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Claes Oldenburg, Trowel

Claes Oldenburg

American · 1929–2022 · Painter, Printmaker

Claes Oldenburg was a Swedish-born American sculptor best known for his public art installations, typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his… (Wikipedia)

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495lots offered1999–2026years recorded92%sold (445)$1.3kSign up free to seemedian price

3 works by Claes Oldenburg with an auction history (offered more than once) →

3 works by Claes Oldenburg coming up at auction · bid with the house ↓

Record prices

  1. Claes Oldenburg, 24 Open-Faced Sandwiches, 1964, burlap soaked in plaster, tempera, porcelain plates, glass and metal case24 Open-Faced SandwichesPhillips · $793,750≈ £627,619≈ €750,378Sign up to see
  2. Claes Oldenburg, "Ghost Wardrobe for M. M.", 1967-1983, Garderobe, Bügel, Schnüre, Schuhe (Metall, Nägel und Beton), Drähte"Ghost Wardrobe for M. M."Van Ham · €343,200≈ $380,472≈ £285,511Sign up to see
  3. Claes Oldenburg, Punching Bag, 1968, canvas stuffed with kapok, mounted on woodPunching BagPhillips · $200,000≈ £155,267≈ €178,843Sign up to see

Claes Oldenburg’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).

Coming up at auction

3 in forthcoming sales · bid with the house

Listed from the auction houses’ own websites; estimates are the houses’ own, not results.

ArtSell has recorded 485 auction results for Claes Oldenburg between 1999 and 2026, of which 445 sold (92%). A further 10 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $38Sign up free to see to $794kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $794kSign up free to see for 24 Open-Faced Sandwiches at Phillips in November 2024. The most common medium is lithographs (217 lots). Most results come from Phillips (100), Rago Auctions (97) and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (91).

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  1. Claes Oldenburg, Untitled, Initialed and dated lower right corner in pencil
    Untitled
    Drawing
    Sheet: 9.50" h x 6.50" w
    Clarke Auction Gallery · · Lot 76
    $200≈ £148≈ €173HammerSign up free to seeEst. $300–500View at Clarke Auction Gallery ↗
  2. Claes Oldenburg, Wedding Souvenir, 1966, cast plaster
    Wedding Souvenir, 1966
    Sculpture
    5¾ h x 6¾ w x 2½ d in (15 x 17 x 6 cm)
    Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · · Lot 231
    $5,120≈ £3,787≈ €4,408Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $800–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
  3. Claes Oldenburg, Proposed Colossal Monument for Battersea Park, London, Drum Set, 1966, 1969, offset lithograph in colors
    Proposed Colossal Monument for Battersea Park, London, Drum Set, 1966, 1969
    Lithograph
    23¾ h x 35¼ w in (60 x 90 cm)
    Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · · Lot 233
    $576≈ £426≈ €496Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $800–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
  4. Claes Oldenburg, Apple Core - Summer, 1990, lithograph in colors
    Apple Core - Summer, 1990
    Lithograph
    27½ h x 21 w in (70 x 53 cm)
    Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · · Lot 263
    $1,280≈ £947≈ €1,102Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
  5. Claes Oldenburg, Floating Three-Way Plug (A. & P. 154), 1976, Etching and aquatint in colours, on BFK Rives paper, with full margins
    Floating Three-Way Plug (A. & P. 154), 1976
    Etching · Paper · ed. 56/60
    I. 106.7 x 81.9 cm (42 x 32 1/4 in.) S. 126 x 97.5 cm (49 5/8 x 38 3/8 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 371
    £387≈ $522≈ €450Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £1,000–1,500View at Phillips ↗
  6. Claes Oldenburg, Apple Core (A. & P. 235), 1991, Lithograph in colours, on Richard de Bas Narcisse paper, with full margins
    Apple Core (A. & P. 235), 1991
    Lithograph · Paper · ed. 44/45
    I. 44.5 x 38 cm (17 1/2 x 14 7/8 in.) S. 79 x 58.2 cm (31 1/8 x 22 7/8 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 372
    £516≈ $696≈ €600Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £600–800View at Phillips ↗
  7. Claes Oldenburg, Miniature Soft Drum Set (S. 1969.06, P. 12, A. & P. 61), 1969, Multiple comprising screenprint on canvas, wash-line, wood and spray-paint
    Miniature Soft Drum Set (S. 1969.06, P. 12, A. & P. 61), 1969
    Multiple · Canvas · ed. 154/200
    29.8 x 48.3 x 35.6 cm (11 3/4 x 19 x 14 in.), dimensions variable
    Phillips · · Lot 373
    £1,677≈ $2,263≈ €1,949Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £1,000–1,500View at Phillips ↗
  8. Claes Oldenburg, Proposal for a Colossal Monument in Downtown New York City: Sharpened Pencil Stub with Broken-off Tip the Woolworth Building (A. & P. 248), 1993, Etching and aquatint in colours, on Hahnemühle paper, with full margins
    Proposal for a Colossal Monument in Downtown New York City: Sharpened Pencil Stub with Broken-off Tip the Woolworth Building (A. & P. 248), 1993
    Etching · Paper · ed. 40/60
    I. 60.5 x 40.5 cm (23 7/8 x 15 7/8 in.) S. 83 x 56.3 cm (32 5/8 x 22 1/8 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 374
    £1,290≈ $1,741≈ €1,499Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £1,500–2,000View at Phillips ↗
  9. Claes Oldenburg, Study for Sculpture in the Form of an Inverted Q: Above and Below Ground, 1975, lithograph, etching and aquatint in colors
    Study for Sculpture in the Form of an Inverted Q: Above and Below Ground, 1975
    Lithograph
    10 h x 9 w in (25 x 23 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 265
    $704≈ £520≈ €609Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $700–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  10. Claes Oldenburg, Symbolic Self-Portrait with Equals, offset lithograph in colors
    Symbolic Self-Portrait with Equals
    Lithograph
    19¾ h x 14⅞ w in (50 x 38 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 266
    $256≈ £189≈ €221Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $800–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Also offered, result not published (10)

Lots by Claes Oldenburg that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.

Claes Oldenburg paintings (16)Claes Oldenburg acrylic paintings (10)Claes Oldenburg mixed media (3)Claes Oldenburg works on paper (29)Claes Oldenburg watercolors (8)Claes Oldenburg drawings (9)Claes Oldenburg prints (356)Claes Oldenburg etchings (25)Claes Oldenburg lithographs (217)Claes Oldenburg screenprints (63)Claes Oldenburg woodcuts & linocuts (7)Claes Oldenburg multiples (30)Claes Oldenburg sculpture (39)

Claes Oldenburg: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Claes Oldenburg at auction?

$793,750Sign up free to see, for 24 Open-Faced Sandwiches at Phillips (November 2024) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Claes Oldenburg?

The median sale price is $1.3kSign up free to see across 443 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Claes Oldenburg have sold at auction?

445 of 485 recorded lots sold between 1999 and 2026. 10 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.

Which auction houses sell Claes Oldenburg?

Phillips, Rago Auctions and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Rago Auctions · Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)

Claes Oldenburg signature

165 catalogued lots by Claes Oldenburg record a signature line. The most common placement is lower right (53% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed.

Placement

  • lower right18
  • lower left5
  • lower centre4
  • on the reverse4
  • on the base1
  • in the margin1

Form

  • signed76
  • initialled61
  • signed in pencil13
  • monogrammed11
  • signed and dated4
  • Signed with the artist's initials and dated "CO 91" lower right — Study for Soft Saxophone, Phillips, Feb 28, 2025
  • Signed with the artist's initials and dated 'CO 69' lower left — Ice Bags and Bananas, Phillips, Dec 4, 2024
  • Signed with the artist's initials and dated "CO. 85" lower right and titled "arcobaleno di tartive" upper edge — Arcobaleno di tartine, Phillips, Sep 23, 2024

Claes Oldenburg signature: all forms and examples →

About Claes Oldenburg

Claes Oldenburg was a Swedish-born American sculptor best known for his public art installations, typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions of everyday objects. Many of his works were made in collaboration with his wife, Coosje van Bruggen, who died in 2009; they had been married for 32 years. Oldenburg lived and worked in New York City.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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