A Buyer's Guide to Bridget Riley

British artist Bridget Riley is best known for her Op Art works, where she uses colour, patterns and shapes to create optical illusions. She started creating these artworks in the 1960s and now, almost 60 years on, their popularity shows no signs of slowing down: in 2022, five Riley paintings sold for over £2 million at auction.

While her paintings can sell for millions at auction, Riley’s Op Art prints can be bought for a fraction of the price. Joe Syer, MyArtBroker’s Head of Urban & Contemporary, discusses where to find Bridget Riley prints for sale, his experience of the market and what to look for when you buy.

Riley’s prints are available in a variety of colours, design compositions, paper sizes, edition sizes and eras, spanning the 1960s to 2020s. They are all independent to her paintings – not reproductions in a small format – making each edition works of art in their own right.

“Among Bridget Riley’s most popular editions on the market right now is the Stripes series from the 1970s,” says Joe Syer, MyArtBroker’s Head of Urban & Contemporary. “We also get enquiries about her Rhomboid series from the 1980s, such as New Day and Fête, and also for her more recent prints like Rose Rose from 2012, created to commemorate the Olympic Games in London.”

“Generally, the older the edition, the more covetable they are because of their rarity. Her early monochrome prints, such as the Fragments series from 1965, are hard to come by on the market. But in my experience of Riley prints collectors, they do actually love the work, how graphic it is and how it can sit in any room. It’s not just about investment for them,” adds Joe.

Navigating the Riley market, knowing whether to make a purchase privately or at auction, buying a specific print, or building a collection can be tricky. But to get you started, we have put together the most essential factors to look out for when you’re landing a Riley.

The leading light of the Op-Art movement, Riley remains a consistent innovator at the age of 91. In the last 12 months total print sales in the Riley market have totalled £814,041. Examining the market data using our unique value index, we found that compound annual growth rate in this market over 5 years is steady with both transaction volume and appreciation playing their part in a 10% growth in market size and 6% growth in average sale price.

Riley’s prints are also attracting a growing international audience. In 2020, the UK was the largest market for her prints with 81% of sales, while the US had 10% and other countries accounted for 9%. In 2021, the UK’s market dominance decreased to 79%, while the US had grown to 7.5% and other countries to 13.5%.

To learn more about the highs and lows of the Contemporary print market, download our 5-Year Market Report here.

Read our guide on art as an alternative investment

In 2022, signed limited edition Bridget Riley prints sold for anywhere between around £4,845 and £44,400 at auction. At the top end of this range is Untitled (based on Primitive Blaze) (1962), from an edition of 40, which sold at auction for £44,400 when offered by Bonhams in London, 28th September 2022.

The cost of a Riley print depends on many factors, including its physical size, when the series was made, its rarity and edition size, as well as its condition and provenance (such notable previous ownership or if it was exhibited in a notable exhibition).

But the average price is going up: from £4,886 in 2018 to £6,881 in 2019, to £7,442 in 2020, to £10,482 in 2021 and £12,334 in 2022 – an 18% increase in average sale price on last year.

For new print collectors just beginning to build their Riley portfolio, the artist’s smaller curvilinear pieces from the late 2000s such as Places For Change, Start and About Lilac are all affordable.

After extensive data analysis, which looks at the last 5-years of Riley’s prints' auction performance, these are some of the prints that we think are worth looking out for in 2024:

1. Elapse: From Riley's entire oeuvre, one particular work stands out from the crowd: Elapse. Composed of undulating lines of pink, green, blue and yellow, Riley refutes the two-dimensional flatness of her paper ground. Like her other Waves works, Elapse gives the impression of three-dimensional relief and fluid movement, like iridescent waves of water contained within the borders of the print. Part of an edition of 260, the print has seen the highest growth in value of all Riley's prints in the past five years. Since 2017, the work has experienced value growth of approx. 460%. If Elapse had been purchased at the average price in 2017, it would realise a return of 146% according to 2022 averages, making it Riley's most investable print as we enter 2024.
2. Untitled Wave: Another of Riley's Waves works, Untitled Wave is formed of eight lines which appear to oscillate across the composition. Unlike Elapse, which disrupts the viewer's perception face-on, this work presents us with the cross-section of Riley's waves and appears to lift from the surface of the print itself. Since 2017, the work has experienced approx. 330% growth in value, making it Riley's second most investable print.
3. Print For Chicago 8: Emblematic of her fascination with stripes throughout the 1970s and 80s, Print For Chicago 8 is testament to Riley's mastery over perception. Through her use of mixed hues, rather than pure colours, Riley fabricates a sense of movement within the linear lines running vertically along this composition. The dizzying print is part of an edition of 150, and has increased in value by approx. 230% since 2017.

Of course, when buying a print, the primary guiding factor should always be which artworks appeal to you, and which you will take most pride in owning.

To explore our full breakdown of the top 10 most investable Bridget Riley prints, read our Riley Market Watch here.

“Riley doesn’t issue certificates of authenticity as standard, like Banksy’s Pest Control does,” explains Joe. Instead, proofs of purchase from the seller are vital, such as a receipt from the gallery or a certificate from the printer. The more indisputable the paper trail of previous ownership (provenance), the more likely the print is authentic and legitimate. If the print is in the original frame, ask to see the back – it may still have stickers or labels from the gallery it was sold from.

“If the print is sold with its original packaging, like a box from the Tate, that can also strengthen its authenticity,” Joe adds.

Riley’s prints are printed on high-quality wove paper, which is less vulnerable to damage. It is still important, however, to carefully check the condition of a print before you buy, as any damage can reduce the value and return on investment of your print.

Signs of damage could include tears or scratches on the paper, brown spots caused by iron in the paper or mould spores (also called ‘foxing’), faded colour or yellowing paper due to light damage, or warping of the paper due to changes in humidity.

If you have questions about the conditions of a Riley print, contact MyArtBroker and we can put you in touch with a professional restorer for their recommendations.

Once you have purchased any art print, it is crucial to keep it in tip-top condition. Find out more in our guide to restoring and caring for modern and contemporary prints.

The quickest way to buy a Riley print is on the secondary market, for example through private collectors, or via an auction house or a private broker like MyArtBroker. While Riley has released new editions in recent years, you need to be in the right place, at the right time, to acquire a new print before they sell out.

Online platforms, such as eBay, allows you to buy directly from a private collector at a low fee. But these marketplaces also run the risk of fake prints and scammers, so buying through them should depend on your level of confidence and knowledge of the market.

Auction houses have an established reputation for trust and expertise. Their specialists can advise you on the authenticity, condition and history of the Riley print you want to buy. But on the day of the auction, you may lose your print to someone willing to pay higher or end up going far above the estimated price range in the excitement of the bidding battle. Auction houses also charge a buyer’s fee – around 25% of the hammer price – and require you to pay for your own shipping. As a buyer, you are also restricted to the auction house’s set calendar, which prevents you from buying when you want.

MyArtBroker offers a safe and simple solution to buyers, with the ease of an online process and the expertise of an auction house. Your personal broker will work with you to find the Riley print you want at the price you’re willing to pay. We will then search our global network of collectors, handle authenticity, check the print’s condition and arrange shipping after the sale is complete.

At MyArtBroker we offer a safe and simple solution to buyers, connecting you directly with our expert brokers, who — if you are wishing to purchase a particular piece of Bridget Riley art to either start or grow your collection — can assist you in this search with our large network of collectors looking to buy and sell daily. Our brokers will also condition check and authenticate artworks, so you can have confidence before you buy.

A dedicated broker

MyArtBroker offers a secure space to connect you as a buyer with an expert broker— you can get to know our friendly specialists here.

Your personal broker will work with you to find the Bridget Riley you’re looking for at the price you’re willing to pay. Our experts will also condition check and authenticate artworks, so you can have confidence before you buy, as well as help arrange delivery.

We offer both the sense of trust and comfort that comes with meeting with a specialist personally, as well as the efficiency, transparency and ease of an online process.

Our network

Our global network consists of over 30,000 collectors buying and selling works daily, as well as dealers, collectors, galleries and independent experts that work with us to ensure we can offer the most covetable and authentic Bridget Riley works. Our website has 75,000 visitors every month, and we regularly publish pieces tracking the artist’s market performance, keep up to date with new works, auction results and news, as well as offer her updated biography and informative essays on all Bridget Riley editions.

MyArtBroker has access to a worldwide network of art collectors selling Bridget Riley artwork, so get in touch with us if you’re interested in buying a Bridget Riley print and we’ll talk you through the process.

Browse our Bridget Riley prints for sale.