Lavinia Fontana
Italian · 1552–1614 · Painter, Printmaker
Lavinia Fontana was an Italian Mannerist painter active in Bologna and Rome. She is best known for her successful portraiture, but also worked in the genres of mythology and… (Wikipedia)
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Record prices
Die Schmuck-WahlVan Ham · €607,200≈ $639,564≈ £504,945Sign up to see
Presentation at the templeim Kinsky · €64,000≈ $77,696≈ £58,108Sign up to see
Monty RugArt+Object · NZ$181≈ $123≈ £91≈ €110Sign up to see
Lavinia Fontana’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 5 auction results for Lavinia Fontana between 2020 and 2026, of which 3 sold (60%). A further 7 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $123Sign up free to see to $640kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $640kSign up free to see for Die Schmuck-Wahl at Van Ham in November 2024. The most common medium is oil paintings (2 lots). Most results come from Wannenes (5), Bertolami Fine Art (2) and im Kinsky (2).
9 results
- Christ and the Samaritan WomanAfter the artist$504≈ £396≈ €478Sign up free to see
- Die Schmuck-Wahl, Wohl 1. H. 17. Jh€607,200≈ $639,564≈ £504,945Sign up free to see
- NZ$181≈ $123≈ £91≈ €110Sign up free to see
- €64,000≈ $77,696≈ £58,108Sign up free to see
- Rebecca at the wellAfter the artist$2,295≈ £1,811≈ €2,041Sign up free to see
- Portrait of a womanCircle of the artist€8,320≈ $9,550≈ £7,330Sign up free to see
- Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. €80,000–120,000
- Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. €2,000–4,000
- Portrait de dame de qualitéCircle of the artistUnsold / did not meet reserveEst. €1,000–1,500
Also offered, result not published (7)
Lots by Lavinia Fontana that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.
Lavinia Fontana: quick facts
What is the highest price paid for a work by Lavinia Fontana at auction?
$639,564Sign up free to see, for Die Schmuck-Wahl at Van Ham (November 2024) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.
What is a typical auction price for Lavinia Fontana?
The median sale price is $77.7kSign up free to see across 3 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.
How many works by Lavinia Fontana have sold at auction?
3 of 5 recorded lots sold between 2020 and 2026. 7 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.
Which auction houses sell Lavinia Fontana?
Wannenes, Bertolami Fine Art and im Kinsky account for the most recorded results. Wannenes · Bertolami Fine Art · im Kinsky
About Lavinia Fontana
Lavinia Fontana was an Italian Mannerist painter active in Bologna and Rome. She is best known for her successful portraiture, but also worked in the genres of mythology and religious painting. She was trained by her father, Prospero Fontana. She is regarded as the first female career artist in Western Europe, as she relied on commissions for her income. Her family relied on her career as a painter, and her husband served as her agent and raised their 11 children. She was perhaps the first female artist to paint female nudes, but this is a topic of controversy among art historians.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
In museum collections
National Gallery of Art, Washington · CC0Portrait of Gerolamo Mercuriale, 1588
Walters Art Museum · Public domainPortrait of Ginevra Aldrovandi Hercolani, 1590
Walters Art Museum · Public domainPortrait of a Sitting Man Leafing Through a Book, 1577
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux · Public domain
