Born in Brisbane in 1922, John Rigby was educated at Central Technical College in Brisbane and then went to work for a signwriting company in Brisbane. However he longed to be a fine art painter, and his first public showing was in 1941, with the Royal Queensland Art Society, exhibiting in the junior section. That same year he joined the AIF and served until the end of World War II. After the war he worked as a freelance commercial artist and also as a sports cartoonist for the Brisbane Sunday Mail.
The total number of works by John Rigby offered for sale by auction since 1974 is 112, of which 81 (72%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $7,364 for Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas 1997 sold by Leonard Joel in August 2022. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by John Rigby are held by the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery and a further three major public national galleries (see list below).
John Rigby is listed in the following standard biographical references:
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
Yes, eligible, subject to the artist satisfying the residency test. The artist is alive or has been deceased for less than 70 years. Contact the Copyright Agency for information on the residency test.
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