George Clausen Auction Prices and Value Guide

George Clausen auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 699 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

George Clausen auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
George Clausen
Source records
699
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About George Clausen

Sir George Clausen (1852–1944) was a British painter, watercolourist, and printmaker renowned for his plein-air landscapes and depictions of rural working life. Born in London to a Danish-born decorative painter, Clausen absorbed continental realist traditions and became one of the leading figures in British open-air painting during the late nineteenth century. He worked across a broad range of graphic media — etching, mezzotint, drypoint, and lithography — alongside his oil and watercolour practice. Clausen also served as a war artist and held a prominent position in the British art establishment, culminating in a knighthood in 1927. His work is held by major public collections including the Tate. With nearly seven hundred recorded auction appearances, Clausen's output remains actively traded and widely encountered by collectors of Victorian and early twentieth-century British art.

Plein-air paintingoil paintingwatercolouretchingmezzotintlandscaperural labour and peasant life

Common works and media

Collectors most frequently encounter Clausen's oil paintings of rural landscapes and agricultural workers, his watercolour studies, and his prints in etching, mezzotint, and drypoint. Lithographs are less common. Subjects include field labourers, village scenes, and atmospheric landscapes rendered with naturalistic light. Works range from finished exhibition pieces to smaller preparatory studies and editioned prints.

Market and appraisal context

George Clausen's auction market is established and liquid, with 56 recorded lots spanning 2004–2025 across 38 priced results. The price distribution is wide: prints and reproduction lots at the low end realise as little as £1–£10, while signed oil paintings at major houses command significantly more. The median price sits at approximately £598, with the interquartile range spanning roughly £240–£1,700. The top of the market is anchored by major works at Christie's and Sotheby's: a study for 'Primavera' achieved £30,000 at Christie's in June 2015, and 'Head of a girl' fetched £15,600 at Sotheby's in July 2024. A large Still life of lilies oil on canvas realised $3,750 at Eldred's in November 2020. Mid-range oil paintings and watercolours at regional UK houses such as John Nicholson's, Mallams, and Dreweatts typically trade between £300–£5,600. Prints and works on paper (etchings, chalk drawings) cluster below £500. The market shows modest recent activity — one priced lot in the trailing 12 months and two in the prior 12 months — suggesting steady but low-volume turnover consistent with a well-established secondary Victorian and early twentieth-century British artist.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • oil painting
  • watercolour
  • etching
  • mezzotint
  • drypoint

Value drivers

  1. Medium: oils generally command higher prices than works on paper or prints
  2. Print technique: etchings, mezzotints, and drypoints may appear individually at auction
  3. Provenance and exhibition history strengthen attribution and value
  4. Condition and whether the work is from his plein-air period or later academic phase can affect market reception
  5. Medium is the strongest value driver: original oil paintings at Christie's and Sotheby's realise £5,600–£30,000, while prints and reproductions trade at £1–£10
  6. Subject matter matters: plein-air rural scenes and studies for known compositions attract premium interest, as seen in the £30,000 Study for 'Primavera' at Christie's

Appraisal caveats

  • The source pack does not include specific auction records or price-realised data; Appraisily auction database records should be consulted for comparable lots.
  • Attribution should be verified against catalogue raisonné or expert opinion, especially for unsigned prints.
  • The Appraisily auction record index contains 56 lots of which 38 have a recorded price; 18 lots have no price-realised data, meaning the true market range may be wider than observed.
  • Several lots titled 'GEORGE CLAUSEN FRAMED REALIST ART PRINT' with prices of $1–$10 are likely modern reproduction prints, not original works by the artist. These should be excluded when assessing original-work values.

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 George Clausen

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is George Clausen 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 George Clausen artwork?

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