John Olsen

Australian · 1928–2023 · Painter, Printmaker

John Henry Olsen AO OBE was an Australian artist and winner of the 2005 Archibald Prize. Olsen's primary subject of work was landscape. (Wikipedia)

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489auction results2009–2026years recorded83%sold (407)$2.9kSign up free to seemedian price

5 works by John Olsen coming up at auction · bid with the house ↓

Record prices

Show prices also in

Seafood Paella 2007Smith & Singer · Apr 2019A$1,037,000≈ $741,030≈ £567,317≈ €657,116Sign up to see
People Who Live in Victoria Street 1960Smith & Singer · Nov 2020A$775,000≈ $566,851≈ £426,877≈ €477,629Sign up to see
Fleurieu Peninsula 1983Smith & Singer · Jul 2024A$613,636≈ $405,208≈ £313,677≈ €373,533Sign up to see

John Olsen’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).

Coming up at auction

5 in forthcoming sales · bid with the house

Listed from the auction houses’ own websites; estimates are the houses’ own, not results.

Average price

$26.5kSign up free to see

median $2.9kfree account

High

$741kSign up free to see

auction record in database

Lots sold

407

of 489 offered · 2009–2026

Sell-through

83%

sold ÷ offered

Price trend

Each dot is a sold lot (price realized incl. premium where published, converted to USD at the sale-date rate; log scale). Dashed line: yearly median.

By medium

Medium	Offered	Sold	Sell-through	Average	Median	High
Paintings	83	61	73%	$120kSign up	$70.9kSign up	$741kSign up
Oil	80	59	74%	$123kSign up	$71.1kSign up	$741kSign up
Acrylic	1	0	0%	—Sign up	—Sign up	—
Mixed media	2	2	100%	$6.5kSign up	$6.5kSign up	$11.5kSign up
Works on paper	170	129	76%	$23.2kSign up	$16.6kSign up	$98kSign up
Watercolor	90	66	73%	$31.2kSign up	$29.7kSign up	$86.3kSign up
Gouache	15	12	80%	$14.8kSign up	$10.3kSign up	$54.8kSign up
Pastel	22	16	73%	$12.1kSign up	$9.8kSign up	$33.3kSign up
Drawing	22	19	86%	$3.3kSign up	$1.9kSign up	$14kSign up
Prints & multiples	198	183	92%	$1.3kSign up	$867Sign up	$9.4kSign up
Etching	120	114	95%	$1.2kSign up	$721Sign up	$7.4kSign up
Engraving	1	1	100%	$9.4kSign up	$9.4kSign up	$9.4kSign up
Aquatint	2	2	100%	$522Sign up	$522Sign up	$643Sign up
Lithograph	63	57	90%	$1.4kSign up	$1.1kSign up	$5.4kSign up
Screenprint	2	2	100%	$1.8kSign up	$1.8kSign up	$2.2kSign up
Print (other)	10	7	70%	$1.2kSign up	$943Sign up	$2.4kSign up
Photography	10	9	90%	$1.7kSign up	$1.6kSign up	$3.4kSign up
Photograph	10	9	90%	$1.7kSign up	$1.6kSign up	$3.4kSign up
Sculpture	22	21	95%	$11.6kSign up	$8.5kSign up	$40.6kSign up
Other	6	4	67%	$2.2kSign up	$2.5kSign up	$3.3kSign up

Medium classes are derived from the medium text as published by each house; “Other” includes lots whose medium wasn’t stated.

By year

Year	Offered	Sold	Median
2026	28	25	$5.3kSign up
2025	29	23	$15.9kSign up
2024	29	24	$4.7kSign up
2023	60	52	$1.9kSign up
2022	45	40	$1.6kSign up
2021	16	15	$8.8kSign up
2020	19	16	$19.9kSign up
2019	27	22	$1.8kSign up
2018	30	29	$1.2kSign up
2017	28	26	$1.3kSign up
2016	25	22	$894Sign up
2015	44	32	$2.3kSign up
2014	27	19	$4.4kSign up
2013	19	15	$9kSign up
2012	19	14	$1.7kSign up
2011	9	5	$5.4kSign up
2010	8	6	$53.4kSign up
2009	27	22	$6.2kSign up