# William Tillyer artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/william-tillyer/
Profile generated: 2026-05-27T21:28:31Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: British
- Movements: Contemporary British art
- Common media: painting, watercolour, printmaking

## About William Tillyer

William Tillyer (born 1938) is a British painter and printmaker whose practice spans painting, watercolour, and printmaking. Working since the 1950s, Tillyer has developed a distinctive approach that reinterprets classical subjects — landscapes, still lifes, and portraits — through evolving techniques that challenge established traditions. His output moves between distinct bodies of work, each exploring new methods while remaining engaged with the history of art. Tillyer's work is represented in major public collections including the Tate, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Brooklyn Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Arts Council of Great Britain. He has exhibited internationally over a career spanning more than six decades, and remains an active figure in contemporary British art.

## Common works and media

Collectors most frequently encounter Tillyer's landscape paintings and watercolours, which rework the British landscape tradition through modern compositional strategies. His prints — including etchings and screenprints — appear regularly at auction and in gallery inventories. Still life and portrait subjects also form part of his output, though less commonly on the secondary market. Works on paper across all subjects are well represented in public collections and constitute a significant portion of his auction presence.

## Market and appraisal context

William Tillyer's works appear in auction markets primarily as paintings, watercolours, and prints. His paintings — especially landscapes and works from recognisable series — tend to attract the strongest interest. Editioned prints and works on paper offer a more accessible entry point for collectors. Valuation factors include the specific series or period, medium, provenance documentation, condition, and any exhibition or publication history. Works with documented institutional provenance or inclusion in published catalogues tend to carry stronger market confidence. Collectors should verify edition details for prints and confirm attribution for unsigned works through expert review.

## Appraisily data basis

This artist page combines verified biographical data from museum records, library authority files, and public encyclopaedic sources with Appraisily's auction-result database. Sale dates, realised prices, comparable lots, and auction-house provenance are incorporated where available to support appraisal context.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8019421
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tillyer
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500020612
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/12149294354480522042/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n78050446
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/5878
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-tillyer-2042
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/220211