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)

Email alerts for new results and upcoming sales

Own a work by Claes Oldenburg? Get a free auction estimate →

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

Show prices also in

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).

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.

All filters

Longest side– Editioned With imagesReset

489 results · page 11 of 13

Sneaker Lace in Landscape with Palm Trees, 1990-91
Lithograph · Paper · ed. 22/55
I. 45 x 32 1/2 in. (114.3 x 82.6 cm) S. 56 3/4 x 42 in. (144.1 x 106.7 cm)
Phillips · Apr 28, 2014 · Lot 153
$4,000≈ £2,374≈ €2,886Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,500–2,500View at Phillips ↗
Fire Plug Souvenir - Chicago, August 1968, 1968
Sculpture · ed. 26/100
8 x 7 1/4 x 6 in. (20.3 x 18.4 x 15.2 cm)
Phillips · Apr 28, 2014 · Lot 65
$15,000≈ £8,904≈ €10,822Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $8,000–12,000View at Phillips ↗
Chicago Stuffed with Numbers, 1977
Lithograph · Paper
47 h x 31 w in (119 x 79 cm)
Wright · Feb 27, 2014 · Lot 163
$2,423≈ £1,456≈ €1,774Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Wright ↗
Fagends Carved in Rock, 1975
Lithograph · Paper
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Feb 23, 2014 · Lot 182
$800≈ £480≈ €582Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $800–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Miniature Soft Drum Set, 1969
Multiple · ed. edition of 200
30 x 53 x 40 cm (11,8 x 20,8 x 15,7 in)
Ketterer Kunst · Dec 7, 2013 · Lot 854
€4,375≈ $5,977≈ £3,657Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €3,000–View at Ketterer Kunst ↗
Pat on Vespa, 1959
Oil · Canvas
55 x 50 1/4 in. (139.7 x 127.6 cm.)
Phillips · Nov 12, 2013 · Lot 233
$31,250≈ £19,652≈ €23,265Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $30,000–40,000View at Phillips ↗
Tea Bag (from 4 on Plexiglas), 1966
Multiple
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Oct 13, 2013 · Lot 198
$8,750≈ £5,472≈ €6,451Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $4,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Untitled (Erotic Fantasy), 1970
Drawing · Paper
8 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. (22.2 x 29.8 cm.)
Phillips · Sep 19, 2013 · Lot 53
$10,000≈ £6,216≈ €7,383Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $10,000–15,000View at Phillips ↗
Inverted Fireplug as Skyscraper (A./P. 57), 1969
Lithograph · ed. 38/100
sheet 38 x 25in
Bonhams · Jul 28, 2013 · Lot 2126
$350≈ £228≈ €264Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $400–600View at Bonhams ↗
Butt for Gantt (A./P. 230), 1991
Lithograph · Paper · ed. 24/250
9 3/4 x 10in
Bonhams · Jul 14, 2013 · Lot 7106
$1,625≈ £1,080≈ €1,249Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $800–1,200View at Bonhams ↗

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.