# Desmond Morris artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/desmond-morris/
Profile generated: 2026-05-31T05:24:21.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1928-01-24
- Death date: 2026-04-19
- Nationality: British, English
- Movements: Surrealism
- Common media: Oil painting, Assemblage

## About Desmond Morris

Desmond Morris (1928–2026) was an English surrealist painter, assemblage artist, zoologist, and bestselling author whose career bridged the sciences and the visual arts. Born in Purton, Wiltshire, he began painting in a surrealist vein in the late 1940s and exhibited alongside leading British surrealists before achieving wider fame as a zoologist and broadcaster. His best-known scientific work, The Naked Ape (1967), sold millions of copies worldwide, while his television series Zoo Time reached a broad popular audience. Throughout his scientific career Morris continued to paint and produce assemblages, maintaining a dedicated artistic practice informed by his deep knowledge of animal behavior and biological form. His work is held in the Tate collection and documented by major art-history institutions including the RKD and Getty ULAN. This dual identity—as both a serious surrealist artist and a public intellectual—makes Morris an unusual figure collectors may encounter in Post-War and Modern British art contexts.

## Common works and media

Morris's visual output includes oil paintings on canvas, often featuring biomorphic and abstracted forms rooted in surrealist composition, as well as constructed assemblages. Works on paper, prints, and mixed-media pieces also appear in exhibition and auction records. Subject matter tends toward organic shapes and abstracted natural forms, reflecting his zoological background. Collectors may encounter works ranging from small-scale paintings to larger canvas compositions and relief assemblages.

## Market and appraisal context

Desmond Morris's paintings and assemblages appear at auction under Post-War, Modern British, and Surrealist categories. Value depends heavily on medium, size, period, provenance, and exhibition history. Because Morris is far better known as a zoologist and author, some lots may be under-catalogued or misattributed; collectors should verify identity and authenticity carefully. The moderate volume of recorded auction lots suggests a niche but active secondary market, particularly in the United Kingdom. Comparable public auction results, where available, provide the most reliable pricing benchmarks.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines verified identity research from institutional sources—including the Tate, RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and Getty ULAN—with public auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots drawn from the Appraisily and Invaluable databases where those records are available.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/57838
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/desmond-morris-2773
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q311132
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500010454
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/95744740/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50006165
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Morris
- Desmond Morris: http://desmond-morris.com/