Thomas Watling Britain, Australia, 1762-1814?
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Thomas Watling
Auction Houses
About Thomas Watling
Born in Dumfries, Scotland in 1762, Watling was convicted of forging bank notes and transported Sydney, arriving in 1792. He painted many of the early colonial pictures of Australia and made a large number of sketches of birds, fish, mammals, plants, landscapes and Aboriginal people. He is believed to have painted what is claimed to be the first oil painting of Sydney, A direct north general view of Sydney Cove 1794. Principally a landscape artist, his works are represented in the Mitchell Library in Sydney.
The earliest auction listing we have for Thomas Watling is in 1993 and in total 10 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 8 (80%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $88,000 for Banksian Cockatoo, c. 1792-96 sold by Sotheby's in April 1993. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Thomas Watling are held by the Ian Potter Museum of Art.
Thomas Watling is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McCulloch, Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch-Childs. The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. 4th Edition, Aus Art Melbourne & The Miegunyah Press, 2006. Page 1005
- Kerr, Joan. Dictionary of Australian Artists, Painters, Sketchers, Photographers and Engravers to 1870. Oxford University Press, Australia, 1993. Page 839
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 378
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
Artists' Resale Royalty
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…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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