George Elbert Burr Auction Prices and Value Guide

George Elbert Burr auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 439 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

George Elbert Burr auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
George Elbert Burr
Source records
439
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About George Elbert Burr

George Elbert Burr (1859–1939) was an American printmaker, painter, and illustrator celebrated for his etchings and drypoints of the desert and mountain landscapes of the American West. Active from the late nineteenth century through the 1930s, Burr built a reputation for translating the vast, arid terrain of the Western United States into finely detailed intaglio prints. He also worked in watercolor and oil and pursued photography, reflecting a broad engagement with visual media during a transformative period in American art. Burr is listed in the Getty Union List of Artist Names, the Library of Congress Name Authority File, and the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), confirming his recognized place in the American printmaking tradition. His work is documented across 439 recorded lots, making him one of the more prolific American printmakers encountered in the auction market.

American West landscape art, late 19th–early 20th century American printmakingetchingdrypointwatercolorpainting (oil)desert landscapes of the American Westmountain sceneryfrontier and Western United States terrain

Common works and media

The works most commonly attributed to George Elbert Burr at auction are intaglio prints—primarily etchings and drypoints—depicting desert landscapes, mountain vistas, and frontier scenes of the American West. Watercolor landscapes and occasional oil paintings also appear. Photographs by Burr are documented in institutional records but are less frequently encountered in commercial auction contexts. Collectors may find individual prints, small groups of plates, and illustrated books containing his work.

Market and appraisal context

George Elbert Burr maintains a well-established and actively traded auction market spanning over three decades (1994–2026), with 252 recorded lots and 222 priced results. Liquidity is stable: 27 lots appeared in both the trailing and prior 12-month windows, indicating consistent collector demand and regular supply. The price distribution is anchored in an accessible mid-range—median $400, interquartile range $250–$650—with a ceiling at $6,100 for exceptional pieces. Recent results confirm that watercolors command a meaningful premium over intaglio prints: a watercolor "Moonlit Forest" realized $2,050 at Bradford's (May 2026), while "Rhine near Salzio" watercolor reached $1,100 and "Near Monte Carlo" watercolor brought $840 in the same sale. Etchings and drypoints, which constitute the bulk of the market, typically trade between $100 and $750 depending on subject, plate size, signature, and condition. The artist is represented across a broad roster of reputable regional and national auction houses including Bonhams, Heritage Auctions, Skinner, Weschler's, Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Eldred's, John Moran Auctioneers, Dirk Soulis Auctions, North American Auction Company, and Bradford's. Western desert and mountain subjects are the most consistently traded, though European scenes (Bordighera, Monte Carlo, Rhine) also appear and perform comparably.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • etching
  • drypoint
  • aquatint
  • watercolor
  • pastel

Value drivers

  1. Medium: etchings and drypoints are the most commonly encountered works at auction
  2. Subject matter: desert and mountain Western scenes are most sought after
  3. Condition and plate quality significantly affect print values
  4. Large body of work (439+ recorded lots) suggests broad availability in the auction market
  5. Medium is the strongest value differentiator: watercolors and pastels command 2–5x the typical etching price range
  6. Subject matter: Western desert and mountain landscapes are most sought after, but European scenes also trade actively

Appraisal caveats

  • No major auction-house catalogue notes or realized-price records were available in the source pack; appraisal should consult live auction databases for comparable lots.
  • Some sources list birth year as either 1858 or 1859; dating of early works may reflect this discrepancy.
  • The auction-record data reflects 252 lots over a 32-year span; prices from the 1990s may not reflect current market conditions without adjustment.
  • Some lots in the recent sample lack realized prices (listed as null), indicating either unsold results or post-sale private transactions not captured in the feed.

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 Elbert Burr

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is George Elbert Burr 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 Elbert Burr artwork?

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