6 Most Valuable Thomas Kinkade Paintings Worth Their Luminous Legacy

These valuable Thomas Kinkade paintings are worth the coveted above-the-mantle spot on your grandmother's wall.

Published March 23, 2024
Artist brush mixed color oil painting on palette

With their pastoral beauty and wonderful use of light, it's no wonder that paintings by Thomas Kinkade are among the most popular American art ever produced. Although there are tons of prints out there (and even a few fakes), some of the most valuable Thomas Kinkade paintings can be worth thousands of dollars. If you have an original painting or a limited edition print, you may have something super valuable hanging on your wall.

Most Valuable Thomas Kinkade Paintings Price List

It's handy to have a price list of some of the most valuable Kinkades that have sold recently. These six paintings are worth thousands, and they can help you see what makes a Kinkade fetch top dollar.

Kinkade Painting Title Type Sales Price
High Meadow Original $20,000
Among the Giants Original $18,000
Woodman's Lodge Original $10,625
Out to Pasture Original $8,750
Aqua Caliente Ranch Original $6,875
Garden of Prayer Hand Embellished Canvas $5,988

High Meadow Original Painting: $20,000

High Meadow Original Painting

An original 24 x 48 inches Thomas Kinkade painting titled High Meadow sold at auction in 2022 for $20,000. The oil on masonite painting dates from 1983 and shows a foggy mountain scene with a patch of sunlight and some deer. The signed piece was in excellent condition with mild abrasion from the frame.

Among the Giants Original Painting: $18,000

Another original Thomas Kinkade, Among the Giants, sold for $18,000 in 2024. Measuring 16"-by-20", this beautiful painting features sunlight shining through giant redwood trees. The signed piece dates to 1984 and was in the original frame.

Woodman's Lodge Original Painting: $10,625

Woodman's Lodge Original Painting

Measuring 30 x 15 inches, Woodman's Lodge, sold at auction for $10,625 in 2022. It shows a small cottage under very tall pine trees with a stream and smoky sky. The varnish had yellowed, and there was some minor abrasion from the frame. The painting is dated 1984 and signed by Kinkade.

Out to Pasture Original Painting: $8,750

Out to Pasture Original Painting

An original oil on masonite painting by Kinkade, Out to Pasture, shows cows and a barn low in the frame with a prominent partly cloudy blue sky taking up most of the scene. Like many other valuable Thomas Kinkade paintings, it dates to the early 1980s. Signed by the artist and dated 1983, it sold at auction in 2022 for $8,750.

Aqua Caliente Ranch Original Painting: $6,875

Aqua Caliente Ranch Original Painting

Another early Kinkade, also signed and dated 1983, Aqua Caliente Ranch also gives the sky a starring role. Clouds tower over mountains and a tiny ranch low in the frame. The oil on canvas over masonite painting had minimal abrasion from the original frame and sold for $6,875 in 2022.

Garden of Prayer Hand Embellished Canvas: $5,988

Thomas Kinkade issued original paintings, prints, and even some things in between. This hand-embellished canvas of Garden of Prayer was printed and then had brush strokes applied. Kinkade signed it and it even has a remarque (a miniature original work of art in the margins of a print). It dates back to 1997 and sold for $5,988.

Fast Fact

How many original Thomas Kinkade paintings are there? Short answer: a lot. Galleries estimate Kinkade created more than 1,000 paintings in his lifetime.

Related: Identifying Antique Engravings & Determining Their Value

What Makes a Thomas Kinkade Painting Worth Money?

Prints of Thomas Kinkade's paintings grace the walls of millions of homes around the world, and most aren't worth more than $100. However, there are some factors that can make them far more valuable.

Original Art by Kinkade

Original paintings by the artist are worth far more than prints or hand-embellished canvases. An original is entirely painted (not painted over a printed design).

Need to Know

Fake Thomas Kinkade paintings and prints are common. Look for a certificate of authenticity, fine details, and quality materials.

Hand Embellished Renaissance Editions and Studio Proofs

Some Kinkade prints have brushstrokes that weren't actually made by Kinkade himself. Instead, another artist added them. Those labeled Renaissance Editions or Studio Proofs are most likely to have been embellished by Kinkade, so they tend to be more valuable.

Need to Know

The value of limited edition Thomas Kinkade prints depends on whether they were done on canvas or paper and how many were in the edition. A numbered print on paper may range from about $185 to $310, and a hand-embellished canvas print can be worth up to $10,000.

Signed Prints With a Remarque

Many Thomas Kinkade prints are signed by the artist, so a signature alone doesn't mean the print is super valuable. However, if there's a remarque that Kinkade added to the margin of the print, that's a sign of a valuable piece of art.

Large Pieces

Whether you're dealing with an original painting or a hand-embellished canvas, a larger piece tends to be worth more (all other factors being equal). Really big Kinkade paintings can be worth thousands.

Prints and Paintings in Good Condition

Like any other antique or collectible, a Thomas Kinkade painting's condition matters a lot when it comes to valuing it. Look for minimal wear from the frame, yellowing of varnish, or rubbing. If you have the original frame, that can be great too.

Related: 5 Most Valuable Collector Plates & What Yours Could Be Worth

Don't Forget Decorative and Sentimental Value

Even if you don't have an original or one of the most valuable Thomas Kinkade paintings, you may still have a piece of art you treasure. If you love the print, remember that it also had decorative and sentimental value.

6 Most Valuable Thomas Kinkade Paintings Worth Their Luminous Legacy