Elizabeth Catlett
1915–2012
Elizabeth Catlett, born as Alice Elizabeth Catlett, also known as Elizabeth Catlett Mora was an American and Mexican sculptor and graphic artist best known for her depictions… (Wikipedia)
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Record prices
GloryRago Auctions · $62,400≈ £44,664≈ €52,135Sign up to see
PensiveBonhams · $40,960≈ £30,325≈ €35,027Sign up to see
LegacyBonhams · $35,075≈ £27,039≈ €29,915Sign up to see
Elizabeth Catlett’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).
ArtSell has recorded 63 auction results for Elizabeth Catlett between 2009 and 2026, of which 52 sold (83%). A further 18 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $700Sign up free to see to $62.4kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $62.4kSign up free to see for Glory at Rago Auctions in March 2021. The most common medium is lithographs (28 lots). Most results come from Rachel Davis Fine Arts (21), Bonhams (19) and Clarke Auction Gallery (9).
63 results · page 1 of 2
- Gossip, 2005$2,560≈ £1,893≈ €2,204Sign up free to see
- Pensive, 1946$40,960≈ £30,325≈ €35,027Sign up free to see
- Negro Es Bello II, 1969-2001$3,840≈ £2,861≈ €3,287Sign up free to see
- Malcolm X Speaks for Us, 1969-2004$3,840≈ £2,861≈ €3,287Sign up free to see
- New Generation, 1992$3,840≈ £2,861≈ €3,287Sign up free to see
- For My People, 1992$10,240≈ £7,630≈ €8,764Sign up free to see
- Crusaders for Justice, 2001$3,840≈ £2,861≈ €3,287Sign up free to see
- $1,280≈ £959≈ €1,110Sign up free to see
- Black is Beautiful, 1968$2,048≈ £1,514≈ €1,738Sign up free to see
- The Torture of Mothers, 1970$1,792≈ £1,325≈ €1,521Sign up free to see
Also offered, result not published (18)
Lots by Elizabeth Catlett that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.
Elizabeth Catlett prints (45)Elizabeth Catlett lithographs (28)Elizabeth Catlett woodcuts & linocuts (15)Elizabeth Catlett sculpture (14)
Elizabeth Catlett: quick facts
What is the highest price paid for a work by Elizabeth Catlett at auction?
$62,400Sign up free to see, for Glory at Rago Auctions (March 2021) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.
What is a typical auction price for Elizabeth Catlett?
The median sale price is $2.5kSign up free to see across 52 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.
How many works by Elizabeth Catlett have sold at auction?
52 of 63 recorded lots sold between 2009 and 2026. 18 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.
Which auction houses sell Elizabeth Catlett?
Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Bonhams and Clarke Auction Gallery account for the most recorded results. Rachel Davis Fine Arts · Bonhams · Clarke Auction Gallery
Elizabeth Catlett signature
55 catalogued lots by Elizabeth Catlett record a signature line. The most common placement is lower right (100% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed in pencil.
Placement
Form
Signed and editioned "159" on endpaper, titled and dated on cover page Print:
— For My People, Barridoff Auctions, Aug 22, 2026Signed and dated lower right
— Gossip, Nadeau's Auction Gallery, May 17, 2025Signed lower right
— Thurgood Marshall (Crusaders For Justice), Clarke Auction Gallery, Nov 7, 2021
About Elizabeth Catlett
Elizabeth Catlett, born as Alice Elizabeth Catlett, also known as Elizabeth Catlett Mora was an American and Mexican sculptor and graphic artist best known for her depictions of the Black-American experience in the 20th century, which often focused on the female experience. She was born and raised in Washington, D.C., to parents working in education, and was the grandchild of formerly enslaved people. It was difficult for a black woman then to pursue a career as a working artist. Catlett devoted much of her career to teaching. However, a fellowship awarded to her in 1946 allowed her to travel to Mexico City, where she settled and worked with the Taller de Gráfica Popular for twenty years and became head of the sculpture department for the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas. In the 1950s, her main means of artistic expression shifted from print to sculpture, though she never gave up the former.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.