What is a Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph worth?
1908–2004 · Price guide from past auction results
Based on 498 priced auction sales, works by Henri Cartier-Bresson have sold for a median of $10,000Sign up free to see. Half of them sold between $6,250Sign up free to see and $16,007Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $10,000Sign up free to see across 483 sales. In the last five years the median was $7,620Sign up free to see across 174 sales. These are past auction results, not a valuation: medium, size, condition and provenance all change what a particular work brings.
Henri Cartier-Bresson prices by medium
- Auction results
- 602
- Sold rate
- 83%
- Active at auction
- 2003–2026
- Median price
- $10kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $213kSign up free to see On the Banks of the Marne, France, Phillips, Apr 2017
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 483 | $6.3k–$16kSign up free to see | $10kSign up free to see |
| Works on Paper | 4 | $703–$1.7kSign up free to see | $1.1kSign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Phillips (432), Lempertz (39), Bonhams (30)
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Typical range is the middle half of priced sales (USD at the sale-date rate). Past auction results, not a valuation.
Prices by size
| Size (longest side) | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (under 30 cm) | 45 | $1.8k–$5.4kSign up free to see | $3.8kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 434 | $7.5k–$16.7kSign up free to see | $11.1kSign up free to see |
Recent Henri Cartier-Bresson sales
- Hyères, France, gelatin silver print — $10,240Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Couple, Italy (André Pieyre de Mandiargues and Leonor Fini), Gelatin silver print — $8,320Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Jul 14, 2026
- Seville, Gelatin silver print — $6,144Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Jul 14, 2026
- Text by Charles Baudelaire Four Photogravures, on Paper 1997 — $650Sign up free to see, DuMouchelles, Jun 19, 2026
- Vowels, Text by Arthur Rimbaud Three Watercolor Woodblock Prints — $350Sign up free to see, DuMouchelles, Jun 19, 2026
- Valencia, Spain 1933, Gelatin silver print, printed in the 1960s on double-weight semi-matte Agfa pape — $5,809Sign up free to see, OstLicht Photo Auction, May 28, 2026
- Cri Jawaharlal Nehru the morning after Gandhi died, Delhi, January 31, Vintage silver print on double-weight, matte paper, flush-mounted on original ca — $6,970Sign up free to see, OstLicht Photo Auction, May 28, 2026
- Gandhi just before breaking his fast, Delhi, January 1948, Gelatin silver print, printed in the 1970s on double-weight, semi-matte paper — $6,970Sign up free to see, OstLicht Photo Auction, May 28, 2026
Questions about Henri Cartier-Bresson prices
What is a Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph worth?
Based on 498 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Henri Cartier-Bresson have sold for a median of $10,000, and half of them sold between $6,250 and $16,007. For photographs alone the median is $10,000 (483 sales). Medium, size, condition, subject and provenance all affect the price of a particular work; these are past auction results, not a valuation.
What is the most expensive work by Henri Cartier-Bresson sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $212,500 for “On the Banks of the Marne, France” at Phillips in April 2017.
Which Henri Cartier-Bresson medium sells for the most?
By median price, photographs lead with $10,000 (483 sales).
How often do Henri Cartier-Bresson works sell at auction?
83% of the 602 lots recorded between 2003 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Henri Cartier-Bresson have appeared at auction 602 times in ArtSell’s records between 2003 and 2026; 498 sold, a sell-through rate of 83%.
Sell a Henri Cartier-Bresson photographAll Henri Cartier-Bresson auction resultsPrice chartHenri Cartier-Bresson photographsHenri Cartier-Bresson works on paperFree auction estimate