John E. Ferneley Auction Prices and Value Guide

John E. Ferneley auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 374 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

John E. Ferneley auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
John E. Ferneley
Source records
374
Market update
2026-02-06

John E. Ferneley market snapshot

John E. Ferneley shows developing auction liquidity with 35 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $4,888. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 1 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-03-04.

Realized price distribution

  • Under $1,000 (26.1% · 6 sales)
  • $1,000 to $10,000 (43.5% · 10 sales)
  • $10,000+ (30.4% · 7 sales)
Median sale (last 12 months)
$45
Sales recorded (last 12 months)
1
Median shift vs prior year
0.0%
Latest recorded sale
2025-03-04

Artist context

About John E. Ferneley

John E. Ferneley (1782–1860) was an English painter celebrated for his portraits of sporting horses, hunting scenes, and equine subjects. Born in Thrussington, Leicestershire, he trained under the sporting painter Benjamin Marshall before establishing himself in the Melton Mowbray area, a centre of English foxhunting culture. Ferneley produced a large body of work depicting hunters, hounds, carriages, and stable interiors for the sporting gentry of Regency and early Victorian Britain. His stylised yet distinctive rendering of horses earned him a reputation as one of the foremost British equine artists, often ranked second only to George Stubbs. His paintings document the horses, riders, and hunts of prominent patrons across Leicestershire, Yorkshire, and beyond. Works by Ferneley are held in major public collections including Tate.

British Sporting Artoil on canvassporting horses and huntershunting scenesstable interiors with horseshorse portraits

Common works and media

Ferneley's output includes oil-on-canvas hunting scenes, individual horse portraits in stable settings, coaching and carriage compositions, dog portraits, and game still-life subjects. He commonly depicted well-known hunters, brood mares with foals, and the hunts of Leicestershire and Yorkshire gentry. His works range from small cabinet-sized panels to large panoramic hunt compositions. Prints and engravings after his paintings also circulate in the market.

Market and appraisal context

Ferneley's paintings appear regularly at auction in British Sporting Art and Old Master categories. Value is influenced by the scale and complexity of the composition, whether the work is signed and dated, the identity of the hunt or patron depicted, and overall condition. Large multi-figure hunting scenes generally attract stronger demand than single-horse portraits. Attribution can be complicated by the work of his son, John Ferneley II, who painted similar subjects. Collectors should seek professional appraisal to confirm authenticity and assess provenance, especially for unsigned or undocumented works.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Old Master & British Paintings
  • Sporting Art & Equine Paintings

Value drivers

  1. Provenance linking a painting to a known hunt, patron, or stable can materially affect value
  2. Condition of the paint surface is a key factor; many Ferneley works have been lined or restored over two centuries
  3. Signed and dated works are more readily attributed; Ferneley commonly signed and dated his canvases
  4. Large-scale hunting compositions with multiple figures and hounds tend to command stronger prices than single-horse portraits

Appraisal caveats

  • Ferneley's son, John Ferneley II (1815–1893), painted in a similar style and subjects are sometimes misattributed between the two
  • Studio works and copies exist in the market; professional connoisseurship may be needed to confirm autograph status

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 E. Ferneley

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is John E. Ferneley 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 E. Ferneley artwork?

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