Karel Appel
Dutch · 1921–2006 · Painter, Printmaker
Christiaan Karel Appel was a Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet. He started painting at the age of fourteen and studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam in the 1940s. He was… (Wikipedia)
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5 works by Karel Appel with an auction history (offered more than once) →
Record prices
TigerbirdVan Ham · €412,800≈ $439,013≈ £351,914Sign up to see
Waiting FaceBonhams · $318,000≈ £236,960≈ €274,162Sign up to see
UntitledLempertz · €281,250≈ $315,281≈ £254,546Sign up to see
Karel Appel’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 556 auction results for Karel Appel between 1992 and 2026, of which 500 sold (90%). A further 120 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $50Sign up free to see to $439kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $439kSign up free to see for Tigerbird at Van Ham in November 2016. The most common medium is lithographs (223 lots). Most results come from Rago Auctions (63), Phillips (53) and Ketterer Kunst (53).
561 results · page 1 of 15
- $150≈ £112≈ €131Sign up free to see
- Visage, 1969$450≈ £337≈ €393Sign up free to see
- Untitled (Sleepy Bird), 1979$350≈ £262≈ €305Sign up free to see
- $768≈ £567≈ €664Sign up free to see
- $896≈ £662≈ €775Sign up free to see
- $512≈ £378≈ €443Sign up free to see
- $576≈ £426≈ €498Sign up free to see
- $896≈ £662≈ €775Sign up free to see
- $466≈ £344≈ €403Sign up free to see
- €170≈ $195≈ £146Sign up free to see
Also offered, result not published (120)
Lots by Karel Appel that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.
Karel Appel paintings (87)Karel Appel oil paintings (56)Karel Appel acrylic paintings (16)Karel Appel mixed media (7)Karel Appel works on paper (84)Karel Appel gouaches (19)Karel Appel pastels (3)Karel Appel drawings (15)Karel Appel prints (331)Karel Appel lithographs (223)Karel Appel screenprints (68)Karel Appel woodcuts & linocuts (14)Karel Appel multiples (7)Karel Appel sculpture (5)
Karel Appel: quick facts
What is the highest price paid for a work by Karel Appel at auction?
$439,013Sign up free to see, for Tigerbird at Van Ham (November 2016) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.
What is a typical auction price for Karel Appel?
The median sale price is $890Sign up free to see across 498 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.
How many works by Karel Appel have sold at auction?
500 of 556 recorded lots sold between 1992 and 2026. 120 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.
Which auction houses sell Karel Appel?
Rago Auctions, Phillips and Ketterer Kunst account for the most recorded results. Rago Auctions · Phillips · Ketterer Kunst
Karel Appel signature
372 catalogued lots by Karel Appel record a signature line. The most common placement is lower right (61% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed.
Placement
Form
Signed "appel" lower center
— Dutch Masquerade, Phillips, May 21, 2026Signed 'appel' lower left
— The Entry, Phillips, Mar 29, 2026Signed "Appel" upper left
— Pink Reclining Nude, Phillips, Feb 28, 2026
About Karel Appel
Christiaan Karel Appel was a Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet. He started painting at the age of fourteen and studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam in the 1940s. He was one of the founders of the avant-garde movement CoBrA in 1948. He was also an avid sculptor and has had works featured in MoMA and other museums worldwide.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
In museum collections
Wikimedia Commons · Public domainUntitled, 1963
International Sculpture Collection · Public domain
