> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/peter-lely-6 · updated 2026-11-02

# Peter Lely (1618–1680)

## What is Peter Lely’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 145 auction results for Peter Lely at 36 houses since 1993. Over the last 24 months the median price was $2,560 including buyer’s premium (middle half $1,289–$5,537, n=11). The auction record is $80,403 for Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in a dark doublet and white stock (2009, Christie's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

**Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in a dark doublet and white stock | Oil on canvas | $80,403 | Christie's | Dec 2009 |
| 2 | Portrait of Lady Jane Scott of Buccleuch, 1st Marchioness of Tweeddale | Oil on canvas | $33,125 | Roseberys London | Mar 2025 |
| 3 | Portrait of John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale, KG | Oil on canvas | $32,276 | Roseberys London | Mar 2025 |
| 4 | Portrait of a lady, seated three-quarter length, in a gold dress | Oil on canvas | $16,359 | Christie's | Jun 2010 |
| 5 | Portrait of Elisabeth Harvey, wife of Heneage Finch | Oil on canvas | $15,948 | Christie's | Mar 2001 |
| 6 | Portrait of Queen Catherine of Braganza, seated three-quarter-length, 1670 | Oil on canvas | $14,542 | Christie's | Jun 2010 |
| 7 | PORTRAIT OF A LADY, THREE-QUARTER-LENGTH, SEATED, HOLDING FLOWERS | Oil on canvas | $11,223 | Sotheby's | Sep 2020 |
| 8 | Portrait of Elizabeth Baskerville neé Griffin, seated with a pet lamb in a landscape | Oil on canvas | $10,795 | Woolley and Wallis | Mar 2019 |
| 9 | Portrait of Lady Dormer and Children, 1618 | Oil on canvas | $9,488 | Neal Auction Company | Feb 2002 |
| 10 | Portrait of a Lady with a Shell | Oil on canvas | $8,890 | Freeman's Hindman | Jul 2024 |


**Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 63 | $2,937 |

**Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Large (over 120 cm) | 20 | $6,859 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 37 | $1,890 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 12 | $1,861 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 145 results from 36 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Peter Lely is a Dutch-English artist with 166 auction lots recorded since 1993, median price $2,309. 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 Peter Lely is recorded as sold in 2026 for $8,594; whether the price includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Peter Lely work worth?

Across 113 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Peter Lely work is $2,309.

The median Peter Lely painting sells for $2,514 across 123 lots.

The median Peter Lely print sells for $1,177 across 4 lots.

The median Peter Lely work on paper sells for $670 across 4 lots.

Medium (50–120 cm) Peter Lely paintings typically sell for $1,014–$3,322 (the middle half of 62 sold lots).

Large (over 120 cm) Peter Lely paintings typically sell for $4,168–$9,494 (the middle half of 35 sold 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 | 6 | $1,177‡ | $2,267 | 66.7% | 2025-10-03 |
| Paintings | 158 | $2,514†‡ | $80,403 | 77.8% | 2026-06-10 |
| Works on Paper | 4 | $670‡ | $1,063 | — | 2026-04-30 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 8 | $17,959‡ | $80,403 | — | 2025-03-12 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Peter Lely's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (6 lots) median $1,177 with 66.7% sell-through. Paintings (158 lots) median $2,514, record $80,403. A typical Peter Lely painting sells for around 2.1× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 8 lots) the median is $17,959.

## Price by size

### Paintings

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 18 | $657–$2,768†‡ | $1,130†‡ | $7,088 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 62 | $1,014–$3,322†‡ | $1,965†‡ | $80,403 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 35 | $4,168–$9,494†‡ | $6,732†‡ | $33,125 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 2009 | $80,403 |
| Paintings | 2025 | $33,125 |
| Prints & Editions | 2009 | $2,267 |
| Prints & Editions | 2021 | $1,177‡ |
| Works on Paper | 2026 | $1,063 |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $684‡ |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

The highest recorded result in each medium. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a Peter Lely worth?

Across 113 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Peter Lely work is $2,309. The median Peter Lely painting sells for $2,514 across 123 lots. The median Peter Lely print sells for $1,177 across 4 lots. The median Peter Lely work on paper sells for $670 across 4 lots. Medium (50–120 cm) Peter Lely paintings typically sell for $1,014–$3,322 (the middle half of 62 sold lots). Large (over 120 cm) Peter Lely paintings typically sell for $4,168–$9,494 (the middle half of 35 sold 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 Peter Lely painting?

Based on 123 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Peter Lely painting is $2,514. 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 Peter Lely's most expensive painting?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Peter Lely painting is $80,403.

### What is the average price of a medium Peter Lely painting?

Based on 62 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Peter Lely painting (medium (50–120 cm)) is $1,965, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. 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 large Peter Lely painting?

Based on 35 sold lots, the median auction price of a large Peter Lely painting (large (over 120 cm)) is $6,732, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. 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 Peter Lely's auction record?

Peter Lely's auction record is $80,403, set in 2009.

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Data last updated 2026-11-02. OpeningBid tracks 15,390,829 auction lots from 577 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Peter Lely auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/peter-lely-6 (updated 2026-11-02).

Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.