# Robert Vickrey artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/robert-vickrey/
Profile generated: 2026-05-23T20:23:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Death date: 2011-04-17
- Nationality: American
- Movements: Magic Realism
- Common media: Egg tempera

## About Robert Vickrey

Robert Remsen Vickrey (1926–2011) was an American painter and author celebrated for his mastery of egg tempera, an ancient painting medium he revived in the twentieth century. Born in New York City and later based in Massachusetts, Vickrey became one of the most distinctive voices in American Magic Realism. His compositions transform everyday scenes into surreal, dreamlike visions: nuns passing before mural-painted walls, bicycles casting long shadows at sunset, and children at play in strangely luminous spaces. His work has been linked to the post-war Magic Realist movement in the United States, and his paintings are held in numerous public and private collections. Collectors and curators recognize Vickrey for the haunting atmosphere and meticulous technique that define his egg tempera panels.

## Common works and media

Vickrey is most commonly encountered in appraisal contexts as egg tempera paintings on panel, often depicting nuns, children, bicycles, or urban street scenes with a dreamlike or surreal quality. He also worked in watercolor and produced prints. His genre scenes frequently feature strong chiaroscuro effects and elongated shadows. Collectors may also encounter reproduced illustrations from his career as an author and illustrator.

## Market and appraisal context

Robert Vickrey's works appear at auction primarily as egg tempera paintings on panel, the medium for which he is best known. His signature subject matter—nuns, bicycles, and children rendered in surreal, light-filled compositions—tends to draw stronger collector interest. Factors that can affect appraisal include the painting's medium (egg tempera works are most characteristic), subject, provenance, condition of the tempera panel, exhibition history, and whether the work dates from his most active period. Attributed works in other media such as watercolor or prints may carry different market weight. Public auction records and comparable sales should be consulted for current valuation.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine verified artist 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/Q7350612
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Vickrey
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500021398
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/117372936/
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/80879
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79063798