Fred Darge Paintings: Sold Prices and Values

63 Fred Darge auction results are recorded in Appraisily's auction index from 2003 to 2025. Fred Darge (1900–1978), a German-born Dallas painter, is known for Texas ranch life, cowboys and Big Bend scenes.

What Fred Darge works sell for

Of 51 priced Fred Darge auction results, half sold between $1,500 and $4,182. The median was $2,468 and the highest $26,000. Size, subject, medium, condition and provenance explain most of the spread.

Auction results
63
Median price
$2,468
Middle half
$1,500 to $4,182
Highest recorded
$26,000
Latest sale
2025-06-27

Highest recorded Fred Darge auction results

Work, as cataloguedAuction houseDatePrice
The Stampede Altermann Galleries 2015-11-15 $26,000
On Guard Oil on artist Heritage Auctions 2010-11-20 $15,535
Title not recorded Heritage Auctions 2006-12-02 $11,950
DREAMING OF DAYS GONE BY signed F. Darge, l.r.; oil on canvas in carved wood frame with western motif; 18 x 40 Grogan & Company 2005-04-10 $11,500
The Round Up Altermann Galleries 2016-04-01 $9,600
Myself and Outfit (Palo Duro Canyon) Oil on can Heritage Auctions 2021-11-11 $9,500

Prices as reported by each auction house; some include the buyer's premium. Top results are the exception: compare your work with sales of similar size, subject and medium.

Artist context

About Fred Darge

Born

1900

Died

1978

Nationality

American

Also known as

Friedrich Ernst Darge

Fred Darge, born Friedrich Ernst Darge, was an American painter born in Rendsburg, Germany, in 1900. After entering the United States in 1923, he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York. By the mid-1930s he was based in Texas, spending summers sketching and painting on ranches in West Texas and New Mexico. His work records the people, horses, working routines, and terrain of that region, with particular ties to the Big Bend. After military service and wartime work as a technical illustrator, Darge returned to Dallas and used a converted ambulance as a traveling studio while painting throughout Texas and New Mexico from 1946 until his death in 1978. Collectors most often encounter his oil paintings of ranch, cowboy, horse, and landscape subjects. The Museum of the Big Bend preserves a named collection of his work.

Oil paintingOil on panelOil on artist's boardWest Texas ranch lifeCowboys and ridersHorsesTexas and New Mexico landscapes

Common works and media

Darge is commonly represented by oil paintings on panel or artist's board. Recorded and institutionally documented subjects include West Texas ranch life, cowboys and riders, horses, the Big Bend, and Texas and New Mexico landscapes. His documented practice also included carving and model-boat making; at auction, his work appears chiefly as paintings. When cataloguing a painting, retain any inscription, title, ranch or location reference, support information, and period framing or provenance, as these details can improve comparison with known examples.

Market and appraisal context

Publicly recorded auction material for Fred Darge includes oil paintings, oil on panel, and oil on artist's board, often associated with Texas, ranch, cowboy, horse, and Western subjects. Appraisal should begin with a close review of the signature, medium and support, dimensions, condition, title or subject, and any ownership history. A specific ranch or Big Bend subject may help place a work within the artist's documented regional practice, but it does not by itself establish authenticity or value. Compare like with like: confirmed Darge works should be separated from lots catalogued as attributed, and sale results should be checked for whether reported prices include buyer premiums or fees. Recorded public results are useful comparables, not guarantees of a future sale outcome.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Oil paintings
  • Oil on panel
  • Western and Texas subject paintings

Value drivers

  1. Medium and support, including panel or artist's board
  2. Subject matter, especially cowboy, horse, ranch, and West Texas scenes
  3. Condition, provenance, size, and attribution confidence
  4. Comparable public auction records and consistency of reported auction fees

Appraisal caveats

  • Recorded auction results are not a complete record of private sales or every premium outlier.
  • Auction reporting may or may not include buyer premiums or fees, so comparables should be normalized before direct comparison.
  • An attributed work should not be treated as equivalent to a fully authenticated work.

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Recent sale records

Selected public auction records currently in the Appraisily lot index. Use them as market context, then request a formal appraisal before you sell, insure, or donate.

Don't price your Fred Darge from these lots

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 Fred Darge

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Fred Darge 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 Fred Darge artwork?

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