Peggy Bacon Auction Prices and Value Guide
Peggy Bacon auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 435 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Peggy Bacon auction prices: quick answer
Peggy Bacon auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Peggy Bacon
- Source records
- 435
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Peggy Bacon
Peggy Bacon (1895–1987), born Margaret Frances Bacon in Ridgefield, Connecticut, was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and author celebrated for her sharp satirical caricatures of the New York art world. She studied at the Art Students League in New York, where her instructors included figures associated with the Ashcan School and American realism. Bacon's drypoint prints and lithographs from the 1920s and 1930s drew wide attention for their wit and observational precision, capturing fellow artists, critics, and collectors with humor and insight. Beyond printmaking, she illustrated more than sixty books—including children's literature she wrote herself—and contributed cartoons and illustrations to major publications. Her range across fine art, commercial illustration, and literary work makes her a distinctive figure in twentieth-century American art, and collectors most frequently encounter her work through original prints and illustrated editions.
American ModernismDrypoint printmakingEtchingLithographyOil paintingSatirical caricature portraitsArt-world figures and criticsCats and domestic animalsChildren's literature
Common works and media
Peggy Bacon is most frequently encountered in appraisal and auction contexts through original drypoint prints, etchings, and lithographs—particularly her satirical caricature portraits of art-world figures. She also produced oil and watercolor paintings, pencil and ink drawings, book illustrations, and children's literature with her own text and images. Editioned prints of domestic animals, especially cats, appear regularly. Illustrated first editions of her books represent a distinct collectible category alongside her fine-art work on paper.
Market and appraisal context
Peggy Bacon maintains a steady, liquid secondary market centered on American prints and works on paper. Appraisily's auction-record index traces 273 catalogued lots since 2002, with 220 carrying realized prices. The price distribution spans $40 at the low end to $6,240 at the top, with a median of $375 and an interquartile range of $200–$698. Activity is consistent: 29 lots appeared in the trailing twelve months and 26 in the prior period, indicating stable collector demand rather than episodic spikes. Swann Auction Galleries is the dominant venue for her caricature drypoints and lithographs from the 1920s–1930s, where her strongest prices cluster—lots such as Dance at the League (1919, $3,168), Frenzied Effort ($2,000), and Vanity (1929, $1,524) illustrate the premium tier for signed early caricature prints. Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Weschler's, Caza Sikes, and Skinner handle a steady flow of mid-range prints ($200–$700). Oil paintings are scarcer but can outperform prints when subject and provenance align—Sudden Shower (oil on board) realized $900 at Eldred's. Lower-priced lots tend to be unsigned drawings, later watercolors, or illustrated books, which typically fall below $300.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Drypoint printmaking
- Etching
- Lithography
- Oil painting
- Watercolor
Value drivers
- Medium: original drypoint prints, etchings, and lithographs are the most commonly encountered category
- Date of execution: caricature prints from the 1920s–1940s tend to be the most sought-after period
- Edition and impression quality: signed impressions with documented edition information affect value
- Subject matter: caricatures of well-known art-world figures may attract specialized interest
- Provenance and condition documentation
- Medium: signed drypoint caricature prints from the 1920s–1930s command the highest prices; lithographs and etchings follow; drawings, watercolors, and illustrated books generally sell below the print median
Appraisal caveats
- Reproduction prints and later restrikes exist in the market; authentication through catalogue references or expert review is advisable for higher-value lots.
- Bacon's illustrated books and commercial work form a separate collecting area from her fine-art prints and may follow different valuation patterns.
- The auction-record dataset covers 273 lots from 2002 to April 2026. Private sales, dealer inventory, and museum acquisitions are not represented, so the full market picture is broader than auction data alone.
- Reproduction prints and later restrikes of Bacon's popular images exist in the market; works should be authenticated against catalogue references or reviewed by a print specialist before valuation.
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
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- RKD library authority
- Wikidata 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 Peggy Bacon 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 Peggy Bacon artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.