Nancy Kunoth Petyarre Australia (Aboriginal), c1938-2009
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Nancy Kunoth Petyarre
Auction Houses
About Nancy Kunoth Petyarre
Nancy Petyarre was born in Soakage Bore, near Waite River, approximately 50 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs, between c1938. She grew up speaking the Anmatyerre language with four brothers in Utopia, where her parents, Topsey Pwerle and Mick Kngwarreye, had traditional lives in the desert.. She was the second eldest among the renowned and productive "seven famous Petyarre sisters" of Utopia, which included Ada Bird, Myrtle Petyarre, Violet Petyarre, Jeanna Petyarre, and the most notable, Kathleen Petyarre and Gloria Petyarre. Despite being part of the Petyarre clan, known for their artistic skills, Nancy was not a prolific artist herself. Nancy Petyarre began painting in her forties during the 1980s, initially on batik and later on canvas. She also produced carvings that were featured in numerous exhibitions. Her most famous pieces are "Mountain Devil Dreaming" and "Body Paint." Nancy's first exhibition was part of a group show at Sydney's S.H. Ervin Gallery in 1989, where she was believed to be around 50 years old. Her artwork can be found in various collections, including the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia, The National Gallery of Australia, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, and The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. Nancy Petyarre passed away in 2009.
The total number of works by Nancy Kunoth Petyarre offered for sale by auction since 1999 is 33, of which 25 (76%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $12,000 for Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming 2007 sold by Lawson~Menzies (now trading as Menzies) in November 2007. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Nancy Kunoth Petyarre are held by the Art Gallery of South Australia, Queensland Art Gallery and National Gallery of Australia.
Nancy Kunoth Petyarre is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- 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 Subscription Form.