Sam Gilliam

American · 1933–2022

Sam Gilliam was an American abstract painter, sculptor, and arts educator. Born in Mississippi and raised in Kentucky, Gilliam spent his entire adult life in Washington, D.C.,… (Wikipedia)

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227lots offered2003–2026years recorded93%sold (204)$8.3kSign up free to seemedian price

1 work by Sam Gilliam with an auction history (offered more than once) →

Record prices

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DewPhillips · Feb 2026$412,800≈ £306,436≈ €349,682Sign up to see
Sun WomanRago Auctions · May 2026$409,600≈ £303,183≈ €350,026Sign up to see
Reef IIPhillips · May 2022$371,700≈ £299,227≈ €353,159Sign up to see

Sam Gilliam’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 219 auction results for Sam Gilliam between 2003 and 2026, of which 204 sold (93%). A further 8 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $400Sign up free to see to $413kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $413kSign up free to see for Dew at Phillips in February 2026. The most common medium is acrylic paintings (51 lots). Most results come from Phillips (61), Rago Auctions (53) and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (36).

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219 results · page 1 of 6

Bluesette, 1991
Screenprint · Paper · ed. 19/81
H 15" W 22"
DuMouchelles · Sep 18, 2026 · Lot 1043
$3,000≈ £2,248≈ €2,618HammerSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–4,000View at DuMouchelles ↗
Lightning Bolt, 1992
Etching · ed. AP
25.5 x 26.25 in
Helmuth Stone Gallery · Sep 13, 2026 · Lot 4
$6,930≈ £5,136≈ €5,978$5,500 + $1,430 premiumSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–4,000View at Helmuth Stone Gallery ↗
Untitled, 2019
Acrylic · Paper
184.2 x 97.8 cm (72 1/2 x 38 1/2 in.)
Phillips · Jun 26, 2026 · Lot 34
£96,750≈ $127,884≈ €112,169Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £60,000–80,000View at Phillips ↗
Untitled, 2019
Acrylic · Paper
72 1/2 x 38 1/2 in. (184.2 x 97.8 cm)
Phillips · May 21, 2026 · Lot 143
$225,750≈ £168,219≈ €194,629Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $80,000–120,000View at Phillips ↗
Sun Woman, 1970
Acrylic · Canvas
106 h x 73 w x 10 d in (269 x 185 x 25 cm)
Rago Auctions · May 14, 2026 · Lot 229
$409,600≈ £303,183≈ €350,026Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $300,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
Rose, 1994
Photograph · Panel
48½ h x 48½ w x 2⅛ d in (123 x 123 x 5 cm)
Rago Auctions · May 14, 2026 · Lot 233
$48,640≈ £36,003≈ €41,566Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $40,000–View at Rago Auctions ↗
New Movie 4, 2008
Photograph · Paper · ed. PP
I. 32 5/8 x 29 3/8 in. (82.9 x 74.6 cm) S. 37 x 33 1/2 in. (94 x 85.1 cm)
Phillips · Apr 22, 2026 · Lot 320
$1,548≈ £1,147≈ €1,319Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,500–2,500View at Phillips ↗
For Xavier, 1990
Screenprint · Paper · ed. 16/99
30 x 38 1/4in (76.2 x 97.2cm)
Bonhams · Apr 13, 2026 · Lot 136
$6,144≈ £4,578≈ €5,258Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $4,000–6,000View at Bonhams ↗
Dew, 1974-1975
Acrylic · Canvas
diameter 44 in. (111.8 cm)
Phillips · Feb 28, 2026 · Lot 15
$412,800≈ £306,436≈ €349,682Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $200,000–300,000View at Phillips ↗
Untitled, 1960
Acrylic · Paper
28 1/2 x 31 1/2 in. (72.4 x 80 cm)
Phillips · Feb 24, 2026 · Lot 46
$9,675≈ £7,173≈ €8,215Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $5,000–7,000View at Phillips ↗

Also offered, result not published (8)

Lots by Sam Gilliam that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.

Sam Gilliam paintings (83)Sam Gilliam acrylic paintings (51)Sam Gilliam mixed media (29)Sam Gilliam works on paper (49)Sam Gilliam watercolors (17)Sam Gilliam prints (64)Sam Gilliam etchings (5)Sam Gilliam lithographs (7)Sam Gilliam screenprints (24)Sam Gilliam woodcuts & linocuts (6)Sam Gilliam photographs (5)

Sam Gilliam: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Sam Gilliam at auction?

$412,800Sign up free to see, for Dew at Phillips (February 2026) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Sam Gilliam?

The median sale price is $8.3kSign up free to see across 204 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Sam Gilliam have sold at auction?

204 of 219 recorded lots sold between 2003 and 2026. 8 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.

Which auction houses sell Sam Gilliam?

Phillips, Rago Auctions and Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Rago Auctions · Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)

Sam Gilliam signature

81 catalogued lots by Sam Gilliam record a signature line. The most common placement is lower right (47% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed.

Placement

lower right20
on the reverse18
lower centre2
lower left2
on the stretcher1

Form

signed38
signed and dated36
signed in pencil7

Signed and dated 'Sam Gilliam 19' lower right — Untitled, Phillips, Jun 26, 2026
Signed and dated "Sam Gilliam; 2019" lower right — Untitled, Phillips, May 21, 2026
Signed, titled and dated ""Dew" Sam Gilliam 74-75" on the reverse — Dew, Phillips, Feb 28, 2026

Sam Gilliam signature: all forms and examples →

About Sam Gilliam

Sam Gilliam was an American abstract painter, sculptor, and arts educator. Born in Mississippi and raised in Kentucky, Gilliam spent his entire adult life in Washington, D.C., eventually being described as the "dean" of the city's arts community. Originally associated with the Washington Color School, a group of Washington-area artists that developed a form of abstract art from color field painting in the 1950s and 1960s, Gilliam moved beyond the group's core aesthetics of flat fields of color in the mid-60s by introducing both process and sculptural elements to his paintings.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.