Here Are Chuck Close’s 10 Most Expensive Works at Auction

See the works that hammered the highest.

Chuck Close. Courtesy of Getty Images.

One of the masters of American portraiture, Chuck Close recently celebrated his 76th birthday, and now Wil S. Hylton has penned a dense portrait of the artist for the New York Times. “I couldn’t help wondering what Close, after 50 years of struggling to capture the human face and human identity, was trying now, at the end of his life, to reveal about his own,” Hylton writes.

Related: The Art World Celebrates Chuck Close’s Birthday on Instagram

Throughout his decades-long career, Close has portrayed some of the brightest lights of the American cultural scene, from artists Cindy Sherman and Kara Walker to composer Philip Glass, and he continues to be a mainstay of American painting today.

What have been the painter’s most successful canvases at auction to date? From his photorealistic portraits like John and Gwynne to his more stylized representations like Phil and Cindy, see the works that hammered the highest, courtesy of artnet Price Database.

(A screenprint of Close’s work is now on offer at artnet auctions.)

Chuck Close, <em>John</em> (1971-1972). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, John (1971–1972). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

1. John (1971–1972): $4.8 million 
Sotheby’s New York, 2005

Chuck Close, <em>Phil</em> (1983). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Phil (1983). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

2. Phil (1983): $3.2 million
Sotheby’s New York, 2006

Chuck Close, <em>Eric</em> (1990). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Eric (1990). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

3. Eric (1990): $3 million
Sotheby’s New York, 2005

Chuck Close, <em>Gwynne</em> (1982). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Gwynne (1982). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

4. Gwynne (1982): $2.8 million
Christie’s New York, 2004

Chuck Close, <em>Self-Portrait</em> (2007). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Self-Portrait (2007). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

5. Self-Portrait (2007): $2.4 million
Christie’s New York, 2015

Chuck Close, <em>Cindy</em> (1988). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Cindy (1988). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

6. Cindy (1988): $1.46 million
Christie’s New York, 2003

Chuck Close, <em>Mark/Pastel</em> (1977). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Mark/Pastel (1977). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

7. Mark/Pastel (1977): $1.1 million
Christie’s New York, 2014

Chuck Close, <em>Paul II</em> (1996). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Paul II (1996). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

8. Paull II (1996): $602,000
Sotheby’s New York, 2009

Chuck Close, <em>Leslie</em> (1985). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Leslie (1985). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

9. Leslie (1985): $565,000
Sotheby’s New York, 2007

Chuck Close, <em>Georgia</em> (1985). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

Chuck Close, Georgia (1985). Courtesy of artnet Price Database.

10. Georgia (1985): $431,000
Sotheby’s New York, 1997


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