William Blake Richmond Auction Prices and Value Guide

William Blake Richmond auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 207 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

William Blake Richmond auction prices: quick answer

William Blake Richmond auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
William Blake Richmond
Source records
207
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About William Blake Richmond

Sir William Blake Richmond (1842–1921) was a British painter, sculptor, medalist, and designer celebrated for his portraiture and large-scale decorative schemes. Born in London, he was the son of the portrait painter George Richmond and trained at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1857. Richmond became one of the most prominent Victorian artists of his generation, serving as Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University from 1878 to 1883. His most ambitious public commission was the extensive mosaic decoration of the choir and apse of St Paul's Cathedral in London, a project that occupied him for years and remains one of the cathedral's defining visual features. Elected to the Royal Academy and knighted for his contributions to British art, Richmond also produced stained glass, medals, and sculptural works. Collectors most frequently encounter his oil portraits of distinguished Victorian sitters, which combine classical refinement with an attention to character that placed him among the leading portraitists of late nineteenth-century Britain.

Victorian classical revivalAesthetic Movementoil paintingsculpturestained glassmosaicportraitsreligious and decorative schemesclassical and mythological themes

Common works and media

Richmond's most commonly encountered works in the secondary market are oil-on-canvas portraits of Victorian-era figures, ranging from informal studies to full-length state portraits. He also produced watercolours, chalk and pencil drawings, sculptural portrait busts and relief medals, and designs for stained glass and mosaics. Print reproductions of his better-known paintings circulate widely. Works on paper, including preparatory sketches for the St Paul's Cathedral mosaics, appear periodically at auction and represent an accessible entry point for collectors of Victorian British art.

Market and appraisal context

William Blake Richmond's works appear at auction primarily as oil portraits, preparatory drawings, watercolours, and small-scale sculptures or medals. Portraits of identified and prominent sitters tend to attract the strongest interest. Attribution and condition are important factors, as Richmond's long career and use of studio assistants on decorative commissions mean that workshop-associated pieces occasionally surface. Provenance linking a work to a known exhibition or patron enhances value. Collectors should consult recent comparable auction results for British Victorian art to assess current market levels, as this source pack did not include specific realised prices.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Value drivers

  1. Portrait sitters of identified prominent figures carry stronger demand
  2. Oil paintings and large-scale works are more sought after than works on paper
  3. Provenance linking to the artist's exhibited or commissioned works adds value
  4. Attribution should consider Richmond's circle and the practice of studio assistants in decorative commissions

Appraisal caveats

  • No specific realised-price data or auction records were available in this source pack; comparable lots should be verified via dedicated auction databases.
  • Richmond's decorative mosaics and architectural commissions are fixed works and do not appear on the market; market activity centres on portable paintings, drawings, and sculptural works.

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 William Blake Richmond

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is William Blake Richmond 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 William Blake Richmond artwork?

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