Born in Queensland in 1919, Sawrey had no formal art training. He lived for most of his life in central and western Queensland, but moved to a property near Benalla in Victoria in 1978. His landscapes have become popular throughout Australia, and he exhibited successfully in the USA, England and Japan. Sawrey was the founder and driving force behind the Stockmans Hall of Fame in Longreach. He was awarded a CBE in 1989 for his services to art, and in 1998 was named 'Patron of the Outback' in recognition of his contribution to the Hall of Fame and the outback in general.
Hugh Sawrey is one of the most prolific of the artists listed in our database, with the number of works offered for sale by auction since 1972 of 1,950, of which 1,515 (78%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $167,900 for The Four Deuces. the Poker Game, Kogan Creek Hotel, Qld. sold by Elder Fine Art in May 2015. This year 9 works have been offered for sale. Works by Hugh Sawrey are held by the Queensland Art Gallery.
Hugh Sawrey 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.
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.
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