What is a Man Ray work worth?
1890–1976 · Price guide from past auction results
Half of the 478 works by Man Ray with a published auction price sold between $1,031Sign up free to see and $7,081Sign up free to see, and the median is $2,250Sign up free to see. In the last five years the median was $1,698Sign up free to see across 220 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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Man Ray prices by medium
- Auction results
- 561
- Sold rate
- 86%
- Active at auction
- 2001–2026
- Median price
- $2.3kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $329kSign up free to see Reclining Nude with Satin Sheet, Phillips, Apr 2015
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prints | 191 | $693–$2.7kSign up free to see | $1.3kSign up free to see |
| Photographs | 135 | $2.7k–$18.2kSign up free to see | $5.9kSign up free to see |
| Sculpture | 40 | $1.5k–$6.6kSign up free to see | $3.2kSign up free to see |
| Works on Paper | 27 | $2.1k–$23.5kSign up free to see | $4.8kSign up free to see |
| Paintings | 12 | $10.6k–$28.1kSign up free to see | $22.8kSign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Phillips (111), Rago Auctions (77), Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (48)
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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) | 220 | $1.5k–$12.8kSign up free to see | $3.3kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 166 | $774–$3.9kSign up free to see | $1.8kSign up free to see |
| Large (75–150 cm) | 13 | $481–$22.5kSign up free to see | $1.2kSign up free to see |
| Very large (over 150 cm) | 3 | $2.2k–$3.3kSign up free to see | $2.8kSign up free to see |
Recent Man Ray sales
- Cadeau, cast iron, steel tacks — $1,664Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Aug 18, 2026
- On the Moon, etching in colors on Lana — $576Sign up free to see, Rago Auctions, Aug 14, 2026
- Électricité, photogravure on Rives — $15,360Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Untitled (from Surrealism between Two Wars: International Anthology of Contemporary Engraving), etching — $832Sign up free to see, Toomey & Co., Jul 22, 2026
- Cadeau, cast iron, steel tacks — $1,792Sign up free to see, Wright, Jul 16, 2026
- Fisherman idol — $572Sign up free to see, Veilinghuis Peerdeman, Jul 5, 2026
- Objet indestructible, Multiple. Metronome, photograph, paper clip. In... — $38,796Sign up free to see, Ketterer Kunst, Jun 13, 2026
- Peinture naturelle, acrylic on card paper — $23,040Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jun 10, 2026
Questions about Man Ray prices
What is a Man Ray work worth?
Based on 478 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Man Ray have sold for a median of $2,250, and half of them sold between $1,031 and $7,081. 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 Man Ray sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $329,000 for “Reclining Nude with Satin Sheet” at Phillips in April 2015.
Which Man Ray medium sells for the most?
By median price, paintings lead with $22,770 (12 sales).
How often do Man Ray works sell at auction?
86% of the 561 lots recorded between 2001 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Man Ray work?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Man Ray have appeared at auction 561 times in ArtSell’s records between 2001 and 2026; 481 sold, a sell-through rate of 86%.
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