Price databaseBrowseSell your artwork
Watchlist
David Smith, Cubi

David Smith

American · 1906–1965 · Painter, Printmaker

Roland David Smith was an American abstract expressionist sculptor and painter, best known for creating large steel abstract geometric sculptures. (Wikipedia)

Own a work by David Smith? Get a free auction estimate →

77auction results2012–2026years recorded91%sold (70)$9.8kSign up free to seemedian price

1 work by David Smith coming up at auction · bid with the house ↓

Record prices

  1. David Smith, Forging V, 1955, steelForging VPhillips · $580,500≈ £442,387≈ €501,166Sign up to see
  2. David Smith, Spectre, 1953, steel and found objectsSpectrePhillips · $471,000≈ £362,950≈ €416,962Sign up to see
  3. David Smith, Main Pribilof, 1959, spray enamel and oil on canvasMain PribilofPhillips · $277,200≈ £223,152≈ €263,373Sign up to see

David Smith’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

1 in forthcoming sales · bid with the house

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

ArtSell has recorded 77 auction results for David Smith between 2012 and 2026, of which 70 sold (91%). Recorded sale prices range from $53Sign up free to see to $581kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $581kSign up free to see for Forging V at Phillips in November 2025. The most common medium is drawings (17 lots). Most results come from Phillips (35), Crocker Farm (16) and Rago Auctions (8).

All filters
Longest side–Reset

77 results · page 1 of 2

Sign up free to see all prices. You’ve seen the free realized prices for this month. Artist, title, date, house, medium, size and estimates stay visible to everyone. Create a free account · Sign in
  1. David Smith, ΔΣ 11/1/52 (double-sided), 1952, egg ink and tempera on paper
    ΔΣ 11/1/52 (double-sided), 1952
    Drawing · Paper
    15 1/2 x 20 in. (39.4 x 50.8 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 124
    $20,640≈ £15,276≈ €17,999Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $7,000–10,000View at Phillips ↗
  2. David Smith, 5/4/53, 1953, Violet Indian ink on paper
    5/4/53, 1953
    Drawing · Paper
    39.5 x 51.5 cm
    Lempertz · · Lot 312
    €8,890≈ $10,348≈ £7,684Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €8,000–10,000View at Lempertz ↗
  3. David Smith, Untitled, c. 1964, glazed earthenware
    Untitled, c. 1964
    Sculpture
    1 h x 10 dia in (3 x 25 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 224
    $4,480≈ £3,316≈ €3,828Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $5,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  4. David Smith, Untitled, spray enamel on canvas
    Untitled
    spray enamel on canvas · Canvas
    100 1/4 x 50 in. (254.6 x 127 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 19
    $232,200≈ £172,370≈ €196,696Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $180,000–250,000View at Phillips ↗
  5. David Smith, View from Adolph's Sister's House, Provincetown, 1956, sepia, egg yoke and crushed shells ink on paper
    View from Adolph's Sister's House, Provincetown, 1956
    Drawing · Paper
    22 1/8 x 30 5/8 in (56.2 x 77.8 cm)
    Bonhams · · Lot 17
    $10,240≈ £7,613≈ €8,713Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $10,000–15,000View at Bonhams ↗
  6. David Smith, Untitled, 1964, enamel on canvas
    Untitled, 1964
    enamel on canvas · Canvas
    24½ h x 25½ w in (62 x 65 cm)
    Rago Auctions · · Lot 131
    $10,795≈ £8,110≈ €9,279Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $10,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
  7. David Smith, 90-12-57, 1957, Mixed media. Pigment ink with egg, thinned with...
    90-12-57, 1957
    Watercolor
    45.5 x 58 cm (17.9 x 22.8 in)
    Ketterer Kunst · · Lot 280
    €23,220≈ $27,040≈ £20,264Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €15,000–View at Ketterer Kunst ↗
  8. A miner crawling
    Drawing
    16.5 x 26cms, 37 x 46cms in frame.
    Anderson & Garland · · Lot 30
    £40≈ $53≈ €46HammerSign up free to seeEst. £40–60View at Anderson & Garland ↗
  9. David Smith, Untitled, 1946, oil and tempera on paper mounted to cardboard
    Untitled, 1946
    Oil · Paper
    20 3/8 x 26 1/2 in. (51.8 x 67.3 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 156
    $103,200≈ £78,863≈ €89,583Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $80,000–120,000View at Phillips ↗
  10. David Smith, Forging V, 1955, steel
    Forging V, 1955
    Sculpture
    74 3/8 x 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in. (188.9 x 20 x 20 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 16
    $580,500≈ £442,387≈ €501,166Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $600,000–800,000View at Phillips ↗

David Smith paintings (12)David Smith oil paintings (6)David Smith works on paper (30)David Smith gouaches (3)David Smith drawings (17)David Smith prints (9)David Smith engravings (3)David Smith lithographs (4)David Smith photographs (3)David Smith sculpture (11)

David Smith: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by David Smith at auction?

$580,500Sign up free to see, for Forging V at Phillips (November 2025) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for David Smith?

The median sale price is $9.8kSign up free to see across 70 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by David Smith have sold at auction?

70 of 77 recorded lots sold between 2012 and 2026.

Which auction houses sell David Smith?

Phillips, Crocker Farm and Rago Auctions account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Crocker Farm · Rago Auctions

About David Smith

Roland David Smith was an American abstract expressionist sculptor and painter, best known for creating large steel abstract geometric sculptures.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related artists — American, born 1881–1931

More American artists of the same period