Works in the database
160
Works with images
63
Works with multiple sales
17

Past Sales

Costume: 'The Listeners' Margaret Scott 1949
Theatrical Costume Design
Costume: Margaret Scott 1949

Sales by Medium

Paintings
Sold 49 works for
$25,992
Works on Paper
Sold 58 works for
$24,120
Objects
Sold 1 works for
$460

Where to buy or sell art works by Kenneth (Ken) Rowell

Auction Houses

Leonard Joel
Sold 48 works for
$20,432
Sotheby's
Sold 7 works for
$7,092
Gibson's Auctioneers & Valuers
Sold 7 works for
$5,209

The nephew of artist John Rowell (1894 - 1973), Kenneth Rowell, born in 1920, studied at Collingwood Technical School and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and he became a stage designer and painter. In 1950 he was awarded a British Council Scholarship to study theatre design, and became recognised as one of the leading stage designers of the time. His first solo exhibitions were in Georges Gallery from 1945 to 1950 and he has held regular exhibitions in Australia and the UK since then. In 1960 he held a large exhibition of abstract-expressionist paintings and later exhibited in London.

The earliest auction listing we have for Ken Rowell is in 1971 and in total 160 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 108 (68%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $2,400 for Prospecting sold by Sotheby's in March 2004. This year 4 works have been offered for sale. Works by Ken Rowell are held by the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and a further three major public national galleries (see list below).

Kenneth (Ken) Rowell 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 845
  • Germaine, Max. Artists and Galleries of Australia, Volumes 1 & 2, Third Edition. Craftsman Press, Sydney, 1990. Page 591
  • Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 362
  • The Find New Zealand Artists web site: a database of artist names that directs researchers to the rich resources found in New Zealand's libraries, art society exhibition histories and published sources.
  • 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…

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.

The Australian Art Sales Digest is a database of over 610,000 works by more than 12,000 artists who are listed as having either lived or worked in Australia or New Zealand, and an additional 36,000 foreign and other artists, offered for sale by auction in Australia and New Zealand from the early 1970s to the present day.

Access to the database is available on either a monthly or annual subscription. During the subscription period you have unlimited access to the site. If you would like to subscribe, please proceed to our .

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