John Steuart Curry Auction Prices and Value Guide
John Steuart Curry auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 602 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
John Steuart Curry auction prices: quick answer
John Steuart Curry auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- John Steuart Curry
- Source records
- 602
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About John Steuart Curry
John Steuart Curry (1897-1946) was an American painter, muralist, illustrator, and printmaker recognized as one of the three leading figures of American Regionalism, alongside Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood. Born in Dunavant, Kansas, Curry drew on his Midwestern roots throughout his career, producing paintings of rural and agricultural life that became defining images of the movement. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Kansas City Art Institute before spending 1926-1927 in Paris under the Russian painter Vasili Shukhaev. His career accelerated after 1928 with dramatic Kansas scenes that attracted national attention. From 1936 until his death, Curry served as artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, producing major murals and continuing to paint until 1946. His work is held by the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other major American institutions.
American Regionalismoil paintingmuralprintmakingillustrationrural and agricultural lifeKansas landscapesgenre scenesfigure studies
Common works and media
Collectors and appraisers most frequently encounter Curry's work in the following forms: oil paintings of rural Kansas scenes, livestock, and landscapes; large-scale murals and mural studies (particularly Wisconsin and Kansas commissions); lithographic prints, often depicting farm animals, storms, or baptisms; preparatory drawings and sketches in graphite and ink; book illustrations and magazine cover designs; and poster designs. His prints exist in multiple editions and are the most commonly available work type on the secondary market.
Market and appraisal context
John Steuart Curry's secondary market is well-established and liquid, with 357 cataloged lots spanning over 25 years of auction records (2000–2026). The Appraisily auction-record index tracks 272 priced lots across a wide value spectrum: from $15 at the low end to $175,500 at the high end, with a median of $1,200 and an interquartile range of $657–$3,000. This dispersion reflects the breadth of Curry's output: unsigned or late prints trade at the lower end, while major oil paintings from his 1930s Regionalist peak command five- and six-figure results. The market shows consistent throughput—26 lots in the most recent 12 months and 40 in the prior 12 months—distributed across a healthy mix of regional auction houses and major international firms. The top auction houses by frequency include Toomey & Co. Auctioneers, Swann Auction Galleries, Christie's, Bonhams, Heritage Auctions, Dirk Soulis Auctions, Soulis Auctions, Kiechel Auction, Skinner, and Jackson's International. This geographic and institutional diversity indicates broad collector interest beyond a single region. Lithographs dominate recent turnover, with pencil-signed examples typically realizing $275–$3,200 depending on subject, edition, and condition. The iconic 1939 "John Brown" lithograph (Cole 34) has appeared multiple times in recent years, consistently fetching $3,400–$5,334, making it one of the most reliable benchmarks in Curry's print market. Oil paintings are far less frequent but substantially more valuable—the most recent oil on canvas in the dataset realized $16,000 at Soulis Auctions in February 2026, while the all-time high of $175,500 underscores the ceiling for important canvases with strong provenance.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- American Paintings
- Prints and Multiples
- Works on Paper
- Illustration Art
Value drivers
- Medium: major oils and mural studies command higher values than prints, posters, or book illustrations
- Subject: quintessential Regionalist Kansas scenes are most sought after
- Provenance: exhibition history at major institutions (MoMA, Met) and documented provenance strengthen value
- Period: works from the 1930s peak Regionalist period tend to attract the strongest market interest
- Condition and attribution: as with all early-twentieth-century American art, condition reports and confirmed attribution are essential for appraisal
- Medium: oil paintings from Curry's 1930s Regionalist period command the highest values ($16,000–$175,500 in the record set); signed lithographs typically trade at $275–$5,334; unsigned prints and works on paper are lower still
Appraisal caveats
- Curry's output includes prints, posters, and book illustrations alongside major oil paintings; auction values vary significantly by medium and format.
- The Invaluable/Appraisily catalog of 602 lots reflects the breadth of his market presence but should not be interpreted as a price indicator without review of individual lot records.
- No specific auction price records are included here; collectors should consult recent comparable lots at major auction houses for current market data.
- The $175,500 maximum reflects a single historical outlier and should not be treated as a typical ceiling; the 75th percentile is $3,000, which is more representative of the broader market.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- VIAF (OCLC) library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- Wikimedia 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 Steuart Curry 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 Steuart Curry artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.