Yue Minjun

Chinese · b. 1962 · Painter, Sculptor

Yue Minjun is a Chinese contemporary artist based in Beijing, China. He is best known for oil paintings depicting himself in various settings, frozen in laughter. He has also… (Wikipedia)

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140lots offered2005–2026years recorded86%sold (118)$2.8kSign up free to seemedian price

5 works by Yue Minjun with an auction history (offered more than once) →

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Record prices

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Enchanted SpringRavenel · Dec 2008HK$11,500,000≈ $1,483,500≈ £990,188≈ €1,176,634Sign up to see
Untitled (Magritte Stone)Phillips · Jun 2016£965,000≈ $1,291,749≈ €1,166,575Sign up to see
HometownPhillips · Oct 2017£321,000≈ $422,789≈ €360,066Sign up to see

Yue Minjun’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).

Coming up at auction

1 in forthcoming sales · bid with the house

Listed from the auction houses’ own websites; estimates are the houses’ own, not results.

ArtSell has recorded 138 auction results for Yue Minjun between 2005 and 2026, of which 118 sold (86%). A further 2 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $458Sign up free to see to $1.5MSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $1.5MSign up free to see for Enchanted Spring at Ravenel in December 2008. The most common medium is lithographs (60 lots). Most results come from Phillips (53), Rago Auctions (33) and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (18).

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140 results · page 1 of 4

Altar of Heaven, 2003
Oil · Canvas
100 x 80 cm. (39 3/8 x 31 1/2 in.)
Phillips · Sep 30, 2026 · Lot 165
HK$774,000≈ $98,646≈ £74,467≈ €86,875Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. HK$600,000–800,000View at Phillips ↗
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 26), 2006
Lithograph · Paper
43½ h x 35¼ w in (110 x 90 cm)
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Sep 29, 2026 · Lot 150
$1,088≈ £821≈ €958Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 3), 2006
Lithograph · Paper
43¼ h x 31½ w in (110 x 80 cm)
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Sep 29, 2026 · Lot 151
$1,408≈ £1,063≈ €1,240Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 13), 2006
Lithograph
43¼ h x 35⅜ w in (110 x 90 cm)
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Sep 10, 2026 · Lot 318
$1,024≈ £757≈ €882Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 19), 2006
Lithograph
35⅜ h x 43⅜ w in (90 x 110 cm)
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Sep 10, 2026 · Lot 320
$10,240≈ £7,574≈ €8,815Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
Surplus Value (Beige), 2019
Multiple · Panel · ed. 4/75
20.8 x 18.9 x 15.2 cm (8 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 5 7/8 in.) box 21.9 x 28.8 x 28.9 cm (8 5/8 x 11 3/8 x 11 3/8 in.)
Phillips · Sep 3, 2026 · Lot 457
£3,096≈ $4,179≈ €3,598Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £2,000–3,000View at Phillips ↗
Surplus Value (Brown), 2019
Multiple · Panel · ed. 4/75
20.6 x 18.8 x 14.8 cm (8 1/8 x 7 3/8 x 5 7/8 in.) box 22.2 x 28.9 x 28.9 cm (8 3/4 x 11 3/8 x 11 3/8 in.)
Phillips · Sep 3, 2026 · Lot 458
£3,612≈ $4,875≈ €4,197Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £2,000–3,000View at Phillips ↗
Sin título (Smile-ism No. 18): One Smile Elevates us All, 2006
Print (other) · ed. 11/45
110.5 x 90 cm medidas totales
Morton Subastas · Aug 27, 2026 · Lot 9
MX$12,000≈ $707≈ £521≈ €607HammerSign up free to seeEst. MX$15,000–25,000View at Morton Subastas ↗
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 5), 2006
Lithograph
43⅜ h x 31¼ w in (110 x 79 cm)
Wright · Aug 6, 2026 · Lot 295
$1,064≈ £790≈ €922Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Wright ↗
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 16), 2006
Lithograph
31½ h x 43⅜ w in (80 x 110 cm)
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · Jun 25, 2026 · Lot 135
$1,664≈ £1,264≈ €1,467Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗

Also offered, result not published (2)

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

Yue Minjun paintings (36)Yue Minjun oil paintings (18)Yue Minjun acrylic paintings (18)Yue Minjun prints (83)Yue Minjun lithographs (60)Yue Minjun screenprints (7)Yue Minjun multiples (5)Yue Minjun sculpture (7)

Yue Minjun: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Yue Minjun at auction?

$1,483,500Sign up free to see, for Enchanted Spring at Ravenel (December 2008) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Yue Minjun?

The median sale price is $2.8kSign up free to see across 118 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Yue Minjun have sold at auction?

118 of 138 recorded lots sold between 2005 and 2026. 2 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.

Which auction houses sell Yue Minjun?

Phillips, Rago Auctions and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Rago Auctions · Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)

About Yue Minjun

Yue Minjun is a Chinese contemporary artist based in Beijing, China. He is best known for oil paintings depicting himself in various settings, frozen in laughter. He has also reproduced this signature image in sculpture, watercolour and prints. While Yue is often classified as part of the Chinese Cynical Realist art movement developed in 1989, Yue rejects this label, but also "doesn't concern himself about what people call him."

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.