John Bratby Auction Prices and Value Guide

John Bratby auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,514 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

John Bratby auction prices: quick answer

John Bratby auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
John Bratby
Source records
1,514
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About John Bratby

John Randall Bratby RA (1928–1992) was a British painter, draftsman, and writer who founded the kitchen sink realism movement that shaped British art in the late 1950s. Born on 19 July 1928, Bratby trained at the Royal College of Art and became known for boldly coloured, thickly impastoed paintings of ordinary domestic life — kitchen table still lifes, cluttered interiors, and unidealised family scenes. Alongside contemporaries such as Edward Middleditch, Derrick Greaves, and Jack Smith, he came to public attention through the 1956 Venice Biennale exhibition. Bratby also produced portraits of prominent cultural figures and appeared in television and film. He was elected a Royal Academician and remained active as a painter and writer until his death on 20 July 1992. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Kitchen Sink RealismOil paintingDrawingDomestic still lifePortraits (family and celebrities)

Common works and media

Bratby's most commonly encountered works in auction and appraisal contexts include oil paintings on canvas or board, often still lifes of kitchen tables, food, and household objects, as well as portraits and figure studies. He also produced drawings in pencil, charcoal, and ink, and worked occasionally in pastel. Prints and reproductions of his paintings exist but are less common at auction. Subject matter ranges from domestic interiors and family scenes to landscapes and celebrity portraits. Works range from small studies to large-scale canvases.

Market and appraisal context

John Bratby has a substantial and well-documented auction footprint spanning 428 recorded lots, of which 283 carry realised prices. Auction activity stretches from January 1991 through March 2026, with consistent liquidity of roughly seven priced lots per year in both the most recent and prior 12-month windows. The price distribution is wide: priced lots range from £40 at the low end to £24,000 at the top, with a median of £840 and an interquartile spread of £310–£3,000. Major international houses — Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Phillips — sit alongside strong UK regional representation (John Nicholson's, Gorringes, Dreweatts 1759, Mallams, Chiswick Auctions, Sloane Street Auctions), plus US houses such as Heritage Auctions, Freeman's | Hindman, and Broward Auction Gallery. Oil paintings on canvas dominate the upper price tier: a large Venice scene made £7,000 at Gorringes (Dec 2023), a signed portrait 'Gloria with Hands Together' reached $5,500 at Freeman's | Hindman (Nov 2021), and a further oil painting fetched $5,500 at Broward Auction (Nov 2023). Works on paper — pencil sketches and smaller drawings — typically realise £200–£750. Unsigned or attributed-only works sell at a steep discount (e.g., an unsigned oil made £40 at Potteries Auctions, Feb 2026). Bratby's decorated furniture and studio objects also appear at auction (easel: £1,300; bureau: £260; bible box: £260 at Gorringes, Dec 2025). The market is predominantly UK-based but includes meaningful US turnover.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Oil painting
  • Drawing
  • Works on paper
  • Decorative art (painted furniture)

Value drivers

  1. [object Object]

Appraisal caveats

  • No public auction price database was accessible in this source pack; specific price ranges should not be inferred.
  • Bratby's market reputation fluctuated after the peak of kitchen sink realism; later works may not carry the same auction interest as 1950s–1960s pieces.
  • Price data is drawn from Appraisily's auction-record index (428 lots, 283 priced). Not all Bratby auction appearances worldwide may be captured, and private sales are excluded.
  • Currency mix: the majority of results are in GBP with some USD lots. Cross-currency comparisons should use exchange rates at the time of each sale.

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 John Bratby

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is John Bratby 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 John Bratby artwork?

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