Desmond Ward Digby New Zealand, Britain, Australia, 1933-2015
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Desmond Digby
Auction Houses
About Desmond Digby
Born in New Zealand in 1933, Desmond Digby studied at the University of Auckland Elam School of Fine Arts from 1949 to 1952. In 1955 he was awarded a scholarship to study theatre in London and studied at the Slade School of Art in London in 1954 after which he worked on theatre productions at Covent Garden and established a reputation as a painter and stage designer. He came to Australia in 1959 to design sets for the Elizabethan Theatre Trust.
The earliest auction listing we have for Desmond Digby is in 1969 and in total 87 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 69 (79%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $1,920 for Bowling Ladies sold by Lawson~Menzies (now trading as Menzies) in February 2007. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2022. Works by Desmond Digby are held by the Art Gallery of NSW.
Desmond Digby 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 380
- Germaine, Max. Artists and Galleries of Australia, Volumes 1 & 2, Third Edition. Craftsman Press, Sydney, 1990. Page 178
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 304
- 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.
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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