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

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24 Open-Faced SandwichesPhillips · Nov 2024$793,750≈ £627,619≈ €750,378Sign up to see
"Ghost Wardrobe for M. M."Van Ham · Oct 2024€343,200≈ $380,472≈ £285,511Sign up to see
Punching BagPhillips · May 2019$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).

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489 results · page 10 of 13

Untitled (New Pasadena Museum) (from Notes), 1968
Lithograph · Paper
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · May 21, 2017 · Lot 91
$1,125≈ £864≈ €1,006Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Untitled (Sneaker Lace) (from Notes), 1968
Lithograph · Paper
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · May 21, 2017 · Lot 92
$1,188≈ £912≈ €1,063Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $600–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Knife Ship Superimposed on the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Rago Auctions · May 6, 2017 · Lot 698
$2,250≈ £1,739≈ €2,053Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,200–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Toothbrush Overboard
Rago Auctions · May 6, 2017 · Lot 748
$6,250≈ £4,830≈ €5,702Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $6,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Untitled (Tooth)
Rago Auctions · May 6, 2017 · Lot 749
$2,125≈ £1,642≈ €1,939Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Two works of art
Rago Auctions · May 6, 2017 · Lot 750
$1,500≈ £1,159≈ €1,368Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Calico Bunny
Rago Auctions · May 6, 2017 · Lot 751
$3,500≈ £2,705≈ €3,193Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,200–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Chicago Stuffed with Numbers, 1977
Lithograph · Paper
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Mar 5, 2017 · Lot 198
$2,250≈ £1,833≈ €2,124Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Picasso's cufflinks, 1974
Lithograph · Paper · ed. XXIII/XXX
73 x 61cm
Van Ham · Dec 9, 2016 · Lot 972
€1,290≈ $1,362≈ £1,083Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €500–View at Van Ham ↗
Museum à la mode, 1994
Print (other) · ed. 158/175
45 x 36,5cm
Van Ham · Dec 9, 2016 · Lot 973
€565≈ $597≈ £474Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €300–View at Van Ham ↗

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 (354)Claes Oldenburg etchings (25)Claes Oldenburg lithographs (217)Claes Oldenburg screenprints (61)Claes Oldenburg woodcuts & linocuts (7)Claes Oldenburg multiples (30)Claes Oldenburg sculpture (39)

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.