Thomas Sully Auction Prices and Value Guide

Thomas Sully auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 620 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Thomas Sully auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
Thomas Sully
Source records
620
Market update
2026-02-16

Thomas Sully market snapshot

Thomas Sully shows deep auction liquidity with 257 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $4,200. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 3 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2026-02-08.

Realized price distribution

  • Under $1,000 (9.1% · 19 sales)
  • $1,000 to $10,000 (65.4% · 136 sales)
  • $10,000+ (25.5% · 53 sales)
Median sale (last 12 months)
$1,300
Sales recorded (last 12 months)
3
Median shift vs prior year
0.0%
Latest recorded sale
2026-02-08

Artist context

About Thomas Sully

Thomas Sully portrait
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Source

Born

1783

Died

1872

Nationality

American

Thomas Sully (1783–1872) was an English-born American painter who became one of the leading portraitists of nineteenth-century Philadelphia. Taken to America as a child, he developed a long career portraying private sitters as well as prominent political, military, and royal figures. During an 1809–1810 visit to England, Sully received advice from Benjamin West, while his fluid handling and romantic warmth reflected his admiration for the fashionable portrait style of Thomas Lawrence. He returned to England in 1837–1838 to paint the young Queen Victoria for a Philadelphia organization. Although portrait paintings and miniatures form the center of his reputation, Sully also produced historical subjects; Washington Crossing the Delaware is his best-known example in that genre. Collectors encounter his work through portraits of varying scale and finish, miniature paintings, preparatory or related works, and historical compositions. Careful identification matters because his long, productive career and broad auction presence can produce materially different comparison groups.

Romantic portraitureNineteenth-century American portrait paintingOil painting on canvasMiniature paintingPortraitsProminent political, military, and royal sitters, including Queen VictoriaHistorical subjects, including Washington Crossing the Delaware

Common works and media

Collectors most often encounter Sully through painted portraits, including individual sitters, family subjects, public figures, and smaller-format miniatures. Oil paintings on canvas are represented in institutional sources, while miniature painting was also an established part of his practice. Historical compositions and studies connected with important commissions may appear as well. Auction listings can additionally classify works on paper, prints, decorative editions, or attributed objects under his name; these should be separated from securely attributed paintings before selecting comparable sales.

Market and appraisal context

A Thomas Sully appraisal should begin with attribution, medium, dimensions, date, condition, and the identity or significance of the sitter. Provenance, inscriptions, restoration history, exhibition references, and connections to documented commissions can also affect which public sales provide meaningful comparisons. Portraits should be compared with works of similar scale, format, finish, period, and subject rather than with the artist's auction results as a whole. Miniatures, works on paper, prints, historical subjects, and broadly attributed objects require their own comparison sets. Public auction records offer useful evidence, but private transactions, incomplete feeds, changes in attribution, and inconsistent treatment of buyer premiums limit direct price comparisons. A current appraisal should therefore examine photographs, physical condition, authorship evidence, and closely comparable dated sales together.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Fine art and paintings
  • Portrait paintings and miniatures
  • Works on paper and prints
  • Decorative art and editions

Value drivers

  1. Medium, dimensions, date, and placement within Sully's career
  2. Condition, restoration history, and surface quality
  3. Signature, inscriptions, edition information, and attribution confidence
  4. Provenance, exhibition history, and catalogue references
  5. Subject matter, sitter identity, rarity, and recent comparable auction sales

Appraisal caveats

  • Treat public auction records as a starting point rather than a final appraisal.
  • Do not assume that private transactions or lots missing from auction feeds are represented.
  • Compare realized results on a like-for-like basis, including the treatment of buyer premiums and fees.
  • Confirm authorship and object type before relying on broad artist-name matches, especially for attributed works, prints, and decorative editions.

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 Thomas Sully

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Thomas Sully 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 Thomas Sully artwork?

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