James Humbert Craig Auction Prices and Value Guide

James Humbert Craig auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 729 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

James Humbert Craig auction prices: quick answer

James Humbert Craig auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
James Humbert Craig
Source records
729
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About James Humbert Craig

James Humbert Craig (1878–1944) was an Irish painter born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, best known for his impressionistic landscapes of the Irish countryside, particularly the glens and coastlines of Antrim, the rugged terrain of Donegal, and the western landscapes of Connemara. Largely self-taught though briefly a student at the Belfast Academy of Art, Craig developed a distinctive plein-air style that captured the atmospheric light and rural character of Ulster and the west of Ireland. He exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy from 1915 until his death and was elected a member of both the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Royal Ulster Academy in 1928. Craig died on 12 June 1944 in Cushendall, County Antrim. His work remains a touchstone for collectors of twentieth-century Irish landscape painting.

ImpressionismOil paintingWatercolorIrish landscapes (Antrim, Donegal, Connemara)Coastal scenes and fishing villagesRural genre scenes

Common works and media

Craig’s most commonly encountered works are oil paintings of Irish landscapes and rural genre scenes. Typical subjects include views of the Antrim Hills, coastal strands with fishing boats, country lanes, glens, and village outskirts. Titles recorded in authority files include “The Antrim Hills,” “Beside Still Waters, Cushendun,” “Down the Lane,” and “The End of the Glen.” Watercolors and works on paper also appear. His palette and loose brushwork place him firmly within the Irish Impressionist tradition.

Market and appraisal context

James Humbert Craig's work trades in an established Irish Art auction market with 114 recorded lots over a span of more than two decades (2001–2026), of which 72 carry a realized price. The aggregate price distribution shows a floor around £30 for prints and multiples, a 25th percentile near £1,300, a median of approximately £2,800, a 75th percentile near £7,500, and a ceiling of £26,000 for prime canvases. His oil paintings of signature Antrim, Donegal, and Connemara subjects dominate the higher end of this range, while lithographs and works on paper trade at modest levels. The artist is represented across a broad roster of houses including Bonhams, Sotheby's, Christie's, Adam's, Gormleys, Sheppards, Lyon & Turnbull, and Leonard Joel, indicating healthy liquidity in both the UK/Irish and international markets. Recent activity has moderated slightly (3 lots in the most recent 12 months versus 6 in the prior 12 months), which may reflect normal market cycling rather than declining demand.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Oil painting
  • Watercolor
  • Prints and multiples

Value drivers

  1. Subject matter: landscapes of specific Irish regions (Antrim Hills, Cushendun, Connemara) are strongly associated with the artist and may command stronger interest
  2. Medium and technique: oil on canvas works in his characteristic impressionistic style are the most commonly encountered form
  3. Provenance and exhibition history: works with RHA exhibition records or documented provenance carry added weight
  4. Attribution: mainly self-taught background; works should be verified against his known style and subjects
  5. Medium: oil on canvas or panel commands the strongest prices; lithographs and prints trade at a fraction (observed £30–£40 for prints versus £700–£4,600 for oils)
  6. Subject and location: identifiable Antrim, Cushendun, Donegal (Muckish Mountain, Glenveigh), and Connemara subjects are closely associated with Craig and tend to outperform generic or untitled landscapes

Appraisal caveats

  • No auction-specific price records were available in the collected source pack; appraisal should reference current comparable sales from major auction databases.
  • The artist's output is relatively broad within Irish landscape and genre subjects, which can make attribution of unsigned or undocumented works difficult without specialist review.
  • Price data is drawn from 72 priced lots out of 114 total; the remaining 42 lots either did not sell or lack a recorded price, which may bias the observed distribution upward (unsold lots are excluded from the median).
  • Realized prices are reported in multiple currencies (GBP, EUR, USD, AUD, CAD) and have not been currency-normalized in the raw data; the aggregate statistics (median £2,800, range £30–£26,000) should be interpreted as approximate across-currency figures.

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 James Humbert Craig

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is James Humbert Craig 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 James Humbert Craig artwork?

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