Bridget Riley Print Market Investments © MyArtBroker 2024
Bridget Riley
111 works
Bridget Riley emerged in the 1960s as a pioneering force in British art, known for her bold yet minimal use of form and colour. Drawing inspiration from natural rhythms and global influences - Cornwall’s seas, Italian sculpture, and the cultural palettes of Egypt and India - her work creates striking visual sensations. Riley’s compositions, though rooted in simplicity, pulse with energy and movement, redefining the viewer’s experience of space and perception.
In this investment report, we examine Riley's print market performance spanning the past seven years. Leveraging auction and sales data from our dedicated database focused on prints and editions, our objective is to provide valuable insights to help you determine whether investing in Riley is a wise decision for 2025.
Is Buying A Riley Print A Good Investment?
Riley’s print market has demonstrated steady, reliable growth over the past five-year period, with 2024 marking a peak for both sales volume and value. A total of 97 lots were sold highlighting increased collector demand and strong market confidence. This momentum reflects not only the scarcity of her editions, which are infrequent in public auction, but also her lasting significance as a pioneer of British Contemporary art. Riley’s market strength and influence were also explored in our 2025 Female Printmakers Report, which spotlighted her enduring legacy and the continued relevance of her work in today’s market.
What Happened In Riley's Print Market Performance In 2024?
Riley’s print market delivered a strong performance in 2024, standing out amid a year marked by broader buyer caution. By year’s end, her total sales value reached £931,871 - a 23% increase from the previous year - driven by a 47% rise in lots sold. This surge aligns with the wider market trend favouring more affordable works, with Riley’s editions offering collectors the rare chance to acquire pieces by a major blue chip female artist at accessible price points. The top-performing work of the year was Untitled (Oval Image), which headlined Phillips' June Editions sale. Making its first auction appearance in 14 years, it achieved a record-breaking £82,550, supported by a 14% AAGR according to MyArtBroker’s MyPortfolio.
What Is The Average Value Of Riley Prints?
Riley’s average selling price (ASP) for prints has seen moderate fluctuations over the past five years, rising from £10,800 in 2021 to a peak of £11,300 in 2023. In 2024, the ASP dipped to £9,600 - still a strong figure, though reflective of a 50% increase in volume, suggesting a shift toward greater accessibility and broader market engagement rather than a decline in demand.
Top Performing Print Collections In Riley's 2024 Market
Riley’s print market in 2024 gained notable momentum, with standout performances from her Lozenges and Stripes collections. Lozenges led the year in both volume and value, with 37 lots sold and a total of £227,109 - more than double that of any other series. This marked a shift from the historically dominant Fragment series, which, despite its reputation for early experimentation and monochromatic palette, showed slightly softer results. This dip isn’t reflective of declining demand; the significance of these works ensures long-term value. Rather, the shift highlights increased collector sensitivity to condition. Printed on fragile plexiglass, Fragment prints are rare in good condition - something collectors are increasingly attuned to, as explored in our recent live panel, Preserving Value.
The Rise of Riley’s Stripes Series
Perhaps the most notable trend in 2024 was the rising strength of Riley’s Stripes series, which not only placed second in sales value (£131,719) but also saw a string of record-breaking results. These works represent a pivotal moment in Riley’s career, marking a new form of bold colour experimentation in the 1980s and 1990s.
Several prints set new benchmarks in 2024:
- Silvered 2 sold for £27,600 in March at John Moran
- And About £10,700 at Forum Auctions
- RA 2 realised £22,000 at Bonhams in December
- Sideways reached £11,400 at Sotheby’s in March
- Light Between achieved £25,900 in February at Christie’s
Looking ahead to 2025, the Stripes series holds significant room for growth, particularly as key works remain rare to market. Notable examples include:
- Edge of Light, not seen since 2021
- Around, last sold publicly in 2020
- Achæan, which has never appeared at public auction
- Brouillard, not seen since 2022
Given this scarcity and the series' recent momentum, collectors may increasingly turn to the Stripes as a high-potential area within Riley’s print market.
The Most In-Demand Riley Prints Within Our Network
In Riley’s market, investor demand is largely concentrated on high-value individual prints rather than complete sets, which is a distinct trend compared to many of her blue chip peers. Recent investor demand has seen a clear shift towards her coloured works - particularly the Stripes and curved compositions - where Riley’s meticulous attention to colour and geometry is on full display. This includes growing interest in the Zig/Rhomboid series, which blends her optical precision with vibrant palettes. As the Fragment series becomes increasingly rare due to its fragile medium, collectors are turning to alternative monochrome prints that offer similar historical importance and visual impact. Notably, Untitled (Oval Image) and Untitled (Based On Blaze) emerged as the two highest-selling Riley works at auction in 2024, underscoring investor confidence in her early, non-plexiglass monochrome editions.
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Seven Blue Chip Artists Markets To Know
This chart compares the auction sales value performance of four major British blue chip artists - Bridget Riley, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, and Tracey Emin - offering a snapshot of market momentum and collector demand.
Riley saw a strong upward trajectory through 2023, with sales values peaking at £11,500 before a slight pullback to £9,600 in 2024 with room for ample growth throughout 2025. Riley’s 2023 peak was driven by numerous records set for coloured and monochromatic prints.
Hockney continues to lead in overall sales value, driven by a higher volume of works and a consistently elevated price bracket across his print market. In contrast, Hirst’s market operates at a similar value-per-work level to Riley’s, showing steady performance with incremental growth from 2021 through to 2025. Emin, too, is making a notable impact, supported by recent releases at accessible price points - mirroring the trajectory of both Riley and Hirst. As demand in 2025 trends toward more affordable, high-quality works, these three artists remain key figures to watch in the evolving print market.
Where To Start When Looking To Buy A Riley Print?
Riley’s print market continues to demonstrate strong accessibility, with the majority of sales - 67% - falling within the entry-level bracket of £5,000–£15,000. In a more cautious market landscape, this segment has become increasingly attractive, offering collectors the opportunity to acquire works by a major blue chip artist at a relatively affordable price point that holds long-term value.
Affordable prints under £5,000 account for a further 18%, reflecting growing accessibility for new and younger collectors entering the market. Mid-tier prints priced between £15,000–£30,000 represent 13% of sales, showing steady demand for higher-value pieces. However, across all price levels, condition plays a vital role in value retention - well-preserved works often command stronger results.
Overall, this distribution reflects a resilient market for Riley, characterised by both depth and diversity across price points. With solid traction at the entry-level and selective opportunities at higher tiers, her market continues to balance accessibility with investment potential - particularly as demand for works by leading women artists gains further momentum.
Prints to Invest in Below £15,000
Prints priced under £15,000 accounted for 85% of Riley’s print market in 2024, offering a broad range of investment opportunities. Among the most notable were three sales of Fragment 1, which ranged between £10,500 and £15,000 and were sold through a variety of auction houses - from Sotheby’s to a smaller Canadian house and one in California. This geographical spread underscores the global accessibility of high-value Riley prints. According to MyArtBroker’s MyPortfolio, Fragment 1 has a -9% AAGR, largely due to scarcity and condition concerns, which makes it a strategic opportunity for value-minded collectors.
Other works within this price range have shown positive appreciation. Untitled (Bronze) from the Waves series, known for its fluid reinterpretation of Riley’s structured forms, set a new auction record at £13,400, reflecting a 7% AAGR. Similarly, for collectors interested in Riley's monochromatic works, La Lune en Rodage - not printed on plexiglass - shows a 9% AAGR.
Additional highlights from 2024 with strong appreciation value include Rothko Portfolio (30% AAGR), which sold for a strong £12,600, and Coloured Greys I (7% AAGR), which appeared multiple times in 2024 with prices ranging from £10,900 to £12,000. Meanwhile, even more affordable works from the Lozenges series, such as Two Blues and Fold, demonstrated solid value growth at 5% and 46% AAGR respectively. Altogether, this bracket offers an appealing mix of entry-level accessibility and proven investment potential across some of Riley’s most recognisable series.
Liquidity of Bridget Riley's Print Works
Liquidity in Riley’s print grows from a combination of consistent demand, broad market accessibility, and the historical reputation of her work. As shown in MyArtBroker’s 2024 data, 85% of Riley’s sales occurred below the £15,000 mark, with 67% concentrated in the entry-level bracket (£5,000–£15,000). This strong mid-market activity ensures a steady circulation of works, making her market both approachable and active. Collections like Lozenges and Stripes, which are more frequently appearing at auction are attracting reliable bidding and contribute to a healthy sales volume - 97 Riley works sold in 2024 alone, the highest figure in the last five years.
Unlike artists whose markets are often centred around headline lots or complete sets, Riley’s market stands out for the liquidity of individual works. While her early prints have historically dominated demand, interest is steadily expanding to include her more recent editions. What further sets Riley apart is that her printed works are distinct from her originals, offering collectors a compelling opportunity to access unique pieces that reflect her evolving artistic practice at a more accessible price point. While certain high-value works remain tightly held, the broad availability of lower and mid-tier prints ensures an ongoing flow through the market, positioning Riley as one of the most consistent actively traded names in the blue chip print sector.
Recent Market Performance And Current Opportunities
Riley’s print market in 2024 was overwhelmingly concentrated in the United Kingdom, which accounted for 75% of all lots sold. This dominant market share reflects Riley’s strong domestic presence and reputation as a leading figure in British Contemporary art. However, the United States follows as the second-largest region, representing 15% of sales - a notable share that points to growing transatlantic interest and potential for further expansion. Meanwhile, sales across Europe (7%) and other global regions (2%) remain comparatively modest, indicating untapped opportunities.
For collectors and investors, this data reveals that while Riley's market is well-established in the UK, there is significant room for growth in non-UK regions. Particularly in the US and continental Europe, where awareness and institutional support for female blue chip artists are on the rise, the appetite for Riley’s work is likely to increase - especially as key editions remain relatively rare outside the UK. This makes international markets a promising avenue for both acquisition and resale, as demand continues to broaden beyond her home base.
Bridget Riley Top Selling Prints
Untitled, Oval Image
Exceptionally rare, Untitled (Oval Image) is one of Riley’s earliest and most significant forays into printmaking, created in 1964. Produced during a transformative era when many artists were responding to post-war figuration and symbolism, Riley’s hypnotic use of the spherical oval introduced a strikingly different visual language. With an edition of just 50, the work is scarcely seen on the market. When it resurfaced for the first time in 14 years at Phillips' June Editions sale, it ignited a bidding war and set a new auction record for Riley’s print market, achieving £82,550.
Green Dominance, Blue Dominance, Red Dominance
The complete set of Green Dominance, Blue Dominance, Red Dominance forms Riley’s Dominance series produced in 1967. Each work features precisely rendered vertical lines in shifting colour palettes, creating a dynamic optical effect emblematic of Riley’s transition into the Polychrome Op Art period. This marked a significant departure from her earlier monochromatic focus and signalled a bold exploration of colour. Rarely seen on the market - particularly as a complete set - the series reappeared in 2023 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago, its first public sale since 2020. The set achieved a record-breaking £70,854, more than doubling its previous sale value.
RA (Inverted)
RA (Inverted) features slender vertical bands in a rotating colour spectrum, punctuated by carefully placed black and white lines that subtly alter how the surrounding colours are perceived. The black lines intensify saturation and depth, while the white brings clarity and brightness, resulting in a crisp, vibrant composition. Riley’s precise command of colour and geometry produces a captivating optical effect. Rare to market, this work resurfaced in 2023 for just its third public auction appearance, selling for £44,100 with fees - doubling its previous result since last seen in 2020.
