William Kurelek Auction Prices and Value Guide
William Kurelek auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 274 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
William Kurelek auction prices: quick answer
William Kurelek auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- William Kurelek
- Source records
- 274
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About William Kurelek
William Kurelek (1927–1977) was a Canadian painter, writer, and illustrator whose intensely detailed canvases draw on his upbringing on the Manitoba prairies, his Ukrainian-Canadian heritage, and his devout Roman Catholic faith. Raised on a dairy farm, Kurelek channeled personal hardship—including extended psychiatric treatment in his twenties—into an art practice defined by narrative precision and emotional directness. His paintings range from warmly observed scenes of rural immigrant life to starkly visionary religious and apocalyptic tableaux, all rendered in a meticulous realist style with strong folk-art affinities. A major touring retrospective, The Messenger, was organized in partnership with the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Kurelek was also a prolific children's book illustrator, and his work is held in public collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
oil paintingbook illustrationprairie and rural Canadian lifeUkrainian-Canadian immigrant experiencereligious and biblical scenesself-portraiture
Common works and media
Oil paintings on board or canvas depicting prairie farm life, Ukrainian-Canadian cultural traditions, biblical and religious narratives, and self-portraits. Kurelek also produced illustrations for children's books and other published volumes, along with preparatory drawings, prints, and smaller works on paper. Collectors may encounter finished gallery-scale paintings as well as illustrated book proofs and graphic works tied to his publishing career.
Market and appraisal context
Kurelek's paintings appear regularly in Canadian art auctions, with prairie landscapes, Ukrainian-Canadian cultural scenes, and religious compositions among the most encountered categories. Valuation depends on subject matter, medium, size, provenance linking the work to recognized exhibitions or galleries, condition, and documented comparables from recent Canadian auction records. Book illustrations and preparatory drawings related to his published projects also surface on the market, typically at lower price points than finished oils. Collectors should verify attribution through institutional cataloguing, as Kurelek's distinctive realist style has prompted occasional misattribution in the folk-art segment.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Appraisal caveats
- Exact birth and death dates are not confirmed from the available authority sources; only the years 1927 and 1977 are consistently recorded.
- No specific auction price records or realized prices are available from the collected source pack; market valuation should reference current Canadian auction databases.
- Attribution should be verified against cataloguing from recognized Canadian institutions, as Kurelek's detailed realist style has imitators in the folk-art market.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- VIAF library authority
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress 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 William Kurelek 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 Kurelek artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.