Roy Andersen (American, 1930-2019)

Paintings

Who is painter Roy Andersen?

Roy Andersen was an American painter and commercial illustrator whose work primarily focused on the Native Americans of the Southwest and Midwest regions of the United States. Andersen’s paintings are known for their historical accuracies, once prompting critic Bill Dickerson to say about Andersen’s work, “You will not find an Apache medicine bag around a Sioux warrior’s neck nor a Cheyenne carrying a modern rifle. What you will see is accuracy, an almost uncanny sense of composition and color harmony, and strength... That is remarkable.”

Andersen was the recipient of several awards including the Cowboy Artists of America in 1989, the Gold Medal for Oil Award at the 25th Annual CAA Exhibition, and the Silver Medal the following year. He died in 2019, leaving a legacy of beautiful, evocative paintings of the American West and its inhabitants.

What kind of art does Roy Andersen make?

Roy Andersen was an oil painter who worked in commercial illustration and paintings of Native Americans of the American Southwest. His paintings focused mainly on the Crow, Cheyenne, and Apache Native Americans. He produced numerous covers for Time Magazine, including most famously a portrait of Albert Einstein. Other commercial work included illustrations for National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and a series of dog and horse stamps for the US Postal Service. Andersen was also commissioned to do several murals for the National Park Service, the Pecos National Monument of New Mexico, and the Saudi Naval Headquarters. He stated that his love of the American west started with visiting his uncle, a cowboy living in rural Nebraska.

How did painter Roy Andersen get started?

Roy Andersen was born in 1930 in New Hampshire but moved to the Midwest as a child. The young artist grew up on an apple farm, his love of Native American customs born from hours at the Chicago Museum of Natural History. Those details would show up in later Andersen works, where his historical accuracy in his paintings was renowned. He went to school at the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, then the Art Center School of Los Angeles. Much of his early career was spent as a commercial artist, producing portraits and illustrations for Time Magazine, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and many other periodicals. In the 1970s he moved to the American Southwest, where he spent the rest of his life.

How much are Roy Andersen paintings worth?

Roy Andersen’s paintings can be worth anywhere from a few thousand dollars all the way up to six figures. The most ever paid for a Roy Andersen painting at Auction is $145,600 for the piece Day of the Dog Soldier (2000) which sold on September 15th, 2000. It was hardly an outlier, Andersen has several paintings that have sold in the six figures and high five-figure range. The most ever paid for a Roy Andersen painting at a Heritage Auction is $34,057.50 for the painting The Trace Leads South (unknown) on November 20th, 2010.

Where to buy Roy Andersen paintings for sale?

See works for sale below. Why buy from Heritage? Art buyers feel confident because our experts know the market and put careful valuations on the artwork for sale. We make the bidding process easier to help you expand your art collection.

How to value Roy Andersen paintings?

The best way to value art is to compare past auction prices for similar works. View past sale prices below. When you’re ready to sell, contact Heritage Auctions to request an auction estimate of the likely selling price at auction. If you need a formal written appraisal for estate planning or insurance, please contact our Appraisal Services Department.