Frank Tenney Johnson Auction Prices and Value Guide

Frank Tenney Johnson auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 285 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Frank Tenney Johnson auction prices: quick answer

Frank Tenney Johnson auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Frank Tenney Johnson
Source records
285
Market update
2026-02-06

Frank Tenney Johnson market snapshot

Frank Tenney Johnson shows deep auction liquidity with 158 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $15,000. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 12 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-12-06.

Realized price distribution

  • Under $1,000 (5.9% · 7 sales)
  • $1,000 to $10,000 (36.1% · 43 sales)
  • $10,000+ (58.0% · 69 sales)
Median sale (last 12 months)
$60,000
Sales recorded (last 12 months)
12
Median shift vs prior year
0.0%
Latest recorded sale
2025-12-06

Artist context

About Frank Tenney Johnson

Frank Tenney Johnson (1874–1939) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and watercolorist celebrated for his vivid depictions of the Old American West. Born in Big Grove Township, Iowa, Johnson studied at the Art Students League of New York around 1902 under notable instructors including Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase. He spent his career active in New York City and later Alhambra, California. Johnson is best known for popularizing a distinctive approach to painting cowboys and western nocturnes — often called the "Johnson Moonlight Technique" — in which he captured the glow of moonlight across plains, figures, and livestock using a combination of knives, fingers, and brushes. His subjects ranged from cowboys and horses to hunting scenes and animal studies, making him one of the most recognizable illustrators and painters of western American life in the early twentieth century.

Western American artoil paintingwatercolorsculptureillustrationcowboys and western figuresmoonlit western landscapesanimal representationhunting scenes

Common works and media

Johnson's most frequently encountered works include oil-on-canvas or oil-on-board paintings of cowboys, horses, and western landscapes under moonlight. He also produced watercolors, sculptures, and magazine illustrations of western and hunting subjects. Prints and reproductions of his illustrations circulate widely. Collectors may encounter both original paintings and published illustration work from his prolific career spanning roughly 1900 to 1939.

Market and appraisal context

Frank Tenney Johnson's works appear regularly at auction, particularly his oil paintings of western nocturnal scenes and cowboy subjects executed in his signature moonlight technique. Collectors should note that Johnson worked across oil, watercolor, sculpture, and published illustration, and these different media can carry substantially different market values. Provenance, condition, documented exhibition history, and whether a work can be firmly attributed to his hand versus his studio circle are all important factors in appraisal. Major western American art sales and dedicated illustration art auctions are the most common venues for his work.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Appraisal caveats

  • Market data in this summary is drawn from biographical and institutional sources, not live auction results. Comparable sale records should be consulted for current valuations.
  • Johnson worked across multiple media (oil, watercolor, sculpture, illustration); works on paper and illustrations may trade at different price levels than major oil paintings.

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 Frank Tenney Johnson

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Frank Tenney Johnson 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 Frank Tenney Johnson artwork?

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