# Gordon Grant artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/gordon-grant/
Profile generated: 2026-05-02T04:49:46.343Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1875-06-07
- Nationality: American
- Movements: American marine painting
- Common media: watercolor, oil painting, pen and ink illustration, etching and lithography

## About Gordon Grant

Gordon Hope Grant (1875–1962) was an American painter and illustrator celebrated for his maritime watercolors and his contributions to the visual identity of the American Boy Scouts. Born in San Francisco on June 7, 1875, Grant developed a reputation for rendering nautical subjects with a draftsman's precision and a watercolorist's sensitivity to atmosphere and light. His illustrations appeared in books, magazines, and institutional publications, while his fine art focused on sailing ships, naval vessels, and coastal harbor scenes. Grant's career bridges the traditions of American marine painting and early twentieth-century commercial illustration, making his work familiar to collectors across both fine art and illustrated ephemera. His work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is documented in major reference publications including Bénézit and Mantle Fielding's dictionary.

## Common works and media

Grant's most commonly encountered works include maritime watercolors of sailing ships, naval vessels, harbor scenes, and coastal views. He also produced oil paintings, pen-and-ink illustrations, book and magazine illustrations, poster designs, and etchings or lithographs of nautical subjects. His illustrations for Boy Scout handbooks and related institutional publications circulate widely as printed ephemera and collectible book illustrations.

## Market and appraisal context

Gordon Grant's work has a well-established and liquid secondary market, with 516 auction lots recorded and 279 carrying realized prices. His auction record spans from August 2000 through April 2026, demonstrating sustained collector interest over more than two decades. The price distribution is wide but concentrated at the lower end: the median realized price is $110, with a 25th percentile of $60 and a 75th percentile of $275. The recorded maximum of $14,000 reflects exceptional, likely museum-quality watercolors or large oils, while the minimum of $10 covers unsigned or common lithographic editions. Recent auction activity shows 25 lots in the trailing 12 months, down from 38 in the prior period, indicating a moderate but still active market. His work appears predominantly at regional American auction houses, with Rachel Davis Fine Arts, RoGallery, DuMouchelles, and Gray's Auctioneers among the most frequent sellers. Lithographs and etchings dominate recent offerings and typically sell between $10 and $120. Original watercolors of harbor scenes and marine subjects command significantly more, with recent realized prices of $300–$850. A large oil on masonite depicting a Hudson River view from the Palisades achieved $850 at Curated Gallery Auctions in March 2026, representing the higher end of recent results.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Gordon Grant's work has a well-established and liquid secondary market, with 516 auction lots recorded and 279 carrying realized prices. His auction record spans from August 2000 through April 2026, demonstrating sustained collector interest over more than two decades. The price distribution is wide but concentrated at the lower end: the median realized price is $110, with a 25th percentile of $60 and a 75th percentile of $275. The recorded maximum of $14,000 reflects exceptional, likely museum-quality watercolors or large oils, while the minimum of $10 covers unsigned or common lithographic editions. Recent auction activity shows 25 lots in the trailing 12 months, down from 38 in the prior period, indicating a moderate but still active market. His work appears predominantly at regional American auction houses, with Rachel Davis Fine Arts, RoGallery, DuMouchelles, and Gray's Auctioneers among the most frequent sellers. Lithographs and etchings dominate recent offerings and typically sell between $10 and $120. Original watercolors of harbor scenes and marine subjects command significantly more, with recent realized prices of $300–$850. A large oil on masonite depicting a Hudson River view from the Palisades achieved $850 at Curated Gallery Auctions in March 2026, representing the higher end of recent results.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would use these auction records as comparable-market evidence alongside a physical inspection of the work. Key appraisal inputs include: (1) photographs documenting the work's front, back, signature, and any labels or inscriptions; (2) exact dimensions and medium confirmation (distinguishing original watercolor from reproductive print is critical for Grant); (3) signature verification, as Grant's printed and hand-signed marks differ; (4) condition report addressing foxing, fading, tears, or mounting damage common to works on paper of this period; (5) provenance documentation including gallery receipts, estate records, or prior auction tags; (6) edition details for prints (Grant produced numerous Associated American Artists lithographs in editions typically around 250); and (7) comparable lot selection filtered by medium, subject, size, and date to bracket a defensible value range. The broad price dispersion ($10–$14,000) means that without medium and condition confirmation, auction comparables alone cannot establish value.

### Valuation factors

- Medium is the single strongest price driver: original watercolors and oils of maritime subjects typically realize $300–$850 at regional auctions, while lithographs and etchings generally sell between $10 and $120.
- Subject specificity affects value within each medium. Named vessels (e.g., Old Ironsides), identifiable harbors (Gloucester wharves), and ship portraits command premiums over generic marine views.
- Size matters: large-format works such as the 40-inch framed yachting watercolor and the Hudson River oil on masonite tend to achieve higher prices than small-format works on paper.
- Print edition and signature status: Grant's Associated American Artists (AAA) lithographs from the 1940s are widely available in signed editions and typically sell below $100. Unsigned or later restrike prints trade at the low end.
- Condition is critical for works on paper from the 1900–1960 period. Foxing, toning, acid burn from non-archival mounting, and UV fading can reduce value substantially.
- Provenance and exhibition history can elevate museum-quality watercolors above the typical auction range, particularly for works with gallery labels or documented exhibition records.
- Boy Scout illustrations and commercial ephemera form a separate, lower-value market segment distinct from Grant's fine art watercolors and oils.

### Collector notes



### Market caveats

- The $14,000 maximum price is an outlier and should not be treated as representative. The median of $110 and 75th percentile of $275 better describe the typical market for Grant's work.
- Grant's extensive output of reproductive prints and commercial illustrations means attribution must be carefully verified. Posthumous restrikes and unauthorized reproductions may circulate.
- Some auction listings conflate Grant's printed reproductions of his own watercolors with original works, which can inflate perceived value in online catalogs.
- The trailing 12-month lot count (25) is lower than the prior period (38), which may indicate reduced market liquidity or simply reflects incomplete data for the most recent months.
- One recent lot was denominated in AUD rather than USD, indicating that Grant's market extends beyond the United States but that currency conversion is needed for direct comparison.
- Several recent lots show no realized price (passed or unsold), suggesting that estimates or reserves may occasionally exceed buyer willingness, particularly for lithographs without strong subject appeal.
- Some authority files list conflicting death years (1960 vs. 1962); the 1962 date adopted here follows Wikidata and Wikipedia consensus but should be confirmed for formal appraisal documentation.

### Market evidence sources

- undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/gordon-grant/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-1875-1962-large-hudson-river-view-from-the-palisades-vintage-american-oil-on-masonite-50-c-731c3a19ce
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-1875-1962-american-nautical-lithograph-1378-c-5b942d885c
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-signed-gordon-grant-lithograph-the-seine-boat-157-c-1dff453965
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-arching-elms-in-winter-lithograph-844-c-41fb8ecc43
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-1875-1962-the-hardy-breed-signed-lithograph-aaa-c-1947-279-c-6f71fb18f0
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-the-whale-hunt-lithograph-signed-by-gordon-grant-329-c-f649a0d0f5
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-watercolor-harbor-scene-452-c-1ad1cd093e
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-american-1875-1962-lithograph-115-c-f6586614d3
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-framed-yachting-watercolor-signed-40-896a-c-86089cbde6
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-1875-1962-846-c-2174156aac
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-am-1875-1932-etchings-373-c-51b4921b9c
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-gordon-grant-american-1875-1962-salt-bark-gloucester-1947-130-c-afb492a804

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum records, library authority files, and published reference sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Gordon Grant, sources include the Museum of Modern Art, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, VIAF, Wikidata, and scholarly references such as Bénézit and Mantle Fielding's dictionary.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21176767
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Grant_(artist)
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/26258355/
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/2295
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/33349
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85274283