John Register's Auction Record Jumps 24%
3 min read · 12 Jun 2025
Restaurant by the Sea. Image courtesy of Bonhams
John Register, Restaurant by the Sea (1985) sold for $254,500, more than three and a half times the low estimate at Bonhams on June 11. The oil on linen work has been traded once in the past.
John Register (1939–1996) was a Southern California-based painter known for atmospheric depictions of urban and suburban settings.
His late work, Restaurant by the Sea, was inspired by the interior of what was then the Malibu Sea Lion restaurant, which he captured in the glow of the golden hour in LA before sunset.
The artist said: "There's a fragility to the urban fabric in LA that people aren't aware of. I'm attracted to places where real life has taken place."
Late Afternoon Light. Image courtesy of Bonhams
The sale beat Register's previous auction record by $50,800, a 24% rise. The previous record was set by Late Afternoon Light (1994), which sold for $203,700 at Bonhams on September 13, 2023. The work had been traded once in the past.
A Brief History of John Register at Auction
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025-06-11 | Restaurant by the Sea | $254,500 | 25 % | Bonhams | - |
2023-09-13 | Late Afternoon Light | $203,700 | 71 % | Bonhams | Los Angeles |
2021-09-15 | Waiting Room for the Beyond | $119,100 | 8 % | Bonhams | Los Angeles |
2009-05-04 | Hanalei Bay | $109,800 | - | Bonhams & Butterfields | S.F. & L.A. |
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