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 9 of 13

Fagend Study, 1968
Sculpture · ed. 14/24
25.4 x 50.8 x 16.5 cm (10 x 20 x 6 1/2 in.)
Phillips · Jun 28, 2019 · Lot 132
£43,750≈ $55,532≈ €48,798Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £30,000–50,000View at Phillips ↗
Punching Bag, 1968
canvas stuffed with kapok, mounted on wood · Panel
bag 36 x 18 1/4 in. (91.4 x 46.4 cm) disc diameter 20 in. (73.7 cm) overall 50 1/2 x 20 x 19 in. (128.3 x 50.8 x 48.3 cm.)
Phillips · May 15, 2019 · Lot 127
$200,000≈ £155,267≈ €178,843Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $200,000–300,000View at Phillips ↗
Broken Button (Split Button)
Rago Auctions · May 4, 2019 · Lot 750
$4,688≈ £3,605≈ €4,203Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $4,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Knife Ship Superimposed on the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1986
Screenprint · Paper · ed. 49/75
I. 21 1/2 x 28 5/8 in. (54.6 x 72.7 cm) S. 30 1/2 x 36 5/8 in. (77.5 x 93 cm)
Phillips · Apr 23, 2019 · Lot 277
$3,750≈ £2,883≈ €3,335Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,500–2,500View at Phillips ↗
Profiterole; and Profiterole-Gray State, 1990
Lithograph · Paper · ed. 29/57
I. 22 1/2 x 30 3/4 in. (57.2 x 78.1 cm) S. 30 1/2 x 40 in. (77.5 x 101.6 cm)
Phillips · Apr 23, 2019 · Lot 278
$4,000≈ £3,075≈ €3,557Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,500–2,500View at Phillips ↗
Apple Core - Summer; Apple Core - Autumn; Apple Core - Winter; and Apple Core - Spring, 1990
Lithograph · Paper · ed. 29/54
I. 27 1/2 x 21 in. (69.9 x 53.3 cm) S. 40 x 28 3/8 in. (101.6 x 72.1 cm)
Phillips · Apr 23, 2019 · Lot 279
$6,000≈ £4,613≈ €5,336Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $4,000–6,000View at Phillips ↗
Extinguished Match, 1990
Lithograph · Paper · ed. 29/58
I. 27 x 17 in. (68.6 x 43.2 cm) S. 40 x 30 3/4 in. (101.6 x 78.1 cm)
Phillips · Apr 23, 2019 · Lot 280
$1,250≈ £961≈ €1,112Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $700–900View at Phillips ↗
Soft Alphabet, 1978
Screenprint · ed. 6/16
29 1/8 x 22 1/8 x 2 7/8 in. (74 x 56.2 x 7.3 cm)
Phillips · Apr 23, 2019 · Lot 51
$17,500≈ £13,453≈ €15,562Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $14,000–18,000View at Phillips ↗
Geometric Mouse Scale D home-made, 1971
Print (other) · Paper
Van Ham · Feb 22, 2019 · Lot 63
€387≈ $438≈ £338Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €300–View at Van Ham ↗
Floating Three-Way Plug, 1976
Etching · Paper
49 h x 38 w in (124 x 97 cm)
Wright · Jan 17, 2019 · Lot 387
$2,125≈ £1,646≈ €1,865Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–View at Wright ↗

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 (355)Claes Oldenburg etchings (25)Claes Oldenburg lithographs (217)Claes Oldenburg screenprints (62)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

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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.