Joseph Tilson Auction Prices and Value Guide
Joseph Tilson auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,448 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Joseph Tilson auction prices: quick answer
Joseph Tilson auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Joseph Tilson
- Source records
- 1,448
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About Joseph Tilson
Joe Tilson (born Joseph Charles Tilson, 1928–2023) was a British painter, sculptor, and printmaker recognized as a significant figure in the British Pop Art movement of the 1960s. Born in London on 24 August 1928, he served in the Royal Air Force from 1946 to 1949 before training at St. Martin's School of Art and the Royal College of Art. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Tilson produced paintings, prints, and constructed reliefs across several distinct phases, including his Pop Art period, the Alchera series, and later works informed by classical and Mediterranean themes. He held teaching posts at the Slade School of Fine Art, the School of Visual Arts in New York, and the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Hamburg, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy. His work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London.
Pop Artpaintingsculptureprintmakingconstructions and reliefs
Common works and media
Tilson's output includes screenprints, lithographs, etchings, woodcuts, paintings in oil and acrylic, painted wooden constructions and reliefs, collage, and mixed-media works. Recurring motifs across his career include geometric and alphabetical elements, numerical sequences, and references to classical antiquity. His screenprint editions from the 1960s and 1970s are among the most frequently traded works at auction.
Market and appraisal context
Joe Tilson's work trades at a broad range of international auction houses, with 22 recorded lots spanning 2007 to mid-2025 across Christie's, Sotheby's, and regional European houses including Capitolium Art, Stockholms Auktionsverket, Arte Investimenti, Gonnelli Casa d'Aste, Itineris, Lehner Kunstauktionen, Strauss & Co, and Venice Auctions. Of 22 lots, 15 carried a realised price. Recorded prices range from €220 (Gonnelli, 2023, later reproductive work) to £24,500 GBP (Christie's, 2007, unique work titled 'Conquer'), with a median near €1,989. The strongest results cluster at Christie's for unique paintings, sculptures, and early constructions, while prints and later works at regional houses realise materially less. Price dispersion is high: the interquartile range (€950–€22,800 equivalent) reflects the wide gap between early Pop Art constructions and later reproductive editions. Liquidity is thin — only one lot appeared in the most recent 12 months (Sotheby's, June 2025, no price yet recorded), down from two the prior year. The record includes multiple currencies (GBP, EUR, USD, ZAR, SEK), making direct comparison difficult without conversion. The artist's death in November 2023 has not yet produced a sustained increase in auction volume.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- painting
- sculpture
- printmaking
- constructions and reliefs
Value drivers
- [object Object]
Appraisal caveats
- Tilson's career spans over six decades with significant stylistic shifts; auction results vary considerably by period and medium.
- Later reproductive prints and works on paper from the 1990s onward are less sought-after than early Pop Art constructions and screenprints.
- Condition is a material concern for wooden constructions and mixed-media reliefs, which may be sensitive to environmental factors.
- Auction prices span five currencies (GBP, EUR, USD, ZAR, SEK); direct price comparison requires currency conversion and does not account for buyer's premium differences across houses.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- VIAF library authority
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Tate museum or university
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 Joseph Tilson 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 Joseph Tilson artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.