Mountain Lake Drawings from Life by Harkrader
Valuation Framework
This valuation reflects archival collection standards rather than
single-work retail pricing. The price considers:
• Historical documentation value
• Scholarly citation and publication recognition
• Rarity and irreplaceability
• Museum usability (exhibition, research, publication potential)
• Institutional comparables for similar documentary art archives
Scholarly Recognition Premium
The collection carries documented scholarly validation, including:
- Formal analysis in a University of Virginia Press publication (2018)
- Section of 1st Chapter dedicated to the artist’s drawings from life
- Connection to nationally significant art figures
- (Cage, Thiebaud, Sonnier, Gablik, Kuspit, etc.)
Published recognition elevates institutional
acquisition value, placing this collection
above typical emerging or regional artist pricing tiers
Rarity and Irreplaceability
This archive is a one-of-a-kind, first-person visual record
of the Mountain Lake Symposiums—
no comparable on-site drawing archive exists documenting these events.
Institutional Benefit
For a single acquisition, the museum receives:
• Exhibition-ready works
• A complete research archive
• Published scholarly validation
• High educational and programming potential
• A regionally significant yet nationally connected collection
The price reflects a strong cost-to-impact ratio relative to contemporary museum acquisitions.
