Terence Tenison Cuneo Auction Prices and Value Guide
Terence Tenison Cuneo auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 735 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Terence Tenison Cuneo auction prices: quick answer
Terence Tenison Cuneo auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Terence Tenison Cuneo
- Source records
- 735
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Terence Tenison Cuneo
Terence Tenison Cuneo (1907–1996) was an English painter and illustrator celebrated for his dynamic depictions of railways, military engagements, industrial engineering, and ceremonial occasions. Born in London, Cuneo studied at the Slade School of Fine Art before establishing a career that made him one of Britain's most recognisable twentieth-century representational artists. He served as an official war artist during the Second World War, documenting battle scenes from Monte Cassino to Burma, and was appointed official artist for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. A Fellow of the Guild of Railway Artists and a member of the Royal Glasgow Institute, Cuneo produced a vast body of work for British Rail, major engineering firms, and government commissions. His paintings are noted for their technical accuracy, narrative detail, and a characteristic small mouse hidden within the composition. Collectors encounter his work across railway art, military history, and British heritage circles.
British representational painting, 20th-century figurative artOil on canvasWatercolourIllustration and print media (magazine covers, posters)Railways and locomotivesHorses and equestrian subjectsMilitary scenes and battle depictionsIndustrial and engineering subjects
Common works and media
Cuneo's auction and appraisal appearances span original oil paintings, watercolours, and ink drawings of railway and locomotive subjects, British military and battle scenes from both World Wars, industrial and engineering interiors, aviation subjects, equestrian and sporting scenes, ceremonial state occasions, magazine cover illustrations for publications such as John Bull, and reproduced railway posters and prints. Oil paintings of steam locomotives in dramatic settings and large Second World War battle narratives are among the most frequently encountered originals at auction.
Market and appraisal context
Terence Tenison Cuneo's auction market spans over two decades (2002–2024) with 53 lots recorded and 36 carrying realised prices. The market is predominantly UK-based, centred on regional auction houses such as John Nicholson's Fine Art, Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, Chiswick Auctions, and Claydon Auctioneers, with an occasional appearance at Bonhams and the US house Hindman. Price dispersion is wide: prints and lithographs routinely sell between £10 and £150, while original oil paintings reach £1,900–£3,400 at UK houses and $2,816 at Hindman. The median of £120 reflects the large proportion of editioned prints and posters passing through regional salerooms. British Rail-related posters and signed limited-edition prints of locomotive subjects such as The Flying Scotsman are the most liquid segment. Large-scale original oils with named gallery provenance (notably the Sladmore Gallery, London) form the upper tier. The market shows a significant liquidity gap in the most recent two years with zero priced lots recorded, making it difficult to gauge current price trends. Collectors should treat print and poster values as distinct from original oils when assessing a work's likely appraisal range.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Oil on canvas
- Watercolour
- Works on paper (charcoal, ink drawings)
- Prints and multiples (lithographs, limited edition prints)
- Posters (British Railways and travel posters)
Value drivers
- [object Object]
Appraisal caveats
- Prints, poster reproductions, and book illustrations are far more common at auction than original oils and should be distinguished from unique works
- Cuneo was extremely prolific over a long career; quality and significance vary considerably across his output
- Attribution should be confirmed for unsigned works, as his style has been widely imitated in the railway art genre
- Prints, poster reproductions, and book illustrations are far more common at auction than original oils and should be distinguished from unique works. The dataset's low median (£120) reflects this mix.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program 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 Terence Tenison Cuneo 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 Terence Tenison Cuneo artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.