Following Mark Maggiori’s most recent solo show in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the artist took the long road back to his home and studio in Arizona. In Utah, he spent several days in the desert with a guide. “She took me to some really incredible places. It was inspiring,” Maggiori says. “I just wanted to touch more of the magic that is out there. I saw light shows from the sky that are beyond anything you can imagine. I wanted to be closer to that beauty, that ethereal beauty of the land.”
He called the excursion a necessary thing to do. It was a way to decompress and reset. After the weekend he had, he earned every second of quiet time.
The Prophecy, oil on canvas, 45 x 70 in. Estimate: $300/500,000 SOLD: $1,300,000
What transpired the weekend prior, specifically on September 18, was unprecedented in Western art. Not only did Maggiori sell all 31 works of his newest show, but the sales total was $9.3 million, a staggering sum that has never been seen—by a longshot—in the world of Western art. The oils soared, but even the drawings were achieving huge results, with one topping out at $110,000. Additionally, his painting The Prophecy sold for $1.3 million, setting a new artist world record. Maggiori is only the second Western artist to sell a work of art for more than $1 million during their lifetime. The other is Howard Terpning.
“I got a really nice video from [actor] Josh Brolin, who told me, ‘Mark, this doesn’t change anything, but it changes everything,’ and I think there’s a lot of truth in that,” Maggiori says. “It does change the game in general. And the show was also a step to something new. It also gives me time to think about what I want to do for the next several years.”
Painter Mark Maggiori reacts as his painting The Prophecy crosses $1 million. Photo courtesy Cristina Fisher.
The artist has already committed to painting the new Post Malone album cover, and the next edition of his Far West group show is entering the planning stages for 2027. As far as the next solo show goes, Maggiori is already calling his shot. “It’s going to be 2029. And I’m going to keep the market dry until then,” he adds. “If you want one of my works, you’ll have to wait three years.”
The blockbuster sale was presented by Jackson Hole Art Auction, which kept a rowdy room of bidders at bay for 31 live auction lots. “As soon as we launched the show [in March] and the website crashed, I knew the show would be special,” says Kevin Doyle, managing director at the auction house. “The momentum, the build-up, the clients I was interacting with…it was all unreal. What was fun for me was introducing Mark to bidders who had never met him before. We had bidders who were bidding for the first time ever on his pieces. It was incredible, and it was a defining moment for Western art. We are still in awe of how it all happened.”
Mark Maggiori, in red, with some of his models at his Jackson Hole show. Photo courtesy Cristina Fisher.
Maggiori already has some ideas about his next works, including going much bigger. “I have an 80-by-80-inch panel that’s waiting for me in the studio,” he adds. “I want to challenge myself even more.” —
Top 10 Lots
Mark Maggiori: Rise of the Western Lights
September 18, 2026 (no buyer’s premiums)
Title Low/High Est. SOLD
The Prophecy $300/500,000 $1,300,000
Life is a Bronc $150/250,000 $850,000
All Star West $200/300,000 $800,000
Lord of the West $150/250,000 $775,000
The Power $120/180,000 $750,000
Texan Blood $150/250,000 $550,000
Journey to Blue Waters $200/300,000 $475,000
Mathó $100/150,000 $425,000
Seek and You Shall Rise $200/300,000 $400,000
Independence $180/280,000 $400,000
Powered by Froala Editor
