# Peggy Bacon artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/peggy-bacon/
Profile generated: 2026-05-10T12:42:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1895-05-02
- Death date: 1987-01-03
- Nationality: American
- Movements: American Modernism
- Common media: Drypoint printmaking, Etching, Lithography, Oil painting, Watercolor, Pen and ink drawing, Book illustration

## About Peggy Bacon

Peggy Bacon (1895–1987), born Margaret Frances Bacon in Ridgefield, Connecticut, was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and author celebrated for her sharp satirical caricatures of the New York art world. She studied at the Art Students League in New York, where her instructors included figures associated with the Ashcan School and American realism. Bacon's drypoint prints and lithographs from the 1920s and 1930s drew wide attention for their wit and observational precision, capturing fellow artists, critics, and collectors with humor and insight. Beyond printmaking, she illustrated more than sixty books—including children's literature she wrote herself—and contributed cartoons and illustrations to major publications. Her range across fine art, commercial illustration, and literary work makes her a distinctive figure in twentieth-century American art, and collectors most frequently encounter her work through original prints and illustrated editions.

## Common works and media

Peggy Bacon is most frequently encountered in appraisal and auction contexts through original drypoint prints, etchings, and lithographs—particularly her satirical caricature portraits of art-world figures. She also produced oil and watercolor paintings, pencil and ink drawings, book illustrations, and children's literature with her own text and images. Editioned prints of domestic animals, especially cats, appear regularly. Illustrated first editions of her books represent a distinct collectible category alongside her fine-art work on paper.

## Market and appraisal context

Peggy Bacon maintains a steady, liquid secondary market centered on American prints and works on paper. Appraisily's auction-record index traces 273 catalogued lots since 2002, with 220 carrying realized prices. The price distribution spans $40 at the low end to $6,240 at the top, with a median of $375 and an interquartile range of $200–$698. Activity is consistent: 29 lots appeared in the trailing twelve months and 26 in the prior period, indicating stable collector demand rather than episodic spikes. Swann Auction Galleries is the dominant venue for her caricature drypoints and lithographs from the 1920s–1930s, where her strongest prices cluster—lots such as Dance at the League (1919, $3,168), Frenzied Effort ($2,000), and Vanity (1929, $1,524) illustrate the premium tier for signed early caricature prints. Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Weschler's, Caza Sikes, and Skinner handle a steady flow of mid-range prints ($200–$700). Oil paintings are scarcer but can outperform prints when subject and provenance align—Sudden Shower (oil on board) realized $900 at Eldred's. Lower-priced lots tend to be unsigned drawings, later watercolors, or illustrated books, which typically fall below $300.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Peggy Bacon maintains a steady, liquid secondary market centered on American prints and works on paper. Appraisily's auction-record index traces 273 catalogued lots since 2002, with 220 carrying realized prices. The price distribution spans $40 at the low end to $6,240 at the top, with a median of $375 and an interquartile range of $200–$698. Activity is consistent: 29 lots appeared in the trailing twelve months and 26 in the prior period, indicating stable collector demand rather than episodic spikes. Swann Auction Galleries is the dominant venue for her caricature drypoints and lithographs from the 1920s–1930s, where her strongest prices cluster—lots such as Dance at the League (1919, $3,168), Frenzied Effort ($2,000), and Vanity (1929, $1,524) illustrate the premium tier for signed early caricature prints. Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Weschler's, Caza Sikes, and Skinner handle a steady flow of mid-range prints ($200–$700). Oil paintings are scarcer but can outperform prints when subject and provenance align—Sudden Shower (oil on board) realized $900 at Eldred's. Lower-priced lots tend to be unsigned drawings, later watercolors, or illustrated books, which typically fall below $300.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would use the 220 priced auction records as a comparable-sale baseline, then adjust for the specific work's medium, dimensions, date of execution, signature status, edition number (for prints), condition, and documented provenance. A signed drypoint caricature from the 1920s in good condition with full margins would be positioned against the upper quartile ($698–$3,168 range), while a later unsigned watercolor or illustrated book would reference the lower quartile ($40–$281). The appraiser would verify edition information against catalogue references (Bacon's prints are documented in standard references), confirm that the work is not a later restrike or reproduction, and note any gallery or estate labels. Provenance from a named gallery (e.g., the Abigail Furey Galleries provenance noted in the Dargate lot) can support attribution confidence. Photographs, detailed condition reports, and framing details would be paired with the closest comparable lots from the same medium and period.

### Valuation factors

- Medium: signed drypoint caricature prints from the 1920s–1930s command the highest prices; lithographs and etchings follow; drawings, watercolors, and illustrated books generally sell below the print median
- Date of execution: works from the 1919–1935 caricature period consistently outperform later material
- Signature and edition: signed impressions with documented edition sizes are valued above unsigned or unnumbered examples
- Subject matter: caricatures of identified art-world figures and collectors attract specialized bidding; cat and animal subjects have broad but lower-level appeal
- Condition and margins: for prints, full margins, absence of foxing, and undisturbed plate marks affect value
- Provenance: gallery labels, estate stamps, or documented exhibition history strengthen attribution and price
- Format: oil paintings are rare at auction and can exceed the print price range when subject and condition are strong
- Authenticity: reproduction prints and restrikes circulate in the market; expert review or catalogue raisonné reference is recommended for higher-value lots

### Collector notes



### Market caveats

- The auction-record dataset covers 273 lots from 2002 to April 2026. Private sales, dealer inventory, and museum acquisitions are not represented, so the full market picture is broader than auction data alone.
- Reproduction prints and later restrikes of Bacon's popular images exist in the market; works should be authenticated against catalogue references or reviewed by a print specialist before valuation.
- Price outliers above $3,000 are driven by early, signed caricature drypoints at specialist venues and may not be representative of typical results for unsigned or later works.
- Bacon's illustrated children's books and commercial illustration work form a distinct collecting area with its own pricing dynamics, generally lower than fine-art prints.
- Some recent lots lack price-realized data (noted as null in the source pack), which may indicate unsold lots or post-sale private negotiations not captured in public records.

### Market evidence sources

- undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/peggy-bacon/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-1895-1987-drypoint-etchings-signed-2pc-315-c-b7a031ce5a
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-1895-1987-frenzied-effort-49-c-4a54b9b858
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-1895-1987-fat-1926-219-c-f2eec3915b
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-dance-at-the-league-1919-281-c-913717a002
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-vanity-1929-126-c-96189e7d49
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-tired-eyes-1935-7-c-de40c699ee
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-1895-1987-promenade-deck-1920-119-c-140b376d69
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-1895-1987-the-untilled-field-1936-220-c-78dabcc5e8
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-american-1895-1987-lithograph-118-c-fe97f42f5b
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-brook-margaret-bacon-new-york-maine-connecticut-1895-1987-sudden-shower-oil-on-board-10-x-14-framed-15-x-19-2054-c-ae7b63f4af
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-american-1895-1987-aesthetic-pleasure-drypoint-etching-signed-l-r-frame-14-3-4-x-16-1-8-in-37-5-x-41-cm-409-c-7ba4f09445
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-antique-beauty-142-c-020d6198eb
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-1895-1987-signed-1971-watercolor-413-c-8db9d497bd
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-original-drawing-woman-243a-c-5baf5547bc
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-the-priceless-find-lithograph-by-peggy-bacon-137-c-332a95b606
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-peggy-bacon-1895-1987-signed-1971-watercolor-413-c-aa17e31793

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from museum, library authority, and scholarly sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50019377
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/8456354/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500024574
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/273
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/3441
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7160630
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Bacon