# Frederick Edward McWilliam artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/frederick-edward-mcwilliam/
Profile generated: 2026-05-27T12:00:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1909-04-30
- Death date: 1992-05-13
- Nationality: British, Northern Irish
- Movements: Surrealism
- Common media: Stone sculpture, Wood carving, Bronze sculpture

## About Frederick Edward McWilliam

Frederick Edward McWilliam (1909–1992) was a Northern Irish sculptor recognized for his surrealist approach to three-dimensional form. Born in Banbridge, County Down, he trained and worked primarily in London, where he developed a distinctive practice centered on stone carving, wood carving, and bronze casting. McWilliam's work drew on surrealist ideas while maintaining a strong commitment to direct carving and the tactile qualities of his materials. His sculptures are held in major public collections including the Tate and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Active through the mid-to-late twentieth century, McWilliam remains a significant figure in British and Irish modern sculpture, and his works appear regularly in the secondary market at international auction.

## Common works and media

McWilliam is most commonly encountered in appraisal and auction contexts as bronze sculptures (often in signed and numbered editions), carved stone pieces, and wood carvings. His surrealist-influenced forms range from figurative abstraction to more purely biomorphic shapes. Works may carry his "McW" monogram. Collectors may also encounter smaller-scale maquettes, plaster studies, and exhibition-related prints or documentation.

## Market and appraisal context

McWilliam's sculptures surface at auction chiefly as bronze editions and unique stone or wood carvings. Collectors should note the medium, date, edition number (for bronzes), foundry marks, and condition when evaluating a work. His representation in the Tate and MoMA collections underpins steady institutional demand. Provenance linking a piece to a notable collection or exhibition can materially affect value. Because published auction results were not available in this research pass, a detailed comparable-sale analysis is recommended before any appraisal or purchase decision.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured artist identity research from authority files and museum records with auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Frederick Edward McWilliam, this page draws on records from the RKD, Getty ULAN, VIAF, Wikidata, the Tate collection, and the Museum of Modern Art.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/51846
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/f-e-mcwilliam-1613
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5423877
- VIAF (OCLC): https://viaf.org/viaf/18639004/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500087168
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._E._McWilliam
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/3899
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n84236928