William Trost Richards Auction Prices and Value Guide
William Trost Richards auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 927 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
William Trost Richards auction prices: quick answer
William Trost Richards auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- William Trost Richards
- Source records
- 927
- Market update
- 2026-02-16
Artist context
About William Trost Richards
William Trost Richards (1833–1905) was an American painter celebrated for his meticulous landscape and marine subjects. Active during the second half of the nineteenth century, Richards holds a distinctive place in American art for his dual association with two major movements: the Hudson River School, known for its romanticized depictions of natural scenery, and the American Pre-Raphaelite movement, which championed rigorous, truthful observation of the natural world. Born on November 14, 1833, Richards developed a reputation for extraordinary precision in his renderings of Atlantic coastal scenes, woodland interiors, and mountain landscapes. His work bridges the grand, atmospheric compositions of earlier Hudson River painters and the exacting naturalism pursued by Pre-Raphaelite adherents. Richards exhibited widely during his lifetime, and his paintings are held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He died on November 8, 1905.
Hudson River SchoolAmerican Pre-Raphaelite movementoil on canvaswatercolor on paperlandscapemarine / seascapecoastal sceneswoodland interiors
Common works and media
Richards worked primarily in oil on canvas and watercolor on paper. Common subjects include Atlantic coastal seascapes with crashing waves against rocky shorelines, woodland and forest interiors, mountain landscapes, and detailed botanical and geological studies. His marine paintings are noted for near-photographic precision in rendering water and rock formations. Watercolors range from finished exhibition pieces to smaller field studies. Occasional graphite and charcoal drawings on paper also appear at auction, as do smaller cabinet-sized oils.
Market and appraisal context
William Trost Richards has a substantial and well-established auction market spanning over 35 years, with 537 recorded lots of which 391 carry realized prices. The price distribution is exceptionally wide, ranging from $100 for small works on paper to $1,650,500 for major exhibition-quality oil paintings, with a median of $6,500 and an interquartile range of $2,415–$20,000. Recent auction activity remains active, with 23 lots in the trailing 12 months and the most recent sale recorded in April 2026 at Eldred's. Top-tier houses handling Richards's work include Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams, alongside respected regional specialists such as Eldred's, Shannon's, Freeman's, Heritage Auctions, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, and Skinner. Notable recent results include Mother and Child in an Autumn Landscape, 1876 (oil on canvas, Shannon's, October 2025) at $300,000 and Rolling Surf, 1900 (Freeman's, December 2025) at $50,000, both demonstration the premium that finished marine and figural oils command. In contrast, small watercolors, pastels, and ink studies at Eldred's and Marion Antique Auctions trade in the $200–$950 range, reflecting the deep stratification by medium and size that characterizes this artist's market.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Oil on canvas
- Watercolor on paper
- Pastel on paper
- Gouache on paper
- Ink and wash on paper
Value drivers
- Medium and scale: major oil on canvas works command the highest prices, with exhibition oils reaching $300,000 or more, while watercolors, pastels, and ink studies typically trade below $2,000.
- Subject matter: coastal marine scenes and seascapes are the most sought-after subjects, followed by woodland interiors and mountain landscapes; marine subjects consistently achieve premium results at top-tier houses.
- Condition: oil paintings are subject to craquelure, relining, inpainting, and surface wear; works on paper may show foxing, fading, or acid burn — condition issues can significantly reduce value.
- Provenance and exhibition history: works with documented museum exhibition, scholarly publication, or ownership by named collectors carry a substantial premium over works with no provenance trail.
- Finish and completeness: highly finished exhibition canvases command far more than preparatory studies or field sketches, even when subject matter is similar.
- Auction-house tier: works sold at Christie's, Sotheby's, or Bonhams tend to realize stronger prices than equivalent works at regional houses, reflecting cataloguing depth and buyer confidence.
Appraisal caveats
- Over 900 recorded lots in public sale databases indicate sustained market activity; individual results vary widely by medium, size, and subject.
- Works on paper (watercolor, graphite) appear frequently at auction and are typically valued below major oil paintings.
- Attribution should be verified against museum records or scholarly catalogues, as period and style overlap with other American landscape painters.
- All price data is sourced from Appraisily's auction-record index, which aggregates public auction feeds; individual records may lack realized prices, medium details, or complete dimensions, limiting precise comparable matching.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- VIAF library authority
- Library of Congress library authority
- The Museum of Modern Art museum or university
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History 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 Trost Richards 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 Trost Richards artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.