John Henry Foley Auction Prices and Value Guide
John Henry Foley auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 256 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
John Henry Foley auction prices: quick answer
John Henry Foley auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- John Henry Foley
- Source records
- 256
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
John Henry Foley market snapshot
John Henry Foley shows developing auction liquidity with 24 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $2,200. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 2 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-12-16.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (26.3% · 5 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (68.4% · 13 sales)
- $10,000+ (5.3% · 1 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $8,000
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 2
- Median shift vs prior year
- 0.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2025-12-16
Artist context
About John Henry Foley
John Henry Foley (1818–1874) was an Irish sculptor who became one of the most celebrated monumental sculptors of the Victorian era. Born in Dublin, he trained at the Dublin Society Schools of Arts before moving to London, where he studied at the Royal Academy of Arts and built a prolific career from roughly 1835 until his death in 1874. Foley is best known for major public commissions including the statue of Daniel O'Connell on Dublin's O'Connell Monument, the figure of Prince Albert on the Albert Memorial in London, and a number of significant commemorative works installed in India. Working primarily in marble and bronze, he produced portrait busts, allegorical figures, and large-scale statues of statesmen, royalty, and military leaders that remain landmarks in cities across the former British Empire. His work is held in the Tate collection and documented by Getty ULAN, RKD, VIAF, and the Library of Congress.
Victorian monumental sculptureMarble sculptureBronze sculpturePortrait busts and statuesAllegorical figuresChristian religious subjectsCommemorative public monuments
Common works and media
Collectors and appraisers are most likely to encounter marble portrait busts, bronze statuettes and reductions of public monuments, plaster maquettes, and occasional full-scale marble or bronze figures by Foley. Common subjects include British royalty, Irish political figures, military commanders, and allegorical or religious figures. Smaller bronze reductions of his major Indian and London commissions also appear in the secondary market.
Market and appraisal context
Foley's sculptures appear regularly in the European sculpture and Victorian art categories at major auction houses. Portrait busts of well-known Victorian figures in marble or bronze tend to generate the strongest collector interest. Important valuation factors include medium (marble versus bronze versus plaster), scale, subject prominence, provenance linking a work to a documented commission or exhibition, and whether the piece is a studio original or a later reduction. Because Foley's workshop produced multiple versions of his public monument figures, attribution details and condition assessments are essential for accurate appraisal.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- Foley was prolific and his workshop produced many versions and reductions of his public commissions; attribution and edition details should be verified case by case.
- No specific auction price data was available in the source pack; Appraisily auction records and comparable lots should be consulted for current market estimates.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) library authority
- Tate museum or university
- Wikidata library authority
- VIAF (OCLC) library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
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 John Henry Foley 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 Henry Foley artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.