# Clifton Pugh artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/clifton-pugh/
Profile generated: 2026-05-02T12:58:24.398Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: Australian
- Movements: German Expressionism (influence), Antipodeans
- Common media: oil painting

## About Clifton Pugh

Clifton Ernest Pugh (1924–1990) was an Australian painter born in Melbourne, widely regarded as one of the country's most significant post-war artists. He won the Archibald Prize for portraiture three times and became known for bold, expressive landscapes and figurative works shaped by German Expressionism. Pugh was a key participant in the Antipodeans exhibition alongside Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Charles Blackman, and other leading Australian painters who championed figurative painting against prevailing abstraction. He also exhibited in collaborative and experimental contexts, including a joint show with Barry Humphries responding to Dadaism and the Group of Four exhibitions at the Victorian Artists Society Gallery. His work is held in major Australian public collections and continues to circulate in the secondary market.

## Common works and media

Pugh is most commonly encountered in oil on canvas and oil on board, with subjects including Australian bush landscapes, native flora, portraits of prominent Australians, and figurative compositions. Prints and works on paper also appear in the secondary market. His landscapes often feature dense, gestural brushwork with a distinctive expressionist palette. Portraits range from commissioned likenesses to informal studies. Collectors may also encounter exhibition posters and limited-edition reproductions associated with his Archibald Prize entries and Antipodeans-era shows.

## Market and appraisal context

Clifton Pugh maintains an active and liquid secondary market with 828 auction lots recorded, of which 533 carry realized prices spanning 2002 to May 2026. The price distribution is wide: the median stands at AUD 800, the 25th percentile at AUD 250, and the 75th percentile at AUD 4,600, with a ceiling of AUD 73,350. This dispersion reflects a market where small works on paper and prints trade below AUD 500, while significant early oils from the 1950s–1970s regularly command five-figure sums. Liquidity is stable, with 52 lots in the most recent 12 months against 53 in the prior 12 months. Works circulate through ten or more auction houses including Leonard Joel (the most frequent venue), Gibson's, Smith & Singer, Bonhams, Menzies, Christie's, Lawsons, Shapiro Auctioneers, Aalders Auctions, Art Invest, GFL Fine Art, Cooee Art, and Sydney Rare Book Auctions. The strongest prices cluster around large-format oils from Pugh's Antipodeans-era and 1960s–1970s period, particularly landscapes with birds and figurative compositions.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Clifton Pugh maintains an active and liquid secondary market with 828 auction lots recorded, of which 533 carry realized prices spanning 2002 to May 2026. The price distribution is wide: the median stands at AUD 800, the 25th percentile at AUD 250, and the 75th percentile at AUD 4,600, with a ceiling of AUD 73,350. This dispersion reflects a market where small works on paper and prints trade below AUD 500, while significant early oils from the 1950s–1970s regularly command five-figure sums. Liquidity is stable, with 52 lots in the most recent 12 months against 53 in the prior 12 months. Works circulate through ten or more auction houses including Leonard Joel (the most frequent venue), Gibson's, Smith & Singer, Bonhams, Menzies, Christie's, Lawsons, Shapiro Auctioneers, Aalders Auctions, Art Invest, GFL Fine Art, Cooee Art, and Sydney Rare Book Auctions. The strongest prices cluster around large-format oils from Pugh's Antipodeans-era and 1960s–1970s period, particularly landscapes with birds and figurative compositions.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would use these 828 auction records as a comparable-sales foundation, cross-referencing the subject work against recent lots by medium (oil on canvas, oil on board, acrylic on masonite, works on paper), dimensions, date of execution, subject matter (landscape, bird study, portrait, figurative), and auction-house tier. The appraiser would adjust for condition, provenance chain, exhibition history (especially Antipodeans or Archibald Prize connections), signature presence, and whether the work falls into Pugh's high-demand 1950s–1970s period or his later 1980s output. Given the wide price range (AUD 20–73,350), specific comparable selection is critical; a mid-career oil landscape in good condition with gallery provenance would anchor to the AUD 4,000–24,000 range, while small untitled works on paper or prints would reference the sub-AUD 500 tier. All prices in the record set are denominated in AUD.

### Valuation factors

- Period of execution: 1950s–1970s works (Antipodeans era) command premiums over 1980s works
- Medium: oil on canvas and large-format oils on board achieve the highest prices; works on paper and prints trade at the lower end
- Subject matter: bird and landscape subjects with expressive brushwork are most sought after; figurative and mythological themes also attract strong bidding
- Size: large-scale works above 90 cm in any dimension consistently outperform small-format pieces
- Provenance and exhibition history: works with documented Antipodeans exhibition or Archibald Prize provenance carry premiums
- Auction-house tier: results from Smith & Singer, Bonhams, Menzies, and Christie's typically reflect higher estimates than regional houses
- Condition: unrestored original surfaces are preferred; overcleaning or inpainting significantly reduces value
- Signature and documentation: signed and dated works with gallery labels or catalogue references are easier to attribute and appraise

### Collector notes

- Pugh's market is broad and accessible. Entry-level collectors can acquire smaller oils, prints, or works on paper for AUD 200–800 at houses like Leonard Joel and Gibson's. Mid-range buyers targeting significant 1960s–1970s landscapes should budget AUD 4,000–17,000, with the strongest pieces reaching AUD 20,000–24,000 at premium venues (Smith & Singer, Bonhams, Cooee Art). The ceiling of AUD 73,350 applies to museum-quality early works in exceptional condition. Liquidity is strong: with roughly 50 lots offered per year, resale opportunities are regular. Collectors should prioritize works with clear provenance, especially those linked to the Antipodeans period or Archibald Prize history, as these hold value best. Later works from the 1980s, while still collectible, tend to trade at lower multiples. Authentication should reference the artist's established catalogue and, where possible, expert opinion for unsigned works.

### Market caveats

- All price data are in AUD and sourced from the Appraisily auction-record index, which aggregates public auction feeds; prices may not include buyer's premiums in all cases.
- The maximum recorded price (AUD 73,350) is an outlier; the interquartile range (AUD 250–4,600) is more representative of the typical market.
- Some recent lots lack realized prices (marked null), which may indicate unsold lots or results not yet published.
- Attribution should be verified against published catalogues or expert opinion, especially for unsigned or untitled works.
- Works on paper and prints may be difficult to distinguish from oil paintings in lot titles alone; medium confirmation requires image review.
- Market conditions can shift; the 12-month volume stability (52 vs. 53 lots) is current as of May 2026 but does not guarantee future liquidity.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/clifton-pugh/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Leonard Joel via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-rites-of-spring-1977-oil-on-board-182-x-136cm-38-c-e5761379b9
- Gibson's via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-collecting-dead-wool-1957-33-c-2d342d282f
- Cooee Art via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-magpies-in-a-landscape-1971-41-c-cb04231b7b
- Smith & Singer via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-landscape-with-crow-1969-oil-on-composition-board-91-5-x-122-cm-89-c-ea4d11c520
- Bonhams via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-swamp-form-1958-29-c-0cc4317bd6
- Leonard Joel via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-orpheus-1962-oil-on-board-136-x-90cm-140-c-66a8deb76c
- Leonard Joel via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-flight-of-birds-1978-4115-c-5c14517852
- Gibson's via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-two-magpies-1957-87-c-7894c928e7
- Leonard Joel via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-the-christ-of-atotonilco-1965-acrylic-on-masonite-120-x-90cm-151-c-6818456c4f
- Leonard Joel via Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clifton-pugh-1924-1990-big-bird-little-bird-1969-oil-on-board-109-x-90cm-104-5-x-94cm-frame-97-c-89f78eaeab

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from authority files and public biographical sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. The identity and biographical data for this artist are grounded in library authority records from the Library of Congress, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5133302
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/33240601/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50020119
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/65048
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Pugh