Gordon Grant Auction Prices and Value Guide
Gordon Grant auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,326 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Gordon Grant auction prices: quick answer
Gordon Grant auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Gordon Grant
- Source records
- 1,326
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Gordon Grant
Gordon Hope Grant (1875–1962) was an American painter and illustrator celebrated for his maritime watercolors and his contributions to the visual identity of the American Boy Scouts. Born in San Francisco on June 7, 1875, Grant developed a reputation for rendering nautical subjects with a draftsman's precision and a watercolorist's sensitivity to atmosphere and light. His illustrations appeared in books, magazines, and institutional publications, while his fine art focused on sailing ships, naval vessels, and coastal harbor scenes. Grant's career bridges the traditions of American marine painting and early twentieth-century commercial illustration, making his work familiar to collectors across both fine art and illustrated ephemera. His work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is documented in major reference publications including Bénézit and Mantle Fielding's dictionary.
American marine paintingwatercoloroil paintingpen and ink illustrationetching and lithographymaritime and nautical scenessailing ships and naval vesselsharbor and coastal viewsBoy Scouts illustration
Common works and media
Grant's most commonly encountered works include maritime watercolors of sailing ships, naval vessels, harbor scenes, and coastal views. He also produced oil paintings, pen-and-ink illustrations, book and magazine illustrations, poster designs, and etchings or lithographs of nautical subjects. His illustrations for Boy Scout handbooks and related institutional publications circulate widely as printed ephemera and collectible book illustrations.
Market and appraisal context
Gordon Grant's work has a well-established and liquid secondary market, with 516 auction lots recorded and 279 carrying realized prices. His auction record spans from August 2000 through April 2026, demonstrating sustained collector interest over more than two decades. The price distribution is wide but concentrated at the lower end: the median realized price is $110, with a 25th percentile of $60 and a 75th percentile of $275. The recorded maximum of $14,000 reflects exceptional, likely museum-quality watercolors or large oils, while the minimum of $10 covers unsigned or common lithographic editions. Recent auction activity shows 25 lots in the trailing 12 months, down from 38 in the prior period, indicating a moderate but still active market. His work appears predominantly at regional American auction houses, with Rachel Davis Fine Arts, RoGallery, DuMouchelles, and Gray's Auctioneers among the most frequent sellers. Lithographs and etchings dominate recent offerings and typically sell between $10 and $120. Original watercolors of harbor scenes and marine subjects command significantly more, with recent realized prices of $300–$850. A large oil on masonite depicting a Hudson River view from the Palisades achieved $850 at Curated Gallery Auctions in March 2026, representing the higher end of recent results.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- watercolor
- oil painting
- etching and lithography
- pen and ink illustration
Value drivers
- Medium: original watercolors of ship portraits and harbor scenes tend to attract stronger collector interest than printed illustrations.
- Subject specificity: detailed ship portraits and named vessels are generally more sought after than generic maritime views.
- Provenance and exhibition history can significantly affect value for museum-quality watercolors.
- Boy Scout illustrations and book/periodical illustrations are more commonly available and typically carry lower estimates.
- Condition is a key factor for watercolors and works on paper from this period.
- Medium is the single strongest price driver: original watercolors and oils of maritime subjects typically realize $300–$850 at regional auctions, while lithographs and etchings generally sell between $10 and $120.
Appraisal caveats
- Grant's large body of printed and illustrative work means attribution should be verified, as reproductive prints and posthumous editions may circulate.
- The boundary between Grant's fine art watercolors and commercial illustration work can affect appraisal, and the two categories often command different price ranges.
- Some library authority files list conflicting death dates (1960 vs. 1962); confirm biographical details with multiple sources for appraisal documentation.
- The $14,000 maximum price is an outlier and should not be treated as representative. The median of $110 and 75th percentile of $275 better describe the typical market for Grant's work.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- VIAF library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
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.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Gordon Grant 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 Gordon Grant artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.