# Richard Simkin artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/richard-simkin/
Profile generated: 2026-05-24T02:34:16.836Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: British, English
- Movements: Military art and uniform illustration (Victorian and Edwardian eras)
- Common media: Watercolour, Oil painting, Ink and print illustration

## About Richard Simkin

Richard Simkin (1840–1926) was a British painter and watercolourist best known for his detailed illustrations of British military uniforms. Active during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, Simkin specialised in depicting the regiments, cavalry, and infantry of the British Army with an emphasis on accurate dress and accoutrements. His work appeared in numerous illustrated publications and military reference books, making him one of the most recognised uniform illustrators of his era. Simkin died in Herne Bay, England, in 1926. His visual record of regimental dress is regularly cited by military historians, collectors, and re-enactors, and his original watercolours and drawings continue to circulate in the art and militaria market.

## Common works and media

Simkin's most commonly encountered works include watercolour and ink uniform studies of British Army regiments — cavalry, infantry, and Guards — often presented as individual plates or series. Printed reproductions of his illustrations appear in bound military reference volumes and ephemera. Original watercolours on paper are less common but surface regularly in specialist militaria and works-on-paper sales. Collectors may also encounter postcards, reproduced prints, and book illustrations attributed to Simkin.

## Market and appraisal context

Richard Simkin's work appears at auction primarily as watercolours, ink drawings, and printed illustrations of British military subjects. Value depends heavily on whether a piece is an original watercolour or drawing versus a reproduction or book plate. Regimental specificity, condition, and provenance all affect desirability. Original compositions depicting well-known cavalry or Guards regiments tend to attract stronger interest among military-art collectors. Public auction records from major houses should be consulted to establish current comparable pricing, as no auction-house source was available in this research pass.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from authority files and institutional sources with available auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realised prices, and comparable lots. For Richard Simkin, identity data is grounded in Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata records. Market observations are general and should be supplemented with live auction comparables when available.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7329045
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Simkin
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500008982
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/190188020/
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/72630