 2025 |
| 6 | You Bring Out the Savage in Me #1, 2014 | Mixed media assemblage (model ship, old keys, silk quilt, twine, wire, homewood beads, hope, the liberty of flight, the weightless bones of sorrow, the sensation of rising up, radio flyer toy car—made in china, and bird salt shaker) | $18,750 | Swann Auction Galleries | Apr 2021 |
| 7 | Hatchet, or Good Housekeeping, 2013 | Mixed media assemblage | $17,920 | Rago Arts | Sep 2026 |
| 8 | Power Figure, 1976 | Mixed media | $17,500 | Swann Auction Galleries | Nov 2024 |
| 9 | Sometimes I be so sad it’s like I think I almost cannot make it but then I do (hammer piece), 2012 | Wood, plaster, wood glue, tar, pigment, pulley, hammer, old german doll head, vintage hard plastic doll parts, African trade beads, pad lock, glass bottles, electrical plug, beads, keys, buttons, twine, newspaper, cloth, earth | $17,000 | Wright | May 2025 |
| 10 | Untitled (mixed media assemblage sculpture), 2011 | Mixed media assemblage | $16,510 | Phillips | Sep 2023 |


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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 14 | $17,005 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 5 | $21,590 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 8 | $10,033 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 19 results from 5 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Vanessa German is an American artist with 22 auction lots recorded since 2021, median price $16,510. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page.

A work by Vanessa German sold in 2026 for $17,920, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

**1 Vanessa German work is coming to auction** (as of 2026-11-02).

- [Vanessa German on OpeningBid](https://www.openingbid.art/artist/vanessa-german?ref=kg:vanessa-german) — follow free in the OpeningBid app for sale alerts.

## What is a Vanessa German work worth?

Across 19 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Vanessa German work is $16,510.

The median Vanessa German work on paper sells for $3,419 across 2 lots.

The median Vanessa German sculpture sells for $31,435 across 2 lots.

The median Vanessa German print sells for $750 across 1 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 | 1 | $750† | $750† | — | 2025-03-15 |
| Paintings | 1 | $5,334 | $5,334 | — | 2024-09-25 |
| Works on Paper | 2 | $3,419 | $4,000 | — | 2026-06-24 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2 | $31,435 | $41,280 | — | 2026-02-28 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

Vanessa German's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (1 lots) median $750. Paintings (1 lots) median $5,334, record $5,334. A typical Vanessa German painting sells for around 7.1× the price of a typical print.

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sculpture & Installation | 2026 | $41,280 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2025 | $21,590 |
| Paintings | 2024 | $5,334 |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $4,000 |
| Works on Paper | 2026 | $2,838 |
| Prints & Editions | 2025 | $750† |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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 Vanessa German worth?

Across 19 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Vanessa German work is $16,510. The median Vanessa German work on paper sells for $3,419 across 2 lots. The median Vanessa German sculpture sells for $31,435 across 2 lots. The median Vanessa German print sells for $750 across 1 lots. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Vanessa German's auction record?

Vanessa German's auction record is $45,360, set in 2021.

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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, “Vanessa German auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/vanessa-german (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.