# Philip Wilson Steer artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/philip-wilson-steer/
Profile generated: 2026-05-16T22:19:32.654Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1860-12-28
- Death date: 1942-03-21
- Nationality: British
- Movements: British Impressionism, English landscape tradition (influenced by Constable and Turner)
- Common media: Oil painting

## About Philip Wilson Steer

Philip Wilson Steer (1860–1942) was a British painter whose luminous seascapes and landscapes made him one of the foremost figures of the Impressionist movement in Britain. His early coastal scenes captured fleeting effects of light and atmosphere with a spontaneity that was unusual in British painting at the time. In later decades Steer adopted a more traditional English landscape style, drawing on the influence of Constable and Turner. For many years he taught painting at the Slade School of Art in London, where he mentored generations of young British artists. Steer's work is held in major public collections including the Tate, which maintains a significant representation of his paintings, and his career is documented in the RKD, Getty ULAN, and other leading art-historical authorities.

## Common works and media

Steer's output primarily consists of oil-on-canvas paintings. His most recognised works are seascapes and coastal scenes, often set at English seaside locations, alongside landscape paintings of the British countryside. He also produced informal portraits and figure studies throughout his career. Works on paper, including drawings, occasionally appear at auction. Steer is not known for print editions; his market is dominated by unique painted works.

## Market and appraisal context

With over 330 recorded auction lots, Philip Wilson Steer's work appears regularly on the secondary market through major and regional auction houses. His Impressionist-period seascapes and coastal oil paintings are generally the most sought after, while later works in the traditional English landscape style tend to achieve lower results. Key valuation factors include the period and subject of the painting, medium and support, scale, provenance, exhibition history, and condition. Attribution is an important consideration: Steer's long tenure at the Slade School means works by his pupils sometimes surface without clear distinction. Specialist catalogue or expert review is recommended for attribution confirmation.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine verified artist identity research from museum and authority sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Philip Wilson Steer, identity data is drawn from the Tate, RKD, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and Wikidata, supplemented by auction-house and market database signals.

## Sources

- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/74876
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/philip-wilson-steer-1990
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Wilson_Steer
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2076179
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500019703
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/40174630/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86068502