Colin Colahan Auction Prices and Value Guide
Colin Colahan auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 290 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Colin Colahan auction prices: quick answer
Colin Colahan auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Colin Colahan
- Source records
- 290
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Colin Colahan
Colin Cuthbert Orr Colahan (1897–1987) was an Australian painter, sculptor, and cartoonist whose career spanned more than seven decades and several continents. Born in Woodend, Victoria, he studied at the University of Melbourne and the National Gallery School before joining Max Meldrum's influential tonalist painting school in 1918. Colahan traveled to London in 1921 and Paris in 1922, where he worked alongside fellow Australian artists Justus Jorgensen and Archibald Colquhoun. After extended periods in Spain and Australia, he returned to London from 1935 to around 1949. His later decades were spent in the Mediterranean, Sri Lanka, and finally Italy, where he died in 1987. This breadth of geography and experience places Colahan at the intersection of Australian modernism and European twentieth-century art.
Australian Tonalism (Meldrum School)oil paintingsculpturedrawing and cartooningportraiturelandscape
Common works and media
Colahan worked primarily in oil on canvas and board, and also produced sculptures and cartoon drawings. His subjects include portraits and landscapes, influenced by the tonalist methods of the Meldrum School. Works range from small studies and sketches to larger finished canvases and sculptural pieces. Collectors may encounter both his Australian-period works (1915–1934) and later European-period pieces, which can differ noticeably in style and palette.
Market and appraisal context
Colin Colahan's work appears regularly at auction, with 290 recorded lots. Collectors should note his practice across multiple mediums—oil painting, sculpture, and works on paper—each with distinct market profiles. His training under Max Meldrum and time in Paris and London provide useful provenance anchors. As with any artist of this period, factors affecting appraisal include medium, subject, dimensions, date, condition, exhibition history, and documented provenance. No single catalogue raisonné was identified, so specialist verification may be appropriate for attribution questions.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- No single catalogue raisonné or estate authority was identified in the source pack; attribution verification may require specialist input.
- Market data reflects 290 auction records but detailed price trend analysis is beyond the available sources.
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
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF (OCLC) library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Library of Congress library authority
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 Colin Colahan 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 Colin Colahan artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.