Ellsworth Kelly Value: Top Prices Paid at Auction

This work, measuring 282 x 211 cm, achieved Kelly's current auction record at Christie's New York in November 2019. Red Curve VII (1982) was created during Kelly’s most sought-after period, when his artistic style had fully matured in its bold exploration of form and colour relationships. The work’s appeal comes from its distinctive dynamic tension, drawn from its rich colour contrast and monumental scale; it forms part of his first Red Curve series, which began in the late 1970s. At this point in the series, Kelly’s work was at its most confident and refined, playing striking red forms against pristine white backgrounds. Kelly went on to produce another three Red Curve series, extending into the 2000s.

The October 2020 sale of Red Curve V (1982) at Christie’s New York was a testament to Kelly’s appreciating value, especially in the face of global market uncertainty. The painting had previously sold for £2.3M in May 2014, making the 2020 sale an increase of 50% in just six years. Like its series companion Red Curve VII (1982), this work demonstrates Kelly’s desire to free colour from the confines of traditional artistic practice; however, in this piece, Kelly goes as far as to separate the painting from its background. The curved edge of the canvas and its monumental size of 230 x 380 cm draw viewers' attention to the three-dimensional physical form of the artwork, while the smooth, suppressed brushstrokes aim to preserve the purity of the colour.

Blue Panel (1986) achieved this impressive result at Sotheby's New York in May 2018. Like Kelly’s Red Curve paintings, the composition is deceptively simple. The single, vibrant shade of blue covering the unusually shaped canvas makes the colour itself the subject of the painting. The gentle tilt of the canvas and soft curve in its edges are perfect examples of Kelly’s ability to change and activate the space in which his work is exhibited.

Achieving this notable result at Christie's New York in July 2020, Yellow Panel (1987) is deceptive in its shape and simplicity. The degree of curve in its vertical edges and the angles of its horizontal edges seem to create a three-dimensionality and space that does not exist - the canvas appears to be tilted away from the viewer. At over two meters tall, this piece is one of Kelly’s more architectural works, with a bold yellow hue that creates an intense visual experience that envelopes its viewer and transforms its surroundings. Its rich exhibition history includes displays at institutions in Boston, Lyon, Chicago, and more.

Sold at Sotheby's New York in May 2022, Rebound (1959) represents a rare early example of Kelly's work from this early formative period. Created a few years after his move from Paris to New York in 1954, this painting shows Kelly beginning to explore the geometric forms that would define his later practice. The hard-edged curves are thought to have been influenced by his new home on the waterfront of New York City's Coenties Slip area. The work's strong performance at auction demonstrates collector interest in pieces that illuminate the development of Kelly's artistic style, particularly those that bridge his early experiments with Colour Field painting, Hard-Edge painting, and Minimalism. Further collector interest stemmed from the work’s general obscurity - it was acquired directly from the artist in 1959 by Susanne and Franklin Konigsberg, and remained in their collection until its 2022 sale.

This 1989 painting achieved its top 10 result at Christie's New York in November 2021. As the name suggests, Yellow Panel With Red Curve (1989) combines two of Kelly's most recognised motifs - the monochromatic panel and the curve - in a dramatic rethinking of his earlier two-panel works that is typical of his later career. The work demonstrates Kelly's continued refinement of his play with colour and form. Both shapes are almost perfect geometric shapes (a square and a triangle), while the colours used are standard primary tones; yet, this very deliberate balance only serves to emphasise the autonomy of each shape individually. This careful spatial tension is the effect that draws many collectors to Kelly’s work.

Another example of Kelly’s two-panel works from his later career, Purple Panel With Blue Curve (1989) achieved this result at Sotheby's New York in November 2017. It combines all three of the artistic movements that shaped Kelly’s career - dynamic exploration of colour fields, separated by a hard-edge composition, with a minimalist approach that casts all focus onto the colour and shapes themselves. The painting's sale in 2017 was, at the time, a record for the artist, and spearheaded more than seven years of continued record-breaking results.

Two Curves (2004) is the most recent addition to this list in two distinct ways - it is the most recently completed work and the most recent auction sale. It sold at Christie's New York in November 2024, and was created when the artist was in his eighties. It demonstrates Kelly’s continuing ability to find new possibilities within his artistic goals, incorporating less geometric shapes into his style of geometric abstraction. This work, with its invisibly overlapping curves and varying angles, feels more experimental than Kelly’s earlier works.

The only sculpture to appear on this list, this striking artwork achieved its result at Sotheby's New York in May 2010. Untitled (Totem) (1996) represents Kelly's translation of his two-dimensional explorations of form into three dimensions. It stands at over five meters tall, proving once again Kelly’s ability to create powerful presence in the form of art. Its simple geometric shape reflects his panel and painted works. Kelly’s series of “totems” began with 30 wooden structures designed to play with viewers’ sense of space and perception. This later work, however, is cast in stainless steel.

Selling at Sotheby's New York in November 2011, Chatham X: Black Red (1971) is part of Kelly's influential Chatham series, named after his then newly-established studio in Chatham, New York. The Chatham series consists of 14 paintings, each formed of two canvases arranged in an inverted “L” shape. Each is strictly geometric, with variations only in the aspect ratio of the canvas and the specific primary and secondary colours used. The series as a whole was first exhibited at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo in 1972, and was not shown in its entirety again for 40 years, when a 2013 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York took place. This painting’s place in such a small and rarely-seen collection of work made its appearance at auction in 2011 an exciting opportunity for Kelly collectors.