# George Keyt artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/george-keyt/
Profile generated: 2026-05-24T21:25:28.604Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: Sri Lankan
- Movements: Cubism
- Common media: painting

## About George Keyt

George Keyt (1901–1993), born George Percival Sproule Keyt, is widely regarded as Sri Lanka's most distinguished modern painter. Active through the twentieth century, Keyt developed a distinctive visual language shaped by cubism and the flat, decorative planes of Henri Matisse, blended with deep engagement with South Asian visual traditions. Ancient Buddhist sculpture from sites such as Sanchi, Nagarjunakonda, and Gandhara provided recurring formal and narrative inspiration. The Jataka tales — traditional stories of the Buddha's past lives — became a signature subject throughout his career. Keyt's synthesis of European modernist structure with Indian and Sri Lankan iconographic content made his work a landmark in South Asian modern art. His paintings are held in institutional and private collections internationally, and he remains a central figure in the study of modernism beyond the Western canon.

## Common works and media

Keyt is best known for oil paintings on canvas and works on paper depicting Jataka tale narratives, Buddhist figures, and female forms rendered in a cubist-derived idiom. His output also includes drawings, sketches, and murals. Works range from small-scale studies to large figurative compositions. Collectors may encounter both paintings and works on paper at auction, with the former typically representing the higher-value segment of his market.

## Market and appraisal context

George Keyt's works appear regularly in South Asian modern and contemporary art sales at international auction houses. Key valuation factors include the period of execution, whether the work reflects his signature cubist-inflected style or Buddhist narrative subjects, medium, dimensions, provenance, and condition. Paintings with clear exhibition or publication history tend to achieve stronger results. Collectors should verify authenticity through documented provenance, as Keyt's market prominence means attribution questions can arise. Comparable public auction records from major houses are the most reliable benchmark for current estimates.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from authority files and institutional sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For George Keyt, this page draws on Getty ULAN, VIAF, Wikidata, RKD, and encyclopedic sources. Market observations should be supplemented with current comparable auction data before any appraisal determination.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5541327
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Keyt
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500018605
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/15571087/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88184590
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/44228