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Sam Gilliam, Solar Canopy

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

  1. Sam Gilliam, Dew, 1974-1975, collage, acrylic, dye pigments and oil glazes on canvas mounted to boardDewPhillips · $412,800≈ £306,436≈ €349,682Sign up to see
  2. Sam Gilliam, Sun Woman, 1970, acrylic on canvasSun WomanRago Auctions · $409,600≈ £303,183≈ €350,026Sign up to see
  3. Sam Gilliam, Reef II, 1976, acrylic and canvas collage on beveled edge canvasReef IIPhillips · $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).

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  1. Sam Gilliam, Abstract: Pinks, Watercolor and pastel
    Abstract: Pinks
    Watercolor
    23 1/2 in. x 18 in.
    Sloans & Kenyon · · Lot 369A
    $1,000≈ £557≈ €819HammerSign up free to seeEst. $800–1,200View at Sloans & Kenyon ↗
  2. Sam Gilliam, A Warmth, A GLOW AND THEN, dated and signed on reverse "68 Sam Gilliam." Acrylic on canvas, 4 panels
    A Warmth
    Acrylic · Canvas
    95 in. x 236 in.
    Sloans & Kenyon · · Lot 1000
    $7,500≈ £4,609≈ €6,630HammerSign up free to seeEst. $4,000–6,000View at Sloans & Kenyon ↗
  3. Sam Gilliam, Untitled, MONUMENT TO WALTER HOPPS, 1980, acrylic on unstretched canvas
    Untitled
    Acrylic · Canvas
    88 in. x 153 in.
    Sloans & Kenyon · · Lot 1001
    $2,500≈ £1,536≈ €2,210HammerSign up free to seeEst. $2,000–3,000View at Sloans & Kenyon ↗
  4. Sam Gilliam, Untitled, LADY DAY II, titled, dated and signed on reverse "Lady Day II July 21 1971 Sam Gilliam." Acrylic on unstretched canvas
    Untitled
    Acrylic · Canvas
    Sloans & Kenyon · · Lot 1002
    $4,500≈ £2,765≈ €3,978HammerSign up free to seeEst. $8,000–10,000View at Sloans & Kenyon ↗
  5. Sam Gilliam, Lattice: three plates (V. 93-95), 1982, Three lithograph and etchings in colors, on handmade paper, the full sheets
    Lattice: three plates (V. 93-95), 1982
    Lithograph · Paper · ed. 11/33
    all S. 32 x 43 3/4 in. (81.3 x 111.1 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 104
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $9,000–12,000View at Phillips ↗
  6. Sam Gilliam, When, 1967, acrylic and pigment on polypropylene
    When, 1967
    Acrylic
    18 x 23 1/2 in. (45.7 x 59.7 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 119
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $20,000–30,000View at Phillips ↗
  7. Sam Gilliam, Lightning Bolt, 1997, collagraph and screenprint in colors on blue handmade paper
    Lightning Bolt, 1997
    Screenprint · Paper
    26⅞ h x 26⅝ w in (68 x 68 cm)
    Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · · Lot 117
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $4,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
  8. Sam Gilliam, New Movie 1, 2008, relief, archival inkjet
    New Movie 1, 2008
    Photograph
    32½ h x 29 w in (83 x 74 cm)
    Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) · · Lot 306
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $2,000–View at Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) ↗
  9. Sam Gilliam, Something Green, 2009, acrylic and resin on panel
    Something Green, 2009
    Acrylic · Panel
    54 x 34 1/2 x 3 in.
    Bonhams · · Lot 69
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $50,000–70,000View at Bonhams ↗
  10. Sam Gilliam, Tee 2 (A. 25), 1974, Screenprint in colors and collage of T-shirt, on Arches Cover paper, the full sheet
    Tee 2 (A. 25), 1974
    Screenprint · Paper · ed. 7/10
    S. 33 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. (85.1 x 69.9 cm)
    Phillips · · Lot 372
    Unsold / did not meet reserveEst. $8,000–12,000View 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 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.

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