# Herbert James Gunn artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/herbert-james-gunn/
Profile generated: 2026-05-30T14:16:35.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: Scottish, British
- Movements: British portraiture tradition, early 20th century
- Common media: oil painting, drawing

## About Herbert James Gunn

Sir Herbert James Gunn (1893–1964) was a Scottish painter celebrated for his refined portraits and landscapes. Born in Glasgow, he studied briefly at the Glasgow School of Art before continuing at the Edinburgh College of Art and the Académie Julian in Paris. By 1920 he had established himself in London, where he built a distinguished career painting leading figures of British public life. Gunn's sitters included royalty — most notably Queen Elizabeth II, whose coronation portrait he painted — as well as academics, judges, and statesmen. He was elected a Royal Academician and a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and was knighted for his services to art. His work is held in the Tate collection and other public institutions. Collectors encounter Gunn's paintings primarily through portrait commissions and landscape subjects that reflect his classical training and restrained, observational style.

## Common works and media

Gunn's output is dominated by commissioned oil-on-canvas portraits, ranging from head-and-shoulders studies to full-length state portraits. Notable examples include his coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the widely reproduced Pauline in the Yellow Dress. He also produced landscape paintings in oil, often depicting Scottish and English countryside scenes. Drawings and preparatory studies in graphite and charcoal exist in institutional collections. His work is not associated with editioned prints or sculpture. Portrait subjects span royalty, aristocracy, academics, members of the judiciary, and military figures.

## Market and appraisal context

Herbert James Gunn's work appears at auction primarily as oil portraits of identifiable British sitters, a category where provenance and sitter identity materially influence value. His royal commissions and portraits of prominent public figures carry the strongest institutional and collector interest. Landscape paintings by Gunn are less common in the market and can offer comparative value. Collectors and appraisers should consider sitter identification, condition, exhibition history, and whether a portrait retains its original commission provenance. With nearly 200 documented auction appearances, Gunn maintains a consistent secondary-market presence. Attribution should be confirmed through style analysis and, where possible, comparison with signed or institutionally held works.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines identity research from museum records, library authority files, and biographical databases with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. Sources include the Tate, Getty ULAN, RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, VIAF, and Wikidata.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/202589
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-herbert-james-gunn-12620
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16003695
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/68823449/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500007309
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr95043153
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_James_Gunn