David Wilkie Auction Prices and Value Guide

David Wilkie auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,264 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

David Wilkie auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
David Wilkie
Source records
1,264
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About David Wilkie

Sir David Wilkie (1785–1841) was a Scottish painter celebrated for his vivid genre scenes, historical compositions, and formal portraits, including commissions for the British royal family. Born in Cults, Fife, he trained at the Royal Academy Schools in London, where he established his career and became closely associated with the Royal Academy of Arts. Wilkie earned the popular epithet "the people's painter" for his observational scenes of everyday Scottish and English life. In the later phase of his career he traveled extensively through Europe and the Middle East, producing a distinct body of Orientalist and travel-inspired work. He died aboard the S.S. Oriental off Gibraltar on 1 June 1841 while returning from his first trip to the Middle East. With 1,264 works recorded in auction databases, Wilkie remains one of the most frequently encountered Scottish painters in the secondary art market.

British genre paintingoil paintinggenre sceneshistorical scenesportraitsroyal portraits

Common works and media

Wilkie's most commonly encountered works in auction and appraisal contexts include oil genre scenes of rural Scottish and English life, historical narrative paintings, formal portraits (including members of the British royal family), and watercolor or oil studies from his Continental and Middle Eastern travels. Collectors may also find preparatory sketches, engraved reproductions after his compositions, and prints. His genre paintings of village life and cottage interiors are among the most frequently listed categories.

Market and appraisal context

Sir David Wilkie's secondary-market footprint spans 42 recorded lots across international and regional auction houses between 2007 and late 2024, with 17 lots carrying realized prices. The price distribution is wide: from €20 (Art-Rite, 2024, a print or small work titled "Reading the Will") to £12,000 (Dreweatts, 2022, for a named portrait "Mrs Moore"). The median sits at roughly $600, with the interquartile range between $175 and $1,750, indicating that most attributed works trade at accessible levels while securely attributed portraits or genre compositions can reach five figures. Auction activity is scattered rather than concentrated: no lots were recorded in the most recent 12-month window, and only one appeared in the prior 12 months, suggesting thin current liquidity. Lots have appeared at houses ranging from Christie's to regional German (Auktionshaus Stahl, Hargesheimer, Henry's, Rotherbaum), Italian (Casa d'Aste Babuino, Accademia Fine Art), Australian (Theodore Bruce), and US regional firms (Broward, Austin Auction, Elite Auctioneers, J Levine). Eternity Gallery listed the same "Scottish soldiers" oil repeatedly across 2015–2018 without recorded prices, which may indicate unsold reserves or relistings. Several lots carry attribution qualifiers ("attr.", "attrib.") rather than firm attribution, a recurring pattern for this artist.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • oil painting
  • watercolor
  • works on paper
  • prints and multiples

Value drivers

  1. Subject matter: genre scenes and historical paintings typically command stronger interest than minor portraits
  2. Medium and size: oil on canvas works are the primary auction category; smaller studies and sketches also appear
  3. Provenance: royal commissions or works with documented exhibition history carry premium significance
  4. Attribution: authenticated works by Wilkie are relatively scarce, increasing the importance of expert verification
  5. Attribution confidence: many lots carry qualifiers like "attr." or "attrib."; securely attributed works trade at a substantial premium over studio or follower pieces
  6. Subject and period: early genre scenes of Scottish village life and named-sitter portraits command the strongest prices; Middle Eastern travel studies and minor sketches trade lower

Appraisal caveats

  • No public auction records were available in this source pack; valuation commentary is based on biographical and institutional sources only.
  • Collectors should verify attribution through catalogue raisonné or museum consultation before relying on auction comparables.
  • Of 42 recorded lots, only 17 carry realized prices (approximately 40%); the remainder may be unsold, withdrawn, or have unreported outcomes, making price statistics directional rather than comprehensive.
  • Several lots carry attribution qualifiers ("attr.", "attrib.") rather than firm attribution, which means some recorded prices may reflect studio, follower, or copy works rather than Wilkie's own hand.

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 David Wilkie

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is David Wilkie 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 David Wilkie artwork?

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