Laura Coombs Hills Auction Prices and Value Guide
Laura Coombs Hills auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 188 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Laura Coombs Hills auction prices: quick answer
Laura Coombs Hills auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Laura Coombs Hills
- Source records
- 188
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Laura Coombs Hills market snapshot
Laura Coombs Hills shows solid auction liquidity with 108 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $6,100. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 3 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2026-01-01.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (12.0% · 10 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (60.2% · 50 sales)
- $10,000+ (27.7% · 23 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $2,200
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 3
- Median shift vs prior year
- 0.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2026-01-01
Artist context
About Laura Coombs Hills
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Born
1859
Died
1952
Nationality
American
Laura Coombs Hills (1859–1952) was an American painter, illustrator, designer, and specialist in miniature painting. She is best known for flower still lifes executed in pastel and watercolor, along with miniature portraits painted on ivory. Hills also produced designs and illustrations for children's books, creating several distinct bodies of work that collectors may encounter. Reference accounts identify her as the first miniature painter elected to the Society of American Artists and as a founder of the American Society of Miniature Painters. In auction and appraisal settings, her name may therefore appear on small portrait miniatures, floral works on paper, or illustration-related material rather than within one uniform category. Correct identification requires attention to medium, scale, subject, inscriptions, and the distinction between an original illustration and reproduced book imagery. Public authority records connect these varied practices under a consistent artist identity, although the collected source pack does not establish a formal movement classification from a museum or scholarly biography.
PastelWatercolorMiniature painting on ivoryBook illustration and designFlowers and floral still lifesPortraiture
Common works and media
Collectors may encounter Hills's floral still lifes in pastel or watercolor, often as works on paper, as well as miniature portrait paintings on ivory. Her activity as an illustrator and designer also means that original illustration material, published book imagery, and later reproductions require careful separation. Medium, dimensions, support, inscriptions, and publication context can help distinguish an original work from a printed image. The collected evidence does not establish named series, edition sizes, or a documented body of sculpture, ceramics, or conventional editioned prints.
Market and appraisal context
The first market question for a work attributed to Laura Coombs Hills is its category: pastel or watercolor floral still life, miniature portrait on ivory, or illustration and design material. These work types should be evaluated separately. An appraisal should document the medium, support, dimensions, subject, signature or inscriptions, condition, provenance, and any evidence of date or publication history. The collected input identifies 188 Appraisily records, but it provides no lot-level descriptions, sale dates, or realized prices. It therefore does not support a typical value, price trend, or category premium. Useful comparable sales should match the same work type, medium, subject, scale, condition, attribution, and relevant sale period as closely as the available public records permit.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Pastel floral still lifes
- Watercolor floral still lifes
- Miniature portraits on ivory
- Illustration and design material
Value drivers
- Work type and medium, particularly the distinction between a floral pastel or watercolor and a miniature portrait on ivory
- Subject category, especially floral still life versus portraiture
- Whether illustration-related material is an original work rather than reproduced book imagery
- Selection of comparable auction records matching the same work type, medium, and subject
Appraisal caveats
- The collected Appraisily input reports 188 records, but the source pack contains no lot-level descriptions, sale dates, realized prices, or auction-house excerpts.
- No price range, price trend, category premium, or market direction can be supported from the collected evidence.
- Miniature portraits, floral works, and illustration-related material should not be treated as directly comparable categories without lot-level examination.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context is based on collected public records: medium confidence, adequate source quality.
- Wikidata library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- ISNI library authority
- RKD 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 Laura Coombs Hills 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 Laura Coombs Hills artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.