Lisa Yuskavage
Blue-chip#41
Egon Investment Scores
Liquidity
8/10
How easily works can be bought and sold at auction
Institutional
10/10
Museum collections, biennials, and institutional recognition
Momentum
9/10
Recent price trends, gallery moves, and market buzz
Discovery
1/10
Undervaluation opportunity relative to peer artists
Risk
1/10
Investment risk factors — higher means more volatile
Market Position
- Pricing
- Upward trajectory from 1990s through 2007 peak ($1.384M), stabilization in $200K-$800K range for major works in 2010s-2020s. Consistent demand with gallery-controlled primary market.
- Liquidity
- Buy in Rate
- Not extensively documented but prices suggest healthy sell-through
- Market Depth
- Strong secondary market with consistent representation at Christie's (59 lots historically), Sotheby's, Phillips
- Annual Volume
- Approximately 10-20 lots annually at major houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips)
- Auction House Distribution
- Christie's (59 lots), Sotheby's, Phillips - predominantly US market
- Collector Base
- Known Collectors
- Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman (FLAG Art Foundation)Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond J. Learsy (donated to Whitney)Emily Fisher Landau (donated to Whitney)Agnes Gund (donated to MoMA)Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer (donated to MoMA)Teiger Foundation/David Teiger (donated to Morgan Library)Nina L. CollinsDavid and Monica ZwirnerForce Villareal Collection
- Geographic Concentration
- Primarily US collectors and institutions
- Institutional Collectors
- Major US museums acquiring through purchase and donation
- Primary Market
- Gallery
- David Zwirner (since 2005)
- Pricing
- Contact gallery for current pricing - gallery-controlled primary market
- Editions
- Prints published by Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE), West Islip, NY
- Availability
- New works presented through David Zwirner exhibitions; 2015 show sold out before opening
- Auction History
- Note
- This establishes Yuskavage as a million-dollar artist
- Sale
- Christie's New York
- Work
- Night
- Year
- 2007
- Highest Price
- $1,384,000 USD
- Historical Performance
- 2015
- New York exhibition sold out before opening; one piece reached over $1 million
- 2010s
- Multiple works selling in $200,000-$300,000 range
- 2024 Trend
- Strong institutional estimates ($600K-$800K) for major canvases
- Since 2000
- Record established at $1.384M in 2007; consistent activity at major auction houses
- Recent Auction Activity
- 2024 2025
- Date
- May 13, 2024
- Work
- The Mound (2011)
- Medium
- oil on canvas, 84 x 72 in
- Auction
- Sotheby's The Now Evening Auction
- Estimate
- $600,000-$800,000 USD
- Date
- November 16, 2023
- Work
- Déjà Vu (2017)
- Medium
- oil on linen, 80 x 80 in
- Auction
- Sotheby's Contemporary Day Auction
- Estimate
- $600,000-$800,000 USD
- Date
- March 4, 2024
- Work
- Tit Heaven #22 (1992)
- Medium
- watercolor on paper, 30¼ x 22½ in
- Auction
- Sotheby's
- Date
- February 27, 2025
- Work
- PXLP (1998)
- Medium
- oil on canvas, 6 x 12 in
- Auction
- Christie's
- Date
- April 17, 2025
- Work
- Weeds (etching/aquatint)
- Medium
- prints
- Auction
- Phillips
- Price Ranges
- Major Paintings: $600,000-$1,384,000 USD range; Medium Paintings: $200,000-$300,000 USD range; Small Works Watercolors: $7,000-$30,000 USD range; Prints Editions 2024 2025: $1,500-$3,000 USD average
- Total Lots Tracked
- 230+ auction results (Artsy), 269 artworks (MutualArt), 194 lots (LotSearch)
- Market Position
- Market Positioning
- Blue-chip contemporary painter with established million-dollar record. Positioned alongside peers John Currin, Elizabeth Peyton in 1990s figurative revival. Strong institutional validation combined with robust secondary market.
Institutional Presence
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
Wrist Corsage (1996), Pink Studio (Rendezvous) (2021), Hippies in Tit Heaven (2015)
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Big Northview (2001), Kingdom (2006), Socialclimber (1998)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Art Institute of Chicago
Smithsonian Institution
Philadelphia Museum of Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles
Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, NY
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
Seattle Art Museum
Rubell Museum, Miami
Long Museum, Shanghai
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Denver Art Museum
Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
- Exhibitions
- Group Exhibitions
Title Year Venue — 2000 Whitney Biennial Women Painting Women 2022 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Circa 1995: New Figuration in New York 2025 David Zwirner, New York - Major Solo Exhibitions
Title Year Venue Notes Lisa Yuskavage 2000 Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia — — 2001 Centre d'Art Contemporain, Geneva — — 2006 Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City — New Work (concurrent exhibitions) 2006 David Zwirner and Zwirner & Wirth, New York — — 2011 The Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin — Lisa Yuskavage: The Brood 2015 Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA Major 25-year retrospective, traveled to Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2016) Lisa Yuskavage: Wilderness 2020 Aspen Art Museum Co-organized with Baltimore Museum of Art; traveled to Baltimore (2021) New Paintings 2021 David Zwirner, New York — Rendez-vous 2023 David Zwirner, Paris First Paris exhibition — 2025 David Zwirner, Los Angeles First LA exhibition in 30 years Lisa Yuskavage: Drawings 2025-2026 Morgan Library & Museum, New York First comprehensive museum exhibition of drawings; curated by Claire Gilman
- Museum Collections
Career & Biography
- Career
- Career Milestones
Year Event 1990 First New York solo exhibition (dissatisfied, stopped painting for a year) 1991-1993 Breakthrough 'Bad Babies' series - dramatic change in direction 1993 Early 1990s teaching position at Cooper Union adult education (created 'Tit Heaven' watercolor series) 2000 Included in Whitney Biennial 2005 Began representation by David Zwirner 2015 Major retrospective 'The Brood' at Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University 2019 Aspen Award for Art 2025 First comprehensive museum exhibition of drawings at Morgan Library & Museum (June-January 2026)
- Identity
- Awards Honors
- Aspen Award for Art (2019)Temple University Gallery of Success Award (2005)Founder's Day Certificate of Honor, Tyler School of the Arts (2000)Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant (1996)MacDowell Colony Fellowship (1994)Zimtbaum Foundation Fellowship, Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown (1986)
- Current Location
- Lives and works in New York (Brooklyn studio in Gowanus)
- Artistic Background
- Grew up in working-class Juniata Park neighborhood of Philadelphia. Father was pie truck driver, mother a homemaker. Discovered art around age 12. Attended Philadelphia High School for Girls. Early influences from Edgar Degas (while working as lifeguard and aerobics teacher), Giovanni Bellini, Johannes Vermeer, and Color Field painting. Later influenced by Neo Pop artists Jeff Koons and Mike Kelley, as well as filmmakers (David Cronenberg's 'The Brood', Rainer Werner Fassbinder, David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet').
Artistic Profile
- Influences
- John Currin (Yale classmate, similar figurative revival)Elizabeth Peyton (contemporary, figurative painting revival)Cecily Brown (compared as 'bad girl' painter)Sue Williams (contemporary feminist painter)Marlene Dumas (figurative painter)Neo Rauch (figurative painter)Chris Ofili (figurative painter)Jesse Murry (Yale friend and painter)
- Themes and Subjects
- Signature Motifs
- Perky-breasted, button-nosed womenDoll-like, Cabbage Patch facesCartoonish exaggerated proportionsNude figures in fantastical settingsDramatically lit interiorsOverripe fruit (pomegranates, plums, pears)Small sculptures and maquettesStudio props and painting-within-paintingPeacocks (symbol of immortality)Monochrome canvases propped in studiosAcid-bright, toxic-sunset landscapesHard, fixed eyes on viewerBeaded panties and cheap accessoriesWorking-class signifiers (feathered hair, pearl buttons)
- Movements and Periods
- Influences Art Historical Precedents
- Renaissance: Giovanni Bellini, RaphaelBaroque: Caravaggio (lighting), Gianlorenzo BerniniDutch Masters: Johannes VermeerFrench: Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Edgar DegasSurrealism: Giorgio de Chirico, René MagritteModern: Color Field Painting, Philip GustonContemporary: Jeff Koons, Mike Kelley (Neo Pop)Popular culture: Penthouse magazine, soft porn aestheticsFilm: David Cronenberg, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, David Lynch
- Techniques and Mediums
- Sfumato - figures dematerializing at edgesColor Field painting influence - monochrome groundsRenaissance color theory and light effectsVenetian painting techniques - luminosity through layersClassical composition with contemporary subjectsLight as alchemical transformationBuilding from solid ground with paint layersDistinctive color saturation and artificial palettePrecise vs. loose brushwork (varies by scale)Integration of abstract and representational elements
Critical Reception
- Critical Reception
- Cultural Impact
- Featured in Showtime series 'The L Word' (Season 2, Episode 4)
- Mentioned in Kevin Kwan's 'China Rich Girlfriend' (Crazy Rich Asians trilogy)
- Featured in Tamara Jenkins' 2018 film 'Private Life' (artwork gifted to characters)
- Created artist edition album cover for Billie Eilish 'Happier Than Ever'
- Metropolitan Museum of Art's online series 'The Artist Project' (2015) - discussed Édouard Vuillard
- Critical Narrative Arc
- Early career (1990s): Highly controversial, dismissed by some critics as misogynistic, defended by others as ironic commentary on male gaze. Lane Relyea's scathing Artforum reviews. Mid-career (2000s-2010s): Critical reassessment focusing on technical mastery, color theory, and art historical positioning. Comparison to Old Masters and serious engagement with painting tradition. Current (2015-present): Established as major contemporary painter; feminist critique softened with recognition of work's complexity. 2015 retrospective and 2025 Morgan Library exhibition signal full institutional acceptance.
- Art Historical Positioning
- Associated with 1990s revival of figurative painting alongside John Currin, Elizabeth Peyton, Cecily Brown. Positioned within discourse on representation of female body, male gaze, and feminist aesthetics. Technical comparisons to Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Giovanni Bellini, Johannes Vermeer, Edgar Degas, Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Philip Guston, Color Field painters.
- Publications and Media
- Major Reviews Publications
Year Significance Content Publication 1994/1996 Controversial early reception that Yuskavage embraced as validation Highly critical review describing paintings as 'visual stink bombs' and 'Hello Sex Kitties'; accused artist of 'caricaturing women in an ideological shorthand and raping them' and making 'a travesty of the medium' Artforum 1990s Feminist criticism positioned work as controversial Described work as 'soft porn' Washington Post 2007 Shift to recognition of technical mastery Praised as 'her generation's best colorist'; noted 'toxic-sunset palette' and 'heaving, tendril-like line' Artforum 2000s Positioned work within serious art historical discourse Essay 'Blonde Ambition' - serious analysis comparing her to Jasper Johns; discussed 'hermetic, highly personal art' Artforum Various Validation from major mainstream art critic Praised 'combination of mixed subliminal messages, deliciously artificial color and forthright sexuality'; called backgrounds 'breathtaking' The New York Times 2011, 2012 High-profile cultural magazine coverage Articles including 'Dangerous Beauty' and 'Good Twins: Lisa Yuskavage and Edouard Vuillard' The New Yorker 2019 Ongoing critical engagement Review of 2018 exhibitions noting evolution to more complex couple scenes Art in America 2019 Contemporary reassessment of feminist critique Article 'Lisa Yuskavage Doesn't Want to Be a Good Feminist. Her Paintings Are Better for It' Artsy 2025 Recognition of career peak and market dominance Profile: 'She defies the archetype of the good feminist — now Lisa Yuskavage is on top of the art world' T: The New York Times Style Magazine 2011, 2025 Sustained critical attention Multiple articles and reviews including 2025 essay on drawings exhibition The Brooklyn Rail
Gallery & Representation
- Fair Presence
- Active at major art fairs through David Zwirner (Art Basel, Frieze, etc.)
- Representation
- Tier
- Blue-chip mega-gallery (Tier 1)
- Notes
- David Zwirner represents over 80 artists and estates; active in primary and secondary markets
- Gallery
- David Zwirner
- Locations
- New YorkLos AngelesLondonParisHong Kong
- Gallery Evolution
- Progressed from emerging galleries (Elizabeth Koury, Marianne Boesky) in 1990s to blue-chip representation (David Zwirner) from 2005. This trajectory reflects market maturation and institutional validation.
- Relationship Start
- 2005
- Exhibition Frequency
- Regular solo exhibitions: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2025
- Current Market Strategy
- Gallery-controlled primary market with selective museum exhibitions and publications. 2015 exhibition sold out before opening, indicating strong demand management.
- Previous Gallery Representation
Period Notes Gallery 1990s-early 2000s Key early representation; mentioned in provenance of works from 1990s-2003 Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York Early 1990s Breakthrough exhibition with 'Tit Heaven' watercolors and 'Bad Babies' Elizabeth Koury Gallery, New York 1990s 1996 Los Angeles solo exhibition (received controversial Artforum review by Lane Relyea) Christopher Grimes Gallery, Santa Monica 1990s Mentioned in exhibition history Luhring Augustine, New York 1997 Solo exhibition Studio Guenzani, Milan
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