Joel-Peter Witkin — Biography, Exhibitions, Galleries & Auction Results

palette

Selected Works248

Museum Acquisitions

Whitney

MoMA

NGA Washington

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Previous Sales 85

Bonhams

Joel-Peter Witkin (born 1939); '"Mask and Severed Genitalia as Netsuke," New Mexico';

$750

Feb 2026

Christie's

Penitente, N.M., 1982

$11,250

Apr 2013

Christie's

The Prince Imperial, New Mexico, 1981

$7,500

Jan 2011

Christie's

Portrait of Nan New Mexico 1984

$6,000

Jan 2011

Christie's

The Birth of Venus, N.Y.C., 1982

$9,375

Dec 2010

Christie's

Waiting for de Chirico in the Artist's Section of Purgatory, New Mexico, 1994

£3,750 ($5k USD)

Nov 2010

Christie's

Woman Masturbating on the Moon, 1982

$22,500

Apr 2010

Christie's

Woman Masturbating on the Moon, 1982

$16,250

Feb 2008

Christie's

Head of a Dead Man, Mexico City, 1990

$10,000

Feb 2008

Christie's

I.D. Photograph from Purgatory: and Two Women with Stomach Irritations, 1982; and Carrot Cake #1, 1982

$8,125

Feb 2008

Christie's

Mini-Mat Pin Jat, 1980

$5,625

Feb 2008

Christie's

Green with Breasts, Berlin, 1998

£2,000 ($3k USD)

Nov 2007

Christie's

Harvest, Philadelphia, 1984

$16,250

Oct 2007

Christie's

The Graces, New Mexico, 1988

$7,500

Oct 2007

Christie's

The Eggs of My Amnesia, Rome, 1996

$6,250

Oct 2007

Christie's

Shoe, Hat and Eggs, New Mexico, 1999

£1,800 ($2k USD)

Nov 2006

Christie's

Metropolis, N.M., 1981

$3,840

Sep 2006

Christie's

The Capitulation of France, New Mexico, 1982

$2,040

Sep 2006

Christie's

Mexican Pin-Up, New Mexico, 1975

£3,840 ($5k USD)

Jun 2006

Christie's

Testicle Stretch with Possibility of a Crushed Face, New Mexico, 1982

£3,840 ($5k USD)

Jun 2006

Christie's

Portraits from the Afterworld: Madame David, 1994

£2,400 ($3k USD)

Jun 2006

Christie's

La Serpentine, Marseille, 1992

£1,800 ($2k USD)

Jun 2006

Christie's

Journeys of the Mask: Helen Fourment, San Francisco, 1984

£1,800 ($2k USD)

Jun 2006

Christie's

Decadent Artists, N.M., 1983

£1,800 ($2k USD)

Jun 2006

Christie's

Olympia, New York City, 1974

£1,200 ($2k USD)

Jun 2006

For Sale 11

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Portait of Greg Vaughn, 2004

US$7,500

Vintage toned gelatin silver print

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Art Deco Lamp, New Mexico, 1986

US$7,500

Vintage toned gelatin silver print

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Christ in Glory, New Mexico, 1982

Price on request

Vintage toned gelatin silver print

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Still Life, Marseilles, 1992

Price on request

Toned gelatin silver print

Bruce Silverstein Gallery · Artsy

Face of a Woman, Marseilles, 2004

Price on request

Gelatin silver print

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Venus and Cupid: The Caucasian View of History, 1987

US$7,500

Gelatin silver print

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Eve Knighting Daguerre, 2003

US$5,000

Gelatin silver print maquette

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Nature Sees the First Human Death, Mexico City, 2017

Price on request

Gelatin silver print

Etherton Gallery · Artsy

Amour, 1987

Price on request

Toned gelatin silver print

Gallery 2112 · 1stDibs

The Eggs of My Amnesia

$5,500

CLAMP · 1stDibs

Glassman

For sale

price_check

Market462 auction results

trending_upPhotographs Range

$121 – $30.2K

69 of 81 photographs lots with prices

calculatePhotographs Average

$5.5K

Object-type specific

show_chartPhotographs Median

$2.2K

69 priced photographs lots

calendar_todayLast Photographs Sale

Apr 2026 · $477

Latest tracked sale in this object type

categoryMarket by Object Type

Photographs: $2.2K medianUnclassified lots: $4.8K medianEditioned photos: $1.0K medianEditioned prints: $300 median

gavelTop Auction Houses

PhillipsSotheby'sOsenatChristie'sPhillips de Pury & Company

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Galleries1

#246 Bruce Silverstein Gallery

Instagram

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Publications1

Exhibition Catalog 1

Witkin Author

Thames & Hudson · 1995

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Current Exhibitions0

No current exhibitions found.

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Recent News5

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Hirshhorn Museum Collection Tops 13,000 as Major 50th-Anniversary Acquisitions Announced

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, acquired 314 works in 2025, bringing its collection to over 13,000 pieces. The acquisitio…

exhibitionsMay 13, 2026

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Announces 314 New Acquisitions During 50th Anniversary Year

The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden announced 314 new acquisitions in 2025, its 50th anniversary year. The additions span photogra…

exhibitionsMay 13, 2026

11 can’t-miss art shows to see in Phoenix this spring

Phoenix is hosting a diverse array of spring art exhibitions across the city. Highlights include the 19th Annual Erotic Art Show at Exposed Gallery, A…

exhibitionsApr 22, 2026

In memoriam: remembering art world figures who died in 2025

This article from The Art Newspaper, published as 2026 begins, memorializes key figures from the art world who died in 2025. The list includes artist …

obituaryDec 29, 2025

joel peter witkin photography

Joel-Peter Witkin, the controversial photographer known for his macabre and surreal imagery, is the subject of a new exhibition titled “Joel-Peter Wit…

exhibitionsJun 10, 2025

history