Rating and value of paintings, drawings and sculptures by Antoni Tapies

If you own a work by or based on the work of artist Antoni Tapies and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers can advise you. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market. Then, if you wish to sell your work of art, we will guide you towards the best possible means of obtaining the best possible price.

Artist's rating and value

A major figure in contemporary art, Antoni Tapies is currently highly rated on the auction market. Exploring several artistic techniques, Tapies' works are commonplace in auction rooms, particularly his lithographs, which sell for hundreds or even thousands of euros at auction. However, the artist's most prized works are his mixed-media compositions. A sure bet on the art market, some of his exceptional canvases fetch millions of euros at auction. In 2014, his painting Large ocres avec incisions, dating from 1961, fetched €1,747,760, whereas its estimate was between €500,000 and €749,000.

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

Artist's style and technique

Attached to the Arte Povera movement and to abstraction, having passed through the Dada group, Tapies creates works that relate to the reign of nature, the mysterious existence of beings that populate the universe and the human condition.

 His canvases, marked with various inscriptions, were a means for him to explore the strata of memory, history and collective consciousness. He experimented with what he called "materialology" , emphasizing the tactile character of his surfaces through their relief.

Antoni Tapies' career

Born in Spain, Antoni Tapies (1923-2012) quickly developed a passion for painting, taking a brief course in drawing before studying law. It wasn't until 1943 that Tapies began to produce his own art. He produced copies of paintings by Van Gogh and Picasso and became interested in philosophy, which was to have a lasting influence on his art.

Tapies' works, produced during the mid-20th century, are marked by avant-garde artistic movements such as Surrealism and Dadaism. However, the artist diligently developed his own distinctive style, albeit belonging to Arte Povera. Tàpies was interested in exploring matter and texture, creating organic works that blended paint, sand, pigments, earth, reclaimed materials and other substances.

As a parallel art theorist, he wrote essays on Arte Povera, an Italian art movement that sees itself as a sober reaction to pictorial lyricism, abstract expressionism and Pop Art. The work must be reduced to uncluttered, unemphasized plastic components, a counter-current to the productivist approach. Arte Povera thus introduces banality into the sphere of art through the poor gesture, detaching itself from all sophistication.

Antoni Tapiès encourages the rejection of artistic hegemony and traditional methods. For him, the creation of the work precedes the meaning attributed to it, and thus gives rise to a spontaneous work.

In addition to painting, Tàpies has also ventured into sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and installation, constantly pushing back the boundaries of his artistic expression. He has taken part in many major exhibitions around the world and received numerous awards. 

The artist's imprint on his era

Tàpies' legacy lies not only in his innovative art, but also in his theoretical contribution to contemporary art, of which he is a major figure. He was a fervent defender of artistic freedom and an acerbic critic of society, expressing himself through his theoretical writings on art and culture.

His signature

Antoni Tapies' works are not all signed.

Although there are variations, here's a first example of his signature:

Appraising your property

If you happen to own a work by or after Antoni Tapies, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal by filling in our form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the value of your work, and will ensure that you receive all the relevant information about it. If you're thinking of selling your work, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends and specificities.