William Lester Stevens Auction Prices and Value Guide
William Lester Stevens auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 937 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
William Lester Stevens auction prices: quick answer
William Lester Stevens auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- William Lester Stevens
- Source records
- 937
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
William Lester Stevens market snapshot
William Lester Stevens shows very deep auction liquidity with 549 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $2,133. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 21 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2026-02-06.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (28.2% · 125 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (66.4% · 294 sales)
- $10,000+ (5.4% · 24 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $1,300
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 21
- Median shift vs prior year
- +8.3%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About William Lester Stevens
William Lester Stevens (1888–1969) was an American painter born in Rockport, Massachusetts, best known for landscape subjects. Active across much of the first half of the twentieth century, Stevens built a substantial body of work that has earned him a consistent presence in the secondary art market. He is documented in major artist-reference publications including Bénézit's Dictionnaire critique, Mantle Fielding's Dictionary of American Painters, and Peter Falk's Who Was Who in American Art. His identity and biography are confirmed across multiple library-authority records, including the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, Wikidata, and the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History. With over 900 recorded auction appearances, Stevens is one of the more frequently encountered American landscape painters at auction.
oil paintinglandscape
Common works and media
Stevens worked primarily as a painter of landscapes, most often in oil on canvas or board. Collectors may encounter New England coastal and rural scenes consistent with his Rockport, Massachusetts origins. Works range from small easel paintings to larger exhibition-scale canvases. Signed examples appear frequently at auction, with titles typically reflecting regional landscape, seascape, and seasonal subjects.
Market and appraisal context
William Lester Stevens maintains an active and well-documented secondary market with 555 recorded auction lots, 448 of which carry realized prices. Auction appearances span from September 1994 through April 2026, confirming over three decades of continuous market presence. Prices cluster between $889 (25th percentile) and $4,443 (75th percentile) with a median of $2,100, though standout works have reached $16,250–$28,080 at houses such as Fontaine's and Eldred's. The market is anchored by regional American-art specialists including James D. Julia, Eldred's, Skinner, Kaminski Auctions, Freeman's | Hindman, Nadeau's Auction Gallery, and Weschler's. Oil-on-canvas landscape paintings—particularly New England coastal, rural, and winter scenes—command the strongest prices. Watercolors and works on paper trade at lower but still respectable levels, typically in the $150–$1,200 range. Lot volume dipped from 51 in the prior 12-month window to 23 in the most recent 12 months, which may reflect normal cyclical variation rather than a structural decline in demand.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- oil painting
- watercolor
- American Art
- Paintings
- landscape
Value drivers
- Landscape subjects are the primary recorded category; provenance and condition materially affect value
- Listing in Bénézit, Fielding's, and Falk reference standards supports established secondary-market recognition
- High volume of auction appearances (937+ recorded lots) indicates an active and established market
- Medium: oil on canvas works typically achieve higher prices than watercolors and works on paper; recent oil sales range $1,000–$5,500 while watercolors cluster $150–$1,200
- Size and scale: larger exhibition-scale canvases (e.g. 30×44 in., 40×36 in.) tend to outperform small easel paintings and board works
- Subject matter: New England winter landscapes, coastal scenes, and village compositions are the most sought-after subjects
Appraisal caveats
- Specific sale prices and market trends are not available from the collected sources; consult auction records for realized prices.
- Attribution and authentication should reference published catalogue or expert opinion; the collected sources do not address fakes or misattributions.
- Auction records reflect hammer or realized prices and may not include buyer's premium; actual transaction costs may be 15–25% higher than the prices shown.
- The 12-month volume decline (23 recent vs. 51 prior) is noted but may reflect seasonal consignment patterns rather than a change in market demand; a longer observation window is needed to confirm a trend.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- VIAF / OCLC library authority
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program 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 Lester Stevens 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 Lester Stevens artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.