Charles Napier Hemy Auction Prices and Value Guide
Charles Napier Hemy auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 286 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Charles Napier Hemy auction prices: quick answer
Charles Napier Hemy auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Charles Napier Hemy
- Source records
- 286
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Charles Napier Hemy
Charles Napier Hemy (1841–1917) was a British painter best known for his marine subjects, coastal scenes, and genre pictures. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he spent part of his youth in Australia before returning to England and training at the Government School of Design in Newcastle. From 1865 to 1869 he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp under the Belgian history painter Henri Leys, an experience that shaped his disciplined approach to composition. After a decade working in London (1869–1882), Hemy settled in Falmouth, Cornwall, where the dramatic Atlantic coastline became the primary subject of his mature work. His paintings of fishing boats, stormy seas, and coastal life earned him recognition in major Victorian exhibitions and a lasting place in British marine art. Works by Hemy are held in public collections including the Tate.
Victorian marine paintingOil paintingWatercolorMarine scenes and seascapesLandscapesStill lifeGenre scenes
Common works and media
Hemy worked in both oil and watercolor. His most commonly encountered works are marine oil paintings showing fishing boats, sailing vessels, and rough seas off the Cornish and Devon coasts. Coastal genre scenes depicting fishermen, harbors, and shore life are also well represented. Landscape subjects and still-life paintings form a smaller portion of his output. Named works referenced in authority records include 'Along Shore Fisherman,' 'Among the Shingle at Clovelly, North Devon,' 'The Armed Merchant Man,' and 'The Bell Buoy.' Collectors may also encounter watercolor studies and smaller preparatory works.
Market and appraisal context
Charles Napier Hemy's paintings appear regularly at auction, with marine oils from his Falmouth period generating the strongest collector interest. Large-scale seascapes depicting fishing vessels, rough coastal waters, and harbor scenes tend to be the most desirable. Valuation depends on medium (oil versus watercolor), scale, condition, subject drama, and exhibition or collection provenance. Works connected to Royal Academy exhibitions or notable Victorian collections carry a premium. Buyers should note that no complete catalogue raisonné was identified in available sources, so attribution verification through signature comparison and exhibition records is advisable. Auction records from major houses provide the most reliable price benchmarks.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- No single published catalogue raisonné was found in the available source pack; attribution should be verified against known signatures and exhibition records
- Hemy's work spans oil and watercolor with a range of quality; auction results vary accordingly
- The exact death date is not established in the collected sources, which may complicate provenance research
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- Tate museum or university
- VIAF library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
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.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Charles Napier Hemy 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 Charles Napier Hemy artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.