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Joy Hester

Australian · 1920–1960 · Painter, Draughtsman

Joy St Clair Hester was an Australian artist. She was a member of the Angry Penguins movement and the Heide Circle who played an integral role in the development of Australian… (Wikipedia)

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36auction results2009–2025years recorded94%sold (34)$6kSign up free to seemedian price

2 works by Joy Hester with an auction history (offered more than once) →

Record prices

  1. Joy Hester, Girl with Cocky, c.1957, oil on paper on boardGirl with CockyLeonard Joel · A$260,000≈ $197,946≈ £148,163≈ €169,547Sign up to see
  2. Joy Hester, Head of a Woman (1944), 1944, oil on plywoodHead of a Woman (1944)Smith & Singer · A$79,773≈ $59,348≈ £45,603≈ €54,643Sign up to see
  3. Joy Hester, Untitled (Child with Hat and Scarf) c1955, c1955, brush and ink, watercolour on paperUntitled (Child with Hat and Scarf) c1955Menzies · A$58,909≈ $44,816≈ £32,570≈ €38,223Sign up to see

Joy Hester’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).

ArtSell has recorded 36 auction results for Joy Hester between 2009 and 2025, of which 34 sold (94%). Recorded sale prices range from $1.8kSign up free to see to $198kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $198kSign up free to see for Girl with Cocky at Leonard Joel in June 2018. The most common medium is drawings (22 lots). Most results come from Menzies (26), Smith & Singer (7) and Leonard Joel (3).

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36 results

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  1. Joy Hester, Sleep 1948, 1948, ink and watercolour on paper
    Sleep 1948, 1948
    Watercolor · Paper
    27.0 x 37.0 cm; 50.0 x 60.5 cm (framed)
    Menzies · · Lot 60
    A$6,750≈ $4,379≈ £3,337≈ €3,781Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$3,000–5,000View at Menzies ↗
  2. Joy Hester, Head of a Woman, ink and wash on paper
    Head of a Woman
    Drawing · Paper
    31.0 x 25.0 cm; 63.0 x 48.0 cm (framed)
    Menzies · · Lot 85
    A$19,636≈ $12,644≈ £9,382≈ €10,852Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$8,000–12,000View at Menzies ↗
  3. Joy Hester, Seated Woman, ink and watercolour on paper
    Seated Woman
    Watercolor · Paper
    29.0 x 23.0 cm; 48.5 x 42.0 cm (framed)
    Menzies · · Lot 86
    A$17,182≈ $11,064≈ £8,209≈ €9,496Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$12,000–18,000View at Menzies ↗
  4. Joy Hester, Pauline McCarthy (circa 1945), 1945, gouache, brush and ink on paper
    Pauline McCarthy (circa 1945), 1945
    Gouache · Paper
    28.5 x 25.6 cm
    Smith & Singer · · Lot 45
    A$24,545≈ $15,910≈ £12,600≈ €15,107Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$20,000–30,000View at Smith & Singer ↗
  5. Joy Hester, (Portrait of a Girl), 1956, ink wash, pencil and charcoal on paper
    (Portrait of a Girl), 1956
    Drawing · Paper
    34.5 x 25.5cm
    Leonard Joel · · Lot 32
    A$11,000≈ $7,359≈ £5,779≈ €6,720Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$12,000–16,000View at Leonard Joel ↗
  6. Joy Hester, Nude Leaning on a Chair c1943, c1943, oil on paper
    Nude Leaning on a Chair c1943, c1943
    Oil · Paper
    28.0 x 24.0 cm
    Menzies · · Lot 47
    A$18,409≈ $12,287≈ £9,967≈ €11,327Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$15,000–20,000View at Menzies ↗
  7. Joy Hester, Woman, ink on paper
    Woman
    Drawing · Paper
    23.0 x 19.0 cm
    Menzies · · Lot 114
    A$6,136≈ $4,230≈ £3,477≈ €4,022Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$4,000–6,000View at Menzies ↗
  8. Joy Hester, Man, ink on paper
    Man
    Drawing · Paper
    24.5 x 19.0 cm
    Menzies · · Lot 115
    A$8,591≈ $5,922≈ £4,869≈ €5,631Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$8,000–12,000View at Menzies ↗
  9. Joy Hester, Man in Chair, ink on paper
    Man in Chair
    Drawing · Paper
    49.5 x 39.5 cm
    Menzies · · Lot 116
    A$16,568≈ $11,421≈ £9,390≈ €10,860Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$12,000–16,000View at Menzies ↗
  10. Joy Hester, Head of a Woman (1944), 1944, oil on plywood
    Head of a Woman (1944), 1944
    Oil
    40 x 27.7 cm
    Smith & Singer · · Lot 43
    A$79,773≈ $59,348≈ £45,603≈ €54,643Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. A$60,000–80,000View at Smith & Singer ↗

Joy Hester paintings (3)Joy Hester oil paintings (3)Joy Hester works on paper (33)Joy Hester watercolors (6)Joy Hester gouaches (3)Joy Hester drawings (22)

Joy Hester: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Joy Hester at auction?

$197,946Sign up free to see, for Girl with Cocky at Leonard Joel (June 2018) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Joy Hester?

The median sale price is $6kSign up free to see across 34 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Joy Hester have sold at auction?

34 of 36 recorded lots sold between 2009 and 2025.

Which auction houses sell Joy Hester?

Menzies, Smith & Singer and Leonard Joel account for the most recorded results. Menzies · Smith & Singer · Leonard Joel

About Joy Hester

Joy St Clair Hester was an Australian artist. She was a member of the Angry Penguins movement and the Heide Circle who played an integral role in the development of Australian Modernism. Hester is best known for her bold and expressive ink drawings. Her work was charged with a heightened awareness of mortality due to the death of her father during her childhood, the threat of war, and her personal experience with Hodgkin's disease. Hester is most well known for the series Face, Sleep, and Love (1948–49) as well as the later works, The Lovers (1956–58).

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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