Alexander Nasmyth Auction Prices and Value Guide

Alexander Nasmyth auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 304 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Alexander Nasmyth auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Alexander Nasmyth
Source records
304
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Alexander Nasmyth

Alexander Nasmyth (1758–1840) was a Scottish portrait and landscape painter based in Edinburgh, widely regarded as a foundational figure in Scottish landscape art. A pupil of the court painter Allan Ramsay, Nasmyth developed a practice that spanned portraiture, panoramic landscape views, watercolor, and architectural design. He is credited with helping establish a distinctly Scottish landscape tradition during the Enlightenment era. Nasmyth also undertook architectural commissions and is remembered as a designer of bridges and buildings. His Edinburgh studio became a family workshop: all six of his daughters — Jane, Barbara, Margaret, Elizabeth, Anne, and Charlotte — worked as professional artists, and his sons James and Patrick also became painters. With over 300 works documented in auction and museum records, Nasmyth's paintings appear regularly in collections of British and Scottish art.

Scottish Enlightenment-era paintingoil paintingwatercolorlandscapesportraitsScottish castles and country housesarchitectural subjects

Common works and media

Nasmyth's output includes oil landscape paintings of Scottish castles, rivers, and highland scenery; oil portraits of Edinburgh society figures and intellectuals; watercolor landscapes and topographical views; and architectural drawings and designs. He is particularly associated with panoramic views of Edinburgh and depictions of Scottish country houses and castles such as Culzean Castle and Dumbarton Castle. Works on paper, including watercolors and preparatory drawings, also appear in auction contexts. Collectors may encounter both fully attributed works and pieces catalogued as "circle of" or "workshop of" Alexander Nasmyth.

Market and appraisal context

Alexander Nasmyth's works appear at auction predominantly within Old Master Paintings, British Art, and Scottish Pictures sales. Key factors affecting appraisal include whether a work is a landscape or portrait, the quality of provenance documentation, attribution certainty given the family workshop context, and the condition of the support and paint layers. Landscapes of recognizable Scottish locations and portraits of notable Enlightenment-era sitters tend to attract stronger bidding. Buyers should be aware that unsigned works or those with workshop involvement require careful connoisseurship, as multiple Nasmyth family members produced paintings in a related style.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Appraisal caveats

  • The Nasmyth family included multiple professional artists; unsigned or poorly documented works require careful attribution analysis
  • No specific auction price data was available in this source pack; consult major auction house records for comparable realized prices

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 Alexander Nasmyth

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Alexander Nasmyth 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 Alexander Nasmyth artwork?

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