OSCAR NAMATJIRA

The first time a work by Oscar Namatjira appeared at auction was as early as 1978 when one of his watercolours sold for $75. Since then not a single year has gone by in which not at least two works of his have sold. A mammoth 291 works had been offered by the end of 2017, of which an unbelievable 89% had sold for an average price of just $769.

The watercolours of Oscar Namatjira, and in fact, the entirety of the Hermannsburg school (most notably Oscar's father, Albert Namatjira), have come to represent a romantic view of the Australian outback, one that has crept into the collective mind of almost every Australian. No wonder then, that with the prolific output of an artist that spent over 20 years sitting on the side of the road selling his works to passers by for 5 to 10 dollars apiece, his father’s fame attached to his name, and the relative cheapness of his paintings, Oscar Namatjira has become one of the most widely collected aboriginal artists of all time.

His highest price was achieved in 2006 when a painting of Glen Helen Gorge sold for $6,600. With only two works selling for over $5,000, his paintings remain as attainable as they are popular. Oscar Namatjira's watercolours are among the most popular of the Hermannsburg school. His prices are low and although the artist passed away in 1991, there are an enormous number of them in circulation. With all this factoring in to a collector's decision making, owning an Oscar Namatjira is essential in any comprehensive Australian art collection.