William Russell Flint Auction Prices and Value Guide

William Russell Flint auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 4,327 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

William Russell Flint auction prices: quick answer

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

Artist
William Russell Flint
Source records
4,327
Market update
2026-02-06

William Russell Flint market snapshot

William Russell Flint shows deep auction liquidity with 426 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $240. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 18 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-11-02.

Realized price distribution

  • Under $1,000 (67.0% · 195 sales)
  • $1,000 to $10,000 (26.1% · 76 sales)
  • $10,000+ (6.9% · 20 sales)
Median sale (last 12 months)
$200
Sales recorded (last 12 months)
18
Median shift vs prior year
+100.0%
Latest recorded sale
2025-11-02

Artist context

About William Russell Flint

Sir William Russell Flint (1880–1969) was a Scottish painter, watercolourist, printmaker, and illustrator celebrated for his accomplished watercolours of the female figure. Born in Edinburgh on 4 April 1880, Flint trained as a draughtsman before establishing a prolific career in London that spanned seven decades. He was elected president of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours and held that post for twenty years. Knighted for his contributions to British art, Flint also produced illustrations for major literary editions. He worked across watercolour, oil, tempera, and print media, earning particular recognition for his technical mastery of watercolour technique. His paintings combine academic draughtsmanship with a distinctive sensitivity to light and texture. Flint died in London on 27 December 1969.

British traditional / academic figurative painting, early-to-mid 20th centurywatercolouroil paintingtemperaprintmaking (drypoint, lithograph)female figuresliterary and biblical illustrationclassical and pastoral scenes

Common works and media

Flint's output spans watercolours, oil paintings, tempera works, drypoint prints, lithographs, and book illustrations. His most recognised pieces are watercolours depicting female figures, often in classical or pastoral settings. He illustrated literary editions, including limited-run books with original prints. Drawings and preparatory studies appear alongside finished paintings at auction. Signed drypoint prints and editioned lithographs are commonly encountered and represent an accessible entry point for collectors.

Market and appraisal context

William Russell Flint maintains a liquid and well-documented secondary market. Appraisily auction records index 438 lots with 300 priced results spanning March 2002 through April 2026, indicating sustained and ongoing trade. Fourteen lots appeared in the most recent twelve-month period (ending April 2026), roughly consistent with fifteen in the prior twelve months, showing stable market activity without significant expansion or contraction. Price dispersion is wide. The recorded minimum is £8 and the maximum is £88,900, with a median of approximately £240 and a 75th percentile near £1,874. This range reflects the broad spectrum of Flint's output: unsigned edition prints and reproductions cluster below £200, pencil-signed etchings and lithographs typically realise £100–£500, original watercolours command £1,000–£5,000 at mid-tier houses, and major watercolour or oil compositions have exceeded £35,000 at Sotheby's. The distribution is heavily right-skewed, meaning most lots trade at accessible price points while a smaller number of important original works reach premium levels. Major auction houses actively handle Flint material, including Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams, alongside a strong network of UK regional firms (Mallams, Ewbank's, Dreweatts 1759, John Nicholson's, Golding Young & Mawer, Canterbury Auction Galleries, Adam's, Crow's Auction Gallery). Australian houses (Leonard Joel, Gibson's, Aalders, Leski, Lawsons) and North American firms (DuMouchelles, Turner Auctions, Millea Bros) also appear, confirming genuinely international demand across the UK, Australia, and North America.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • watercolour
  • oil painting
  • tempera
  • printmaking (drypoint, lithograph)
  • drawing

Value drivers

  1. Medium: original watercolours and oils command higher values than prints and illustrations
  2. Print editions (drypoints, lithographs, book illustrations) are numerous and trade at lower price points than unique works
  3. Provenance, condition, size, and subject matter affect value
  4. Works from his presidency of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours may carry additional provenance significance
  5. Medium is the primary value driver: original watercolours and oils command substantially more than edition prints, photogravures, and book illustrations
  6. Signature status matters: pencil-signed etchings and lithographs typically realise more than unsigned or plate-signed editions

Appraisal caveats

  • Over four thousand auction lots are recorded, indicating a very large body of work across multiple media and editions. Collectors should distinguish between original watercolours, limited-edition prints, and later reproductions, as these categories differ substantially in value.
  • Auction prices recorded in the source pack span multiple currencies (GBP, USD, AUD, CAD); direct comparison requires currency normalisation. Price distribution figures are in the currencies as recorded and have not been converted to a single base currency.
  • Of 438 indexed lots, 300 have recorded prices (69%). The remaining 138 lots either did not sell, had prices not yet reported, or were unsold reserves. The distribution may be biased toward successfully sold lots.
  • Lot titles in the source pack describe works variably—some specify medium precisely (e.g., 'etching', 'watercolour on paper', 'lithograph print'), while others are generic (e.g., 'William Russell Flint, drawing on paper'). Medium attribution in lot titles may not always be authoritative.

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 Russell Flint

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is William Russell Flint 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 Russell Flint artwork?

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