A Seller’s Guide to Ellsworth Kelly

Ellsworth Kelly’s work is deceptively simple. His knack for deception recruited him to the Ghost Army in World War II, where he created visual illusions to misdirect and confuse German troops. This skill translated into his art, and he became a key figure in post-war American art, producing work that encompassed painting, sculpture, and printmaking, and explored the relationships between colour, shape, and space. This seller's guide will help you navigate the art market and secure the best sale of your Kelly print.

Kelly’s bold monochromatic forms and precise geometries significantly shaped the Minimalist movement and colour field painting style. He was influenced by his time in post-war France, embracing European modernism, abstraction, and the influence of chance on art and life. Throughout his career, he challenged the boundaries of non-representational art, creating works that challenged the precepts of visual perception and reimagined the interplay between art and architecture. His prints became highly sought after, translating his signature style into limited editions for a broader audience.

Ellsworth Kelly's printmaking career spanned over five decades, beginning in the 1960s. He collaborated extensively with Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles, producing many of his most significant editions there. Kelly also worked with other notable print workshops, including Tyler Graphics Ltd. and Maeght Éditeur in Paris. His long-standing relationship with printer Kenneth Tyler, of Tyler Graphics Ltd., led to the creation of some of Kelly’s now most well-recognised and innovative prints. His Coloured Paper Images series, made at this time, was created using dyed paper pulp - a “wet collage” technique that blended painting and collage. Kelly's approach to printmaking mirrored his painting practice, emphasising bold colours, clean lines, and geometric designs. His prints often explored the interplay between figure and ground, which became an integral part of his artistic legacy.

Ellsworth Kelly prints vary widely in value, reflecting the artist's long career and diverse output. Prices typically range from a few thousand to upwards of £40,000, depending on factors such as rarity, condition, and provenance. Limited edition prints from Kelly's earlier periods, particularly those from the 1960s and 1970s, often command the highest prices. For example, his highest print sale at auction was a set of 24 lithographs from his Romanesque Series (formerly Third Curve Series) (1973-1976), which sold for £49,963 at Christie’s New York in 2014. The highest value achieved by a single print of Kelly’s was £47,447 for Blue Curve (State II) (1988), which sold at Sotheby’s in 2022 - this value was almost twice its high estimate. Part of the reason for this impressive auction result is the print’s rarity, with an edition size of just 15, with 6 artist proofs. If you are in possession of an artist's proof, you can expect it to fetch a higher value than standard edition prints.

The size of your Kelly print will affect the price - larger prints, for example Colored Paper Image V (Blue Curves) (1976), which is 116.2 x 80.7cm, will be valued higher. More affordable options exist for collectors, with some of Kelly's later, smaller prints available for under £10,000. However, even these more accessible works have seen significant appreciation over time.

The most important factor in establishing the authenticity of a print is tracing its history. Provenance, detailing the print’s past owners and exhibition history, is the best way of proving legitimacy. These records should include, and match up with, gallery and auction house sales, so the print’s movements since its creation can be assessed. If your print lacks provenance, it can seriously damage the sales price; however, certain details can still be traced to prove authenticity before sale.

With all artworks, you should consult the artist’s catalogue raisonné - photographs of verified artworks and prints can help you check the signature, edition number, and details in your artwork. The most comprehensive catalogue raisonné of Kelly’s work is the two-volume Ellsworth Kelly: Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings, Reliefs and Sculptures by Yve-Alain Bois, released in 2015 and 2021 respectively.

The Ellsworth Kelly Foundation is one of the leading organisations for cataloguing Kelly’s work. They are able to assist with establishing provenance and appraising the value and legitimacy of your print - MyArtBroker can also help.

Edition and Signature

Signatures and edition numbers are crucial for authentication but are arguably the easiest part of a work to forge. Kelly typically signed his prints in pencil on the lower right-hand corner of his prints. It is usually neat and legible, though variations can be seen throughout his career. Early works may exhibit a more fluid script, while later signatures are often more controlled and uniform. Consult with someone familiar with the changes in Kelly’s work to ensure your print’s signature aligns with his practice at the time.

Edition numbers are usually found, in pencil, in the lower left-hand corner of the print. The number should be written as a simple fraction, 5/25. Validating the size of the edition, and the handwriting, can be done using Kelly’s catalogue raisonné or by consulting an expert.

Browse Ellsworth Kelly prints on the Trading Floor and find out more about the print market growth on the MAB100 Print Index.

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The best time to sell an Ellsworth Kelly print can depend on several factors, including market conditions and specific events. Generally, selling during a strong market, when demand and prices are high, can yield the best returns. Significant anniversaries related to Kelly, such as the centennial of his birth or the anniversary of his passing, can generate increased interest and higher prices.

You should also monitor auction results and gallery sales, as this can provide insights into the current demand for Kelly's works. Selling during art fairs or major auctions, particularly those featuring modern and contemporary art, can attract serious collectors and competitive bidding. Capitalising on media coverage, exhibitions, or publications related to Kelly can enhance the desirability of his prints.

In January 2023, the Glenstone Museum in Maryland hosted the Ellsworth Kelly at 100 retrospective. In February, April, and June of the same year, four of Kelly’s top 12 print sales to date were achieved, proving that events that promote discussion of an artist’s work can drive better sales and elevate market interest.

MyArtBroker offers advanced art tech tools to help you determine the optimal time to sell. Our MyPortfolio service features an AI-powered value indicator that provides real-time valuations of individual prints based on both public and private sales data. Combined with our complimentary valuations, we can help ensure your print achieves maximum value by selling at the perfect moment.

At MyArtBroker, our specialists provide a free market valuation for your artwork, offering a level of transparency unmatched in today’s market. In addition to our valuations, through our online Trading Floor, you can access real-time insights into works by the artist you’re looking to sell, including pieces that are most in demand, wanted, or currently for sale: allowing sellers to trust the valuation that they are provided.

Additionally, the MyPortfolio collection management service grants you free access to our comprehensive print market database. This resource allows you to review auction histories for the specific work you’re looking to sell, including hammer prices, values paid, and seller returns. In a fluctuating market, this historical data is invaluable - and often comes at a cost elsewhere - offering insights into past and current values to further inform decisions based on market timing and conditions. In addition to our specialists guidance, you have concrete data.

Our approach is tailored to align with the unique attributes of each artwork, and offer optimal results:

How a Private Sale Works

Unlike peer-to-peer platforms, which lack specialised expertise, authenticity guarantees, and legal infrastructure for high-value sales, MyArtBroker operates through private sales ensuring a secure and seamless transaction process. We charge sellers 0% to sell, and take a small commission from our buyers, absorbing essential aspects including insurance, shipping, and marketing - at no extra cost to the seller. There is no magic to it, we’re a lean specialised business with less overheads than traditional models meaning we can do better for our clients.

Our revenue is derived from buyer commissions only, which are individually negotiated upon offer, and we aim to give the client the best return in the market place. By focusing on high-value artworks in excess of £10,000, we provide specialised care and expertise, ensuring each piece receives the attention it deserves, while simultaneously maximising returns with our clients. For works that fall below this threshold speak to the team about a recommendation, we offer market advisory free of charge. Our goal at MyArtBroker is to offer a seamless solution, setting us apart in the art market.

Advisory and Recommendations

In cases for artists and artworks, where our existing network of collectors isn’t the best fit due to value, medium or condition we collaborate with reputable partners to facilitate its sale. Carefully tailoring your artwork to the right party. This tailored approach is especially important as it considers the unique attributes of each artwork, providing sellers with the best possible outcome in today’s shifting art market. You can discuss this approach with us without charge as part of our advisory service.

Such recommendations are on a case-by-case basis, and ensures broader exposure and takes advantage of our knowledge of where a work will do best.

In addition to our live trading floor, MyArtBroker's MyPortfolio serves as a collection management system, empowering collectors to curate and oversee their prints and editions collection. This feature grants users access to our print market database, uniquely tied to our proprietary algorithm, SingularityX. This algorithm scans and analyses both public auction and private sales data to determine real time valuations of individual print works, factoring in various aspects such as condition, colour, and other factors affecting value.

Read What Powers MyArtBroker's Technology? In Conversation With Stuart Jamieson, Financial Quant to learn more about our algorithm.

Emerging art tech tools are vital in navigating the current, and evolving, digital art market landscape. For instance, by adding Ellsworth Kelly prints from our website to the MyPortfolio dashboard, users gain insight into unique sale opportunities and observe market performance and fluctuations as they happen, streamlining the sales process effortlessly. Our pioneering technology has revolutionised art portfolio management, making it more accessible and equipping users with data-driven insights for informed decisions. MyArtBroker harnesses cutting-edge technology driven by data, coupled with a team of industry experts, to deliver an exceptional experience. Our professionals work closely with clients, utilising the MyPortfolio dashboard, to provide personalised guidance for creating a profitable art collection. By merging technology and expertise, we are committed to offering unparalleled curation and customer service.