Percy Frederick Seaton Spence Australia, Britain, 1868-1933
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Percy Spence
Auction Houses
About Percy Spence
Born in New South Wales in 1868, Spence studied at the Art Society of NSW School. As a painter and illustrator, he contributed to many magazines, including the 'Bulletin' and London 'Punch'. He was a member of the Royal Art Society of New South Wales and entered oils and water-colours in the society's annual exhibitions in 1888-94, and became a council-member in the early 1890s. His watercolour paintings also attracted interest around the end of the nineteenth century. In 1914 he returned to London where he lived and worked from a studio in Kensington until 1926. He remained in London for the remainder of his life.
The earliest auction listing we have for Percy Spence is in 1969 and in total 258 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 130 (50%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $57,767 for Riding the Rebel sold by Christies in July 1993. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Percy Spence are held by the National Portrait Gallery and Art Gallery of NSW.
Percy Spence 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 901
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 368
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
- 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.
- 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…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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