Mark Catesby Auction Prices and Value Guide

Mark Catesby auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 2,280 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Mark Catesby auction prices: quick answer

Mark Catesby auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Mark Catesby
Source records
2,280
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Mark Catesby

Mark Catesby (1683–1749) was an English naturalist, illustrator, and etcher whose pioneering work documented the flora and fauna of colonial North America. Born in Essex, England, Catesby traveled to Virginia in 1712, where he spent several years collecting specimens and making observations. A second expedition, supported by Fellows of the Royal Society, took him to Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands between 1722 and 1726. His masterwork, The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, was published in parts between 1729 and 1747 and was the first illustrated account of North American natural history. It contained 220 hand-colored etched plates depicting birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, mammals, and plants — many species illustrated for the first time. Catesby prepared the drawings and etched the plates himself, making the publication a landmark in both natural history and printmaking.

Natural history illustrationHand-colored etchingWatercolor drawingBirds of North AmericaFlora and fauna of the American Southeast and BahamasPlants, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and mammals

Common works and media

The most commonly encountered Catesby works are individual hand-colored etched plates from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, depicting birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, mammals, and plants of the American Southeast and Bahamas. Plates were etched by Catesby and hand-colored, often with the assistance of family members. Sheets from the first edition (1729–1747) and the posthumous 1754 and 1771 editions all circulate. Occasional original watercolor drawings attributed to Catesby also appear on the market.

Market and appraisal context

Mark Catesby's hand-colored etchings from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands constitute a deep and liquid market segment. Appraisily's auction-record index tracks 593 lots, of which 532 carry realized prices spanning from 2002 to April 2026. The price distribution is right-skewed: the interquartile range runs from $200 to $750 with a median of $400, while the ceiling reaches $28,500 — reflecting the premium commanded by exceptionally rare plates, complete volumes, or original watercolors. Market activity has accelerated sharply, with 128 priced lots in the most recent twelve-month window versus just 15 in the prior twelve months, suggesting heightened collector interest and strong supply. Ten named auction houses account for the bulk of turnover, including Brunk Auctions, Lion and Unicorn, Litchfield Auctions, Nadeau's Auction Gallery, Arader Galleries, Crescent City Auction Gallery, Leland Little Auctions, Tuscanybooks, Everard Auctions and Appraisals, and Neal Auction Company. Individual plates from March 2026 sales at Lion and Unicorn realized between $50 (Green Spotted Snake) and $750 (Hawks Bill Turtle), while a contemporaneous Litchfield Auctions session saw an Angelfish plate reach $950 — illustrating how subject desirability, coloring quality, and condition drive wide within-artist price dispersion.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Hand-colored etching
  • Natural history print
  • Engraving
  • Watercolor drawing

Value drivers

  1. [object Object]

Appraisal caveats

  • Market pricing for Catesby plates varies widely by subject, edition, coloring quality, and condition. Individual plate values should be assessed against recent comparable auction results.
  • Later editions and modern reproductions of Catesby's plates circulate in the market; professional authentication may be needed to confirm period impressions.
  • Auction-record data reflects 593 lots aggregated from public auction feeds via Appraisily's index. Not all Catesby sales are captured; private sales and dealer transactions are excluded.
  • The price distribution spans 2002–2026. Earlier results may not reflect current market conditions. The sharp increase in recent 12-month volume (128 vs. 15) may reflect improved data coverage as much as genuine market expansion.

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

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.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Mark Catesby

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Mark Catesby 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 Mark Catesby artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.