• Artnet Auctions Premier Prints and Multiples sale presents an expertly selected group of prints from internationally renowned artists.
  
• Explore artworks by Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Banksy, Jeff Koons, and Damien Hirst.
• Artnet Auctions Premier Prints and Multiples is now live for bidding through April 9, 2026.

Prints and multiples, long been recognized as an accessible entry point for new collectors, with comparably lower prices than paintings or sculpture, is a rapidly shifting category.

This spring’s buying season arrives amid a market in transformation: a surge of demand and new collectors are reshaping who buys prints, even as entry-level prices rise. And tastes within the field are moving away from contemporary work and toward historically significant material, reflecting a broader trend in the art market.

This moment has no shortage of opportunities to witness the change: The IFPDA Print Fair runs April 9–12 in New York, while the Artnet Auctions Premier Prints and Multiples sale—featuring works ranging from a 1970s print by Frank Stella to an edition of Jeff Koons‘s balloon dog—is live through April 9.

There is a wave of new interest. According to Artnet data, 50 percent of prints and multiples lots went to first-time Artnet Auctions buyers between 2020 and 2025—a figure that Conner Williams, head of prints and multiples at Artnet Auctions, sees as evidence of a meaningful shift in how collectors are choosing to access the market. “Evolving tastes within the category, and the growth of certain segments, reflect broader shifts in the collector base,” said Williams, who is leading the sale.

Roy Lichtenstein, Two Paintings (from the “Paintings” series) (1984). Courtesy of Artnet Auctions.

A Turn to the Historic

In 2024, Modern prints totaled $72.8 million at auction compared to $55.6 million for contemporary—a gap that has widened since contemporary prints peaked at around $133 million in 2021 and have declined steadily since, according to the Artnet Price Database.

Modern stars, like Roy Lichtenstein and Picasso, are still sought-after and many are still available at accessible price points. In Artnet Auctions’s sale, Joueur de diaule (1947), a white earthenware ceramic plate that is partially engraved, with colored engobe and glaze in yellow and black, is an example of such a name at an accessible price, carrying an estimate of $8,000–$12,000.

A lithograph print on Arjomari paper by American modern artist Ellsworth Kelly called Blue/Red-Orange/Green (1970–1971) is also in the Artnet sale. An edition of 64, the minimalist print is an example of his experiments in color and carries an estimate of $8,000–$12,000.

“Over the past year and a half—an interval marked by a notable softening in material coming to auction—buyers have grown strikingly discerning,” said Williams. “While there’s been a clear tapering in demand for more contemporary prints, enthusiasm for historical material remains both vibrant and steadfast. In particular, the perennial favorites—the truly coveted prints—continue to attract a measured yet remarkably resilient appetite from collectors.”

Ellsworth Kelly, Blue/Red-Orange/Green (1970–71). Courtesy of Artnet Auctions.

Evolving Tastes Among Classics

Within the consistently strong Pop art sector, Warhol continues to command demand. Williams has noted shifting tastes: Warhol’s historically and politically themed subjects, such as “Mao” (1972) and “Red Lenin” (1987), have softened at auction, while works like “Sunsets” (1972) and “Endangered Species” (1983) are seeing sustained demand. Two examples of his precursor animal series, “Cows,” are available in the sale, carrying estimates of $18,000–$25,000 and $20,000–$30,000, respectively.

Alongside Pop art, David Hockney ranks among the most sought-after categories in the market. In October 2024, a print from his “The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire” iPad drawing series (2011) sold at Sotheby’s London for £762,000 ($1 million), more than four times its high estimate—it marked a new record for the artist’s prints. But there are lower price points to enter the Hockney market. In Artnet’s sale, an iPhone drawing printed in colors on cotton-fiber archival wove paper, My Bedroom Window (2009), carries an estimate of $30,000–$50,000.

David Hockney, My Bedroom Window (2009). Courtesy of Artnet Auctions.

Growing Demand, Rising Prices

The growing appetite for prints is hard to miss. Last year’s IFPDA Print Fair drew a record 21,000 visitors, a 14 percent increase year over year, with VIP registrations up 57 percent, according to Artnet News reporting. That surge in interest occurs in parallel and likely has had an effect on pricing. When asked whether prints have retained their status as a beginner-friendly category, Williams was measured.

“Unfortunately, entry-level pricing for prints has risen to a point where it has become increasingly challenging for new collectors to enter the market,” he said. “While some of this escalation has occurred organically over time, it also appears influenced by efforts to discourage speculative flipping of works by blue-chip or otherwise highly recognizable artists. I do wonder, however, to what extent these pricing trends may also be inhibiting genuine emerging collectors from developing their interests and building their collections.”

That said, prices are still accessible for great pieces. Works by Louise Bourgeois and Stella, two distinct artists whose practices cusp on modern and contemporary art, are available for estimates under $10,000 in Artnet’s sale.

All told, what emerges is a need for discernment. “It is often said: buy what you like,” Williams concluded. “This remains sound advice for two reasons. First, you should genuinely enjoy the work—you’ll live with it, look at it, and engage with it every day. Second, though less frequently discussed, is the subject of value. Understanding what value means to you—financial, emotional, aesthetic, or historical—is essential in guiding any acquisition.”

Premier Prints and Multiples is now live for bidding through April 9, 2026.