William Light Europe, Australia, 1786-1839
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by William Light
Auction Houses
About William Light
Born in Malaya in 1786, William Light arrived in South Australia in 1836. He became the first Surveyor-General of South Australia, and in this capacity he selected a site for Adelaide. A series of watercolours recall the three years he spent in Adelaide before his death, five of which are included in the National Gallery of South Australia collection, and the Mitchell Library holds his 'View of Proposed Town of Adelaide'.
The earliest auction listing we have for William Light is in 1975 and in total 19 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 16 (84%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $13,224 for An Original Plan of the City Of Adelaide in South Australia sold by Elder Fine Art in November 2019. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2022. Works by William Light are held by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
William Light 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 615
- Kerr, Joan. Dictionary of Australian Artists, Painters, Sketchers, Photographers and Engravers to 1870. Oxford University Press, Australia, 1993. Page 473
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 335
- Australian Prints + Printmaking, a database listing printmaking artists from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region based on the print collection of the National Gallery of Australia.
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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