Wolfgang Paalen's Auction Record Jumps 11% With $1m Sale
3 min read · 21 Nov 2025
Fata Alaska. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
Wolfgang Paalen, Fata Alaska (1937) sold for $1.02m, more than two and a half times the low estimate at Sotheby's in New York on November 20. The oil and fumage on canvas work has been traded 3 times in the past.
The sale beat the artist’s previous auction record by $104,900, a 11% rise.
Taches solaires. Image courtesy of Christie's
The previous record was set by Taches solaires (1938), which sold for $911,100 at Christie's on February 28, 2023. The work had been traded 5 times in the past.
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 20, 2025 | Fata Alaska | $1.02m | 12 % | Sotheby's | New York |
February 28, 2023 | Taches solaires | $911,100 | 62 % | Christie's | London |
December 01, 2009 | Pays (paysage) médusé | $562,900 | 184 % | Christie's | Paris |
December 13, 2006 | Selam trilogy | $198,200 | 145 % | Sotheby's | Paris |
April 15, 2003 | Rencontre sur une plage | $81,000 | 14 % | Calmels Cohen | Paris |
June 17, 1989 | Sans titre | $71,000 | 20 % | Loudmer | Paris |
November 20, 1988 | Lumiere fossile | $59,000 | - | Loudmer | Paris |
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