Yousuf Karsh

Canadian (1908 - 2002)

Yousuf Karsh was a Canadian artist.
Based on ArtValue.ca records, Yousuf Karsh's estimated art value is C$10,000 (*)

Yousuf Karsh's work could be available for sale at public auction with prices in the range of C$5,000 - C$25,000, or even much higher.

From ArtValue.ca records, the highest price paid at auction for a print work attributed to Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002) was C$12,980 - paid for "The Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill" at Waddington's in Toronto on Fri, May 27, 2011.
ArtValue.ca has 91 auction art sale records for their print results, with prices in the range of C$5,000 to C$25,000.

Winston Churchill, 1941
gelatin silver print
Dimensions - 34.29 cms x 26.7 cms (13.5 ins x 10.5 ins)

Lot for sale by Heffel Auction House, Vancouver
Lot# h113
Tue, Jun 2, 2020

Estimate $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for CAD $4,687

Heffel Auction House Biography and Notes

On December 30, 1941, following Winston Churchill’s address to the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, Yousuf Karsh was given a two-minute window to take Churchill’s photograph. Churchill left the House of Commons Chamber and marched into the anteroom where his portrait was to be taken. Karsh describes how Churchill’s expression was perfect for the photograph, except for the cigar dangling from his mouth. Karsh spontaneously pulled the cigar from Churchill’s lips, which only strengthened Churchill’s grimace; in that moment Karsh captured this image, which is regarded as one of his most iconic works. The gravitas of Churchill’s personality was immortalized in this photograph. Recently, The Bank of England chose this photograph of Churchill to appear on the front of its all-new polymer banknote, which is now in circulation across the United Kingdom.

(*) Value is calculated as an average of the top print sale records from ArtValue.ca database.
This information is not intended to substitute professional advice.
To estimate the value of a specific artwork created by Yousuf Karsh, follow some of the advice from our Valuating art page, or contact an art specialist if our automated estimate value is greater than C$2,500.