John Behan Paintings & Artwork for Sale | John Behan Art Value Price Guide

Jun. 10, 2026
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B. 1938)
Est: €15,000 - €25,000
Title: Atlantic Famine Ship (2021) Medium: Unique Bronze Signature: Signed and Dated Provenance: Private Collection Framed When you see an Irish sculpture of a famine ship, you immediately think of the work of John Behan. Just like his fellow sculptors, Edward Delaney and Rowan Gillespie, John Behan has been crafting memories of the Irish Famine from the mid - 1990s and still he creates these moving, emotional and historically rooted masterpieces today. This piece, an ÔAtlantic Famine ShipÕ from 2021, is connected through the lyrical movement of the figures attached, while the sails look as if they are blown forward by the wind, just as if the ship was sailing on a breezy day. The shipÕs sails are rough and depicted finely, as the appearance of gaps or tears is reminiscent of the years we lost out on and the years that tore Ireland apart between 1845 and 1852. There is significant depth in the body of the ship as the masts are supported by the base, while the overall structure in its entirety echoes the painful recollections of the coffin ships that travelled from Ireland to America, Britain, Canada, and other countries. Born in Sheriff Street, Dublin, in 1938, John Behan studied at the National College of Art and Design from 1956 to 1960, and started sculpting in the late 1950s, while continuing to improve his studies, attending Ealing Art College, London for a year between 1960 and 1961, and OsloÕs Royal Academy School later. Around the same time, he completed a metalwork apprenticeship at the J&C McLoughlin Ironworks, starting at the age of 15 in 1960. In 1967, he helped establish the Dublin Art Foundry and the Project Arts Centre in Dublin, while three years later, he received his first big commission, where he created the Cuchulainn relief panels for the Gresham Hotel, Dublin. His most famous work would be the National Famine Memorial in Murrisk Millennium Peace Park at the foot of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo. His retrospective was held in association with the RHA and the Galway Arts Centre between 1994 and 1995, which also toured to the Sligo Art Gallery. He has exhibited a number of times, including at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, the Oireachtas, and the RHA, which he became an elected member of in 1989. He was also made a member of Aosdana in 1978. He is represented by a number of galleries across Ireland, including Solomon Fine Art, The Kenny Gallery and Kilcock Art Gallery, and he currently lives near Galway City.
Sheppards
Jun. 10, 2026
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B. 1938)
Est: €400 - €600
Title: Woman and Cockerel Medium: Limited Edition Lithograph (No. 1/12) Signature: Signed and Numbered Lower Left Provenance: Private Collection Framed
Sheppards
Jun. 10, 2026
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B. 1938)
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Title: Flight of Birds Medium: Unique Bronze Signature: Signed Provenance: Private Collection
Sheppards
May. 27, 2026
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Golfer Bronze, 43cm (h) (17) Signed
Est: €800 - €1,200
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Golfer Bronze, 43cm (h) (17) Signed
Adam's
May. 25, 2026
John Behan RHA (b.1938) TWO BIRD OAR BOAT, 2017
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) TWO BIRD OAR BOAT, 2017 bronze; (no. 2 from an edition of 9) signed, dated and numbered on boat h:20.75 w:21 d:7.25 in. Provenance: Kenny's, Galway, 2017; Private collection
Whyte's
Mar. 31, 2026
§ John Behan R.H.A. (Irish, b.1938) Famine Ship
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
signed and dated '2006 BEHAN' (to the ship rim) bronze with green patina Size:(73.6 x 71.1 cm. (29 x 28 in.) (including the base))
Chiswick Auctions
Mar. 31, 2026
§ John Behan R.H.A. (Irish, b.1938) Oarboat With Figures
Est: £5,000 - £8,000
bronze with a pale brown patina conceived circa 2006 Size:(48.3 x 71.1 cm. (19 x 28 in.))
Chiswick Auctions
Mar. 25, 2026
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bull Bronze, on marble base, 36 x 13 x 22cm (h) (14 x 5 x 8¾'') Unique, signed and dated 1972 Provenance: From the collection of the artist Jan de Fouw
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bull Bronze, on marble base, 36 x 13 x 22cm (h) (14 x 5 x 8¾'') Unique, signed and dated 1972 Provenance: From the collection of the artist Jan de Fouw
Adam's
Feb. 24, 2026
JOHN BEHAN (B. 1938)
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Title: Shakespearean Bull (2025) Medium: Unique Bronze Signature: Signed and Dated on Underside Provenance: Private Collection Framed SCULPTURE Tuesday 24th February 2026 19:55:12
Sheppards
Feb. 24, 2026
JOHN BEHAN (B. 1938)
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Title: Birds in Flight Medium: Unique Bronze on Black Kilkenny Marble Base Signature: Signed Provenance: Private Collection SCULPTURE Tuesday 24th February 2026 18:13:48
Sheppards
Dec. 11, 2025
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B. 1938)
Est: €6,000 - €9,000
Title: Bull Medium: Bronze Signature: Signed on Underside Provenance: Private Collection A powerful sculptural study of a bull, modelled with Behan’s distinctive rugged texture and expressive massing. The form exudes energy and resilience, hallmarks of the sculptor’s acclaimed bronzes inspired by Irish mythology and rural life. SCULPTURE Thursday 11th December 2025 18:55:04
Sheppards
Dec. 01, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) BULL, 1975
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) BULL, 1975 bronze; (unique) signed and dated on underside h:9 w:14.50 d:6 in.
Whyte's
Dec. 01, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) OARBOAT WITH FIGURES, c. 2006
Est: €12,000 - €18,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) OARBOAT WITH FIGURES, c. 2006 bronze; (unique) h:18.50 w:28.50 d:10 in.
Whyte's
Dec. 01, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) FAMINE SHIP, 2006
Est: €15,000 - €20,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) FAMINE SHIP, 2006 bronze; (unique) signed and dated on boat h:28.75 w:26.75 d:13 in.
Whyte's
Nov. 26, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Whiskey Drinker Mixed media, 41 x 29cm (16 x 11½'') Signed
Est: €500 - €800
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Whiskey Drinker Mixed media, 41 x 29cm (16 x 11½'') Signed
Adam's
Nov. 26, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Migrant (2020) Bronze, 45cm (h) (17¾'') Signed and dated 2020
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Migrant (2020) Bronze, 45cm (h) (17¾'') Signed and dated 2020
Adam's
Nov. 26, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bull (1980) Bronze, 41 x 16 x 19cm high (16 x 6¼ x 19½high) Signed and dated 1980 Numbered 7/12
Est: €2,000 - €4,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bull (1980) Bronze, 41 x 16 x 19cm high (16 x 6¼ x 19½high) Signed and dated 1980 Numbered 7/12
Adam's
Nov. 26, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Wild Swans at Coole (2016) Bronze, 71 x 68 x 75cm (h) (28 x 26¾ x 29½'') Signed, dated 2016 and numbered 3/9 Sharing its title with W.B Yeats’ 1917 poem of the same name both works celebrate the immense beauty of
Est: €12,000 - €16,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Wild Swans at Coole (2016) Bronze, 71 x 68 x 75cm (h) (28 x 26¾ x 29½'') Signed, dated 2016 and numbered 3/9 Sharing its title with W.B Yeats’ 1917 poem of the same name both works celebrate the immense beauty of the creatures in Coole Park, Co. Galway. The country home on the estate belonged to Lady Gregory and Yeats spent a lot of time there, his own house at Thoor Ballylee was just three miles away. Written in later life, Yeats muses in the poem on the passing of time, his memories of watching the swans as a younger man, reflecting on the shifts in nature and his awareness of his own ageing. Behan’s work shares a close relationship with the world of poetry, his sculptures reflecting the connection between the lyrical and the physical. Poets alike are often drawn to his sculptures, to the metaphors of journey and his connection with the ancient culture of Ireland, its myths, and histories. Swans as animals hold a magisterial and almost otherworldly quality to us, reflected in traditional Irish mythology when they are used as symbols to represent transformation and connection to an afterlife. Flights of birds have been a constant theme throughout his career and Behan has remarked on the importance of animals, particularly in his early childhood when he was beginning to draw and explore art. In this work they are formed as a mass of swirling shapes, moving as a single entity as they ascend towards the sky. Behan’s sculptures always maintain a sense of movement and dynamism despite the structural solidity of the bronze. In this work he has added a white patina to the surface, enhancing the lightness while also obscuring the true colour of the metal, which emerges in flashes of gold highlights on the tips of the outstretched wings.
Adam's
Nov. 05, 2025
John Behan, RHA, b.1938, Flight Of Birds. On a black Kilkenny marble base.
Est: €40 - €3,000
John Behan, RHA, b.1938, Flight Of Birds. On a black Kilkenny marble base. Total weight c.3.5KG. Measures c.42cm tall, c.30cm wide. Indistinctly initialled underneath a lower wing.
Purcell Auctioneers
Nov. 05, 2025
John Behan, RHA, b.1938, Turf Cutter. On a simple wooden base. Total weight
Est: €40 - €4,000
John Behan, RHA, b.1938, Turf Cutter. On a simple wooden base. Total weight c.3.8KG. Measures c.32.5cm tall, c.23cm wide (incl. base). SIGNED John Behan, inside left lower leg.
Purcell Auctioneers
Sep. 29, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) FAMINE SHIP NO. 7
Est: €10,000 - €15,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) FAMINE SHIP NO. 7 bronze; (unique) signed and inscribed [no. 7] on underside h:24.25 w:20 d:13 in. Dublin-born sculptor John Behan studied in Dublin, London and Oslo. He has had major exhibitions with the Project Arts Centre (Dublin), Kenny Art Gallery (Galway), Emmet Gallery (Dublin) and has participated in the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), the Independent Artists and the Oireachtas annual exhibitions. He is well known for large public sculptures including the National Famine Memorial Murrisk, Co. Mayo and Arrival: A New Dawn, United Nations Headquarters, New York. Represented in the collections of The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, An Chomhairle Ealaíon / The Arts Council, Irish Life Centre (Dublin) and the Insurance Corporation of Ireland. Behan is a member of the RHA and Aosdána. A retrospective documentary of his life and work was produced and filmed by award-winning filmmaker Donald Taylor Black in 2024, premiered at the IndieCork Film Festival and toured in galleries and cinemas in Dublin.
Whyte's
Sep. 29, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) DOVES
Est: €3,500 - €4,500
John Behan RHA (b.1938) DOVES bronze on granite base h:21 w:9 d:7.50 in. Dublin-born sculptor John Behan studied in Dublin, London and Oslo. He has had major exhibitions with the Project Arts Centre (Dublin), Kenny Art Gallery (Galway), Emmet Gallery (Dublin) and has participated in the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), the Independent Artists and the Oireachtas annual exhibitions. He is well known for large public sculptures including the National Famine Memorial, Murrisk, Co. Mayo and Arrival: A New Dawn, United Nations Headquarters, New York. Represented in the collections of The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, An Chomhairle Ealaíon / The Arts Council, Irish Life Centre (Dublin) and the Insurance Corporation of Ireland. Behan is a member of the RHA and Aosdána. A retrospective documentary of his life and work was produced and filmed by award-winning filmmaker Donald Taylor Black in 2024, premiered at the IndieCork Film Festival and toured in galleries and cinemas in Dublin.
Whyte's
Sep. 24, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) The Tiler Sheet metal, 140 x 33.5 x 187cm (h) (55¼ x 13¼ x 73½'') Unique
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) The Tiler Sheet metal, 140 x 33.5 x 187cm (h) (55¼ x 13¼ x 73½'') Unique
Adam's
Sep. 16, 2025
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B. 1938)
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Title: West of Ireland Oar Boat (2025) Medium: Unique Bronze Signature: Signed and Dated Provenance: Private Collection Lot Description: A signed bronze sculpture by Irish artist John Behan, depicting a stylised West of Ireland oar boat with elongated prow and stern, mounted with six vertical oars. The work is cast with Behan’s distinctive textural surface, combining abstraction with a strong sense of cultural heritage. Patinated in silver and bronze tones, the sculpture captures the enduring relationship between the Irish coastal communities and the sea. Signed to the prow. SCULPTURE Tuesday 16th September 2025 19:15:50
Sheppards
May. 28, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach Painted steel, 107cm (h) (42'') Unique Among the most evocative narratives in the Irish mythological canon, The Tale of Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach is a haunting chronicle o
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach Painted steel, 107cm (h) (42'') Unique Among the most evocative narratives in the Irish mythological canon, The Tale of Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach is a haunting chronicle of beauty, love, and betrayal, suffused with fatal prophecy and political ambition. This ancient Ulster Cycle legend endures as both a national treasure and a timeless exploration of the destructive tension between personal desire and sovereign power. Foretold at birth to bring ruin upon kings and warriors, Deirdre—renowned for a beauty likened to snow and raven’s wing—was secreted away in woodland seclusion in an attempt to thwart fate. Yet the prophecy would prove inexorable. Upon encountering Naoise, the son of Uisneach, whose countenance precisely matches her dreamt-of ideal, Deirdre falls irreversibly in love. Their union, however, defies the will of King Conchobar mac Nessa, who had intended to claim Deirdre for himself. In fear and defiance, Deirdre flees with Naoise and his brothers, Ardan and Ainnle, across the sea to Scotland. There, they live in exile, attempting to preserve both love and life away from Conchobar’s reach. But beauty such as Deirdre’s cannot remain hidden, and soon her renown spreads even to the Scottish court. Jealousies stir. Sensing his opportunity, Conchobar cunningly lures the exiles back to Ireland under false assurances of peace. His promises, however, are treacherous. The sons of Uisneach are betrayed and slaughtered upon their return. Consumed by sorrow and stripped of all she holds dear, Deirdre’s fate reaches its tragic fulfilment as she chooses death over life without love. This enduring tale, at once lyrical and brutal, serves as a sublime embodiment of Ireland’s rich mythopoetic heritage. It speaks not only to the cost of passion and the relentlessness of destiny but also to the tragic human cost of political ambition and broken oaths.
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Saint Francis Bronze, 93cm (h) (36½'') Signed and numbered indistinctly
Est: €5,000 - €6,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Saint Francis Bronze, 93cm (h) (36½'') Signed and numbered indistinctly
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) King and Queen Bronze with gold patination, 51cm (h) (20'')
Est: €5,000 - €6,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) King and Queen Bronze with gold patination, 51cm (h) (20'')
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Cú Chulainn (1980) Bronze, 69cm high (27¼'') Signed and dated 1980 Cú Chulainn is a legendary Irish warrior and demigod from the Ulster Cycle of mythology. The son of the god Lugh and the mortal Deichtine, he wa
Est: €7,000 - €10,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Cú Chulainn (1980) Bronze, 69cm high (27¼'') Signed and dated 1980 Cú Chulainn is a legendary Irish warrior and demigod from the Ulster Cycle of mythology. The son of the god Lugh and the mortal Deichtine, he was originally named Sétanta. He earned the name Cú Chulainn (“Hound of Culann”) after killing a guard dog in self-defence and vowing to take its place. Trained in martial arts by the warrior woman Scáthach, he wielded the deadly spear Gáe Bulg. Though destined for glory, it was foretold his life would be short. At seventeen, he single-handedly defended Ulster in the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge, famously entering a berserk rage known as ríastrad. He rode a chariot driven by his charioteer Láeg, pulled by the horses Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend. Cú Chulainn’s wife was Emer, though he had other lovers, including Aífe, with whom he fathered Connla, whom he tragically killed in combat. Cú Chulainn himself died heroically, tied to a standing stone so he could die on his feet. He remains a national symbol of heroism, notably commemorated in Oliver Sheppard’s bronze statue in Dublin’s GPO and in stained glass at St. Enda’s School. His story has been retold in literature, including Lady Gregory’s 1902 Cuchulain of Muirthemne, which popularized and softened the ancient tales.
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B. 1938)
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Bull. Bronze. Limited Edition. A powerful and characterful bronze sculpture by John Behan RHA, depicting a heavily laden pack bull with panniers. Modelled in Behan’s distinctive textured style, the work reflects his ongoing themes of labour, endurance, and the rural Irish landscape. Behan’s sculptures are found in major public and private collections worldwide. SCULPTURE Wednesday 28th May 2025 11:33:36
Sheppards
May. 26, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) VICTIMS
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) VICTIMS bronze on marble base; (from an edition of 6) h:20.50 w:15 in. Provenance: Gerald Goldberg collection; His sale, Mealy's, 5 October 2004, lot 334; Whence purchased by the present owner Exhibited: 'An Exhibition of Sculpture and Drawings by John Behan', Kenny's, Galway, September 1975, catalogue no. 2; 'John Behan', Cork Arts Society, Lavitts Quay, Cork, 1-12 June 1977, catalogue no. 27 Another cast of this work is in the collection of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Whyte's
May. 14, 2025
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B.1938)
Est: €500 - €800
Title: Connemara Cottages, 1999. Medium: Mixed media Signature: Signed and dated lower right Provenance: Kenny Gallery, Galway. Private Collection. Framed. Description In this vibrant and textured composition, Behan translates his sculptural sensibility to paper, portraying Connemara’s rural vernacular architecture. Bold colour contrasts and energetic linework lend the work a tactile immediacy, echoing the cultural resilience of the western landscape.
Sheppards
Apr. 02, 2025
JOHN BEHAN BRONZE, MOTHER WITH CHILDREN.
Est: $400 - $600
A vintage John Behan (b. 1938) bronze sculpture of mother with children, on base. Signed on base Behan. 12.5”H x 11.5”W x 3.5”D.
William Smith Auctions
Mar. 18, 2025
JOHN BEHAN (B. 1938)
Est: €20,000 - €30,000
Atlantic Famine Ship (2024). Unique Bronze. Signed. PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 11th March 2025 Approximate Time 16:20:24
Sheppards
Mar. 18, 2025
JOHN BEHAN RHA (B. 1938)
Est: €1,500 - €2,500
War Chariot. Bronze sculpture. Signed. Limited edition of 6. SCULPTURE Tuesday 11th March 2025 Approximate Time 12:51:36
Sheppards
Mar. 03, 2025
John Behan RHA (b.1938) SHARE THE FEELING, 2003
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) SHARE THE FEELING, 2003 bronze; (no. 18 from an edition of 100) signed, dated and numbered at base h:10.25 w:9 d:6 in.
Whyte's
Dec. 04, 2024
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bull Bronze, 40 x 17cm (h) (15¾ x 6¾) Signed, no.2/9 On white marble base
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bull Bronze, 40 x 17cm (h) (15¾ x 6¾) Signed, no.2/9 On white marble base
Adam's
Nov. 27, 2024
JOHN BEHAN R. H. A. (B. 1938)
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
New Dawn. Bronze. SCULPTURES Wednesday 27th November 2024 Approximate Time 12:45:00
Sheppards
Sep. 30, 2024
John Behan RHA (b.1938) THREE WARRIORS, 1975
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) THREE WARRIORS, 1975 bronze on white marble base; (unique) signed and dated at base h:15 w:14 d:5 in.
Whyte's
Sep. 26, 2024
John Behan (b. 1938-) Self Portrait signed, dated 1966, 33/80, lithograph, 50cm x 32cm
Est: £30 - £40
John Behan (b. 1938-) Self Portrait signed, dated 1966, 33/80, lithograph, 50cm x 32cm
Bamfords Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd
Sep. 25, 2024
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bronze, 36 x 16 x 20cm(H) (14_ x 6_ x 8'') Signed, Edition 6/6
Est: €1,000 - €1,500
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Bronze, 36 x 16 x 20cm(H) (14_ x 6_ x 8'') Signed, Edition 6/6
Adam's
Sep. 25, 2024
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Buddha Boat Bronze, 24cm(H) (9_'') Signed indistinctly
Est: €1,000 - €1,500
John Behan RHA (b.1938) Buddha Boat Bronze, 24cm(H) (9_'') Signed indistinctly
Adam's
May. 29, 2024
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Cú Chulainn Bronze, 28 x 48cm(h) (11 x 19) Signed and dated 1974
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Cú Chulainn Bronze, 28 x 48cm(h) (11 x 19) Signed and dated 1974
Adam's
May. 29, 2024
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Bull Bronze, 8 x 22cm(h) (3 x 8¾) Signed with initials and dated 1971
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Bull Bronze, 8 x 22cm(h) (3 x 8¾) Signed with initials and dated 1971
Adam's
May. 27, 2024
John Behan RHA (b.1938) FLIGHT OF BIRDS
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) FLIGHT OF BIRDS bronze on stone base bearing artist's studio label on base h:12.75 w:10.25 d:7 in.
Whyte's
May. 27, 2024
John Behan RHA (b.1938) BULL, 1990
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
John Behan RHA (b.1938) BULL, 1990 bronze on black marble base signed and dated on underside h:9.50 w:19 d:5.50 in.
Whyte's
Mar. 27, 2024
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Ancient City Bronze, 23 x 11 x 50cm (h) (9 x 4¼ x 19¾) On a limestone pedestal Unique
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Ancient City Bronze, 23 x 11 x 50cm (h) (9 x 4¼ x 19¾) On a limestone pedestal Unique
Adam's
Mar. 27, 2024
John Behan RHA (B.1938) Famine Ship Bronze 50 x 15 x 52cm high (19¾ x 6 x 20½)
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
John Behan RHA (B.1938) Famine Ship Bronze 50 x 15 x 52cm high (19¾ x 6 x 20½)
Adam's
Mar. 27, 2024
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Mother and Child Bronze on polished granite base, 33.5cm high (13¼) including base Signed and dated 1973
Est: €1,500 - €2,500
John Behan RHA (b. 1938) Mother and Child Bronze on polished granite base, 33.5cm high (13¼) including base Signed and dated 1973
Adam's