# Nancy Graves artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/nancy-graves/
Profile generated: 2026-05-18T21:28:23.349Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1939-12-23
- Death date: 1995-10-21
- Nationality: American
- Movements: Conceptual art
- Common media: Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking, Film, Drawing

## About Nancy Graves

Nancy Graves (1939–1995) was an American sculptor, painter, printmaker, and filmmaker whose work drew on natural history, cartography, and scientific imagery. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and active in New York City, Graves became known for sculptures that reference camels, botanical specimens, and lunar maps, often blurring the boundary between representation and abstraction. At age 29 she received a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, making her the youngest artist and fifth woman to earn that distinction at the time. Her work is held in major public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Graves also produced paintings, prints, and films, and is associated with post-war conceptual art in the United States.

## Common works and media

Graves produced sculptures in plaster, wax, bronze, and steel, often referencing animal forms, botanical structures, and geological specimens. She also created paintings on canvas, works on paper, and editioned prints. Her early camel sculptures from the late 1960s are among her most recognized works. Collectors may encounter lithographs, screenprints, and other graphic works as well as sculptural multiples at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

Nancy Graves's work appears at auction across Post-War and Contemporary Art and Prints and Multiples sales. Valuation depends on medium, scale, provenance, condition, and date of execution. Large sculptures and early works connected to her natural-history subjects tend to be the most sought after. Prints and works on paper are more accessible at auction and should be evaluated for edition details, signature, and documentation. Collectors should review comparable public auction records and provenance history when considering an appraisal.

## Appraisily data basis

This page draws on artist identity data from museum collections, library authority files, and scholarly databases. Appraisily artist pages combine this research with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lot data when those records are available.

## Sources

- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/33444
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q541831
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/114991177/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500001464
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/2310
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Graves
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80030805