Byron Leslie Burford Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Byron Leslie Burford Art Value Price Guide

May. 21, 2026
Byron Leslie Burford (1920-2011): Figures in Black Landscape
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Oil on canvas, 1960, signed 'Byron Burford' and dated lower center, signed and inscribed 'Woodmansterne Bansteade, Surrey' on the stretcher, with label from Walker Art Center, Minneapolis and Premier Gallery, Minneapolis. 57 x 55 1/4 in., 57 3/4 x 56 1/4 in. (frame).
STAIR
May. 21, 2026
Byron Leslie Burford (1920-2011): Still Life
Est: $800 - $1,200
Nitrocellulose lacquer on Masonite, 1949, signed 'Burford' and dated lower right, with label from Tweed Gallery, University of Minnesota and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. 31 1/2 x 45 1/2 in., 33 3/4 x 48 in. (frame).
STAIR
Mar. 11, 2026
Byron Leslie Burford, American (1920-2011), Believe it or Not, 1967, screenprint, 21 1/2"Diam. (sight), 28"H x 27 3/4"W(frame)
Est: $200 - $400
Byron Leslie Burford American, (1920-2011) Believe it or Not, 1967 screenprint Pencil signed and dated lower right, edition 30/50. Biography from the Archives of askART: Byron Leslie Burford (1920- ) was born and raised in Mississippi but adopted the Midwest as his lifelong home after attending college at the University of Iowa. Soon after graduation, he accepted an invitation from department chairman Grant Wood to join the faculty, where he became head of Painting until his retirement in 1985. Although influenced by the Midwest Regionalist* movement, Burford essentially is a figurative* artist with a distinct and recognizable realist style that often places his subjects in their own defining context: circus performers at work, beachcombers gazing out to sea, explorers at leisure in their cramped cabin, jazz musicians with their instruments, a publisher picking through the ruins of his letter press after a mob has destroyed it, etc. A prolific oil painter, he has also worked in a wide variety of other media from limited edition prints and engravings to acrylic and even hot wax on canvas. The size of his works has been equally varied, ranging from huge, double-panel oils to tiny miniatures. Over a long and productive life, the sense and subject matter of his works have varied, as well. His earliest drawings, silk screens*, stone lithographs*, and oils include what might be termed a "Mississippi protest" period peopled by ordinary but oppressed African-Americans, of which few drawings and prints are believed to have survived; and a "blue period" characterized by a variety of shades of blue and purple that often cast a dark and somber mood. Later periods include a miniature period of very small paintings; his notable "Antarctic explorer" series of paintings and prints about boyhood hero Robert Scott; the "Jazz" series of musicians and orchestras; and the well known and widely exhibited "Circus" paintings and prints, inspired by Burford's summer travels with a regional circus (with whom he sometimes performed, himself, as the circus band's drummer.) After retirement as an art professor, perhaps in an unconscious counterpoint to his early "blue period," Burford began creating a series of oils, acrylics, and prints suffused with bright reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, and greens. Byron Burford has received multiple prestigious awards and grants, including from these Sources include: American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Awards; Tamarind Fellowship; National Endowment for the Arts Grant; Yaddo* Fellowship; American Federation of Arts Grant; National Institute of Arts and Letters Grant 1972; J.S. Guggenheim Fellowship; Ford Foundation Award; and the Julius Rosenwald Fellowship*. His works are included in many U.S. and foreign collections open to the public. In the U.S. this includes the National Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, the Walker Art Museum (Minneapolis), the Nelson Gallery (Kansas City), the Guggenheim Foundation (New York), the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Des Moines Art Center, the Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha), the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery, Eastman House (Rochester, NY), the High Museum of Art (Atlanta), the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery (Lincoln) and the University of Iowa Art Gallery. Submitted November 2003 by John Barrett who wrote: "I have collected a few Burford works over the years and knew one of his daughters 40 years ago.
Ripley Auctions
Mar. 11, 2026
Byron Leslie Burford, American (1920 - 2011), Parade, 1970, screenprint, 22 1/2"H x 17 3/4"W(sight), 23"H x 18 1/2"W(frame)
Est: $100 - $200
Byron Leslie Burford American, (1920 - 2011) Parade, 1970 screenprint Pencil signed and dated lower right, edition 20/40. Provenance: From the estate of Jim and Anna White, Indianapolis, IN Biography from the Archives of askART: Byron Leslie Burford (1920-2011) was born and raised in Mississippi but adopted the Midwest as his lifelong home after attending college at the University of Iowa. Soon after graduation, he accepted an invitation from department chairman Grant Wood to join the faculty, where he became head of Painting until his retirement in 1985. Although influenced by the Midwest Regionalist* movement, Burford essentially is a figurative* artist with a distinct and recognizable realist style that often places his subjects in their own defining context: circus performers at work, beachcombers gazing out to sea, explorers at leisure in their cramped cabin, jazz musicians with their instruments, a publisher picking through the ruins of his letter press after a mob has destroyed it, etc. A prolific oil painter, he has also worked in a wide variety of other media from limited edition prints and engravings to acrylic and even hot wax on canvas. The size of his works has been equally varied, ranging from huge, double-panel oils to tiny miniatures. Over a long and productive life, the sense and subject matter of his works have varied, as well. His earliest drawings, silk screens*, stone lithographs*, and oils include what might be termed a "Mississippi protest" period peopled by ordinary but oppressed African-Americans, of which few drawings and prints are believed to have survived; and a "blue period" characterized by a variety of shades of blue and purple that often cast a dark and somber mood. Later periods include a miniature period of very small paintings; his notable "Antarctic explorer" series of paintings and prints about boyhood hero Robert Scott; the "Jazz" series of musicians and orchestras; and the well known and widely exhibited "Circus" paintings and prints, inspired by Burford's summer travels with a regional circus (with whom he sometimes performed, himself, as the circus band's drummer.) After retirement as an art professor, perhaps in an unconscious counterpoint to his early "blue period," Burford began creating a series of oils, acrylics, and prints suffused with bright reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, and greens. Byron Burford has received multiple prestigious awards and grants, including from these Sources include: American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Awards; Tamarind Fellowship; National Endowment for the Arts Grant; Yaddo* Fellowship; American Federation of Arts Grant; National Institute of Arts and Letters Grant 1972; J.S. Guggenheim Fellowship; Ford Foundation Award; and the Julius Rosenwald Fellowship*. His works are included in many U.S. and foreign collections open to the public. In the U.S. this includes the National Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, the Walker Art Museum (Minneapolis), the Nelson Gallery (Kansas City), the Guggenheim Foundation (New York), the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Des Moines Art Center, the Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha), the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery, Eastman House (Rochester, NY), the High Museum of Art (Atlanta), the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery (Lincoln) and the University of Iowa Art Gallery. Submitted November 2003 by John Barrett who wrote: "I have collected a few Burford works over the years and knew one of his daughters 40 years ago".
Ripley Auctions
Aug. 26, 2025
Playboy | Byron Burford Fire Fighters Drawing
Est: $400 - $600
Byron Burford (American, 1920-2011) mixed media on board drawing, signed lwoer center. This artwork appeared on pages 94-95 of the August 1969 issue of Playboy Magazine, illustrating the fiction story by Ernest Taves titled "The Fire Fighters," with the caption "There was love and there was hate--love for the girl, hatred of each other--and there was fate in the form of the Osaka express.
Julien's Auctions
Apr. 24, 2025
Byron Burford "Edgar's Chairs"
Est: $300 - $400
1981, Acrylic on paper. Framed Titled lower left, signed lower right.
Kiechel Auction
Apr. 01, 2025
Byron Leslie Burford (American, 1920–2011), Soldier, Oil on Canvas, Height 60 in.; Width 55 in.
Est: $300 - $500
Byron Leslie Burford (American, 1920–2011), Soldier, Oil on Canvas,
Weschler's
Dec. 06, 2023
BURFORD, Byron (American, 1920-2011). Wesley Pearl with Two...
Est: $600 - $800
BURFORD, Byron (American, 1920-2011). Wesley Pearl with Two Large Snakes. 1974. Mixed media on rag paper. Signed at lower left corner. Sight 49 x 37”. Frame (Plexiglas): 50 x 38”. Excellent condition. Third Party Shipping Required.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Oct. 14, 2023
BYRON BURFORD (1920-2011) PENCIL SIGNED PRINTS
Est: $200 - $250
Byron Leslie Burford, Jr (1920-2011) 1941 1. My Friend, 1941. The early etching is signed and dated by the artist in pencil below the image lower right and titled lower left. Image measures 5.75 x 3.75 with a framed size of 14.25 x 11.5 inches. 2. Wild Beast, 1941. The lithograph is signed by the artist in pencil below the image lower right and titled lower left. Image measures 9 x 5.75 with a framed size of 17.75 x 14.25 inches. Measurements noted in the description. Without proof of exemption, be aware that internet sales tax applies to all Internet transactions and local sales tax may apply to local pick-up transactions. We happily provide seamless in-house packing and shipping services on nearly everything we sell. Until further notice, we cannot offer international shipping in-house.
Dirk Soulis Auctions
Sep. 23, 2023
BYRON BURFORD (American 1920-2011) A PAINTING, "Sailboats on the Water," 20TH CENTURY
Est: $400 - $600
BYRON BURFORD (American 1920-2011) A PAINTING, "Sailboats on the Water," 20TH CENTURY, oil on canvas, signed L/L, "B. Burford;" 35 3/4" x 47 3/4", framed 36 1/4" x 48 1/4".
Simpson Galleries, LLC
Jul. 15, 2023
BYRON BURFORD (AMERICAN, 1920-2011)
Est: $200 - $400
Byron Burford American, 1920-2011 The Tournabouni Twins, 1983 Aquatint, signed and titled, edition of 250 Two young women back-to-back in matching kimono wielding crosses, unframed. Byron Leslie Burford, Jr., born July 12, 1920, in Jackson, Mississippi, blossomed as a young artist in a fascination with the carnivals and circuses booked by his YMCA director father, before leaving at age 14 to work as a roadie for the Tom Mix Circus, all the while using his exposure to circus life as inspiration for his work. Burford studied at the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History, where he mentored by Grant Wood. In 1941 Burford completed a commission for the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture, a mural for the U.S. post office in Houston, Mississippi. He received his bachelor's degree in 1942 and, after a brief stint in the Air Corps during Word War II, completed his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1947. He would continue at University of Iowa for 38 years as a painting instructor - developing a camaraderie with Kurt Vonnegut, who taught at the Iowa Writers' Workshop for two years in the 1960s. Burford's academic success did not defer him from his aesthetic interest in circus life, and continued to subject soldiers, athletes, jazz musicians, factory workers and circus people in his work. A well-known artist in the Midwest, Burford exhibited widely and received many honors and awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1960 and a grant from the National Academy of Arts and Letters in 1967.
Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers
Nov. 30, 2021
Byron Burford, "Figures with Zeppelin Wreckage"
Est: $100 - $200
Byron Leslie Burford, Jr (American, 1920-2011) litho pencil signed, titled, and numbered, 22" x 24 1/2" paper size, unframed. Provenance: Babcock Galleries.
Old Kinderhook Auction Company
Nov. 30, 2021
Byron Burford, "Irene Astonished by Progress.."
Est: $100 - $200
Byron Leslie Burford, Jr (American, 1920-2011) litho pencil signed, titled, and numbered, "Irene Astonished by Progress of Science" 25 3/4" x 30 3/4" paper size, unframed. Provenance: Babcock Galleries.
Old Kinderhook Auction Company
Nov. 30, 2021
Byron Burford "Homage to Scott"
Est: $100 - $200
Byron Leslie Burford, Jr (American, 1920-2011) litho pencil signed, titled, and numbered, 25 3/4" x 30 3/4" paper size, 26" x 31" framed. Provenance: Babcock Galleries.
Old Kinderhook Auction Company
Nov. 30, 2021
Byron Burford "Explorer's Dinner"
Est: $100 - $200
Byron Leslie Burford, Jr (American, 1920-2011) litho pencil signed, titled, and numbered, Babcock Galleries label verso, 25 3/4" x 30 1/2" paper size, 31 3/4" x 32 1/4" framed. Provenance: Babcock Galleries.
Old Kinderhook Auction Company
Oct. 05, 2019
Byron Burford O/C, Explorer's Dinner
Est: $600 - $800
Byron Burford or Byron Leslie Burford, Jr. (American, b. Mississippi, 1920-2011) oil on canvas painting titled "Explorer's Dinner," depicting restaurant patrons seated at candlelit tables with a pianist playing in the left foreground, all set against an abstract background. Signed "Byron Burford '57" lower right. Label en verso for the Mid-South First Prize Winners exhibition at the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery. Sight - 40" H x 60" W. Framed - 41 3/8" H x 61 3/8" W. Mid 20th century. Provenance: Deaccessioned from the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Biography: Byron Burford Jr. was born and raised in Mississippi. He attended and later joined the faculty of the University of Iowa, at the invitation of his mentor, department chairman Grant Wood. Burford was head of Painting there for 38 years until his retirement in 1985. A figurative artist influenced by the Midwest Regionalist movement, he worked in a variety of mediums and received multiple awards and grants including American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Awards; the Tamarind Fellowship; a National Endowment for the Arts Grant; a Yaddo Fellowship; an American Federation of Arts Grant; the National Institute of Arts and Letters Grant 1972; a J.S. Guggenheim Fellowship; a Ford Foundation Award; and the Julius Rosenwald Fellowship. His works are held by the Smithsonian, the Walker Art Museum (Minneapolis), the Nelson Gallery (Kansas City), the Guggenheim Foundation (New York), the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Des Moines Art Center, the Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha), the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery, Eastman House (Rochester, NY), the High Museum of Art (Atlanta), the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery (Lincoln) and the University of Iowa Art Gallery. (Source: AskArt and the New York Times). Note: the first annual Mid-South Exhibition was held at the Brooks in 1956, a tradition that continued for the next 17 years and included purchase prizes to help bring regional art into the collection. Jurors included artists such as Wil Barnet and Jack Levine as well as museum directors from institutions such as Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and The Walker Art Center. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Jun. 24, 2018
Byron Burford, (American, 1920-2011), Abandoned Tin Mine, Cornwall, 1959, oil on board, 12" x 13"
Est: $400 - $600
Byron Burford (American, 1920-2011) Abandoned Tin Mine, Cornwall, 1959 oil on board signed and dated lower edge 12" x 13"
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Mar. 30, 2012
Byron Leslie Burford Jr. (American 1920-2011), Soldier
Est: $800 - $1,200
Byron Leslie Burford Jr. (American 1920-2011) Soldier Signed Byron Burford and dated 1966 l.l.; also titled Soldier and dated 1966 on paper label affixed to verso Oil on canvas 60 x 55 in (152.4 x 139.7 cm)Property from the Collection of Dr. Louis Wener, Washington, D.C.
Weschler's
Mar. 30, 2012
Byron Leslie Burford, Jr. (American 1920-2011), Circus Workers and Motordrome Bally: Two Works
Est: $500 - $700
Byron Leslie Burford, Jr. (American 1920-2011) Circus Workers and Motordrome Bally: Two Works The first unsigned, the second, signed Burford and dated 66 l.r., each gouache and graphite on paper; each apparently in good condition. Each framed.* Sight size of first: 5 x 5 in (12.7 x 12.7 cm); Sight size of second: 5-3/4 x 5-3/4 in (14.6 x 14.6 cm)Property from the Collection of Dr. Louis Wener, Washington, D.C.
Weschler's
Oct. 05, 2010
Byron Leslie Burford, American b.1920- "Homage to
Est: £100 - £150
Byron Leslie Burford, American b.1920- "Homage to Scott"; screenprint in colours, signed, titled, numbered 37/50 and dated 1967 in pencil, bears framer's label Merwin's Art Shop 286 York St., New Haven, Conn, 63.2x76.5cm
Roseberys
Sep. 07, 2010
Byron Leslie Burford, American b.1920- "Homage to
Est: £150 - £200
Byron Leslie Burford, American b.1920- "Homage to Scott"; screenprint in colours, signed, titled, numbered 37/50 and dated 1967 in pencil, bears framer's label Merwin's Art Shop 286 York St., New Haven, Conn, 63.2x76.5cm
Roseberys