Erwin Blumenfeld

American · 1897–1969 · Photographer

Erwin Blumenfeld was an American photographer of German origin. He was born in Berlin, and in 1941 emigrated to the United States, where he soon became a successful and… (Wikipedia)

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56lots offered2008–2026years recorded69%sold (38)$11kSign up free to seemedian price

Record prices

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Manina, ParisPhillips · May 2014£80,500≈ $136,431≈ €97,779Sign up to see
ColorPhillips · Nov 2013£22,500≈ $36,140≈ €27,040Sign up to see
Hat Fashion, Dior, New YorkPhillips · Apr 2017$30,000≈ £24,118≈ €28,166Sign up to see

Erwin Blumenfeld’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 55 auction results for Erwin Blumenfeld between 2008 and 2026, of which 38 sold (69%). A further 1 lot was offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $250Sign up free to see to $136kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $136kSign up free to see for Manina, Paris at Phillips in May 2014. The most common medium is photographs (51 lots). Most results come from Phillips (21), Grisebach (16) and Lempertz (8).

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Longest side– Editioned With imagesReset

55 results · page 1 of 2

Nude Distortion,1940s, 1984
image: 12" h x 8" w
Clarke Auction Gallery · May 10, 2026 · Lot 32
$250≈ £184≈ €212HammerSign up free to seeEst. $300–500View at Clarke Auction Gallery ↗
Back, Paris, 1938
Photograph
19 3/8 x 15 3/8 in. (49.2 x 39.1 cm)
Phillips · Apr 11, 2026 · Lot 223
$23,220≈ £17,270≈ €19,828Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $15,000–25,000View at Phillips ↗
Auktion 104, Los 42, 1947
Photograph
Van Ham · Apr 11, 2025 · Lot 42
€2,904≈ $3,295≈ £2,517Price realizedSign up free to seeView at Van Ham ↗
Nude in the Mirror, Paris, 1938
Photograph
11 1/2 x 9 in. (29.2 x 22.9 cm.)
Bonhams · Apr 3, 2025 · Lot 99
$2,048≈ £1,553≈ €1,846Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–3,000View at Bonhams ↗
Line on Face, New York (from the portfolio 'Blumenfeld Color'), 1947-49
Photograph · ed. 6/50
12 5/8 x 9 1/2 in. (32.1 x 24.1 cm.)
Bonhams · Feb 19, 2025 · Lot 57
$2,304≈ £1,829≈ €2,208Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,200–1,800View at Bonhams ↗
Lisette Behind Fluted Glass, New York (from 'Blumenfeld Color'), c. 1943
Photograph · ed. 6/50
11 3/4 x 9 1/2 in. (29.8 x 24.1 cm.)
Bonhams · Feb 19, 2025 · Lot 58
$2,048≈ £1,626≈ €1,963Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,200–1,800View at Bonhams ↗
Ad for John Frederics' Lipstick (Tedi Thurman), Um 1947
Photograph
32,5 × 25,1 cm
Grisebach · Dec 15, 2024 · Lot 1317
€3,937≈ $4,141≈ £3,272Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €5,000–7,000View at Grisebach ↗
Blumenfeld Color, 1940s/1950s
Photograph · ed. AP
29.9 x 20 cm (47 x 38.9 cm)
Lempertz · Dec 1, 2023 · Lot 640
€11,340≈ $12,332≈ £9,757Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. €12,000–15,000View at Lempertz ↗
Grace Kelly, 1955
Photograph · ed. 5/30
49.3 x 39.7 cm (19 3/8 x 15 5/8 in.)
Phillips · Jul 7, 2023 · Lot 20
£2,794≈ $3,567≈ €3,276Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £2,000–3,000View at Phillips ↗
Nude Distortion, 1940s
Print (other)
11 3/4 x 7 7/8in (29.8 x 20cm)
Bonhams · Feb 22, 2023 · Lot 120
$485≈ £400≈ €455Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $900–1,100View at Bonhams ↗

Also offered, result not published (1)

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

Erwin Blumenfeld photographs (51)

Erwin Blumenfeld: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Erwin Blumenfeld at auction?

$136,431Sign up free to see, for Manina, Paris at Phillips (May 2014) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Erwin Blumenfeld?

The median sale price is $11kSign up free to see across 38 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Erwin Blumenfeld have sold at auction?

38 of 55 recorded lots sold between 2008 and 2026. 1 further lot was offered with no published result and is not counted.

Which auction houses sell Erwin Blumenfeld?

Phillips, Grisebach and Lempertz account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Grisebach · Lempertz

About Erwin Blumenfeld

Erwin Blumenfeld was an American photographer of German origin. He was born in Berlin, and in 1941 emigrated to the United States, where he soon became a successful and well-paid fashion photographer, working as a free-lancer for Harper's Bazaar, Life and American Vogue. His personal photographic work showed the influence of Dadaism and Surrealism; his two main areas of interest were death and women. He was expert in laboratory work, and experimented with photographic techniques such as distortion, multiple exposure, photo-montage and solarisation.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.