George Goodwin Kilburne Auction Prices and Value Guide

George Goodwin Kilburne auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 636 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

George Goodwin Kilburne auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
George Goodwin Kilburne
Source records
636
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About George Goodwin Kilburne

George Goodwin Kilburne (1839–1924) was an English genre painter and watercolourist best known for his meticulously rendered interior scenes populated with elegantly dressed figures. Born in Norfolk on 24 July 1839, he began his career as a wood-engraver before turning to painting and studying at the Royal Academy Schools in London. Kilburne exhibited widely at the Royal Academy, the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (of which he was elected a member), and the Royal Society of British Artists. His favoured medium was watercolour, though he also produced oils, pencil drawings, and book illustrations. His work captured the social rituals and domestic settings of Victorian and Edwardian life with an exacting eye for architectural detail, costume, and furnishing. This combination of technical precision and picturesque subject matter made his paintings popular with Victorian collectors and reproduced widely in the illustrated press. Kilburne remained active from the mid-1850s through the early 1920s.

Victorian genre paintingwatercolouroil paintpencilwood engravingdomestic interiors with figurescostume and period scenessporting subjectsbook illustration

Common works and media

Kilburne most commonly produced watercolours depicting domestic interiors with figures in period costume, including drawing-room scenes, garden parties, card games, music-making, and reading groups. He also painted sporting subjects such as horse racing and hunting scenes. His oeuvre includes oil paintings, pencil drawings, and wood engravings. As a book illustrator, he contributed to published volumes of poetry and literature. Watercolours and works on paper are encountered far more frequently at auction than oils. Kilburne did not produce editioned prints, though his illustrations were mechanically reproduced in books and periodicals.

Market and appraisal context

George Goodwin Kilburne maintains an active and well-documented secondary market with 297 recorded auction lots (165 with realised prices) spanning from 1993 to May 2026. The artist is traded predominantly through established UK regional and London salerooms—Christie's, Bonhams, Sworders, Dreweatts, and Adam Partridge among them—with additional appearances at European (Adam's, Subarna Subastas), Australian (Christian McCann Auctions, Leonard Joel), and American (Broward Auction Gallery, Main Auction Galleries) houses. The price distribution is wide: the recorded minimum is £70 and the 25th percentile sits at £280, while the median is £620 and the 75th percentile reaches £1,500. A single outlier at £160,000 likely represents a major oil or large-scale exhibited work. Recent comparable watercolours (2024–2026) cluster between £150 and £1,000 GBP, with typical signed watercolours of interior scenes in the £200–£400 range. Oils, such as the equestrian portrait sold at Adam's in October 2025 (€900), and named figurative works like 'Edith and Florence' at Dreweatts (February 2025, £1,000 GBP), command the upper end of the recent range. Liquidity is moderate: 12 lots in the trailing 12 months versus 16 in the prior period, indicating a slight softening in volume but stable demand. The breadth of auction houses and the long 30+ year auction record provide a reliable comparable basis for appraisal.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Old Masters & 19th Century Paintings
  • Victorian & British Impressionist Art
  • Works on Paper
  • Watercolours & Drawings
  • British Art

Value drivers

  1. Medium: watercolours are most commonly encountered; oils are less frequent and may command higher prices
  2. Subject matter: figurative interior scenes with period detail and sporting subjects are most sought after
  3. Condition: watercolour medium is susceptible to fading; condition significantly affects value
  4. Provenance and exhibition history: works with documented Royal Academy or RI exhibition records carry a premium
  5. Signature: signed works are preferred; Kilburne typically signed with his full name or initials
  6. Medium: watercolours dominate the market and typically sell in the £200–£600 range; oils are less frequently encountered and generally command higher prices

Appraisal caveats

  • Over 630 recorded auction lots suggest a prolific output and moderate market availability; rarity premiums are unlikely for most works.
  • Attribution should be verified against known signatures and style, as Kilburne's popular domestic-interior genre was widely imitated by contemporaries.
  • Death date is disputed between sources: RKD records 21 June 1924, while the Library of Congress and the Dictionary of British Book Illustrators record September 1924. Provenance claims citing either date should be cross-checked.
  • The £160,000 maximum recorded price is a significant outlier relative to the £620 median; this figure likely represents a large or historically important oil and should not be used to value typical watercolours.

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 Goodwin Kilburne

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is George Goodwin Kilburne 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 Goodwin Kilburne artwork?

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