Last updated: 26 October 2026
Louis Fratino is the Brooklyn-based painter of tender, everyday scenes of queer domestic life, drawing openly on Matisse, Picasso and British painting. Here you will find our take on his work, where Louis Fratino is on show now, what you can buy, recent auction results and our review of his first London solo show.
Our take on Louis Fratino
Fratino paints lovers, friends, rooms and meals, and he is open about his sources. “I see art history not as made up of singular geniuses and their acolytes, but as something much richer and stranger,” he told Frieze in 2026. This year the Baltimore Museum of Art hung him alongside Matisse.
I gave Prose at David Zwirner London 4/5. It is a properly impressive first London show from a painter who knows exactly who he is borrowing from. What held it back from 5/5 is that much of it looks like British painting we have already seen: it does not feel new, and Summer in the city is a weak opener.
Original Louis Fratino work is out of reach for most of us. His drawings sell at auction for several thousand pounds, and Zwirner has represented him since February 2026. There are no editions in UK shops yet, so the Satura book is the realistic buy.
Louis Fratino: the essentials
- Born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1993, and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, according to his David Zwirner CV.
- Graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Baltimore, in 2015.
- Held a Yale Norfolk fellowship in 2014 and a Fulbright fellowship in painting and printmaking in Berlin in 2016.
- Showed in Foreigners Everywhere at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024. His first institutional solo show, Satura, was at Centro Pecci, Prato, the same year.
- In the collections of the British Museum, MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney, among others.
- Represented by David Zwirner since February 2026, and by Sikkema Malloy Jenkins in New York and Galerie Neu in Berlin.
Louis Fratino exhibitions: now on and recent
- Now on, closes Saturday: Louis Fratino: Prose, David Zwirner, 24 Grafton Street, London, 18 September to 31 October 2026, free, Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm. His first solo show in London. Read our review.
- Fratino and Matisse: To See This Light Again, Baltimore Museum of Art, 11 March to 6 September 2026.
- Moments of Being, a 25-artist group show, Jeremy Scholar, London, 1 May to 10 July 2026.
- Louis Fratino: La scorza, Galerie Neu, Berlin, 13 September to 25 October 2025.
Recent Louis Fratino auction results
Market signals
Averages over the last 36 months, in US dollars
Figures from the Artsy price database. Last checked: 26 October 2026.
Fratino’s market is small but strong, with around 19 lots a year and 95% selling. Drawings come up most often:
- Reservoir, 2020, ink on paper, 35 x 28 cm (13 3/4 x 11 in). Sold for £5,418 against an estimate of £4,000 to £6,000 at Phillips London, Modern & Contemporary Art online, 23 October 2026.
- Self-portrait with Amaryllis, 2018, coloured pencil and ink on paper, 22.8 x 30.3 cm (8 7/8 x 11 7/8 in). Sold for £9,030 against an estimate of £6,000 to £8,000 at Phillips London, Modern & Contemporary Art, 17 October 2026, per Artsy.
- Undressing (Louis Fratino), 2019, pencil on paper, 21.1 x 14.1 cm (8 1/4 x 5 1/2 in). Sold for £10,965 against an estimate of £5,000 to £7,000 at Phillips London, Modern & Contemporary Art online, March 2026.
Prices include buyer’s premium. Last checked: 26 October 2026.
Louis Fratino books and editions
No UK shop sells Louis Fratino prints or editions right now. These are the options:
- Louis Fratino: Satura: the updated 164-page Mousse Publishing monograph, 27 x 34.5 cm (10.5 x 13.5 in). Blackwell’s lists it in stock; David Zwirner sells it for US$50.
- Etchings: Burnet Editions publishes five of his etchings from 2021 and 2022, each in an edition of 25. No prices are listed.
Our reviews featuring Louis Fratino
- Louis Fratino: Prose at David Zwirner London review (Cool Factor 4/5).
Louis Fratino FAQs
Where can I see Louis Fratino in London?
Prose is at David Zwirner, 24 Grafton Street, until Saturday 31 October 2026. Entry is free.
Can I buy a Louis Fratino print in the UK?
Not from a UK shop at the moment. Burnet Editions publishes his etchings in editions of 25, and his Satura book is available from Blackwell’s.
How much does a Louis Fratino drawing cost?
Recent drawings have sold at Phillips London for between about £5,400 and £11,000. Paintings sell for much more.
Which gallery represents Louis Fratino?
David Zwirner since February 2026, alongside Sikkema Malloy Jenkins in New York and Galerie Neu in Berlin.
More from CoolCuration
- The Faggots and Their Friends: the cult queer novel, reissued.
- Frieze Masters review: our pick of this year’s fair.
- Rose Wylie Study for Red Twink print: another painter’s edition you can actually buy.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting without auction prices.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Louis Fratino, 2025. Photo: Jordan Weitzman, courtesy David Zwirner. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates, prices and auction results last checked: 26 October 2026.
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