A Seller's Guide to Sam Francis

Francis’ prints are as celebrated as his paintings. Throughout his career, he explored various printmaking techniques, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and monotype, and produced over 1,000 distinct prints. His printmaking reflected the bold use of colour and dynamic expression of his style, and often featured complex layering and unique textures that pushed the boundaries of traditional printmaking at the time. He sought to create depth in his prints by letting the colours interact in unexpected ways, capturing his interest in themes of light, space, and movement. Techniques such as spit-bite and sugar-lift allowed him to create his recognisable painterly printing style. His legacy as one of the great American printmakers has meant his prints have only gained in popularity in recent years.

One of Francis’ most distinct characteristics as a printmaker was his collaborative spirit. He honed his lithographic skills at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles, collaborated with French printer Emil Matthieu in Zurich, and worked alongside Jean-Pierre Remond in Paris. Because of these partnerships, Francis had access to great expertise and high-quality materials that have ensured his prints stand the test of time. He set up his own print studio, The Litho Shop, in 1970 to facilitate experimentation with large-scale printing - the results of which are now some of his most iconic works. Blue Eye Over China (1971), at 154 x 226 cm was one of the first examples of this.

Francis’ prints regularly achieve upwards of £30,000 at auction around the world, with the monotype Senza Titolo (1987) selling for over £67,000 in November 2021. Though monotype prints by Francis tend to auction for higher values, there are still many lithographs that have performed well in the past 10 years - including The White Line (1960) and Bright Jade Gold Ghost (1963). Notable series of work include the Blue Balls series, produced in the early 1960s, and the Edge series produced in the late 1960s.

There are several aspects to authenticating a Francis print. The main consideration is provenance. Documentation such as purchase receipts, gallery information, and previous ownership records can assist in proving the authenticity of your print. To corroborate the provenance, you should also consult the catalogue raisonné of the artist’s prints - the most comprehensive is The Prints of Sam Francis: A Catalogue Raisonné, 1960-1990 by Connie Lembark, which contains detailed information, images, and edition sizes. Reputable art brokers should be able to provide access. The Sam Francis Foundation can also provide guidance, and is developing a catalogue raisonné of its own.

Edition and Signature

Francis typically signed his prints in pencil, usually in the lower margin. Although his signature varies slightly throughout his career, it is always clear and legible. The edition number and size is usually listed beside the signature, in fraction format. Experts in Francis’ work will be able to verify the veracity of the signature and handwriting. As Francis worked with several different printers during his career, many of his prints also carry a stamp or watermark. The Litho Shop, for example, often used a circular stamp.

Browse Sam Francis prints on the Trading Floor and find out more about the print market growth on the MAB100 Print Index.

Looking to Sell Your Sam Francis Prints?

Request a free and zero obligation valuation with our team without hesitation. Track your prints & editions with MyPortfolio.

The condition of your print will be a significant factor in determining its value. The better condition it is in, the higher the price you can hope to achieve. For this reason, prints should always be handled with clean cotton gloves and stored away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures and humidity. If your print is framed, ensure that the glue or tape used for mounting does not damage the back, always use UV-protective glass, and use a mat to create space between the glass and the print. Keeping your print in an acid-free portfolio or folder will protect it from light, dust, and moisture, but you should regularly check the condition of your print, paying close attention to the preservation of the signature and edition number, usually in pencil, as this is key to proving the authenticity of your print.

Francis usually printed his works on high-quality paper, such as Arches or Rives, which should help to prevent creases, bends, and tears, and minimise yellowness and colour-fading when stored correctly. The vibrancy of Francis’ colour choices is crucial to his prints’ appeal, so it is vital to do all you can to preserve their boldness.

If you want to assess any damage your Francis print has sustained, and discuss potential restoration options, contact a conservator. MyArtBroker is also able to offer guidance.

The success of your Francis print on the market will be led by several changeable factors. Its condition and authenticity will always be the most significant. However, selling at the right time can lead to larger returns.

Look out for major events involving Francis’ work. For example, the 1992 retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art heightened interest and positively impacted sales prices. Similarly, when Composition In Blue And Black (1955) sold for £10,106,257 at Christie’s in 2022, Francis’ prints sales experienced a boost, too, with many monotypes, woodcuts, and lithographs achieving over £20,000 at auction in the year that followed. To keep up-to-date with events, as well as recent and upcoming auctions of Francis’ work, monitor the results and value trajectory reports from the leading auction houses - Christie’s, Phillips, Bonham’s, and Sotheby’s.

MyArtBroker offers advanced art tech tools to help you find the optimal time to sell. Our MyPortfolio service features an AI-powered value indicator that provides real-time valuations of individual prints based on both public and private sales data. Combined with our complimentary valuations, we can help ensure your print achieves maximum value by selling at the perfect moment.

At MyArtBroker, our specialists provide a free market valuation for your artwork, offering a level of transparency unmatched in today’s market. In addition to our valuations, through our online Trading Floor, you can access real-time insights into works by the artist you’re looking to sell, including pieces that are most in demand, wanted, or currently for sale: allowing sellers to trust the valuation that they are provided.

Additionally, the MyPortfolio collection management service grants you free access to our comprehensive print market database. This resource allows you to review auction histories for the specific work you’re looking to sell, including hammer prices, values paid, and seller returns. In a fluctuating market, this historical data is invaluable - and often comes at a cost elsewhere - offering insights into past and current values to further inform decisions based on market timing and conditions. In addition to our specialists guidance, you have concrete data.

Our approach is tailored to align with the unique attributes of each artwork, and offer optimal results:

How a Private Sale Works

Unlike peer-to-peer platforms, which lack specialised expertise, authenticity guarantees, and legal infrastructure for high-value sales, MyArtBroker operates through private sales ensuring a secure and seamless transaction process. We charge sellers 0% to sell, and take a small commission from our buyers, absorbing essential aspects including insurance, shipping, and marketing - at no extra cost to the seller. There is no magic to it, we’re a lean specialised business with less overheads than traditional models meaning we can do better for our clients.

Our revenue is derived from buyer commissions only, which are individually negotiated upon offer, and we aim to give the client the best return in the market place. By focusing on high-value artworks in excess of £10,000, we provide specialised care and expertise, ensuring each piece receives the attention it deserves, while simultaneously maximising returns with our clients. For works that fall below this threshold speak to the team about a recommendation, we offer market advisory free of charge. Our goal at MyArtBroker is to offer a seamless solution, setting us apart in the art market.

Advisory and Recommendations

In cases for artists and artworks, where our existing network of collectors isn’t the best fit due to value, medium or condition we collaborate with reputable partners to facilitate its sale. Carefully tailoring your artwork to the right party. This tailored approach is especially important as it considers the unique attributes of each artwork, providing sellers with the best possible outcome in today’s shifting art market. You can discuss this approach with us without charge as part of our advisory service.

Such recommendations are on a case-by-case basis, and ensures broader exposure and takes advantage of our knowledge of where a work will do best.

In addition to our live trading floor, MyArtBroker's MyPortfolio serves as a collection management system, empowering collectors to curate and oversee their prints and editions collection. This feature grants users access to our print market database, uniquely tied to our proprietary algorithm, SingularityX. This algorithm scans and analyses both public auction and private sales data to determine real time valuations of individual print works, factoring in various aspects such as condition, colour, and other factors affecting value.

Read What Powers MyArtBroker's Technology? In Conversation With Stuart Jamieson, Financial Quant to learn more about our algorithm.

Emerging art tech tools are vital in navigating the current, and evolving, digital art market landscape. For instance, by adding Sam Francis prints from our website to the MyPortfolio dashboard, users gain insight into unique sale opportunities and observe market performance and fluctuations as they happen, streamlining the sales process effortlessly. Our pioneering technology has revolutionised art portfolio management, making it more accessible and equipping users with data-driven insights for informed decisions. MyArtBroker harnesses cutting-edge technology driven by data, coupled with a team of industry experts, to deliver an exceptional experience. Our professionals work closely with clients, utilising the MyPortfolio dashboard, to provide personalised guidance for creating a profitable art collection. By merging technology and expertise, we are committed to offering unparalleled curation and customer service.