What is a Robert Mapplethorpe photograph worth?
1946–1989 · Price guide from past auction results
Based on 323 priced auction sales, works by Robert Mapplethorpe have sold for a median of $15,309Sign up free to see. Half of them sold between $8,024Sign up free to see and $29,513Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $16,380Sign up free to see across 289 sales. In the last five years the median was $16,412Sign up free to see across 148 sales. These are past auction results, not a valuation: medium, size, condition and provenance all change what a particular work brings.
Robert Mapplethorpe prices by medium
- Auction results
- 366
- Sold rate
- 88%
- Active at auction
- 2004–2026
- Median price
- $15.3kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $401kSign up free to see Double Tiger Lily, Phillips, May 2018
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 289 | $8.3k–$29.6kSign up free to see | $16.4kSign up free to see |
| Prints | 25 | $8.1k–$39.1kSign up free to see | $23.8kSign up free to see |
| Works on Paper | 3 | $2.8k–$20.3kSign up free to see | $3.8kSign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Phillips (247), Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (23), Lempertz (18)
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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) | 22 | $3k–$12.3kSign up free to see | $7.9kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 264 | $8.9k–$29.8kSign up free to see | $17.5kSign up free to see |
| Large (75–150 cm) | 14 | $30.5k–$52.9kSign up free to see | $42kSign up free to see |
Recent Robert Mapplethorpe sales
- Self-Portrait, Polaroid — $8,960Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Erection, Gelatin silver print, printed — $12,565Sign up free to see, Lempertz, Jun 5, 2026
- Self Portrait, Gelatin silver print — $96,095Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 16, 2026
- Self Portrait, gelatin silver print, mounted — $96,095Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 16, 2026
- Tulips, Gelatin silver print, printed 1977 — $49,020Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 11, 2026
- Ken Moody, Gelatin silver print, printed 1983 — $21,930Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 11, 2026
- African Daisy, Gelatin silver print, printed 1982 — $18,060Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 11, 2026
- Tulip, Gelatin silver print, printed 1984 — $11,610Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 11, 2026
Questions about Robert Mapplethorpe prices
What is a Robert Mapplethorpe photograph worth?
Based on 323 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Robert Mapplethorpe have sold for a median of $15,309, and half of them sold between $8,024 and $29,513. For photographs alone the median is $16,380 (289 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 Robert Mapplethorpe sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $400,683 for “Double Tiger Lily” at Phillips in May 2018.
Which Robert Mapplethorpe medium sells for the most?
By median price, prints lead with $23,750 (25 sales).
How often do Robert Mapplethorpe works sell at auction?
88% of the 366 lots recorded between 2004 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Robert Mapplethorpe photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Robert Mapplethorpe have appeared at auction 366 times in ArtSell’s records between 2004 and 2026; 323 sold, a sell-through rate of 88%.
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