# Prideaux John Selby artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/prideaux-john-selby/
Profile generated: 2026-05-09T12:10:00.186Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: English, British
- Movements: British natural history illustration tradition (early 19th century)
- Common media: Hand-colored engravings, Painting, Drawing

## About Prideaux John Selby

Prideaux John Selby (1788–1867) was an English ornithologist, botanist, and natural history artist based in Northumberland. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Linnean Society of London, Selby devoted his career to the study and illustration of British birdlife. Born in Alnwick and later residing at Twizell Castle, he combined field observation with artistic skill to produce finely detailed paintings, drawings, and engravings of birds and botanical specimens. His work belongs to the distinguished tradition of early nineteenth-century British natural history illustration, alongside contemporaries such as John James Audubon and John Gould. Selby's ornithological plates are recognized for their accuracy of form and sensitive hand-coloring, making them enduringly sought after by collectors of natural history art.

## Common works and media

Selby's auction and appraisal appearances are dominated by hand-colored engraved plates of British birds, typically life-sized depictions on large folio paper. Paintings and drawings of bird subjects also surface, though less frequently than the printed plates. Botanical illustrations and watercolors are less commonly encountered. Collectors may also find later compilation editions and reproductions, which should be distinguished from original lifetime engravings when assessing value.

## Market and appraisal context

Selby's hand-colored ornithological engravings appear regularly at auction, most often as individual plates from his published folios. Value depends on the plate's subject, the quality and freshness of its hand-coloring, paper condition, and whether it is an original lifetime impression or a later re-strike. Complete bound volumes or folio sets command significant premiums over dispersed single plates. Collectors should verify attribution carefully, as Selby's compositions have been reproduced in various editions. Provenance linking plates to notable collections can also affect appraised value.

## Appraisily data basis

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

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q716834
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prideaux_John_Selby
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500086628
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/10629084/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n96083732
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/71864