Alex Herman Haig
Growth#94
Egon Investment Scores
Liquidity
6/10
How easily works can be bought and sold at auction
Institutional
9/10
Museum collections, biennials, and institutional recognition
Momentum
3/10
Recent price trends, gallery moves, and market buzz
Discovery
1/10
Undervaluation opportunity relative to peer artists
Risk
1/10
Investment risk factors — higher means more volatile
Market Position
- Pricing
- Overall Range
- $5 - $21,557 USD
- Premium Works
- $1,000 - $21,557 USD for important subjects or rare works
- Typical Range
- $50 - $500 USD for standard etchings
- Recent 12 Months
- Average $56 USD (as of 2025)
- Comparables
- Other Victorian etchers and architectural artists of similar period and market position
- Auction History
- Date
- 2007
- Work
- St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork
- Venue
- Sotheby's London
- Lots Sold
- 44 of 50 lots sold (askART - 88% sell-through rate)
- Most Recent
- 2024-2025 (multiple auction houses)
- Market Trend
- Stable historical market with modest appreciation. Prices have remained relatively consistent over past two decades with occasional outliers for exceptional works or subjects.
- Record Since
- 1998
- Annual Volume
- Moderate liquidity - approximately 5-10 lots annually in recent years
- Highest Price
- $21,557 USD
- Earliest Recorded
- 1988 (drawing-watercolor at Christie's)
- Total Lots Recorded
- 188+ artworks at auction (MutualArt), 236 auction results (Artprice), 47-50 lots (askART)
- Market Characteristics
- Liquidity
- Moderate - steady presence at regional and secondary auction houses
- Collector Base
- Architectural print collectors, Victorian art specialists, British print collectors
- Edition Factors
- Artist proofs and early impressions command premiums
- Medium Breakdown
- Primarily etchings (400+ created), also watercolors, architectural drawings
- Condition Sensitivity
- High - paper condition significantly affects value
- Geographic Distribution
- Strong in UK, USA, Australia; European interest
- Recent Transactions 2023 2025
Work Date Result Venue Medium Westminster, A Dark Corner, 1886 / Linlithgow Palace, 1901 (2 etchings) February 22, 2025 Listed for sale Akiba Galleries — Peterborough Cathedral November 12, 2024 Sold (price not disclosed) Ripley Auctions Etching Schlloss Zivingessburg on the Neckar May 8, 2024 Sold (price not disclosed) Ansorena Etching Cathedral interior (1894) March 23, 2024 Sold (price not disclosed) Wooten & Wooten Auctioneers Drypoint engraving Uppsala Cathedral, 1881 February 14, 2024 Sold (price not disclosed) Lawsons Etching, 57 x 35 cm Pastoral (1874) January 24, 2024 Sold (price not disclosed) Lawsons Watercolour, 24.5 x 33 cm
- Market Position
- Historical secondary market - Victorian-era etchings and architectural drawings
Institutional Presence
- Exhibitions
- Exhibition Period
- 1869-1894 (active exhibition career)
- Major Exhibitions
Date Venue Exhibition Reception 1880 First solo exhibition of etchings — Very well received; described as 'immediate sensation' circa 1905 The Fine Art Society, London — Major retrospective exhibition 1979-1980 Spencer Museum of Art The Prints of Anders Zorn (Haig as Zorn's subject) — 1984-1985 Various Anders Zorn Rediscovered — 1986 Various Zorn and his Contemporaries — - Regular Exhibition Venues
- Royal Academy of Arts, London (1869-1894)Royal Society of British Artists (1869-1880)Royal Institute of Painters in Water ColoursSociety of Painter-Etchers and EngraversRoyal Birmingham Society of ArtistsDowdeswells Gallery, LondonDudley Gallery, LondonFine Art Society, LondonWalker Art Gallery, LiverpoolSuffolk Street Galleries, London
- Publications
- Scholarly Publications
Title Date Significance Author Axel Haig and the Victorian Vision of the Middle Ages 1984 Major monograph — Axel Herman Haig and His Work circa 1905 Contemporary catalogue — Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry 2004 Scholarly biographical entry J. Mordaunt Crook Grove Art Online entry — Art historical reference Michelle Facos Benezit Dictionary of Artists entry — Standard art reference —
- Museum Collections
- Tier 1 Museums
Institution Significance Holdings Victoria and Albert Museum, London Major repository Large collection of etched works British Museum, London Major repository Large collection of etched works Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Tier 1 representation Multiple works including 'South Aisle Looking West, Burgos Cathedral' (1910), 'A Cavalcade on the Swedish Coast' (1895) Art Institute of Chicago Extensive collection - described as 'numerous works' Multiple works including 'Gothic Cloister', 'An Old Hanse Town', 'Choir Screen, South Aisle, Amiens' (1912), 'St. Pierre, Caen' (1879), 'St. Mark's, Venice' (1899), 'Old Rouen', 'Interior Westminster', 'Castle Haig' Yale University Art Gallery Major university collection Extensive collection - Tier 2 Museums
Institution Holdings Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas Multiple works including etchings from 1884 Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University European prints Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago Including 'Front of Cathedral in Burgos', 'Westminster Abbey' Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Multiple works National Portrait Gallery, London 4 portraits of the artist by Fred Roe (1918) and Bernhard Hakelier (1880s) - Regional Collections
Institution Holdings Aberdeen Art Gallery, Scotland Multiple works including 'Manresa' (1895), 'Exterior of Rheims Cathedral', 'St Mark's Basilica, Venice', 'A Study from Malines', 'Beauvais', 'The Tower of Bruges', 'Chartres' Perth Art Gallery, Scotland Works in collection University of Dundee Fine Art Collections Works in collection Great Ormond Street Hospital, London Works in collection - Curatorial Assessment
- Highly regarded Victorian etcher with strong institutional representation. Described by Royal Institute of British Architects (1921) as having 'architectural draughtsmanship that ranks without a doubt amongst the foremost of his time and his graphic capability remains unique.'
- Awards and Recognition
Year Significance Award 1880 With Francis Seymour Haden and others Co-founder, Royal Academy of Painters-Etchers and Engravers 1881 Professional recognition Elected member of Royal Society of Painter-Etchers (RE) 1900 International recognition Gold Medal, Exposition Universelle, Paris undated Recognition from native country Elected member of Royal Swedish Academy
Career & Biography
- Career
- Career Summary
- Swedish-born artist, illustrator, architect and etcher who became one of the most noted architectural draughtsmen of the Victorian period. Known as 'the Piranesi of the Gothic Revival' for his spectacular medieval architectural etchings.
- Identity
- Life Dates
- 1835-1921
- Artist Name
- Axel Herman Haig (Also listed as Alex Herman Haig in some auction records)
- Birth Location
- Katthamra farm, Parish of Östergarn, Island of Gotland, Sweden (10 November 1835)
- Death Location
- Haslemere, Surrey, England
- Alternative Names
- Axel Herman HäggAxel H. HaigA. Herman HaigAlex Herman Haig (variant spelling)
- Significant Relationships
- William Burges (architect, 1827-1881) - 15-year professional partnership producing major Gothic Revival commissions; First instructor of Anders Zorn
- Artistic Context
- Major Influences
- Gothic Revival architecture, William Burges, medieval European architecture
Artistic Profile
- Evolution
- Evolution of Style
- Progressed from architectural draughtsman serving architects to independent artist-etcher. Maintained consistent focus on architectural subjects but developed increasingly romantic and atmospheric treatment while preserving technical accuracy. Late work shows continued technical mastery and expanded subject range.
- Influences
- Influenced
- Anders Zorn (Swedish artist - Haig was his first instructor)Subsequent architectural illustratorsVictorian architectural documentation practices
- Influenced by
- Giovanni Battista Piranesi (18th century architectural etcher - explicit comparison)Gothic Revival movementWilliam Burges (Gothic Revival architect - 15-year collaboration)Medieval architecture of EuropeRomantic movement aesthetic
- Themes and Subjects
- Movements and Periods
- Legacy
- Preserved visual record of major Gothic Revival architectural projects; created romantic yet accurate documentation of European medieval architecture
- Period
- Late 19th century / Victorian era
- Movement
- Victorian Gothic Revival
- Position
- Leading architectural illustrator and etcher of the Gothic Revival movement
- Geographic Focus
- Primary Regions
- England (cathedrals, abbeys, castles)France (particularly Normandy - Mont St. Michel, Amiens, Chartres, Rheims)Spain (Burgos, Toledo, Salamanca)Italy (Venice, Sicily)GermanySweden (homeland subjects)
- Secondary Regions
- Scotland (Dunblane Abbey)Middle East (Cairo, Egypt - 1890s)
- Comparison Points
- Compared to Piranesi for architectural vision; contemporaneous with etching revival movement of 1880s
- Late Period 1900 1921
- Focus
- Continued etching, architectural design
- Medium
- Etchings, architectural projects
- Notable
- Designed All Saints' Church, Grayswood (1901-1902), Gold Medal at Paris Exposition (1900)
- Early Period 1866 1870
- Focus
- Architectural draughtsmanship for architects
- Medium
- Watercolor illustrations, architectural drawings
- Notable Works
- Royal Courts of Justice illustrations (1866) - 'immediate sensation'
- Mature Period 1870 1900
- Focus
- Independent etching career
- Style
- Romantic yet architecturally accurate depictions
- Medium
- Etchings, drypoint
- Subjects
- European cathedrals, castles, medieval architecture
- Notable Series Projects
- Illustrations for William Burges commissions (Cardiff Castle, Castell Coch, Knightshayes Court, etc.)European cathedral series (documented major cathedrals across Europe)Egyptian subjects (1890s)Swedish subjects (ongoing throughout career)
- Techniques and Mediums
- Production
- Created over 400 etchings over 40-year career (1870-1910s)
- Innovations
- Distinguished himself by treating architectural subjects with both technical precision and romantic sensibility - 'distinguished between architectural drawings and drawings of architecture'
- Primary Medium
- Etching and drypoint
- Secondary Media
- Watercolor, architectural drawings, lithographs
- Technical Characteristics
- Dramatic use of light and shadowMeticulous architectural detailLarge-scale compositionsSelf-taught etching technique from 1870Balance between romantic atmosphere and architectural accuracyOften included figures for scale and narrative interest
Critical Reception
- Critical Reception
- Catalogue Raisonne
- No formal catalogue raisonné, but extensive documentation exists. Known to have created over 400 etchings.
- Critical Positioning
- Recognized as one of the foremost Victorian architectural etchers, particularly known for Gothic Revival subjects. His work bridges fine art printmaking and architectural illustration. Regarded as having exceptional technical skill and romantic vision.
- Contemporary Reception
- Victorian Era Reviews
- Date
- 1880
- Quote
- Described as 'one of the most pictorial, as well as largest, of recent etchings' in nearly two-column review
- Critic
- Tom Taylor
- Publication
- The Times
- Quote
- George Edmund Street remarked: 'I wouldn't mind being beaten by drawings like those' (referring to Haig's 1866 illustrations)
- Quote
- 'In Haig, Burges, the architect of a medieval dreamland, had found an artist worthy of his dreams'
- Modern Scholarly Assessment
- Assessment
- 'His architectural draughtsmanship ranks without a doubt amongst the foremost of his time and his graphic capability remains unique'
- Assessment
- Known as 'the Piranesi of the Gothic Revival' - comparing him to the great 18th century Italian architectural etcher
- Publications and Media
- Database Presence
- Wikipedia (comprehensive entry)askART (extensive biography and auction records)MutualArt (188 artworks at auction tracked)Artprice (236 auction results)Invaluable (extensive auction records)Artsy (biography and auction results)ArtUK (museum holdings)Major museum online collections (Met, Art Institute Chicago, V&A, British Museum)
- Digital Resources
- Extensive online documentation, museum collection records, auction archives
- Search Visibility
- High visibility in art historical and auction databases
- Documentary Coverage
- Extensive archival documentation at Victoria & Albert Museum (manuscripts relating to Haig held in V&A collections)
- Major Publications About Artist
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)Grove Art OnlineBenezit Dictionary of ArtistsAxel Haig and the Victorian Vision of the Middle Ages (1984)Axel Herman Haig and His Work (c. 1905)Wikipedia entry (comprehensive)Archive.org digitized texts
Gallery & Representation
- Fair Presence
- N/A - Historical artist
- Representation
- Gallery Tier
- Secondary market specialist dealers - mid-tier
- Historical Representation
- Publisher
- Robert Dunthorne, The Rembrandt Gallery, Liverpool (published many of his etchings circa 1890-1919)
- Distributor
- WR Howell, London (1919)
- Secondary Market Presence
- Market Type
- Secondary market only - Victorian prints and architectural drawings
- Availability
- Regular availability through auction houses and specialist print dealers
- Active Dealers
- Totteridge GalleryWashington Color GalleryScottish Flair Art Gallery, InvernessSulis Fine ArtVarious regional auction houses and print dealers
- Typical Outlets
- Regional auction houses (Ripley Auctions, Lawsons, Ansorena, Wooten & Wooten), online platforms (Invaluable, LiveAuctioneers, MutualArt, Artsy), specialist print dealers
- Geographic Reach
- United Kingdom (primary), United States, Australia, Europe
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