Oswald Birley (1880–1952)
Oswald Birley is a British artist with 20 auction lots recorded since 2001, median price $4,289. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.
A work by Oswald Birley sold in 2026 for $4,936, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.
See the full Oswald Birley record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
View Oswald Birley on OpeningBid →What is a Oswald Birley work worth?
Across 16 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Oswald Birley work is $4,289.
The median Oswald Birley painting sells for $5,286 across 14 lots.
The median Oswald Birley photograph sells for $768 across 2 lots.
The median Oswald Birley work on paper sells for $1,175 across 2 lots.
Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
Price breakdown by category
| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 1 | $1,519† | $1,519† | — | 2023-06-27 |
| Paintings | 16 | $5,286†‡ | $31,859† | 87.5% | 2026-03-03 |
| Works on Paper | 2 | $1,175 | $1,894 | — | 2022-03-22 |
| Photography | 2 | $768 | $1,048 | — | 2017-04-05 |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.
Oswald Birley's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (1 lots) median $1,519. Paintings (16 lots) median $5,286, record $31,859. That record lot sold for a hammer price of $31,859 (buyer's premium not included). A typical Oswald Birley painting sells for around 3.5× the price of a typical print.
Price by size
Paintings
| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium (50–120 cm) | 12 | $3,568–$7,505† | $5,973† | $31,859† |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.
Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.
Notable results
| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 2023 | $31,859† |
| Paintings | 2023 | $26,957† |
| Works on Paper | 2022 | $1,894 |
| Prints & Editions | 2023 | $1,519† |
| Photography | 2012 | $1,048 |
| Photography | 2017 | $488 |
| Works on Paper | 2002 | $455 |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.
The highest recorded result in each medium. See the full sale history on OpeningBid.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Oswald Birley worth?
Across 16 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Oswald Birley work is $4,289. The median Oswald Birley painting sells for $5,286 across 14 lots. The median Oswald Birley photograph sells for $768 across 2 lots. The median Oswald Birley work on paper sells for $1,175 across 2 lots. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is the average price of a Oswald Birley painting?
Based on 14 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Oswald Birley painting is $5,286. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is Oswald Birley's most expensive painting?
The highest price recorded at auction for a Oswald Birley painting is $31,859. That record lot sold for a hammer price of $31,859 (buyer's premium not included).
What is the average price of a medium Oswald Birley painting?
Based on 12 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Oswald Birley painting (medium (50–120 cm)) is $5,973, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.
What is Oswald Birley's auction record?
Oswald Birley's auction record is $31,859, set in 2023. That record lot sold for a hammer price of $31,859 (buyer's premium not included).
See the full Oswald Birley record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
View Oswald Birley on OpeningBid →