What is a James VanDerZee photograph worth?
1886–1983 · Price guide from past auction results
Half of the 17 works by James VanDerZee with a published auction price sold between $563Sign up free to see and $2,000Sign up free to see, and the median is $1,000Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $1,083Sign up free to see across 14 sales. In the last five years the median was $774Sign up free to see across 7 sales. These are past auction results, not a valuation: medium, size, condition and provenance all change what a particular work brings.
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James VanDerZee prices by medium
- Auction results
- 21
- Sold rate
- 81%
- Active at auction
- 2013–2026
- Median price
- $1kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $11.3kSign up free to see Portrait of a Harlem Preacher, 'Daddy Grace' and Congregation, 1938; Untitled (Young black woman with studio background), Phillips, Oct 2014
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 14 | $805–$3.4kSign up free to see | $1.1kSign up free to see |
| Prints | 3 | $128–$315Sign up free to see | $189Sign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Rago Auctions (8), Phillips (4), Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (4)
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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) | 12 | $866–$4.1kSign up free to see | $1.1kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 5 | $189–$563Sign up free to see | $315Sign up free to see |
Recent James VanDerZee sales
- Nude, Harlem, Gelatin silver print — $3,840Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Jul 14, 2026
- G. Ray Hawkins Gallery exhibition poster, offset lithograph — $128Sign up free to see, Rago Auctions, Jun 26, 2026
- Couple in Raccoon Coats, Harlem, Gelatin silver print — $1,280Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Apr 9, 2026
- Swimming Team, Harlem, gelatin silver print — $774Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Dec 12, 2024
- James Van Der Zee: Eighteen Photographs, gelatin silver print, sepia toned gelatin silver print — $10,710Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Dec 12, 2024
- James Van Der Zee Photography exhibition poster, offset lithograph — $189Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Dec 1, 2023
- James Van Der Zee Photography exhibition poster, collotype — $315Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Aug 2, 2023
- Portrait of a Young Man with Boutonniere, Harlem, Gelatin silver print — $5,040Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 8, 2021
Questions about James VanDerZee prices
What is a James VanDerZee photograph worth?
Based on 17 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by James VanDerZee have sold for a median of $1,000, and half of them sold between $563 and $2,000. For photographs alone the median is $1,083 (14 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 James VanDerZee sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $11,250 for “Portrait of a Harlem Preacher, 'Daddy Grace' and Congregation, 1938; Untitled (Young black woman with studio background)” at Phillips in October 2014.
Which James VanDerZee medium sells for the most?
By median price, photographs lead with $1,083 (14 sales).
How often do James VanDerZee works sell at auction?
81% of the 21 lots recorded between 2013 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a James VanDerZee photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
ArtSell has recorded 21 auction results for James VanDerZee between 2013 and 2026, and 17 of them sold (81%).
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