Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri = top 10 painting sold
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (circa 1927–2015) was a monumental, foundational pioneer of the early 1970s Papunya Tula Western Desert art movement. A senior Anmatyerr elder, he was one of the very first men to assist schoolteacher Geoffrey Bardon in painting the iconic Honey Ant mural on the Papunya school wall in 1971, triggering the global contemporary Indigenous art movement. [1]
Much like his peers, Billy Stockman’s paintings do not circulate on a global “Top 10” multi-million dollar macro list, which is reserved exclusively for select historical masterpieces by Emily Kame Kngwarreye or Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Instead, his market is divided into two distinct brackets: his highly prolific later commercial canvases trade reliably between $1,500 and $8,000 AUD, while his rare, museum-grade early 1970s experimental boards command substantial premium five-figure and six-figure valuations at elite fine art houses. [1, 2, 3]
Below is the verified historical overview of his top-grossing public sales milestones and the core design elements collectors track:
Verified Highest Auction Sales & Market Milestones
- Wild Potato (Yala) Dreaming (1971)
- Sale Price: $201,500 AUD (Sold in June 1998 via Sotheby’s)
- Significance: This legendary piece holds the all-time public market record for a Billy Stockman artwork.
- Historical Weight: Painted at the absolute dawn of the Papunya movement, it features a stark, minimal monochrome yellow background mapping out the sacred Yala root systems. It is famously immortalised as the front cover illustration for Geoffrey Bardon’s definitive historical art text. [1, 2]
- Untitled (Ngatitjirri Dreaming at Ilpitirri)
- Sale Price: $29,167 USD (Approx. $43,000+ AUD, sold via Smith & Singer, Melbourne)
- Significance: Represents his modern secondary-market peak for an intricate, mid-career traditional canvas mapping the sacred Budgerigar (Ngatitjirri) ancestral paths. [1]
- Man’s Story at Ilpitirri (Napperby Lakes) (1981)
- Auction Range: $15,000 – $20,000 AUD (Traded via Bonhams / Invaluable)
- Significance: A massive, museum-scale canvas measuring 160 x 125.5 cm. It holds flawless primary market provenance bearing an official Papunya Tula Artists registration code (
BS810129), making it a benchmark asset for 1980s Western Desert collections. [1]
Key Value Indicators for Billy Stockman
When elite galleries or public institutions appraise a Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri piece for premium value, they evaluate three core criteria:
- The 1971–1972 Board Premium: His most valuable and historically significant works are his earliest painting experiments. These were executed using synthetic house paints or early acrylics over small scrap materials, such as composition boards, linoleum pieces, and salvaged fruit box ends. A genuine, authenticated 1971 board is a rare historical artifact that commands massive institutional demand. [1, 2]
- Iconography and Minimalist Style: In his early phases, Billy utilized traditional, unembellished ochres and clean monochrome fields to depict raw ancestral tools, tracks, and the Yala (Wild Potato). In the late 1970s and 1980s, he transitioned into the heavy, classic multi-coloured dotting maps featuring interlocking circles that most collectors recognise today. [1]
- Flawless Papunya Tula Documentation: Because Billy Stockman was highly prolific later in life, the secondary market features many un-certificated or commercially rushed works. The gold standard for securing five-figure valuations requires an official Papunya Tula Artists (PTA) stamp, catalog inventory code, or accompanying Dorothy Bennett documentation on the back of the linen. [1]
Sep 21, 2026
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD350
Aug 24, 2026
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (circa 1927-2015) Untitled, 1983
Bonhams
Sold: AUD1,400
Aug 24, 2026
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (circa 1927-2015) Untitled, 1980
Bonhams
Sold: AUD1,800
Aug 04, 2026
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (c.1927-2015), “Spiderman Sitting Up”, Acrylic on canvas., 56cm x 36cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD475
Jul 28, 2026
▲ Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (Australian, circa 1927-2015) Serpent
Sworders
Passed
Jun 28, 2026
ATTR. BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “SNAKE DREAMING” ACRYLIC ON STRETCHED CANVAS, 127X113CMS.
WA Art Auctions
Sold: AUD450
Jun 25, 2026
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (c.1927-2015), “Waterhole Creation”, Acrylic on canvas., 40cm x 40cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD275
Jun 25, 2026
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (c.1927-2015), “Men’s Ceremony”, Acrylic on linen., 137.5cm x 96cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD950
Jun 22, 2026
Lawsons
Sold: AUD4,000
Apr 20, 2026
Lawsons
Sold: AUD5,000
Apr 07, 2026
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (c.1927-2015), ”Men’s Secret Ceremony”, Acrylic on linen., 61cm x 45cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD425
Dec 15, 2025
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (c.1927-2015), “Mans Dreaming”, Acrylic on canvas., 85cm x 60cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD400
Dec 08, 2025
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, (1925-2015), Wild Potato Dreaming c.1980, Acrylic on canvas board
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Sold: AUD850
Dec 07, 2025
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (c.1927-2015), ”Man’s Ceremony”, Acrylic on canvas., 40cm x 35cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD275
Dec 03, 2025
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (circa 1927-2015) Untitled, 1983
Bonhams
Passed
Dec 03, 2025
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (circa 1927-2015) Untitled, 1980
Bonhams
Passed
Dec 02, 2025
▲ Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (Australian, c.1927-2015)
Sworders
Passed
Dec 02, 2025
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (born circa 1927) Wild Potato Dreaming, 1974
Bonhams
Sold: AUD5,500
Nov 18, 2025
Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art)
Sold: AUD9,500
Oct 07, 2025
▲ Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (Australian, c.1927-2015)
Sworders
Passed
Sep 28, 2025
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (1927-2015), “Initiation Ceremony, Acrylic on canvas., 61cm x 91cm
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Aug 12, 2025
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1927-2015), Untitled
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD400
Aug 12, 2025
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1927-2015), Untitled
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD340
Aug 07, 2025
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, (C.1927-2015), “Men’s Ceremony”, Acrylic on linen., 46cm x 61cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD475
May 26, 2025
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,400
Apr 23, 2025
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (Anmatyere, b.1927)
Material Culture
Sold: $1,000
Mar 18, 2025
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD44,000
Aug 22, 2024
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (Australian, b. 1925) Spider Dreaming
Freeman’s | Hindman
Passed
Apr 21, 2024
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1927-2015), Men’s Ceremony 1988
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD1,200
Apr 19, 2024
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, 1927-2015, Australia
Henry’s Auktionshaus
Sold: €360
Mar 26, 2024
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI, YAM DREAMING, 1971
Deutscher and Hackett
Sold: AUD24,000
Feb 17, 2024
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, 1927-2015, Australia
Henry’s Auktionshaus
Sold: €400
Jan 28, 2024
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Dec 03, 2023
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony ” Acrylic on canvas
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD650
Nov 05, 2023
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD700
Oct 14, 2023
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri Abstract Painting
Palm Beach Modern Auctions
Sold: $3,000
Jul 31, 2023
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, , Untitled, Acrylic on canvas
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Sold: AUD320
Jun 23, 2023
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, 1927-2015, Australia
Henry’s Auktionshaus
Sold: €750
Jun 18, 2023
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD700
May 28, 2023
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1927-2015) – “Spiderman Dreaming”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD425
Apr 16, 2023
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1927-2015), Kangaroo Dreaming 1974
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD8,000
Mar 26, 2023
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI”Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Jan 04, 2023
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD425
Dec 15, 2022
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri Attr. ”Sweet Potato” 1980
MBA Seattle Auction LLC
Sold: $600
Oct 09, 2022
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri. Untitled. Signed verso. H 204cm, W 135cm
Christian McCann Auctions
Sold: AUD4,000
Jul 29, 2022
Abell Auction
Sold: $800
Jul 29, 2022
Abell Auction
Sold: $750
Jun 26, 2022
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Apr 11, 2022
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1927-2015) Snake Dreaming 1974 synthetic polymer paint on canvasboard
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD2,800
Apr 11, 2022
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD3,600
Apr 10, 2022
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1927-2015) Kaapajmaa
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD2,200
Dec 19, 2021
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Papunya”
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Jun 08, 2021
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri – Star Story , 1972-1973
Cooee Art
Sold: AUD28,000
May 30, 2021
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD1,400
May 05, 2021
Lyon & Turnbull
Sold: £1,800
Dec 06, 2020
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD600
Oct 17, 2020
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI ABORIGINAL ART
Sydney Rare Book Auctions
Sold: AUD300
Sep 27, 2020
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Aug 08, 2020
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri Aboriginal Art
Sydney Rare Book Auctions
Passed
Jun 28, 2020
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
May 31, 2020
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Nov 21, 2019
Lawsons
Sold: AUD550
Dec 02, 2018
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Spiderman Dreaming”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD220
Dec 02, 2018
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Men’s Ceremony”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD1,300
Nov 04, 2018
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI “Spiderman Dreaming”
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD120
Aug 09, 2018
Menzies
Passed
Jun 28, 2018
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (1925 – ) – Budgerigar 107 x 184cm (stretched/framed & ready to hang)
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,200
Feb 28, 2018
BILLY STOCKMAN TJAPALTJARRI (1925-2015) Kunyarri Dreaming 1995 acrylic on linen
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD700
Feb 01, 2018
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD350
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