Families often call us with the same question: “We have a painting by Granville Redmond. What is it worth?” The honest answer is that it depends. Granville Redmond (1871–1935) painted for about forty years, in Northern and Southern California, in many sizes and in two very different moods: bright wildflower fields and dark, quiet Tonalist scenes. Two paintings with the same signature can be worth very different amounts. This guide explains what drives the value of Granville Redmond paintings and how to have a painting looked at and sold.

For his life and career, see our Granville Redmond artist page.

What drives the value of a Granville Redmond painting

No single factor sets a price. Collectors and dealers weigh several things together.

Subject

Subject matters a great deal with Redmond. He is best known for one theme above all:

• Poppies and lupine. Hillsides of golden California poppies and purple lupine are his signature subject. They were what collectors wanted in his own lifetime, and strong examples remain the most sought after.

Other subjects have their own followings:

• The coast and Catalina Island. Coastal views, surf, and Catalina scenes appeal to collectors of California Impressionism and to people with a personal tie to the places shown.
• Tonalist landscapes, marshes, and nocturnes. Redmond himself often preferred these quiet, moody paintings of fog, dusk, and moonlight. Many serious collectors admire them, though the market has traditionally favored his poppy fields.
• Northern California oaks and hills, including the country around Parkfield in Monterey County.

A typical, well-painted example of a popular subject usually draws more interest than an unusual or weaker one.

Size

Size is not everything, but it counts. Redmond painted everything from small panels to large exhibition canvases. A large, fully resolved painting is a different object from a small study, and the market treats them differently. When you compare auction results, always compare similar sizes.

Period and quality

Redmond’s work changed over his career, from his early Tonalist years in Los Angeles after his return from Paris in 1898, through his Northern California period in the 1910s, to his later years in Los Angeles. Within every period, quality varies. Fresh, luminous color, convincing light, and a sense of depth across the landscape are what make a Redmond stand out.

Condition

Old paintings often have dirty varnish, small losses, tears, or past restoration. Some of this is normal and can be corrected by a good conservator. Heavy overpaint, a relined canvas that has flattened the surface, or old damage in an important area can all affect value. Please don’t clean or retouch a painting yourself before having it looked at. Leave it as it is.

Provenance

Provenance is the ownership history of a painting. Gallery labels, exhibition labels, old receipts, family letters, and photographs showing the painting in a home years ago all help. A painting that can be traced back toward the artist, or that was shown in a documented exhibition, gives buyers more confidence. Redmond had well-known friends and patrons, and a documented history can add real interest.

Signature and authenticity

Most Granville Redmond paintings are signed, but a signature on its own does not prove anything. Poppy fields were painted by many California artists, and pleasant wildflower scenes are sometimes optimistically attributed to Redmond. Signatures can also be added later. Buyers look at the whole painting: the handling of paint, the canvas or panel, the stretcher, the labels, and how the work fits with Redmond’s known paintings. If you are unsure, say so. Questions about attribution are common and nothing to be embarrassed about.

Medium: finished oils vs. sketches

Redmond worked mostly in oil. Finished oil paintings on canvas generally sit at the top of the market. Small oil sketches and panels are often charming and collectible, but they are usually valued differently from major canvases. Prints or reproductions made after his paintings are a separate category altogether.

Why auction results vary so much

Auction prices for Granville Redmond paintings cover a very wide range. That’s normal, for several reasons:

• Every painting is different. Subject, size, quality, and condition change from lot to lot.
• The setting matters. A painting featured in a major California or American art sale with a full catalogue entry may perform differently from one offered in a general estate auction.
• Timing and competition. Two determined bidders can push a price well past its estimate. A quiet sale can leave a good painting unsold.
• Fees. Published results often include the buyer’s premium, and the seller receives less after commissions and costs.
• Missing information. Many private sales are never made public, so auction records show only part of the market.

That is why a single auction result is not a price guide. Judging what a painting is really worth means weighing its subject, size, medium, date and condition against what the market has actually paid, and that takes years of experience. That is where we can help.

How to have your Granville Redmond painting evaluated

The first step is easy and can all be done from home.

1. Take clear photos of the whole front of the painting (straight on, without glare), the back, the signature, and any labels, stamps, or writing.
2. Measure the painting (height × width, without the frame).
3. Write down what you know: where the painting came from, how long your family has owned it, and any old receipts, letters, or exhibition history.
4. Send everything to us. Steven Stern Fine Arts has handled Granville Redmond paintings for many years. We’ll review your painting and get back to you.

Please note that we are a gallery, not a formal appraisal service. If you need a written appraisal for insurance, estate, or donation purposes, you should hire an independent qualified appraiser.

How to sell a Granville Redmond painting

Collectors usually choose from a few options:

• Selling directly to a gallery. This is usually the quickest and simplest route, with no public exposure.
• Consigning with a gallery. The gallery offers your painting to its collectors, and you are paid when it sells.
• Auction. Auction can work well, but results are public, fees apply, and an unsold painting can be harder to sell later.

Steven Stern Fine Arts buys and consigns Early California paintings, and Granville Redmond is one of the artists we know well. We handle every inquiry personally and in confidence.

Thinking of selling a Granville Redmond painting? Contact Steven Stern Fine Arts.

• Email: StevenSternFineArts@gmail.com
• Phone: (310) 570-5679
• Online: Sell Your Art

Related: Granville Redmond artist page · Sell Your Art