# Ceri Richards artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/ceri-richards/
Profile generated: 2026-05-09T12:56:17.902Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1903-06-06
- Death date: 1971-11-09
- Nationality: Welsh, British
- Movements: British modernism, Surrealism
- Common media: oil painting, printmaking, relief sculpture, mixed media

## About Ceri Richards

Ceri Giraldus Richards (1903–1971) was a Welsh painter, printmaker, and relief sculptor recognized as one of the most distinctive British modernists of the twentieth century. Born in Dunvant, near Swansea, Richards trained at the Swansea School of Art before moving to London, where he spent most of his career. His work drew on Surrealist imagery, Welsh cultural traditions, and a deep engagement with music, particularly the compositions of Debussy. Richards became known for paintings and constructed reliefs that blended biomorphic abstraction with lyrical, often musical subject matter. His work is held in major public collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London, and his identity is documented across leading library authority files including the Getty ULAN, VIAF, and the Library of Congress. Collectors most frequently encounter his work through paintings, limited-edition prints, and relief constructions that appear on the international auction market.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers encountering Ceri Richards' work will most commonly find oil paintings on canvas or board, screenprints and lithographs in signed editions, mixed-media relief constructions, and works on paper including gouaches and drawings. His subjects often reference music, landscape, and Surrealist symbolism. Prints may appear as individual sheets or in portfolio sets. Relief constructions, which combine painted wood, glass, and found materials, represent his most distinctive format and are relatively scarce on the market.

## Market and appraisal context

Ceri Richards' work appears regularly at auction across Modern British Art, Post-War and Contemporary, and Prints & Multiples categories. Oil paintings typically achieve the strongest results, followed by relief constructions and print editions. Factors that influence appraisal include the specific medium, date of execution, provenance linking to known exhibitions or collections, condition, and whether the work relates to his sought-after musical or Surrealist themes. Editioned prints should be assessed for edition size, plate or screen condition, and paper quality. Auction results should be verified against comparable lots from major houses, as prices vary widely by medium, size, and period.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine verified artist identity research from museum, library authority, and scholarly sources with available auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots. For Ceri Richards, identity data is grounded in records from Tate, the Museum of Modern Art, the Getty ULAN, the Library of Congress, VIAF, and the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History. Market observations are general and should be supplemented with current auction data for specific appraisal purposes.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/66618
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/ceri-richards-1836
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/4902
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5064241
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceri_Richards
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500013550
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50044897
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/15564942/