William Copley
American · 1919–1996 · Painter, Draughtsman
William N. Copley also known as CPLY, was an American painter, writer, gallerist, collector, patron, publisher and art entrepreneur. His works as an artist have been classified… (Wikipedia)
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2 works by William Copley with an auction history (offered more than once) →
1 work by William Copley coming up at auction · bid with the house ↓
Record prices
The Kids No TrooperGrisebach · €290,250≈ $337,851≈ £251,041Sign up to see
Happy New YearKetterer Kunst · €283,800≈ $330,485≈ £247,666Sign up to see
UntitledLempertz · €262,500≈ $313,346≈ £224,508Sign up to see
William Copley’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
1 in forthcoming sales · bid with the house
Listed from the auction houses’ own websites; estimates are the houses’ own, not results.
ArtSell has recorded 131 auction results for William Copley between 2004 and 2026, of which 124 sold (95%). Recorded sale prices range from $38Sign up free to see to $338kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $338kSign up free to see for The Kids No Trooper at Grisebach in June 2026. The most common medium is acrylic paintings (46 lots). Most results come from Phillips (40), Lempertz (32) and Ketterer Kunst (15).
131 results · page 1 of 4
- Man and Woman, 1978£323≈ $436≈ €375Sign up free to see
- Untitled, 1964$7,095≈ £5,292≈ €6,120Sign up free to see
- €90,300≈ $104,450≈ £77,936Sign up free to see
- Blue Angel, 1973€154,800≈ $179,057≈ £133,605Sign up free to see
- The Kids No Trooper, 1989€290,250≈ $337,851≈ £251,041Sign up free to see
- Man and Woman, 1978£258≈ $346≈ €299Sign up free to see
- Black Rose of Texas, 1962€54,180≈ $63,093≈ £47,282Sign up free to see
- Happy New Year, 1970€283,800≈ $330,485≈ £247,666Sign up free to see
- Lazy Afternoon, 1981€81,900≈ $95,545≈ £71,623Sign up free to see
- The 69 Steps, 1973€107,950≈ $124,855≈ £94,480Sign up free to see
William Copley paintings (73)William Copley oil paintings (23)William Copley acrylic paintings (46)William Copley mixed media (4)William Copley works on paper (31)William Copley drawings (24)William Copley prints (23)William Copley lithographs (3)William Copley screenprints (19)
William Copley: quick facts
What is the highest price paid for a work by William Copley at auction?
$337,851Sign up free to see, for The Kids No Trooper at Grisebach (June 2026) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.
What is a typical auction price for William Copley?
The median sale price is $32.4kSign up free to see across 124 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.
How many works by William Copley have sold at auction?
124 of 131 recorded lots sold between 2004 and 2026.
Which auction houses sell William Copley?
Phillips, Lempertz and Ketterer Kunst account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Lempertz · Ketterer Kunst
William Copley signature
101 catalogued lots by William Copley record a signature line. The most common placement is lower right (49% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed and dated.
Placement
Form
Signed “cpLy” lower right; titled and inscribed “Feasting a Fawning Parasite, or glutting a Harlot's Purse from The Song of the Wage Slave Page 25” on the rever
— Feasting a Fawning Parasite, or Glutting a Harlot's Purse; from "The Song of the Wage Slave", Phillips, Sep 26, 2026Signed and dated "CPLY 64" lower left
— Untitled, Phillips, Jun 16, 2026Betitelt, signiert und datiert verso unten rechts: LE ROI DES POIVREAUX Cply 57
— "Le Roi des Poivreaux", Van Ham, Jun 4, 2025
About William Copley
William N. Copley also known as CPLY, was an American painter, writer, gallerist, collector, patron, publisher and art entrepreneur. His works as an artist have been classified as late Surrealist and precursory to Pop art.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.