Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen Auction Prices and Value Guide

Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,335 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen auction prices: quick answer

Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen
Source records
1,335
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen

Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen (1850–1921) was a Danish-born American painter widely regarded as one of the most prolific maritime artists in the United States. After emigrating from Copenhagen to New York City in the early 1870s, Jacobsen established a studio near the Hoboken, New Jersey waterfront and began documenting the steam vessels, sailing ships, and ocean liners that passed through New York Harbor. Over a fifty-year career he produced thousands of ship portraits, earning the nickname "Audubon of Steam Vessels." His subjects ranged from individual vessel commissions for captains and shipping companies to broader harbor scenes, with a particular emphasis on ships of the Holland-America Line. His work bridges the transition from sail to steam in American maritime history and is held in major museum and library collections.

American maritime paintingoil on canvaswatercolorsteam vesselssailing shipsHolland-American Line vesselsharbor scenes

Common works and media

Jacobsen is best known for oil-on-canvas ship portraits, typically depicting individual steam vessels, schooners, barks, and ocean liners in profile against open water or harbor settings. Watercolor works on paper also appear in the market, generally at lower price points than oils. Commissioners often requested portraits of specific vessels, so many paintings carry identifying inscriptions along the hull or in margins. Subjects include ships of the Holland-America Line, other transatlantic steamship companies, and American coastal sailing vessels. Smaller-format works and portraits of less-documented vessels are more commonly encountered, while large canvases of famous liners are rarer and more sought after.

Market and appraisal context

Antonio Jacobsen's work commands a deep and liquid secondary market. Appraisily auction records index 587 lots, of which 454 carry a realized price—spanning nearly three decades from November 1997 through March 2026. The price distribution is wide but well-clustered: the median is $8,000, with a 25th percentile at $5,000 and a 75th percentile at $14,640. The ceiling is $224,500, reflecting strong results for large canvases of historically significant vessels at major houses. The market is active and stable: 23 priced lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window and 25 in the prior 12 months, indicating consistent throughput. Eldred's accounts for the largest share of recent offerings, with Christie's and Bonhams contributing high-value lots. Guyette & Deeter, Roseberys, and Sandwich Auction House round out recent activity. The breadth of houses—ten or more regularly offering Jacobsen—signals broad collector demand across regional and international tiers. Oil on canvas is the dominant medium; works on board or cardboard generally transact at lower price points.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • oil on canvas
  • oil on board
  • oil on panel
  • oil on cardboard
  • watercolor

Value drivers

  1. [object Object]

Appraisal caveats

  • Jacobsen was a prolific painter with a large body of work; condition, subject rarity, and vessel identification significantly affect appraisal value.
  • Some works attributed to Jacobsen may be by followers or from his studio; attribution should be verified against the published checklist.
  • The RKD records a birth-date range of 1850–1859; most authority files use 1850, but collectors should be aware of this discrepancy.
  • Jacobsen was exceptionally prolific—his output numbers in the thousands—so not every painting carries rarity value. Individual works must be assessed on their own merits rather than assumed to be scarce.

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 Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen 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 Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen artwork?

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