John Pettie Auction Prices and Value Guide
John Pettie auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 339 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
John Pettie auction prices: quick answer
John Pettie auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- John Pettie
- Source records
- 339
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
John Pettie market snapshot
John Pettie shows developing auction liquidity with 16 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $1,000. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 2 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-12-15.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (45.5% · 5 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (36.4% · 4 sales)
- $10,000+ (18.2% · 2 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $950
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 2
- Median shift vs prior year
- 0.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2025-12-15
Artist context
About John Pettie
Born
1839
Died
1893
Nationality
Scottish, British
John Pettie (1839–1893) was a Scottish painter and illustrator born in Edinburgh who made most of his career in London. Working in the Victorian era, he developed a practice centered on narrative painting, including episodes from Scottish and English history and subjects connected with literature. The collected sources also identify watercolor, drawing, and book or periodical illustration within his output. Pettie became an associate of the Royal Academy in 1866 and a full academician in 1874, milestones that situate him within British exhibition culture of the period. Collectors may encounter his name on finished paintings, works on paper, or illustrative material rather than on a single uniform category of object. For entity matching, the relevant artist is the John Pettie born in 1839 and deceased in 1893, represented by stable authority records at Wikidata, VIAF, Getty ULAN, and institutional artist profiles.
PaintingWatercolorDrawingBook and periodical illustrationScenes from Scottish and English historyLiterary narratives, including subjects associated with Walter Scott and William Shakespeare
Common works and media
Works associated with Pettie's documented practice include paintings, watercolors, drawings, and illustrations made for books or periodicals. Historical narratives—especially episodes connected with Scottish or English history—and literary subjects are recurring contexts in the available material. Because the source pack does not provide a lot-by-lot category breakdown, these should be treated as documented work types rather than a ranked statement about auction frequency.
Market and appraisal context
The source pack confirms an auction-facing artist page but contains no individual catalog descriptions, realized prices, or comparable-lot details. Market discussion should therefore remain descriptive. Comparisons should separate paintings from watercolors, drawings, and illustration work, and should align subject matter: historical scenes and literary narratives are documented parts of Pettie's practice. Career date can also guide contextual comparison because his Royal Academy milestones are documented. This research does not support a price trend, record price, scarcity claim, or forecast; those conclusions require verified lot-level evidence.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Paintings
- Watercolors and drawings
- Illustration works
Value drivers
- Medium and work type, distinguishing paintings from watercolors, drawings, and illustration material
- Subject type, particularly the distinction between historical scenes and literary narratives
- Date in relation to Pettie's documented Royal Academy career milestones
Appraisal caveats
- The collected source pack contains an Appraisily auction-facing artist page but no individual lot descriptions, realized prices, or comparable-sale details.
- The evidence does not support a claim about price direction, scarcity, or an auction record.
- Medium, subject, and career date provide useful comparison categories, but item-level attribution and valuation require evidence beyond this artist-level source pack.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context is based on collected public records: medium confidence, adequate source quality.
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 Pettie 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 Pettie artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.