Jan Hendrik Scheltema Auction Prices and Value Guide
Jan Hendrik Scheltema auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 303 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Jan Hendrik Scheltema auction prices: quick answer
Jan Hendrik Scheltema auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Jan Hendrik Scheltema
- Source records
- 303
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Jan Hendrik Scheltema
Jan Hendrik Scheltema (1861–1941) was a Dutch-born painter and draftsman who became a significant figure in Australian pastoral art after settling in Melbourne, Victoria, in the late nineteenth century. Trained initially as a portrait painter in the Netherlands, Scheltema shifted his focus after emigrating, specialising in livestock scenes and rural landscapes that captured the character of the Australian countryside. He is credited with popularising the foreground cattle genre in Australia, producing compositions that emphasised the physical presence and handling of cattle within open pastoral settings. Over nearly five decades based in Melbourne, Scheltema sustained his career through both painting and art instruction, working through the depression of the 1890s, the First World War, and the Great Depression before retiring to Queensland. His work is recorded in Dutch and Australian collections, and he is listed in the RKD, Getty ULAN, and VIAF authority files.
Traditional/academic painting; Australian pastoral and livestock genre schoolOil paintingDrawingGraphic art / printmakingLivestock, especially cattle in pastoral landscapesRural and pastoral landscapesPortraits (early career, Netherlands)
Common works and media
The most commonly encountered works by Jan Hendrik Scheltema are oil-on-canvas pastoral landscapes featuring cattle, often compositionally focused on one or more animals in the foreground with open countryside beyond. He also produced rural landscape scenes without livestock, portrait paintings from his early Dutch career, and works on paper including drawings and graphic prints. Collectors may also encounter smaller-scale studies and instructional demonstration pieces from his decades of teaching in Melbourne.
Market and appraisal context
Scheltema's work appears at auction primarily as oil paintings of cattle and pastoral landscapes, the subjects for which he is best known. With over 300 auction lots recorded, his paintings circulate regularly in Australian and European art sales. Collectors should note the distinction between his Australian pastoral-period oils, which form the majority of traded works, and his earlier Dutch portraits, which appear less frequently. Provenance linking a work to his Melbourne period or to known exhibitions can strengthen appraisal value. Condition, signature (typically J.H. Scheltema), and medium should all be verified, as attribution questions can arise with unsigned pastoral scenes from this era.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Australian and International Paintings
- Traditional and European Paintings
Value drivers
- Subject matter: cattle and pastoral scenes are his most recognised and frequently traded works
- Medium: oil on canvas is the primary collected format
- Provenance: Australian gallery or exhibition history, particularly from his Melbourne period, adds value
- Condition and attribution: works should be confirmed as signed J.H. Scheltema; unsigned attributions require verification
Appraisal caveats
- Scheltema is not widely documented in major auction-house catalogues in the source pack; appraisal should incorporate Invaluable and Australian auction-database records for comparable lots.
- Early Dutch-period portraits and his graphic works are less commonly seen at auction than his Australian pastoral paintings.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD Netherlands Institute library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
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 Jan Hendrik Scheltema 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 Jan Hendrik Scheltema artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.