Ellsworth Kelly

American · 1923–2015

Ellsworth Kelly was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker associated with hard-edge painting, Color field painting and minimalism. His works demonstrate unassuming… (Wikipedia)

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$3,105,000≈ £2,381,683≈ €2,790,008Sign uprecord price · incl. premiumDark Blue ReliefPhillips2017580lots offered2003–2026years recorded93%sold (530)$6.9kSign up free to seemedian price

9 works by Ellsworth Kelly with an auction history (offered more than once) →

2 works by Ellsworth Kelly coming up at auction · bid with the house ↓

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Dark Blue ReliefPhillips · May 2017$3,105,000≈ £2,381,683≈ €2,790,008Sign up to see
Black Diagonal ReliefPhillips · May 2025$1,143,000≈ £864,664≈ €1,028,618Sign up to see
LeavesPhillips · Sep 2018$198,000≈ £150,536≈ €168,382Sign up to see

Ellsworth Kelly’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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578 results · page 6 of 15

Blue, Yellow, Red, 1970-1973
Screenprint
18 h x 17½ w in (46 x 44 cm)
Rago Auctions · Oct 12, 2022 · Lot 209
$6,250≈ £5,656≈ €6,439Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $6,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Blue with Black II, 1972–74
Screenprint
30½ h x 28 w in (77 x 71 cm)
Rago Auctions · Oct 12, 2022 · Lot 211
$8,750≈ £7,919≈ €9,015Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $10,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Blue with Black II (Gemini G.E.L. 534, A. 98), 1974
Screenprint · Paper · ed. 37/50
I. 47 x 40.3 cm (18 1/2 x 15 7/8 in.) S. 77.4 x 70.8 cm (30 1/2 x 27 7/8 in.)
Phillips · Sep 14, 2022 · Lot 280
£10,710≈ $12,369≈ €12,381Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £4,000–6,000View at Phillips ↗
The Thames (from the States of the River series), 2005
Lithograph · Paper
41¼ h x 28¼ w in (105 x 72 cm)
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Sep 8, 2022 · Lot 230
$8,125≈ £7,035≈ €8,118Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $6,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
PURPLE, FROM THE FOURTH CURVE SERIES
Lithograph · ed. 44/45
the sheet 73cm x 56.5cm (28.75in x 22.25in)
Lyon & Turnbull · Aug 10, 2022 · Lot 236
£12,600≈ $15,267≈ €14,892Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £5,000–7,000View at Lyon & Turnbull ↗
Diagonal with Black (State) (from the Concorde series), 1982
Etching · Paper
15¾ h x 15¾ w in (40 x 40 cm)
Wright · Jul 14, 2022 · Lot 187
$6,000≈ £5,071≈ €5,997Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $5,000–View at Wright ↗
David (A. 3), 1964
Lithograph · Paper · ed. AP
I. 29 1/4 x 22 1/2 in. (74.3 x 57.2 cm) S. 35 1/4 x 24 3/4 in. (89.5 x 62.9 cm)
Phillips · Jun 25, 2022 · Lot 108
$7,560≈ £6,161≈ €7,184Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $3,000–5,000View at Phillips ↗
Magnolia (A. 56), 1966
Lithograph · Paper · ed. HC
I. 17 x 25 in. (43.2 x 63.5 cm) S. 24 x 34 5/8 in. (61 x 87.9 cm)
Phillips · Jun 25, 2022 · Lot 13
$8,820≈ £7,188≈ €8,381Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $6,000–9,000View at Phillips ↗
Dark Gray Curve (State I), 1988
Lithograph · Paper
26 h x 85 w in (66 x 216 cm)
Rago Auctions · Jun 16, 2022 · Lot 111
$10,625≈ £8,740≈ €10,216Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $8,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Untitled, 1984
Lithograph · Paper
21⅝ h x 14⅛ w in (55 x 36 cm)
Rago Auctions · Jun 16, 2022 · Lot 112
$7,500≈ £6,169≈ €7,212Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $7,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗

Also offered, result not published (10)

Lots by Ellsworth Kelly that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.

Ellsworth Kelly paintings (6)Ellsworth Kelly oil paintings (4)Ellsworth Kelly works on paper (44)Ellsworth Kelly drawings (19)Ellsworth Kelly prints (490)Ellsworth Kelly etchings (8)Ellsworth Kelly aquatints (5)Ellsworth Kelly lithographs (396)Ellsworth Kelly screenprints (71)

Ellsworth Kelly signature

273 catalogued lots by Ellsworth Kelly record a signature line. The most common placement is lower right (71% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed.

Placement

lower right20
on the reverse6
in the margin2

Form

signed240
signed in pencil19
initialled11
signed and dated3

Signed and dated "Aug 30 '60 Kelly" on the reverse — Untitled, Phillips, May 14, 2025
Signed "Kelly" lower right — Seven Oranges, Phillips, May 14, 2025
Signed and dated "Kelly 76" lower right; titled and dated "BLACK CURVE, RADIUS 12 FEET 1976" on the reverse — Black Curve, Radius 12 Feet, Phillips, May 14, 2025

Ellsworth Kelly signature: all forms and examples →

About Ellsworth Kelly

Ellsworth Kelly was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker associated with hard-edge painting, Color field painting and minimalism. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques emphasizing line, color and form, similar to the work of John McLaughlin and Kenneth Noland. Kelly often employed bright colors. He lived and worked in Spencertown, New York.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.