A Seller's Guide to John Baldessari

Baldessari's contributions to Conceptual Art and his role in shaping postmodern artistic practices secured his place as a seminal figure in late 20th and early 21st century art. His printmaking career, which began in earnest in the 1970s, was equally innovative and prolific. Collaborating with renowned print studios such as Gemini G.E.L., Cirrus Gallery, and Crown Point Press, Baldessari produced a vast array of lithographs, screenprints, and digital prints that embodied his conceptual approach. These prints, often featuring his signature use of appropriated images, shapes of colour obscuring faces, and text elements, have become highly sought after by collectors and institutions alike.

The market for John Baldessari's prints reflects the artist's diverse and prolific output, with prices varying based on factors such as rarity, size, and historical significance. He favoured screenprinting and lithography because they made it easier to incorporate photographic elements and printed text. His use of unconventional materials and his whimsical approach to traditional printmaking techniques means his prints have stood the test of time as thought-provoking, visually striking, and bold.

Baldessari's later works are generally the most prevalent on the art market. These pieces feature his signature style of combining photographic images with vibrant geometric shapes or text and regularly sell for upwards of £20,000.

A record price for Baldessari prints was set in 2016 when Prima Facie (Third State): From Aloof To Vapid (2005), a diptych of digital prints, sold for £156,741 at Christie’s New York. A similar diptych, Prima Facie (Fifth State): Abstract (2007) sold for £141,701 in May 2024. The highest value secured by a single Baldessari print is £130,000; Raised Eyebrows / Furrowed Foreheads: Arm (With Shadow) (2009) features the artist’s characteristic black-and-white photography with bursts of colour and thick, flat, cartoonish blobs and lines. Other earlier prints continue to captivate collectors - I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art (1971), for example, prints of which sold for between £21,000 and £31,000 in 2020-23.

Baldessari’s instantly recognisable compositions with colourful spots, often placed over the faces of people within his found photographs, feature in many of his highest-value prints. Three Moments (1999), for example, sold in 2022 for over £30,000; Money (With Space Between) (1994) sold in the same year for over £20,000; and his ever-popular The Fallen Easel (1988) has sold multiple times since 2014 for over £15,000. Studio (1988) sold in March 2024 for over £15,000.

The market for Baldessari's work has shown resilience, with steady growth over the past decade, particularly following his passing in 2020. Factors such as provenance, condition, and the print's place within Baldessari's oeuvre all play crucial roles in determining value. Rare artist proofs or unique prints can significantly exceed these general price ranges.

Authenticating a Baldessari print requires a combination of technical analysis, provenance research, and expert evaluation. Given Baldessari's conceptual approach and use of appropriated imagery, understanding the context and intent behind each work is crucial to the authentication process, which is why we recommend consulting with an expert in his work.

Catalogue Raisonné

The primary reference for authenticating Baldessari's prints is John Baldessari: A Catalogue Raisonné of Prints and Multiples 1971-2007 by Sharon Coplan Hurowitz. For works produced after 2007, consultation with the John Baldessari Studio or his long-time representing galleries, such as Marian Goodman Gallery or Sprüth Magers, is advisable.

Edition and Signature

Baldessari typically signed his prints in pencil, in capital letters, in the bottom right-hand corner of his prints. Edition sizes vary considerably, with large and small editions performing equally successfully. Studio (1988), for example, is an edition of 150, and The Fallen Easel (1988) is an edition of 35. The edition number is usually found written in pencil in the bottom left corner.

Baldessari also produced artist's proofs and printer's proofs, usually denoted as “A.P.” or “P.P.” respectively. These proofs can be particularly valuable to collectors due to their relative rarity, regardless of the size of the standard print run - editions of 150 will have the same number of artist’s proofs as editions of 35.

Many of Baldessari's prints were produced in collaboration with renowned print workshops. Prints made with Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles, for example, often bear their distinctive chop mark. These workshop identifications can provide additional provenance and authenticity to a print.

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

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Several factors can influence the optimal timing for selling. Major retrospectives or exhibitions focused on Baldessari's work often generate renewed interest and can lead to increased market activity. For example, the comprehensive John Baldessari: Pure Beauty exhibition, which toured internationally from 2009 to 2011, resulted in a flurry of high-value print sales.

Significant events in the artist's career or life can also impact market dynamics. Following Baldessari's passing in 2020, there was a notable surge in interest in his work, with many collectors seeking to acquire pieces by the late artist. His death was the catalyst for many record sales made in the following four years.

Broader trends in the contemporary art market should also be considered. Periods when conceptual art is particularly in vogue can be advantageous for selling Baldessari's work. Major contemporary art sales at leading auction houses can create a favourable environment for selling, so, we recommend monitoring sales results and market reports from major auction houses and galleries. Look for patterns of prints selling above estimate or increases in the estimates themselves.

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 John Baldessari 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.