> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/tom-phillips · updated 2026-11-02

# Tom Phillips (1937–2022)

## What is Tom Phillips’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 113 auction results for Tom Phillips at 30 houses since 1998. Over the last 24 months the median price was $427 including buyer’s premium (middle half $285–$841, n=11). The auction record is $24,459 for Stave paint: night music (2008, Christie's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

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

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stave paint: night music, 1937 | Oil paint | $24,459 | Christie's | Jun 2008 |
| 2 | here we exemplify | — | $23,868 | Sotheby's | Jul 2008 |
| 3 | COMPLETE COLOUR CHECK FOR THE YEAR MCMLXXI ARRANGED IN ORDER OF CHANGE (ABOVE) AND CHOICE (BELOW), 1971 | Oil paint | $18,693 | Phillips | Apr 2017 |
| 4 | The Savage Parade, 1978 | Oil paint | $13,241 | Phillips | Apr 2017 |
| 5 | Dante in his Study with Episodes from the Inferno, 1978 | Oil paint | $13,216 | Christie's | Nov 2016 |
| 6 | After Raphael, 1937 | Acrylic | $8,125 | Bonhams | Nov 2023 |
| 7 | Dante in his study, 1978 | Oil paint | $7,861 | Christie's | Jun 2002 |
| 8 | All the Reds, 1971 | Acrylic paint | $7,643 | Phillips | Nov 2023 |
| 9 | The Message Digests Itself, 1969 | Oil on canvas | $7,315 | Rago Arts | Sep 2026 |
| 10 | Virgil in his Study, 1937 | Painting | $7,156 | Bonhams | Jul 2019 |


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

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 16 | $7,236 |
| Other | 6 | $1,565 |
| Works on paper | 7 | $746 |
| Prints | 52 | $407 |

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

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Large (over 120 cm) | 8 | $7,884 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 28 | $581 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 41 | $424 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 113 results from 30 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Tom Phillips is a British (modern) artist with 156 auction lots recorded since 1998, median price $561. 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 Tom Phillips sold in 2026 for $7,315, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Tom Phillips work worth?

Across 108 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Tom Phillips work is $561.

The median Tom Phillips print sells for $364 across 60 lots.

The median Tom Phillips painting sells for $5,027 across 24 lots.

The median Tom Phillips work on paper sells for $513 across 12 lots.

Medium (50–120 cm) Tom Phillips prints typically sell for $160–$607 (the middle half of 37 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 | 73 | $364†‡ | $3,431 | 82.2% | 2026-04-28 |
| Paintings | 28 | $5,027†‡ | $24,459 | 85.7% | 2026-09-30 |
| Works on Paper | 15 | $513† | $1,394† | 80% | 2026-05-01 |
| Photography | 6 | $162 | $602 | — | 2026-06-18 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 6 | $15,967 | $24,459 | — | 2023-11-29 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

Tom Phillips's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (73 lots) median $364 with 82.2% sell-through. Paintings (28 lots) median $5,027, record $24,459. A typical Tom Phillips painting sells for around 14× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 6 lots) the median is $15,967.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 18 | $303–$943†‡ | $446†‡ | $3,431 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 37 | $160–$607†‡ | $289†‡ | $3,099 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

### Paintings

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 6 | $577–$4,217†‡ | $1,897†‡ | $6,158 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 10 | $1,891–$7,275†‡ | $5,027†‡ | $24,459 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 8 | $5,784–$13,222‡ | $7,884‡ | $18,693 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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

### Works on Paper

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 9 | $283–$746† | $502† | $1,201 |

† 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 | 2008 | $24,459 |
| Paintings | 2017 | $18,693 |
| Prints & Editions | 2022 | $3,431 |
| Prints & Editions | 2023 | $3,099 |
| Works on Paper | 2003 | $1,394† |
| Works on Paper | 2026 | $1,201 |
| Photography | 2026 | $602 |
| Photography | 2026 | $602 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

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 Tom Phillips worth?

Across 108 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Tom Phillips work is $561. The median Tom Phillips print sells for $364 across 60 lots. The median Tom Phillips painting sells for $5,027 across 24 lots. The median Tom Phillips work on paper sells for $513 across 12 lots. Medium (50–120 cm) Tom Phillips prints typically sell for $160–$607 (the middle half of 37 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 Tom Phillips print?

Based on 60 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Tom Phillips print is $364. 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 Tom Phillips's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Tom Phillips print is $3,431.

### What is the average price of a Tom Phillips painting?

Based on 24 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Tom Phillips painting is $5,027. 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 Tom Phillips's most expensive painting?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Tom Phillips painting is $24,459.

### What is the average price of a Tom Phillips work on paper?

Based on 12 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Tom Phillips work on paper is $513. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Tom Phillips's most expensive work on paper?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Tom Phillips work on paper is $1,394. That record lot sold for a hammer price of $1,394 (buyer's premium not included).

### What is the average price of a medium Tom Phillips print?

Based on 37 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Tom Phillips print (medium (50–120 cm)) is $289, 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 small Tom Phillips print?

Based on 18 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Tom Phillips print (small (under 50 cm)) is $446, 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 Tom Phillips's auction record?

Tom Phillips's auction record is $24,459, set in 2008.

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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, “Tom Phillips auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/tom-phillips (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.