Alan Davie Auction Prices and Value Guide

Alan Davie auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,468 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Alan Davie auction prices: quick answer

Alan Davie auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Alan Davie
Source records
1,468
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Alan Davie

Alan Davie (1920–2014), born James Alan Davie in Grangemouth, Scotland, was a painter and musician who became one of the most distinctive British abstract artists of the post-war era. Active from the late 1940s onward, Davie developed a bold, improvisational painting style rooted in automatic drawing, mythological symbolism, and non-Western art traditions. His work drew the attention of major international institutions early in his career: the Museum of Modern Art in New York acquired paintings by Davie in the 1950s, and the Tate holds a significant collection of his work. Beyond painting, Davie was an accomplished jazz musician, and his dual practice in music and visual art informed the rhythmic, gestural quality of his canvases. He exhibited widely across Europe and North America and is recognized as a key figure in the broader story of post-war British abstraction.

Post-war abstractionOil paintingPrintmaking (lithographs, etchings)Abstract and semi-figurative compositions

Common works and media

Davie worked primarily in oil on canvas, producing large-scale abstract paintings characterized by vivid color, calligraphic line, and symbolic imagery. He also created works on paper including watercolors, gouaches, and drawings. His printmaking output includes lithographs and etchings, notably contributions to the landmark portfolio 1¢ Life (1963–64) published by E.W. Kornfeld and an etching for Homage to Picasso (1972–73). Later in his career he continued painting in a distinctive style incorporating totemic and mythological motifs. Collectors may encounter original paintings, works on paper, and editioned prints at auction.

Market and appraisal context

Alan Davie has a well-established and liquid secondary market spanning over 25 years of auction activity, with 459 recorded lots (333 with prices) from 1999 through early 2026. His work trades through top-tier international houses including Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams, as well as a strong roster of UK regional firms such as Roseberys, Dreweatts 1759, Forum Auctions, Mallams, and John Nicholson's. The price distribution is wide: the median realised price is approximately £1,200, the 25th percentile sits around £300, and the 75th percentile near £7,995, with a recorded ceiling of £234,000. This dispersion reflects the material split between original oil paintings on canvas (which command the upper tier) and works on paper, prints, and editioned pieces (which cluster in the hundreds-of-pounds range). Liquidity has moderated recently — 23 priced lots in the most recent 12 months versus 35 in the prior 12 months — but the market remains active and broad, with multiple houses consistently offering material. The recent sample is dominated by gouaches, watercolours, ink drawings, lithographs, and screen prints, suggesting the accessible end of the market is well-supplied, while major paintings continue to appear at the flagship salerooms.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Oil painting
  • Works on paper (gouache, watercolour, ink)
  • Printmaking (lithographs, etchings, screen prints)
  • Post-War and Contemporary Art
  • Modern British Art

Value drivers

  1. [object Object]

Appraisal caveats

  • Market context is based on institutional holdings and auction-house categorization patterns; individual sale records should be reviewed for current valuation guidance.
  • Auction prices in the source pack are denominated in multiple currencies (GBP, USD, CAD, AUD); direct price comparisons require currency normalisation. GBP dominates the record set.
  • The 23 lots in the most recent 12-month period represent a decline from 35 in the prior period; this may reflect market cyclicality, supply constraints, or collection patterns rather than a change in artist demand.
  • The recent lot sample is weighted toward works on paper and prints; the upper end of the market (major canvases) is underrepresented in recent activity, which may skew recent-average impressions downward.

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Data basis

This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Alan Davie

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Alan Davie worth?

Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.

Can Appraisily value my Alan Davie artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.