American, 1937–2021
William T. Wiley
244results on record
76%sell-through
$1,434median result (USD, incl. premium; 82% observed, 18% estimated from hammer)
$34,375 est.record in our coverage
Drawn from 244 recorded results (191 sold · 53 passed) across 10 auction houses, 1999–2026. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 82% observed, 18% estimated from hammer method · log scale
Where does a value land in this market?
The same figure also answers the seller's question: which house clears a work like this, and for how much — expected proceeds by house, from the sell-through the rest of this page is built on.
Every sold result for this market, low to high (log scale) — the dashed line is the median. Enter a value to see where it lands.
By medium where medium is recorded or stated in the catalog line
| Medium | Results | Sell-through | Median result (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| prints | 89 | 75% | $625 |
| works on paper | 26 | 73% | $2,875 |
| painting | 15 | 83% | $5,125 |
| other | 4 | 67% | $1,792 |
Medium is recorded for 134 of 244 results (55%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Sam Francis William T. Wiley Sam Francis
| Metric | William T. Wiley | Sam Francis |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $1,434 | $13,120 |
| Record price | $34,375 est. | $11,842,000 |
| Results on record | 244 | 3,530 |
| Years active at auction | 1999–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Sam FrancisAlexander CalderRobert RauschenbergAndy Warhol
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
72/ 100
- Sell-through76%
- Meets estimate53%
- Market depth244 results
How readily and near-estimate this market clears — sell-through, estimate reliability, and depth, blended into one score. "Meets estimate" is the share of sold lots hammering at or above the low estimate, over catalogs that print a real appraisal: a house whose printed low is a starting bid would meet its estimate on every lot, so those lots are excluded from this term only — their prices and outcomes still count in the other two. Method →
Where this artist sells best
| House | Results | Sell-through | Median | vs. estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Auctions | 69 | 74% | $875 | — |
| Bonhams | 66 | 73% | $3,667 | 0.94× |
| Freeman's | Hindman | 44 | 77% | $844 | 0.63× |
| Rago | 24 | 92% | $682 | — |
| Christie's | 20 | 100% | $2,500 | — |
| Sotheby's | 10 | 100% | $2,133 | 0.92× |
| Wright | 6 | 67% | $1,518 | — |
| Phillips | 3 | 33% | $1,208 | — |
| Locati LLC | 1 | 100% | $188 | 0.33× |
| Kruso Art | 1 | 0% | — | — |
The same artist across every house we cover — hammer-vs-estimate side by side. A dash in the estimate column can mean withheld rather than unpublished: the house publishes no hammer price, or its printed low is a starting bid rather than an appraisal. Method →
Prices realized 244 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 53 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2016·05 | Mirror Sweat and Colored Dirt | Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2016·05 | Untitled | Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2016·04 | The Naked Anvil | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·10 | Victory at See | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·07 | (b. 1937) | colored pencil and graphite on paper | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·07 | (b. 1937) | ink and watercolor on paper | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·07 | Cute Rules | wax crayon on Xerox | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | ||
| 2015·06 | Memory Smudges | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·06 | Eerie Grotto? Okini | $1,000–$2,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·05 | The New Dog Rail Press in Frozen Check | Watercolor on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2015·03 | Country Lane Drain on Eagle Scout, 1974 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm) | $1,500–$2,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·03 | Tusker | pen on wood with rope and metal | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2014·10 | Pablo Doo Mask Replica, 2000 metal rod: 58 1/4in. (148cm) (height)record: 11 7/8 x 11 7/8in. (30.2 x 30.2cm)installation dimensions variable | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·10 | Trading to Get Ahead, 1969 24 1/4 x 19in. (61.6 x 48.3cm) | $2,500–$3,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·10 | Winter Sport, 1962-63 (2 parts) overall 18 1/4 x 9 x 6in. (46.4 x 22.9 x 15.2cm) | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·06 | Bad Balance II: Freedumb and Ridicule | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2013·10 | Two Little Kittens | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·04 | Light Touches Fall Colors, 1982 55 x 52 x 25in (139.7 x 132.1 x 63.5cm) | $6,000–$8,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·04 | For Witherup and New Mexico, Slant Step and Sangre de Cristo, 1969 23 7/8 x 19in (60.6 x 48.3cm) | $1,000–$2,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·04 | Self Portrait #1, 1977 20 x 14 1/8in (50.8 x 35.9cm) | $2,000–$4,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·06 | Thank Yute Bubble | $600–$800 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·05 | Unkl Skam | Color lithograph | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2012·05 | So Far So Good | Hand-colored lithograph | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2012·05 | Deneb | Lithograph in colors | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2012·02 | Cheap Mystery | Print on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2011·12 | Scrappy Tale | $2,000–$3,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·05 | Cartoon for a Dreamer | Pencil on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2010·10 | Composition | Mixed medium on wood | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2010·07 | Ol' Unkl Sam Wants You | $200–$300 | Wright | |||
| 2010·06 | Eerie Grotto ? Okini | Woodcut in colors, soft-ground etchi... | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2010·06 | Cartoon for a Dreamer | Pencil on paper | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2009·06 | Ol' Unkl Sam Wants You | $500–$700 | Wright | |||
| 2008·12 | Now Where's That Blame Treaty | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | |||
| 2008·04 | Untitled | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2007·02 | Twin Pyramids | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2007·01 | This Angel's Wings (Beggars Joys Part II) Memorial Day | acrylic, charcoal and graphite on canvas | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2006·12 | Punch at the brink of abstraction (recto and verso) | acrylic, charcoal, ink and pastel on canvas | $6,000–$8,000 | Christie's | ||
| 2000·12 | Jolly Regret; Line Fever; and Three Mile Island | $1,800–$2,200 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Jolly Regret; Line Fever; and Three Mile Island, Three Years Later | $1,500–$2,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Wash Doubt; and Mr. Nobody | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·05 | Eerie Grotto? Okini; and Now Heres that Blame Treaty | $2,400–$2,800 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·01 | Nowheres That Blame Treaty | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·01 | Eerie Grotto? Okini | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·01 | Rhoom for Error #32 | $800–$1,200 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.