Artist profile · Market guide
Niki de Saint Phalle
1930–2002 · Paris, New York, Tuscany. From shooting paintings to the joyful Nanas – colour, protest and a garden of giants.
Shots, Nanas and a garden
Niki de Saint Phalle was born in 1930 in Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris and grew up in New York. Self-taught, she became famous in 1961 with her Tirs – shooting paintings in which she fired a rifle at plaster reliefs filled with bags of paint. Art as a violent, liberating act.
From 1965 came the Nanas: large, round, colourful female figures that dance, run and stand on their heads – a joyful answer to the roles women were expected to play. In 1966 she built Hon at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, a giant reclining woman that visitors entered. With her partner Jean Tinguely she created the Stravinsky Fountain next to the Centre Pompidou (1983).
Her life's work is the Tarot Garden (Giardino dei Tarocchi) in southern Tuscany, a sculpture park of huge mosaic figures, opened to the public in 1998. She died in 2002 in San Diego. Her market ranges from monumental sculptures to many editioned serigraphs, multiples and small Nanas.
Timeline
- 1930Born on 29 October in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
- 1961First shooting paintings (Tirs); joins the Nouveaux Réalistes.
- 1965First Nanas.
- 1966Hon at Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
- 1983Stravinsky Fountain in Paris with Jean Tinguely.
- 1998Tarot Garden in Tuscany opens to the public.
- 2002Dies on 21 May in San Diego.
Techniques and media
Unique sculptures and small editions, serigraphs and posters – her work spans a very wide price range.
Tirs (shooting paintings)
Plaster assemblages shot with paint, 1961–63 – rare and historically important.
Nanas in polyester
Painted polyester figures, unique or in small editions.
Mosaic sculpture
Mirrors, glass and ceramic on large figures – as in the Tarot Garden.
Serigraphs and lithographs
Colourful prints, often with handwritten texts – signed and numbered editions.
Multiples and small sculptures
Smaller Nanas, vases and objects in editions.
What Niki de Saint Phalle works sell for
Prices below are public auction results. They show the range – not what a specific piece is worth.
Record for Nana fountain figures from Les Trois Grâces (2008).*
Depends on size, edition and condition.
Her prints are the accessible part of the market.
Highest auction results
| Work | Price | Auction |
|---|---|---|
| Nana, Brunnenfigur (Les Trois Grâces), 2000 | £641,700 | Lempertz, Cologne, 2008 |
* According to MyArtBroker. Other databases report higher results for individual sculptures; figures differ between sources.
Real or not? What to check
Nanas are widely copied, especially small polyester figures and «vases». Check the signature, the edition number and whether the object appears in the documentation of the Niki Charitable Art Foundation.
- Signature and edition: Is there a signature and edition number on the base or underside?
- Material: Original polyester works show careful hand-painting; copies are often cruder.
- Documentation: Invoices, certificates and exhibition history from recognised galleries.
How much is a Niki de Saint Phalle Nana worth?
Unique and large Nanas can reach several hundred thousand pounds at auction. Small editions and serigraphs cost far less – and copies have no collector value.
Do you own a work attributed to Niki de Saint Phalle?
Start with a free estimate from photos. For a sale, insurance or an estate, order a written appraisal by an independent expert with a notarized signature.
Sources (auction figures as published there):
ArtworkValue is not affiliated with the Niki Charitable Art Foundation. This page does not offer works by Niki de Saint Phalle for sale.