# James Mcbey artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/james-mcbey/
Profile generated: 2026-05-06T17:31:23.962Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1883-12-02
- Death date: 1959-12-01
- Nationality: Scottish, British
- Movements: Etching Revival (early 20th century)
- Common media: etching, watercolor, painting (oil), drawing, printmaking

## About James Mcbey

James McBey (1883–1959) was a Scottish etcher, painter, and watercolorist whose prints gained wide recognition during the etching revival of the early twentieth century. Born in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, he was largely self-taught, developing a refined technique in etching and drypoint that placed him among the leading British printmakers of his generation. McBey traveled extensively through Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, and the landscapes and cityscapes he encountered became recurring subjects in his work. He spent his later years in Tangier, Morocco, where he died in 1959. Aberdeen University recognised his contributions with an Honorary Doctor of Letters. His prints and watercolors are held in institutional collections and appear regularly at auction.

## Common works and media

McBey is best known for etchings and drypoint prints, often issued in numbered editions. He also produced watercolors, oil paintings, and drawings. Common subjects include Scottish coastal and Highland landscapes, Moroccan street scenes, Middle Eastern city views, and figurative compositions. Print portfolios and individual plates from the 1910s through the 1940s appear frequently at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

James McBey's secondary-market footprint is substantial and long-running. Appraisily's auction-record index traces 610 recorded lots spanning from September 1988 through April 2026, with 464 of those carrying a realised price. The work appears predominantly as intaglio prints—etchings and drypoints—alongside watercolors, drawings, and occasional oil paintings. Major houses that have offered McBey include Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Phillips, Lyon & Turnbull, and Dreweatts 1759, complemented by a broad roster of regional specialists such as McTear's, Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Brunk Auctions, Skinner, and Eldred's. This breadth of house representation signals consistent, geographically dispersed collector demand across the UK, US, and Australian markets. Price dispersion is wide but anchored at the low-to-mid hundreds: the interquartile range runs from roughly $250 to $1,125 (USD), with a median near $460. The ceiling sits at $38,000, indicating that scarce or important impressions—likely early-state etchings, signed limited editions, or significant watercolors—can command materially higher sums. Liquidity has moderated recently (6 lots in the trailing 12 months versus 9 in the prior period), but the long time-series and variety of houses suggest steady rather than speculative interest.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

James McBey's secondary-market footprint is substantial and long-running. Appraisily's auction-record index traces 610 recorded lots spanning from September 1988 through April 2026, with 464 of those carrying a realised price. The work appears predominantly as intaglio prints—etchings and drypoints—alongside watercolors, drawings, and occasional oil paintings. Major houses that have offered McBey include Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Phillips, Lyon & Turnbull, and Dreweatts 1759, complemented by a broad roster of regional specialists such as McTear's, Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Brunk Auctions, Skinner, and Eldred's. This breadth of house representation signals consistent, geographically dispersed collector demand across the UK, US, and Australian markets. Price dispersion is wide but anchored at the low-to-mid hundreds: the interquartile range runs from roughly $250 to $1,125 (USD), with a median near $460. The ceiling sits at $38,000, indicating that scarce or important impressions—likely early-state etchings, signed limited editions, or significant watercolors—can command materially higher sums. Liquidity has moderated recently (6 lots in the trailing 12 months versus 9 in the prior period), but the long time-series and variety of houses suggest steady rather than speculative interest.

### Appraisal notes

When Appraisily appraises a James McBey work, the auction-record index of 610 lots provides a broad comparable base. An appraiser would narrow this pool by matching the submitted work's medium (etching, drypoint, watercolor, oil, drawing), plate or image date, edition size and number, sheet dimensions, subject matter (Scottish landscape, Moroccan scene, Middle Eastern view, figurative study, port scene, battle scene), and signature presence against the priced lot set. Photographs, condition reports (foxing, trimming, plate tone, paper quality, fading), provenance history, and catalogue raisonné references are layered on top to position the work within the observed price distribution. For etchings and drypoints—the most common medium—edition size and impression quality are among the strongest value drivers. Watercolors and oil paintings, being rarer at auction, may warrant comparison against a smaller set of higher-priced comparable lots. The presence of McBey works at top-tier houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Phillips) provides institutional-grade comparable anchors, while regional-house results broaden the market context.

### Valuation factors

- Medium: etchings and drypoints dominate the auction record and form the core market; watercolors and oils are less frequent but tend toward higher price points when they appear
- Edition and impression quality: plate date, edition size, impression number, and whether the print is a signed early-state proof materially affect value within the $250–$1,125 interquartile range
- Subject: Scottish coastal and Highland views, Moroccan and Middle Eastern scenes, Venice compositions, and battle subjects each attract distinct collector segments; subject rarity influences positioning within the price band
- Condition: print impressions on fine laid paper without foxing, trimming, or fading are strongly preferred; condition issues are a common cause of below-median results
- Attribution and cataloguing: works should be verified against published catalogue raisonné entries; attribution uncertainty or absence of signature reduces buyer confidence and price
- Provenance: documented provenance from a notable collection or dealer history can push a lot above the p75 threshold; the record ceiling of $38,000 likely reflects such factors
- Market liquidity: recent annual volume (6–9 lots with prices) suggests a thin but active market—sellers should allow adequate exposure time, and buyers should not assume immediate resale liquidity at the median

### Collector notes

- McBey etchings at the $200–$500 level are accessible entry points for collectors of early-20th-century British printmaking, with the median near $460. Expect significant price variation based on subject and impression quality. Signed impressions of well-known plates from the 1910s–1930s (e.g. Middle Eastern and Scottish subjects) tend to outperform generic port or landscape scenes. Watercolors and oil paintings appear less often but can reach into the hundreds or low thousands at auction; the $750 realised price for the watercolor 'The Letter' (2023) and $2,340 for five traveling sketchbooks (2025) illustrate the upper range for works on paper. The wide price spread ($20–$38,000) means that both undervalued and overpriced lots can occur—comparable-lot research is essential. Regional auction houses regularly offer McBey prints, creating periodic buying opportunities below the major-house price level. Sellers should note that the market is moderately thin (roughly half a dozen priced lots per year), so realistic reserves and adequate marketing time are advisable.

### Market caveats

- Auction results in this addendum are drawn from the Appraisily auction-record index and Invaluable listings; not every McBey lot at every house worldwide may be captured, and results in currencies other than USD have not been normalised to a single currency.
- The $38,000 maximum likely represents an outlier or a particularly significant work; the interquartile range ($250–$1,125) is a more reliable guide for typical etchings and watercolors.
- Some recent lots (e.g. lots at Gorringes and Main Auction Galleries) are denominated in GBP or AUD; cross-currency comparison introduces exchange-rate variation.
- Several recent lots have no realised price recorded, which may indicate bought-in (unsold) lots or data gaps; the priced-lot count (464 of 610) reflects this.
- Attribution for lots described generically as 'JAMES MCBEY ETCHING' at regional houses has not been independently verified against a catalogue raisonné; buyers should request full cataloguing.
- Market volume has softened slightly (6 lots in the most recent 12 months vs. 9 in the prior 12 months); a small sample makes trend inference uncertain.
- This addendum is a market-evidence summary, not an appraisal. A formal appraisal requires direct examination of the specific work's physical condition, dimensions, signature, edition markings, provenance, and catalogue raisonné status.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/james-mcbey/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Hill Auction Gallery: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-james-mcbey-1883-1959-battle-scene-etching-signed-605-c-7717aa5024
- Invaluable / Eldred's: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-james-mcbey-england-america-1883-1959-three-landscapes-etchings-on-laid-paper-sheets-from-7-75-x-11-to-10-25-x-14-25-matted-7049-c-cd241e3b0d
- Invaluable / Theodore Bruce Auctioneers: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-james-mcbey-etchings-and-dry-points-from-1902-to-1924-129-c-6be4878ace

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from authority files, museums, and scholarly sources with auction records, sale dates, realised prices, and comparable lot data when those records are available. The information on this page reflects publicly sourced research and is not a substitute for a professional appraisal.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/54304
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6139167
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McBey
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/5687699/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50009216
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500021439