Laura Knight Auction Prices and Value Guide
Laura Knight auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,445 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Laura Knight auction prices: quick answer
Laura Knight auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Laura Knight
- Source records
- 1,445
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Laura Knight
Dame Laura Knight (1877–1970) was an English painter and printmaker regarded as one of the most successful and popular British artists of the twentieth century. Born Laura Johnson in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, she trained at the Nottingham School of Art and built a career spanning oils, watercolours, etching, engraving, and drypoint. Working within the figurative and realist tradition while embracing English Impressionism, Knight became known for vibrant scenes of ballet, circus, theatre, and rural life. In 1929 she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and she later became the first woman elected to full membership of the Royal Academy of Arts since its founding. During the Second World War she served as an official war artist, documenting women's contributions to the war effort. Her long career helped establish greater recognition for women in the British art establishment.
English ImpressionismFigurative realismoil paintingwatercolouretchingdrypointcircus and theatreballetportraits and figure studieslandscape and coastal scenes
Common works and media
Oil paintings of circus, ballet, and theatre subjects; coastal and landscape scenes from Staithes and Cornwall; portraits and figure studies; wartime depictions of women in industry and military service; watercolours of rural and theatrical life; etchings, drypoints, and engravings including figure studies and animal subjects; poster designs and commercial illustrations.
Market and appraisal context
Laura Knight's secondary market is active and broadly distributed, with 95 recorded auction lots and 68 priced results spanning 2005 through April 2026. Liquidity has increased noticeably, with 8 lots appearing in the most recent 12-month window compared to 3 in the prior 12 months, suggesting steady collector demand. Her works trade primarily through UK regional and London salerooms—Christie's, Forum Auctions, Mallams, John Nicholson's, Chiswick, and David Duggleby appear frequently—alongside US houses such as Swann Auction Galleries and Hill Auction Gallery, and Australian houses including Leonard Joel and Colville Auctions. The price distribution is wide: the median sits at £420 / $500 equivalent, the 75th percentile near £940, and the recorded maximum is £17,500. Prints (etchings, drypoints, and engravings) dominate transaction volume and cluster in the £200–£550 / $400–$550 band. Significant oils, watercolours, and theatre-related works command substantially more—for example, Sotheby's sold costume designs for the ballet 'Les Roses' at £6,300, Swann realised $6,250 for a 1929 Yorkshire Coast poster, and Leonard Joel achieved AUD $8,000 for the watercolour 'Up the Rope Ladder'. Circus, ballet, and theatre subjects consistently attract the strongest bidding, which aligns with Knight's established reputation in those genres.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- oil painting
- watercolour
- etching
- drypoint
- engraving
Value drivers
- Medium and scale — major oils command higher values than watercolours or prints
- Subject matter — circus, ballet, and theatre scenes are particularly sought after
- Period — works from her Staithes, Cornwall, and war-art phases carry particular significance
- Provenance and exhibition history
- Attribution should reference RKD and standard catalogue sources given her prolific output
- Medium and scale — major oils and large watercolours command significantly higher values than prints, drawings, or posters
Appraisal caveats
- Knight's career exceeded sixty years and her stylistic range was broad; attribution and dating benefit from specialist consultation.
- Prints and editioned etchings trade more frequently than major oils, which can skew perceived market averages.
- No catalogue raisonné was cited in the source pack; this limits authoritative attribution and dating for uncatalogued works.
- No catalogue raisonné was cited in the source pack; authoritative dating and attribution of uncatalogued works require specialist consultation.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
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 Knight 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 Knight artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.