Bessie Onahotema Potter Auction Prices and Value Guide

Bessie Onahotema Potter auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 267 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Bessie Onahotema Potter auction prices: quick answer

Bessie Onahotema Potter auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Bessie Onahotema Potter
Source records
267
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Bessie Onahotema Potter

Bessie Potter Vonnoh (1872–1955) was an American sculptor celebrated for her intimate bronze tableaux of domestic life and her elegant garden fountains. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she established her career in Chicago and later New York, developing a distinctive approach to small-scale figurative bronze that captured everyday moments with warmth and naturalism. Her work stands at the intersection of the American Renaissance tradition and the emerging taste for painterly, impressionistic sculpture at the turn of the twentieth century. Vonnoh exhibited widely during her lifetime and received major public commissions, yet her tabletop bronzes of women, children, and quiet domestic scenes remain the works most collectors encounter today.

American RenaissanceBeaux-Arts sculpturebronzesculpturedomestic sceneswomen and childrengarden fountains

Common works and media

The most commonly encountered works by Bessie Potter Vonnoh are cast-bronzes figural groups, typically depicting women in domestic settings, mothers with children, or solitary female figures in contemplative poses. These small-scale sculptures were often produced as editions by recognized foundries. She also designed garden fountains and architectural sculptural elements. Paintings by Vonnoh are documented but are far less frequently seen in the market than her sculptural work.

Market and appraisal context

Vonnoh's small bronze sculptures are the category most frequently seen at auction and in private collections. Value depends on the specific subject, size, edition status, foundry markings, patina quality, and documented provenance. Her garden fountains and larger architectural pieces are less common on the market and may carry different interest levels. Collectors should be aware that bronze casts from this era can vary in edition and foundry origin, making authentication and condition assessment important steps in any appraisal.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Value drivers

  1. Small-scale bronze figural groups are the most frequently encountered work type at auction
  2. Subject matter, edition size, foundry marks, patina condition, and provenance all affect appraisal value
  3. Garden fountain commissions and larger architectural sculptures are rarer and may command different market interest than tabletop bronzes

Appraisal caveats

  • No specific auction price records or realized prices are available in the source pack; market context is inferred from documented work types only.
  • Attribution should be verified through foundry marks, signatures, and provenance documentation, as small bronzes from this period are sometimes reproduced or re-cast.

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 Bessie Onahotema Potter

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Bessie Onahotema Potter 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 Bessie Onahotema Potter artwork?

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