What is a Sebastião Salgado photograph worth?
1944–2025 · Price guide from past auction results
Half of the 223 works by Sebastião Salgado with a published auction price sold between $6,264Sign up free to see and $14,429Sign up free to see, and the median is $9,375Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $9,375Sign up free to see across 219 sales. In the last five years the median was $7,620Sign up free to see across 97 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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Sebastião Salgado prices by medium
- Auction results
- 281
- Sold rate
- 79%
- Active at auction
- 2008–2026
- Median price
- $9.4kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $129kSign up free to see Gold Mine, Phillips, Apr 2026
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 219 | $6.3k–$14.4kSign up free to see | $9.4kSign up free to see |
| Prints | 3 | $942–$8.6kSign up free to see | $1.7kSign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Phillips (191), Grisebach (22), Lempertz (14)
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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) | 3 | $1.7k–$4.1kSign up free to see | $3.1kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 147 | $5.6k–$10.1kSign up free to see | $8kSign up free to see |
| Large (75–150 cm) | 49 | $11.3k–$18.9kSign up free to see | $12.8kSign up free to see |
| Very large (over 150 cm) | 19 | $43.8k–$63.5kSign up free to see | $45kSign up free to see |
Recent Sebastião Salgado sales
- First Communion in Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil (from the Year of Tibet Portfolio I), platinum palladium print — $896Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Cast of Thousands in the Gold Mine of Serra Pelada, Brazil, Gelatin silver print — $10,087Sign up free to see, Ketterer Kunst, Jul 15, 2026
- Serra Pelada, Gold Mine, Brazil, Gelatin silver print — $8,960Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Jul 14, 2026
- Sudan, Vintage silver print on double-weight semi-matte paper — $3,020Sign up free to see, OstLicht Photo Auction, May 28, 2026
- Mexico, Gelatin silver print, printed 1989 on double-weight semi-matte paper — $3,020Sign up free to see, OstLicht Photo Auction, May 28, 2026
- Serra Pelada Brazilië (GOLD), photograph where some search deep down and others going up this terrible ravine — $1,179Sign up free to see, Hessink's Auctions, Apr 14, 2026
- Mexico, photographic journeys in Europe and Africa — $1,179Sign up free to see, Hessink's Auctions, Apr 14, 2026
- Girl Brésil, photograph was made in the state of Paraná during Sebastião Salgado’s documentat — $1,179Sign up free to see, Hessink's Auctions, Apr 14, 2026
Questions about Sebastião Salgado prices
What is a Sebastião Salgado photograph worth?
Based on 223 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Sebastião Salgado have sold for a median of $9,375, and half of them sold between $6,264 and $14,429. For photographs alone the median is $9,375 (219 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 Sebastião Salgado sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $129,000 for “Gold Mine” at Phillips in April 2026.
Which Sebastião Salgado medium sells for the most?
By median price, photographs lead with $9,375 (219 sales).
How often do Sebastião Salgado works sell at auction?
79% of the 281 lots recorded between 2008 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Sebastião Salgado photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
ArtSell has recorded 281 auction results for Sebastião Salgado between 2008 and 2026, and 223 of them sold (79%).
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