James Waltham Curtis Australia, c1839-1901
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by James Waltham Curtis
Auction Houses
About James Waltham Curtis
Born in England, little is known of his early life, or the date of his arrival in Australia, although it is believed to be at the time of the goldrush in the mid 1850s and worked on the staff of the 'Illustrated Australian News' as a colourist . He was a prolific artist, painting bush scenes mainly around Victoria. He exhibited with Buvelot and Von Guerard, etc., at the Philadelphia Exhibition in 1876. His work was also seen in Australian Art in the 1870s at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1876 and The Face of Australia in 1988.
James Curtis is one of the most prolific of the artists listed in our database, with the number of works offered for sale by auction since 1967 of 415, of which 261 (63%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $67,100 for Cathedral Stillness sold by Sotheby's in May 2018. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by James Curtis are held by the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of NSW and a further three major public national galleries (see list below).
James Waltham Curtis 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 360
- Kerr, Joan. Dictionary of Australian Artists, Painters, Sketchers, Photographers and Engravers to 1870. Oxford University Press, Australia, 1993. Page 301
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 301
- 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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