What is a Bernd and Hilla Becher photograph worth?
1959–2007 · Price guide from past auction results
Based on 78 priced auction sales, works by Bernd and Hilla Becher have sold for a median of $16,821Sign up free to see. Half of them sold between $7,508Sign up free to see and $42,935Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $19,238Sign up free to see across 66 sales. In the last five years the median was $13,492Sign up free to see across 42 sales. These are past auction results, not a valuation: medium, size, condition and provenance all change what a particular work brings.
Bernd and Hilla Becher prices by medium
- Auction results
- 89
- Sold rate
- 88%
- Active at auction
- 2014–2026
- Median price
- $16.8kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $357kSign up free to see Water Towers, Phillips, Mar 2017
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 66 | $10k–$49.7kSign up free to see | $19.2kSign up free to see |
| Prints | 11 | $3.3k–$20.8kSign up free to see | $8.1kSign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Phillips (68), Lempertz (16), Rago Auctions (2)
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Typical range is the middle half of priced sales (USD at the sale-date rate). Past auction results, not a valuation.
Prices by size
| Size (longest side) | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (under 30 cm) | 6 | $5.7k–$34.1kSign up free to see | $14.1kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 64 | $10k–$49kSign up free to see | $19.6kSign up free to see |
| Large (75–150 cm) | 7 | $5.1k–$7.8kSign up free to see | $5.3kSign up free to see |
Recent Bernd and Hilla Becher sales
- Winding towers, (Fördertürme) France, Belgium, Nine gelatin silver prints, printed and assembled no later than 1983 — $129,000Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 11, 2026
- Hochöfen, Völklingen, Saar, Deutschland (Blast Furnace, Völklingen, Saar, Germany), Gelatin silver print — $2,176Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Feb 27, 2026
- Typologie Wassertürme, Offset lithograph, on wove paper, with full margins — $3,870Sign up free to see, Phillips, Feb 7, 2026
- Blast Furnaces (A sequence of 9), ferrotyped gelatin silver print — $114,300Sign up free to see, Rago Auctions, Dec 11, 2025
- Pipe Detail: Coal Mine, duotone offset lithograph — $1,397Sign up free to see, Rago Auctions, Dec 5, 2025
- Water Towers, 4 vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver prints on Agfa paper. Each approx — $33,814Sign up free to see, Lempertz, Dec 3, 2025
- Grain Elevator, Briey, Lorraine, France, Gelatin silver print, printed 1989 — $20,640Sign up free to see, Phillips, Oct 9, 2025
- Lime Kilns, gelatin silver print, in 12 parts — $69,606Sign up free to see, Phillips, Jun 26, 2025
Questions about Bernd and Hilla Becher prices
What is a Bernd and Hilla Becher photograph worth?
Based on 78 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Bernd and Hilla Becher have sold for a median of $16,821, and half of them sold between $7,508 and $42,935. For photographs alone the median is $19,238 (66 sales). Medium, size, condition, subject and provenance all affect the price of a particular work; these are past auction results, not a valuation.
What is the most expensive work by Bernd and Hilla Becher sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $356,522 for “Water Towers” at Phillips in March 2017.
Which Bernd and Hilla Becher medium sells for the most?
By median price, photographs lead with $19,238 (66 sales).
How often do Bernd and Hilla Becher works sell at auction?
88% of the 89 lots recorded between 2014 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Bernd and Hilla Becher photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Of the 89 lots by Bernd and Hilla Becher recorded at auction between 2014 and 2026, 78 found a buyer (88%).
Sell a Bernd and Hilla Becher photographAll Bernd and Hilla Becher auction resultsPrice chartBernd and Hilla Becher photographsBernd and Hilla Becher printsFree auction estimate