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Karl Wirsum

American · 1939–2021 · Painter, Sculptor

Karl Wirsum was an American artist. He was a member of the Chicago artistic group The Hairy Who, and helped set the foundation for Chicago's art scene in the 1970s. Although he… (Wikipedia)

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49lots offered2013–2026years recorded95%sold (40)$2.5kSign up free to seemedian price

1 work by Karl Wirsum with an auction history (offered more than once) →

Record prices

  1. Karl Wirsum, Mr. Big Arms in a No Swipe Place, 1977, acrylic on acetate in artist's frameMr. Big Arms in a No Swipe PlaceWright · $37,800≈ £29,825≈ €35,278Sign up to see
  2. Karl Wirsum, Tonto Disguised as the Lone Ranger, 1977, Acrylic and papier machéTonto Disguised as the Lone RangerLos Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · $34,375≈ £26,383≈ €29,618Sign up to see
  3. Karl Wirsum, O Bald Music at Dawn, 1995, acylic on woodO Bald Music at DawnRago Auctions · $32,500≈ £28,141≈ €32,533Sign up to see

Karl Wirsum’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 42 auction results for Karl Wirsum between 2013 and 2026, of which 40 sold (95%). A further 7 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $219Sign up free to see to $37.8kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $37.8kSign up free to see for Mr. Big Arms in a No Swipe Place at Wright in June 2024. The most common medium is drawings (19 lots). Most results come from Wright (27), Leonard Auction (7) and Phillips (6).

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  1. Karl Wirsum, Untitled (Walking Woman with Leg Options), 1966, pen, marker and colored pencil on paper
    Untitled (Walking Woman with Leg Options), 1966
    Drawing · Paper
    13⅞ h x 10⅞ w in (35 x 28 cm)
    Wright · · Lot 118
    $6,650≈ £4,922≈ €5,681Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $3,000–View at Wright ↗
  2. Karl Wirsum, Blue Burger Quartet à la Carte (Pie in the Sky Not Included), 1994, lithograph in colors 3-D construction
    Blue Burger Quartet à la Carte (Pie in the Sky Not Included), 1994
    Lithograph
    11 h x 6½ w x 3½ d in (28 x 17 x 9 cm)
    Wright · · Lot 119
    $1,088≈ £805≈ €929Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Wright ↗
  3. Karl Wirsum, Study for Clap Trap, 2012, Unique colored pencil and graphite drawing, on wove paper
    Study for Clap Trap, 2012
    Drawing · Paper
    24 x 18 in. (61 x 45.7 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 669
    $7,095≈ £5,248≈ €6,030Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $3,000–5,000View at Phillips ↗
  4. Karl Wirsum, Count Fasco's Mouse Piece Whitey Jr. #2, 1983, acrylic on canvas, in artist's frame
    Count Fasco's Mouse Piece Whitey Jr. #2, 1983
    Acrylic · Canvas
    30 1/2 x 25 3/8 in. (77.5 x 64.5 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 63
    $10,320≈ £7,816≈ €8,886Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $15,000–20,000View at Phillips ↗
  5. Karl Wirsum, Untitled, 1978, acrylic on canvas, in painted wood frame
    Untitled, 1978
    Acrylic · Canvas
    36 1/2 x 24 1/2 in. (92.7 x 62.2 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 207
    $12,900≈ £9,858≈ €11,198Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $15,000–20,000View at Phillips ↗
  6. Karl Wirsum, Girl and Kite, 1965, colored pencil on paper
    Girl and Kite, 1965
    Drawing · Paper
    10½ h x 14 w in (27 x 36 cm)
    Wright · · Lot 116
    $3,048≈ £2,265≈ €2,649Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $3,000–View at Wright ↗
  7. Karl Wirsum, Broken Balloons, 1965, ink and marker on paper
    Broken Balloons, 1965
    Drawing · Paper
    14 h x 10¾ w in (36 x 27 cm)
    Wright · · Lot 117
    $1,270≈ £944≈ €1,104Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–View at Wright ↗
  8. Karl Wirsum, Dancing Hare Toddy, 1980, offset lithograph in colors, brass grommets
    Dancing Hare Toddy, 1980
    Lithograph
    17 h x 7⅜ w in (43 x 19 cm)
    Wright · · Lot 146
    $445≈ £331≈ €387Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $500–View at Wright ↗
  9. Karl Wirsum, Untitled, Drawing
    Untitled
    Drawing
    Palm Beach Modern Auctions · · Lot 473
    $4,480≈ £3,555≈ €4,303Price realizedSign up free to seeView at Palm Beach Modern Auctions ↗
  10. Karl Wirsum, Wade 'N' C Policy, 1983, lithograph in colors on Arches
    Wade 'N' C Policy, 1983
    Lithograph · Paper
    30 h x 22½ w in (76 x 57 cm)
    Wright · · Lot 131
    $1,524≈ £1,209≈ €1,459Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $800–View at Wright ↗
Also offered, result not published (7)

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

Karl Wirsum paintings (8)Karl Wirsum acrylic paintings (6)Karl Wirsum works on paper (19)Karl Wirsum drawings (19)Karl Wirsum prints (10)Karl Wirsum lithographs (6)Karl Wirsum screenprints (4)

Karl Wirsum: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Karl Wirsum at auction?

$37,800Sign up free to see, for Mr. Big Arms in a No Swipe Place at Wright (June 2024) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Karl Wirsum?

The median sale price is $2.5kSign up free to see across 40 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Karl Wirsum have sold at auction?

40 of 42 recorded lots sold between 2013 and 2026. 7 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.

Which auction houses sell Karl Wirsum?

Wright, Leonard Auction and Phillips account for the most recorded results. Wright · Leonard Auction · Phillips

About Karl Wirsum

Karl Wirsum was an American artist. He was a member of the Chicago artistic group The Hairy Who, and helped set the foundation for Chicago's art scene in the 1970s. Although he was primarily a painter, he also worked with prints, sculpture, and even digital art.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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