Bessie Norris (Bess) Tait Australia, 1878-1939
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by nee Bess Norris Tait
Auction Houses
About nee Bess Norris Tait
Born in 1878, Bess Tait (nee Norris) studied at the National Gallery School, Melbourne under Jane Sutherland and in England at the Slade School. She exhibited at the Victorian Artists Society from 1898 to 1904. Best known as a miniaturist, she went to London in 1905 where she married J. Nevin Tait and later exhibited at the Royal Academy and at the Paris Salon.
We have records of art auction sales by Bess Tait from 1976 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 $2,719 for Portrait of a Lady sold by Leonard Joel in May 2002. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Bess Tait are held by the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of NSW and National Portrait Gallery.
nee Bess Norris Tait 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 934
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 371
- 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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