Samuel Michael (Sam) Byrne Australia, 1883-1978
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Sam Byrne
Auction Houses
About Sam Byrne
Born in 1883 in South Australia, Byrne had no formal art training. After a lifetime working at Broken Hill, he started painting at the age of 73 depicting life around Broken Hill. After 4 years painting, he was awarded first prize in the annual Broken Hill Art Competition, judged by Melbourne artist Leonard French for his panorama of the Broken Hill township. He had his first solo exhibition in Sydney at the age of 80. His naïve style was similar to that of Henri Bastin.
Sam Byrne is one of the most prolific of the artists listed in our database, with the number of works offered for sale by auction since 1973 of 482, of which 377 (78%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $38,400 for B. H. P, the Big Mine & Viaduct 1893 sold by Shapiro Auctioneers in May 2021. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Sam Byrne are held by the National Gallery of Australia, Heide Museum of Modern Art and a further three major public national galleries (see list below).
Sam Byrne 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 301
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 293
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
- 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.
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