John Butler Yeats Auction Prices and Value Guide

John Butler Yeats auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 324 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

John Butler Yeats auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
John Butler Yeats
Source records
324
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About John Butler Yeats

John Butler Yeats (1839–1922) was an Irish portrait painter and a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy. Born in Tullylish, Northern Ireland, he trained as a lawyer before turning to art, studying at Heatherley's School of Fine Art in London. He is best known for his oil portraits and works on paper of leading cultural figures of his era. The National Gallery of Ireland holds a number of his portraits, including a well-known 1900 likeness of his son, the poet William Butler Yeats. Yeats was the patriarch of one of Ireland's most prominent artistic families: his children included the poet W. B. Yeats, the painter Jack Butler Yeats, and the craftswomen and publishers Lily and Lollie Yeats. He spent his later years in New York City, where he died in 1922.

oil paintingworks on paperportraiture

Common works and media

Oil portraits on canvas, charcoal and pencil drawings, and watercolour works on paper are the formats most likely to be encountered at auction or in appraisal contexts. Subjects include cultural and literary figures, family members, and self-portraits. Works are typically modest in scale compared to academic history painting of the period.

Market and appraisal context

John Butler Yeats's work appears at auction primarily as oil portraits and drawings. Value is influenced by the identity of the sitter—portraits of literary or cultural figures from the Irish Revival period tend to be more sought after—as well as medium, condition, and documented provenance. His market profile is distinct from that of his son Jack B. Yeats, whose paintings command significantly higher prices; attribution should be confirmed carefully. References in Bénézit and Johnson/Greutzner support scholarly identity, and RKD maintains a documented record of his oeuvre. Comparable auction results for Irish portrait painters of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries provide useful context for appraisal.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Appraisal caveats

  • J. B. Yeats is less prolific in auction records than his son Jack B. Yeats; collectors should verify attribution carefully to avoid confusion between the two painters.
  • No published catalogue raisonné was identified in the source pack; appraisal should reference RKD, Bénézit, and relevant auction-house catalogues for authentication.

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 Butler Yeats

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is John Butler Yeats 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 Butler Yeats artwork?

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