2017-01-31

7478 - 20170208 - Remarkable manuscripts reflecting Arthur Rimbaud's life to be auctioned at Sotheby's Paris - 08.02.2017

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Plaisirs du jeune âge. Seven autograph manuscript drawings, 1865 (lot 86, estimate: €100,000-150,000). Photo: Sotheby's.
 The sale of books and manuscripts on 8 February will open with an extremely fine selection of antique books on Medicine (including the last books from Jean Blondelet's library), Natural Science and Literature. The sale of three remarkable manuscripts in Rimbaud's hand will be a major event.
REMARKABLE COLLECTION OF ARTHUR RIMBAUD WORKS
Plaisirs du jeune âge. Seven autograph manuscript drawings, 1865 (lot 86, estimate: €100,000-150,000).
These are the first known drawings by Arthur Rimbaud, dated from 1865 when he was 10. The notebook containing these drawings belonged to the bibliophile Jacques Guérin; the rest of the book is now one of the treasures in the Rimbaud Museum in Charleville-Mézières, but these exceptional drawings were still in private hands. They are some of the only ones that can be attributed to the poet with certainty. They reflect the world of a young poet already critical of the world around him: for example, we see the enactment of a mass, prefiguring the anticlericalism of the poet's Premières Communions, the literary parody of a Scandinavian legend and the first known self-portrait by Rimbaud.

Les caractères de Théophraste, 1866. Prize book received by Rimbaud in 1870 (lot 87, estimate: €8,000-12,000)
A brilliant student in his final year, Arthur Rimbaud received this book as a prize at the age of 15 from the principal of his school. "A testimony to the highly satisfactory work of the pupil Rimbaud (Rhetoric class)," wrote the headmaster. Later, as indicated by an ex-libris, this book belonged to Paul Eluard: never mentioned as regards this copy, this provenance is important knowing Rimbaud's considerable influence on the Surrealists.

La rivière de Cassis, June or July 1872 (lot 88, estimate: €200,000-300,000)
This poem’s manuscript, one of considerable modernity and freedom, is the one Rimbaud copied for Paul Verlaine. We know another version, now in the Bibliothèque Nnationale de France, but Verlaine's version is the most accomplished and stands out for three reasons: it has no date, no title and no punctuation. The extremely modern poems of this period are among Rimbaud's last verses.

Receipt from Harar made out to Armand Savouré, on behalf of Menelik II, in June 1889 (lot 89, estimate: €30,000-40,000)
While Rimbaud's years in Harar largely contributed to his legend, we know little about them. This receipt sums up two months of the poet's activity in Harar while he was an arms dealer, as it recapitulates the last arms transactions he organised for Menelik II, between 23 May and 22 June 1889. This receipt is one of the longest listed (112 words), one of the few to be signed twice by Rimbaud and one of the only ones to mention Emperor Menelik, although he ordered the weapons. It is all the more exceptional as it is still only partially unpublished.

ANTIQUE BOOKS
From the library of Jean Blondelet
While the selection of books from this exceptional library, successfully sold on 31 May last year, focused on the great discoveries of medicine, the books coming up for auction on 8 February contain treatises on the consequences of these discoveries and the progress they enabled. This final selection will be a new opportunity for book collectors to admire copies of rare editions in original bindings from prestigious provenances, illustrating the high standards the great collector Jean Blondelet always applied when choosing his books.

Two copies of Jérôme Cardan's Subtilités will appeal to collectors. One of them is in a remarkable ornate original binding in gilt vellum: a luxury rarely allowed to books on medicine (lot 10, estimate: €3,000-5,000). The Tabulae anatomicae by Casserio are appropriately bound with the treatises of his pupil Spigelius, in first editions (lot 11, estimate: €5,000-7,000). A pioneer in research on brain pathologies who coined the term "neurologia" or neurology, Thomas Willis is represented by two copies with outstanding provenances, including the first edition of 1664 of Cerebri anatome (lot 60, estimate: €4,000-5,000).

The sale also includes an exceptional compendium of the four greatest treatises by the celebrated anatomist Fabricius ab Acquapendente, in folio editions, bound with a coat of arms by one of his students (lot 18, estimate: €20,000-30,000). These four treatises, magnificently illustrated with fine copper engravings, deal with the valves of the veins, the nutrition of the foetus and the vocal organs of human animals.

Among the books with extraordinary provenances, a precious example by the naturalist Aldrovandi in a morocco binding with the arms of Jacques Auguste de Thou (lot 1, estimate: €6,000 - 9,000), will be opening the sale. There is also a Geometry by Dürer that once belonged to Nostradamus (lot 39, estimate: €12,000-18,000), a copy of the memoirs of Larrey, first surgeon to the Emperor, which he gave to Napoleon's adopted son, Eugène de Beauharnais (lot 28, estimate: €6,000-9,000), and the first collective publication of Paracelsus from the library of the greates of alchemists' patrons, Moritz of Hesse “the Learned” (lot 43, estimate: €20,000-30,000).

Natural science and medicine
A masterpiece of natural science, a very fine coloured copy of Nederlansische Vogelen by Cornelius Nozeman (lot 41, estimate: €10,000-15,000) presented the first overview of Holland's birds and was the most expensive publication ever undertaken in the Netherlands. In this category, it is accompanied by Seligmann's Vogelen with 473 hand-coloured figures (lot 51, estimate: €12,000-18,000), and a beautiful morocco-bound book on hummingbirds by Lesson (lot 30, estimate: €2,000-3,000). Worth noting: a very rare and fine copy of Deux livres de chirurgie (1573) by Ambroise Paré in period vellum (lot 44, estimate: €8,000 -12,000).

Literature and history
A superb copy of Barthélémy's Voyage du jeune Anacharsis en Grèce is one of 18 magnificent published on very large paper (lot 4, estimate: €12,000-18,000). Collectors will undoubtedly be fired up by the very early and unpublished manuscript of Boulainvilliers' Jugements astronomiques sur les nativités (lot 7, estimate: €8,000-12,000). Also noteworthy is the fabulous Coutumier de Normandie, an editio princeps (1483) in period binding (lot 15, estimate: €15,000-20,000), and lastly a splendid copy of the Cours d'hippiatrique by Lafosse (lot 27, estimate: €13,000-18,000), magnificently coloured, also in a period binding.

19TH AND 20TH CENTURY BOOKS
19th century artists' letters
This sale features letters from great artists of the 19th century, including Degas, Ingres, Lucien Pissarro, Odilon Redon (lot 85, estimate: €1,800-2,200), and Paul Signac (lot 92, estimate: €3,000-5,000). We can also mention letters from the inventor of photography, Nicéphore Niépce, on his financial situation with his creditors (lot 82, estimate: €25,000-30,000) and several letters from Hector Berlioz writing about the French revolution of 1830 (lot 66, estimate: €4,000-5,000) or standing up for his new wife (lot 67, estimate: €5,000-7,000).

20th Century books and manuscripts
The section devoted to the 20th century features books by contemporary artists published by the Editions du Solstice, including the rare La Nouvelle chute de l'Amérique (The New Fall of America) by Roy Lichtenstein (lot 119, estimate: €35,000-50,000) and Ode à ma mère by Louise Bourgeois (lot 100, estimate: €15,000-20,000). The illustrated books also include Pomme endormie, one of the few deluxe copies on Japan paper with 16 signed lithographs by Giacometti (lot 114, estimate: €20,000-25,000), together with a rare copy on green paper of 1929, a famous erotic work by Man Ray, here bound by Jean de Gonet (lot 121, estimate: €10,000-15,000), and rare editions of Joan Miro, Gustav Klimt, Nicolas de Staël, also with original contributions by Hans Bellmer, Pablo Picasso, Jacques Prévert and Salvador Dalí.

The catalogue features some major literary manuscripts as well – for example, an autograph letter from Guillaume Apollinaire to Lou containing two long poems (lot 95, estimate: €30,000-50,000). Jean Genet shines with one of his finest texts, Pour un funambule (lot 112, estimate: €9,000-12,000), a tribute to his acrobat lover, and a large collection of letters to his translator and American literary agent, mostly unpublished (lot 113, estimate: €35,000-45,000). Finally, the manuscript of Jean-Paul Sartre's last novel is a genuine literary rediscovery (lot 140, estimate: €14,000-18,000).

 
 
                                                                                  Website : Sotheby's
 
 

2017-01-30

7477 - 20170218 - Acrylic on wood by Ilya Bolotowsky (Russ./Am., 1907-1982) will lead Bruneau & Co.'s sale - Cranston, RI - 18.02.2017

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Acrylic on wood painting by the Russian-born American artist Ilya Bolotowsky (1907-1982), titled Golden Tondo B (est. $20,000-$30,000).
 
The sizable fine art collection of Tamara and Norman Jay Bolotow, Esq. of Barrington, Rhode Island, with provenance from Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Doyle New York and other galleries and institutions, will headline a 152-lot fine art auction on Saturday, Feb. 18th, by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, online and in the firm’s gallery at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston.
Previews will be held on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 9-5; Friday, Feb. 17, from noon until 9 pm; and Saturday, Feb. 18, auction day, when the doors open at 9 am until the first gavel falls at 12 o’clock noon. All times are Eastern. Pre-online bidding will be provided by the bid platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, eBay and Auctionzip.com, along with Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ app available on GooglePlay and the Apple Store, or at bidlive.bruneauandco.com.

A strong candidate for top lot of the auction is an acrylic on wood painting by the Russian-born American artist Ilya Bolotowsky (1907-1982), titled Golden Tondo B (est. $20,000-$30,000). The work is from Bolotowsky’s later career, after he was exposed to the work of Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). After 1940, Bolotowsky became renowned for his work in Geometric Abstraction.

An original albumen print by Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879), the British pioneer of the fine art photography movement (along with other Victorian-era artists), titled Outdoor Portrait of Mrs. Herbert Duckworth, carries a pre-sale estimate of $15,000-$25,000. Cameron started her career as a photographer at age 48, only after being given a camera as a present by her daughter.

A pastel and watercolor painting of a standing nude by the German-born American artist George Ehrenfried Grosz (1893-1959), depicting a woman stretching with her arms bent behind her head and wearing nothing but a black lace choker, is expected to sell for $15,000-$25,000. The work has been pencil signed by Grosz in the lower right hand corner and it still bears the estate stamp.

A charcoal, chalk and crayon drawing by contemporary American artist Terry Winters (NY, b. 1949, titled Dark Plants No. 5, 50 ¾ inches by 40 ¾ inches (framed), should breeze to $10,000-$15,000. The work exemplifies Winters’ abstract style in depicting botanicals and displays his nuanced approach to the process of painting and addresses his evolving concepts of spatiality.

A watercolor beach scene by Post-Impressionist painter Alice Schille (OH, 1869-1955), titled Bathers and showing a group of children playing on a beachfront, carries an estimate of $8,000-$12,000. Schille effectively incorporates a Post-Impressionist blue-pink sky, casting a reflection on the water. The painting is signed lower right and still retains its original Vose Galleries label.

A watercolor and tempera industrial painting by German artist Heinrich Kley (1863-1945), titled Interior of a Steel Mill, signed lower left, is expected to finish at $6,000-$9,000. The work is a fine example of Kley’s industrial art and exhibits early influences of mythological creatures, seen in his later pen-and-ink drawings. The painting shows satyrs and bats amidst flames and smoke.

A double-sided watercolor painting by the American Social Realist Reginald Marsh (NY/VT, 1898-1954), with one side titled On the Boardwalk and the other side titled Three Girls on a Street Corner, should knock down for $6,000-$9,000. The recto (front side) is dated (“1946”) in the lower right corner, while the verso (reverse side) is signed (“Marsh”) and dated (“1946”). The auction will feature seven works in total by Mr. Marsh: four paintings and three engravings.

A fine Art Deco bronze and ivory sculpture by the German-Austrian artist Ferdinand “Fritz” Preiss (1882-1943), titled Torch Dancer, 14 ½ inches tall, has a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-$6,000. The sculpture shows a nude woman with an arched back, balancing on one leg and holding two torches. It is mounted on a black onyx marble base and it is signed “F. Preiss.”

An abstract ceramic sculpture by American contemporary artist Viola Frey (CA, NY, 1933-2004), signed (“VF” and dated (“86”) on verso, should change hands for $3,000-$5,000. When viewed from a distance, the work depicts a face with hands raised and mouth open in a state of astonishment. When viewed up close, the subject’s mouth and left eye are formed from fish.

A rare mechanical bronze sculpture of a nude female dancer by Viennese artist Carl Kauba (1865-1922), of a nude female with arms outstretched and head tilted, wearing a gold tassel skirt, 11 inches tall, is estimated to sell for $2,000-$4,000. When wound, the skirt spins, lifting the tassels and revealing her body. The work is powered by a Technofix winding key mechanism.

In addition to live and internet bidding, phone and absentee (or left) bids will also be accepted.

To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the fine art auction scheduled for Saturday, February 18th, starting promptly at 12 o’clock noon Eastern time, visit www.bruneauandco.com. To contact Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers via e-mail, send the e-mail to info@bruneauandco.com.
 
 
 
 

2017-01-27

7476 - 20170205 - Collection of Robsjohn-Gibbings midcentury furniture to be sold - West Palm Beach, FLA - 05.02.2017

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T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings custom-made sofa/daybed consisting of three sectional pieces plus a bolster pillow. The ensemble is depicted in situ in the book ‘Mr. Tom Davis, White Shadows, Palm Springs,’ page 17. Est. $5,000-$10,000

Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings (1905-1976) was a British-born architect and furniture designer who left an indelible mark on midcentury modern furniture and decorative objects. His designs of the 1950s and ’60s infused Ancient Grecian and Art Deco elements to create a trademark brand of modern historicism.
In the late 1930s and 1940s, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, as he preferred to be known, was the most important interior designer in America. After opening a shop on New York’s Madison Avenue in 1936, he started doing commissioned work and created distinctive decors for fine houses from coast to coast. His private clients included tobacco heiress Doris Duke, publisher Alfred A. Knopf, and patron of the arts Thelma Chrysler Foy.

One of his best-known residential commissions was Casa Encantada in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air. Creating more than 200 pieces of furniture for the house between 1934 and 1938, Robsjohn-Gibbings indulged his passion for Greco-Roman design by incorporating sphinxes, dolphins, lions' paw feet, and Ionic columns in table bases, torchères, and select pieces of furniture. With the context of this grandeur, he still managed to keep the interior design simple and elegant.

Another of Robsjohn-Gibbings’ premier commissions was White Shadows, a mid-century residence custom-built in Rancho Mirage, California, for Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Davis.

Heralded both for its palatial splendor and luxurious simplicity, White Shadows was the subject of a major spread in the November 1958 issue of House Beautiful magazine. “Complete harmony in the living areas evokes the emotion of serenity…(and a) romantic aura,” wrote the article’s author, Curtis Besinger.

“Undoubtedly, much of that description was attributable to Robsjohn-Gibbings’ innovative choices of colors and fabrics for his trend-setting furniture designs,” said Rico Baca, co-owner of Palm Beach Modern Auctions. On Sunday, Feb. 5, Baca’s company will auction an unprecedented, absolutely unique collection of 16 original T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings furnishings created expressly for White Shadows.

The collection includes two pairs of monumental floor lamps, each having three tiers of globed lights. Each lamp will be auctioned separately with a $10,000-$20,000 estimate. The designer’s quintessential mid-century sofa/daybed consisting of three upholstered walnut pieces that can be arranged in several configurations is estimated at $5,000-$10,000. Additionally, there are armchairs, benches, nightstands, headboards/footboards, a dresser/cabinet with mirror, and both occasional and end tables.

“Robsjohn-Gibbings furniture has become extremely collectible, especially the pieces he designed for special commissions,” Baca said. “There has already been a tremendous amount of interest in the auction items from bidders all over the country.”

The Sunday, Feb. 5 auction will begin at 12:00 noon Eastern Time, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers. The exhibition center and auction venue is located at 417 Bunker Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33405.


  
 

2017-01-26

7475 - 20170130 - Rare 1494 Christopher Columbus book containing his letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to be auctioned - Los Angeles - 30.01.2017

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Letter features Columbus’ account of his discovery of the New World.
 
A rare 1494 Basel edition of Christopher Columbus’ letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella entitled, “Christophorus Columbus, De insulis nuper in mari Indico inventis” will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on January 30, 2017. 
The 56-page book features Columbus’ letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella regarding his discovery of the new world. The March 1493 letter was penned by Columbus on the Nina while sailing back from the “Indian” isles and was addressed to Spain’s king and queen, his patron Luis de Santangel and the Royal Treasurer Raphael Sanxis. Columbus confirmed the new lands he discovered justified the expensive and risky expedition. Leander de Cosco translated the letter into Latin for this 1494 Basel edition.

Six woodcuts designed by famed German artist Albrecht Durer are included in the hardbound book. The woodcuts represent the first depictions of the New World. They show the arrival of the Spanish at the insula hyspana, a quasi-map of the Antilles, the construction of the fort La Navidad on the island of Hispaniola and Columbus' caravel under full sail. The title woodcut of the edition depicts a portrait of Ferdinand of Aragon holding the shields of Castile and Leon and is accompanied by a coat of arms.

The book being auctioned is from Robert Menzies’ collection and contains private library labels from turn-of-the-century philanthropist Elizabeth Wharton Drexel and Pennsylvania Senator Boies Penrose.

Bidding for the book begins at $750,000.
 
 
  
 
 
 

2017-01-25

7474 - 20170128 - Original D-Day landing-craft flag expected to fly high in Milestone's Jan. 28 Premier Guns & Military Auction - Willoughby, OPH - 28.01.2017

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World War II American Flag flown on LCT 595, one of the first craft to land at Normandy on June 6, 1944; passed by descent through family of US Navy Boatswain George Edward Rudisill, who removed and retained the flag with his commanding officer’s permission after the battle. Extensive provenance. Est. $40,000-$80,000.
 
On Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, Milestone Auctions of Willoughby (suburban Cleveland) Ohio will offer an iconic and historically important survivor of World War II: the 48-star American battle flag from LCT 595, one of the first US Navy vessels to land on Utah Beach (Normandy, France) on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
The centerpiece of Milestone’s Premier Guns & Military Auction, the flag entered as Lot 350 was recovered by Boatswain George Edward Rudisill after the devastating Battle of Normandy, which claimed the lives of more than 225,000 Allied servicemen. “The commanding officer ordered Boatswain Rudisill to remove the tattered flag from the landing craft and replace it with a new one,” said Milestone Auctions co-owner Miles King. “At that point, Boatswain Rudisill asked if he could keep the flag and was granted permission. He kept it, together with the only known photograph of LCT 595, in a shoebox until his passing in 2013. Since then, the flag and related mementos have remained in the Rudisill family.”

Of the few known American Flags from amphibious vessels that landed at Normandy, the Rudisill family’s flag is quite likely the best example. It is offered with an archive of provenance that includes Rudisill’s service records documenting his participation in the D-Day assault on the Normandy coast, his US Navy muster rolls registration card, photos of Rudisill in uniform, and the rare photo of LCT 595 on Utah Beach. It is also accompanied by a sworn affidavit from Rudisill’s son, Thomas, in which he reiterates his father’s account of the D-Day Invasion. The flag retains a few German machine gun bullet holes and has tattered edges from being blown about as the craft encountered turbulent waters. The auction estimate is $40,000-$80,000.

An extensive selection of WWII Nazi memorabilia runs the gamut from helmets (Luftwaffe, police and Luftschutz), tunics and other apparel to flags, belts and medals. American groupings include such WWII themes as USS Evans Bronze Star, 11th Airborne, and 65th Medical Regiment. An earlier grouping consists of uniforms, documents, photos, dog tags and other paraphernalia from World War I Farriers of the 7th Field Battalion Signal Corps.

An exceptional array of Civil War relics and memorabilia is led by Lot 115, a tintype of a soldier identified as F.R. Miller of Company D, 2nd Arkansas Volunteer Infantry. The image is presented in a leatherette case together with the soldier’s C.S.A. reunion badge stamped with his name, a Confederate Flag and other military details. It is estimated at $1,000-$2,000. Lot 119, a Civil War full-plate ambrotype of a Federal naval officer in a dress jacket with epaulets and braid, is impressively sized 8½ by 6½ inches. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000

Another photographic treasure is Lot 131A, a Matthew Brady carte de visite of Major General George Armstrong Custer posed with his wife Libby and his brother Lt. Thomas Ward Custer. The image was taken in Washington, D.C., in 1865, the same year Gen. Custer was awarded two Medals of Honor. Both brothers were killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000

Other Civil War items of note include a Schenkel inert artillery shell, a field surgical set, artillery and cavalry swords, an M1851 NCO belt and buckle, US belt plate, bull’s-eye canteen, a Confederate or militia drum canteen and many other relics.

The firearms section of the sale contains over 35 Winchester rifles and shotguns, many of them boxed; five Parker shotguns, more than 75 handguns (Colt, Smith & Wesson, Baretta, Ruger, etc.), many boxed; and a fine selection of rifles, World War II Japan Arisakas and German Mausers, and more.

Lot 294H, a Parker D-Grade 12 gauge double-barrel shotgun is an excellent example with a nice finish, strong action, checkered deluxe grain stocks, and an engraved receiver and hardware. This desirable gun is expected to make $2,000-$4,000 at auction.

A pre-1898 Maynard Target 40-60 lever action rifle boasts a 26-inch barrel with an excellent bore, good action, nice checkered stock, and a checkered pistol grip on the lever. Entered as Lot 361, this is a higher-grade example of a well-preserved antique rifle. Its pre-auction estimate is $2,000-$3,000.

Lot 332 is a firearm oddity patented in 1857 by F. Reuthe. A rare double-barrel version of an animal trap gun, it is constructed with barbs that the user would set with bait. When tugged on by an animal, the barbs would cause the gun to fire from both barrels. “Its fluted hand grip is an enigma, however, since guns of this type were not meant to be sidearms,” Miles King observed. The gun is estimated at $1,000-$2,000.

Edged weapons include nine Japanese Katana swords, 14 Japanese pole arms (including Yari and Mojiri), and more than 30 bayonets, including WWII German, Japanese and US productions. Additionally, there are 10+ World War II German and Japanese daggers and several military knives. As with any Milestone auction, the Saturday, Jan. 28 sale has its share of other exciting discoveries waiting to be made.

The auction will start at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, with all forms of bidding available, including live online. Address: 3860 Ben Hur Ave., Unit 8, Willoughby, OH 44094.
 
 
  
 

2017-01-24

7473 - 20170214 - Swann Galleries to sell set of NASA photos, including first Moon landing images, at February 14 auction - New York - 14.02.2017

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Selected from NASA’s archives by Barbara Hitchcock and Peter Riva and approved by several of the astronauts, the photographs were organised into a traveling exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution titled Sightseeing: A Space Panorama, 1985.
 
This extraordinary and breathtaking image of a space walk, above, is just one of a group of 22 large-format photographs from various NASA missions, dating from 1965 to the 1980s, being offered as a single lot in Swann Auction Galleries’ Icons & Images: Photographs & Photobooks sale on February 14.
Selected from NASA’s archives by Barbara Hitchcock and Peter Riva and approved by several of the astronauts, the photographs were organised into a traveling exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution titled Sightseeing: A Space Panorama, 1985. Aside from the exhibition catalogue, many of the photos had never before been published by the space agency.

The images include more breathtaking and iconic views of astronauts Bruce McCandless, Buzz Aldrin, Charles Duke, and Ed White as they traversed through space, taken during the Gemini IV, Apollo 11, Skylab 3, and STS-41-B (Space Shuttle Challenger) missions. An array of painterly and abstract topographical views of the Earth, as witnessed from beyond its atmosphere, completes the lot.

These are the only known Cibachrome (Ilfochrome) prints made from original NASA positives. They range in size from 19½ x 19½ to 20 x 24 inches, many with numeric notations, in pencil and ink, and a few with a “printed by David Travis 1985” hand stamp on verso. All the photographs were taken between 1965 and ’84, and printed circa 1985.

Their significance has been thrown even more into focus by the approaching 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing in 2019, which is attracting more collectors to this field. The estimate is $15,000 to $25,000.

The auction also includes an archive of six binders containing approximately 280 photographs depicting Apollo Missions 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17, from launch to splashdown. Featured are many iconic views of the historic Apollo 11 mission, showing Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon for the first time, the memorable images of the plastic American flag, and Armstrong's reflection in Aldrin's helmet visor. Also included are multiple views of Earth as seen from outer space, and various photographs of astronauts performing scientific experiments on the Moon's surface. There are 84 silver and 199 chromogenic prints in the binders, ranging in size from 4 x 5 ins to 8 x 8 ins and 8 x 10 ins. Some have captions affixed to recto, while many have notations on verso, in pencil and ink; also present are a number of reproductions after photographs as well as Apollo related-ephemera in the form of decals, plaques, and letters, all dated 1969-72. The estimate is $7,000-10,000.

Further Space Age lots include a sequence of 10 photographic assemblages, each work depicting a separate section of the Moon (estimate: $5,000 to 7,500) and a collection of 67 photographs, arranged in mini-albums and frames, documenting the Apollo 11 Moon landing, many with date stamps on verso for 1969 (estimate: $4,000 to 6,000).
 
 
 
 

2017-01-23

7472 - 20170125 - Christie's announces Sales of Old Master & British Drawings and Old Masters Prints - New York - 24-25.01.2017

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Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577-1640 Antwerp), Scipio Africanus welcomed outside the gates of Rome, after Giulio Romano, black chalk, pen and ink, brown wash, grey, cream, white and touches of green bodycolor with heightening in oil. Est: $500,000-700,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2017.

Christie’s announced the sale of Old Master & British Drawings on January 24 followed by the return of a various owner sale of Old Master Prints on January 25, to take place in New York for the first time in over 15 years. Old Master Paintings will be offered in April 2017, during Classic Week at Christie’s New York. 
Christie’s Old Master & British Drawings sale on January 24 is comprised of 131 lots including works from distinguished private collections and institutions. Important works leading the sale are Francisco de Goya’s Hunter with his dog in a landscape and a lavish design by Peter Paul Rubens inspired by a composition by Renaissance artist Giulio Romano.

The sale features a strong selection of Italian drawings including studies by Giacomo Cavedone, Parmigianino and Taddeo Zuccaro, together with several works inspired by Michelangelo by Battista Franco, Giulio Clovio and Cesare da Sesto’s early study after the Sistine ceiling. Works by Piazzetta, Giovanni Battista and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Piranesi and Francesco Guardi constitute the highlights of an outstanding selection of Venetian drawings.

Highlights from the British section include A male nude by Henry Fuseli, and works by Gainsborough and Burne-Jones. Charles de la Fosse’s preparatory study for the painting The Virgin’s Coronation with a selection of nineteenth-century works round out the sale.

The sale of Old Master Prints encompasses 220 prints from five centuries, offering an in-depth survey of the printed image in Europe, from Martin Schongauer’s (1450-1491) engravings created in the 1470s to a View of San Francisco by the French Charles Meryon (1821-1868), printed around 1855.

Classic prints by the most celebrated and widely collected artist-printmakers, including Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Rembrandt (1606-1669), and Francisco de Goya (1746-1828), stand side by side with extreme rarities, such as an anonymous, hand-coloured woodcut of the Virgin nursing the Child, printed in Northern Italy around 1530; one of a few surviving devotional prints of the period.

The estimates vary as much as the dimensions of the works: the exquisite little engravings by Hans Sebald Beham (1500-1550) are the size of a postage stamp, while the monumental woodcut The Submersion of Pharaoh’s Army (estimate: $200,000-300,000) after a design by Titian leads the sale and fills an entire wall in its scale.


  
 

2017-01-20

7471 - 20170215 - Rare Ben Enwonwu masterpiece leads Bonhams Africa Now-Modern Africa Sale in London - 15.02.2017

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Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994), African Dancers estimated at £50,000-80,000. Photo: Bonhams.
 
Anyanwu by the pioneering Nigerian sculptor and painter, Ben Enwonwu, leads Bonhams Africa Now - Modern Africa Sale in London on Wednesday 15 February 2017. Widely considered the artist's masterpiece, the 6ft 10 high statue is estimated at £150,000-200,000.
Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994) first conceived of Anyanwu - the Igbo word for 'sun' - in 1954, when he was commissioned to create a work marking the establishment of the National Museum in Lagos, outside of which it still stands. He made a number of versions of the statue in different sizes over many years - subtly altering the concept with each edition - but this is the first full-sized cast to come to auction. It is from the second edition cast in 1956, and is believed to be the only one of this size from the second edition in existence.

He described his vision for Anyanwu as follows: "My aim was to symbolise our rising nation. This sculpture is spiritual in conception, rhythmical in movement and three dimensional in its architectural setting – these qualities are characteristic of the sculptures of my ancestors.”

A later edition of Anyanwu was presented by the Nigerian Government to the United Nations in 1966, a few days after Nigeria celebrated the sixth anniversary of its independence. The statue is currently displayed on the second floor of the UN HQ building in New York.

Bonhams Director of African Art, Giles Peppiatt, said, "Ben Enwonwu was the first important Nigerian artist to reflect the sculptural traditions of his people in his work as is clearly and spectacularly evident in Anyanwu. For the artist, the statue was a visual manifestation of the new Nigeria, culturally confident and proud of her heritage."

Enwonwu also has a significant reputation as a painter - Bonhams holds the world auction record of £218,500 for a work by the artist on canvas set in May 2016 - and this vital aspect of his creative life is represented in the sale by The Glory of Ancient Benin, Song of the City estimated at £70,000-100,000 and African Dancers estimated at £50,000-80,000.

Other works in the sale include:

The Duet, by the Nigerian painter Yusuf Grillo (b 1934) estimated at £70,000-100,000. The picture is characteristic of the artist’s celebrated style, with its graceful elongated figures and rich yet serene colours. Grillo’s Mother of Twins sold for £146,500 in May 2016 setting a new world record at auction for a work by the painter.
On Grandma's Cloth, a wooden sculpture by the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui (b 1944) estimated at £50,000-80,000. In May 2016 Used Towel by El Anatsui sold for £176,500, establishing a new record at auction for a wooden sculpture by the sculptor.
 
 
 
 
 

2017-01-19

7470 - 20170126 - Swann Galleries offers Meyerhoff collection of Alphonse Mucha & circle - New York - 26.01.2017

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Les Maîtres de l'Affiche, group of five complete bound volumes, 1896-1900. Estimate $35,000 to $50,000.
 
On Thursday, January 26, Swann Galleries will open their 2017 auction season with Alphonse Mucha & Masters of Art Nouveau: The Harry C. Meyerhoff Collection, the largest such collection of works by the master and his circle ever to come to auction.
More than half of the over 200 lots in the sale are works by Mucha, tracing the artist’s career from his time in Prague, to Paris and New York. The selection offers rare views into Mucha’s process and personal life with previously unrecorded preparatory sketches for the famous Documents Décoratifs and Figures Décoratifs, as well as an etching of his young son.

One highlight of the sale is the complete set of Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, 1896-1900, a selection of the era’s posters from Europe and the U.S., compiled by Roger Marx. Each of the five volumes features posters by leading artists, including Mucha and others in the sale, in a special green and gold binding designed by Paul Berthon. In all, the set features 240 superlative posters reproduced as full color lithographs, and is expected to sell between $35,000 and $50,000.

Several works by Mucha make their auction debut, including a rare circular advertisement for the hair gel Krinogen, 1928, and a counter-top display screen for Savon Mucha, 1907 ($2,000 to $3,000 and $3,000 to $4,000, respectively). The scarce, smaller format of Nestlé’s Food for Infants, 1898, makes a rare auction appearance with an estimate of $4,000 to $6,000, while Bleuze - Hadancourt Parfumeur, circa 1899, which has been seen at auction only a handful of times in the last 25 years ($15,000 to $20,000).

In addition to posters, promotional ephemera designed by and after Mucha will also be in the sale, including chocolate tins, menus, programs and magazine covers, all of which speak to the artist’s popularity and ubiquity. Also present are several sets of decorative panels, for use as wall coverings in a fashionable fin de siècle home, including Têtes Byzantines (Byzantine Heads), circa 1897 ($15,000 to $20,000); Aurore et Crépuscule (Dawn and Dusk), 1899 ($10,000 to $15,000); and several versions of Les Fleurs (The Flowers), circa 1900.

Classical favorites for which Alphonse Mucha is known include the iconic Zodiac / La Plume, 1896, and Job, 1896 (each $15,000 to $20,000); La Trappistine, 1897, valued at $7,000 to $10,000; and Bières de la Meuse, in the exceedingly rare smaller format, 1897, expected to sell between $6,000 and $9,000. Further seminal works, such as the foreboding Medee / Sarah Bernhardt, 1898 ($12,000 to $18,000), and Monaco - Monte Carlo, 1897 ($12,000 to $18,000), will also be crossing the block.

The sale is filled out with works by artists in Mucha’s circle, most notably Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Confetti, 1894, and Babylone d’Allemange, 1894 ($40,000 to $60,000 and $30,000 to $40,000, respectively). Also available is the iconic Ambassadeurs / Yvette Guilbert, 1894, by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen ($4,000 to $6,000) and several other works by the artist. Travel posters by Adolfo Hohenstein, including Monaco / Exposition et Councours de Canots Automobiles, 1900, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000, and works by Pierre Bonnard, Eugène Grasset and Privat-Livemont, among others, will also be in the sale.

Harry C. Meyerhoff was a Baltimore entrepreneur in construction with a passion for horse racing, evidenced by a run of equestrian posters that start the sale, topped by Ludwig Hohwein’s Das Goldene Buch / Des Sports, 1910, estimated at $2,000 to $3,000. Meyerhoff assembled the Art Nouveau collection with his wife in the 1970s and ‘80s.

The auction will be held Thursday, January 26, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The auction preview will be open to the public Saturday, January 21 from noon to 5 p.m.; Monday, January 23 through Wednesday, January 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Thursday, January 26 from 10 a.m. to noon.
 
 
 
 
 

2017-01-18

7469 - 20170127 - Masters Week at Sotheby's: 550+ works of art from 14th-19th centuries - New York - 25-27.01.2017

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Attributed to Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, Kitchen Still Life. Est. $1.5/2 million. Photo: Sotheby's.
 
Sotheby’s annual Masters Week auctions in New York will be held from 25 – 27 January 2017. The auction series features rare and newly-discovered European paintings, drawings and sculpture spanning from the 14th through the 19th centuries. The Masters Week exhibitions will open to the public on 20 January in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries with extended hours until 8:00pm on opening day.
MASTER PAINTINGS EVENING SALE
Following the record-breaking sale of Orazio Gentileschi’s Danaë in January 2016, the Master Paintings Evening sale will be led by another striking painting by the artist: Head of a Woman (estimate $2/3 million), last seen in the landmark exhibition on Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2001. One of only two known panel paintings by the artist, Head of a Woman was executed during the first half of the 1630s, when Gentileschi was working at the court of King Charles I of England. Based on the inventory records and notes from 1637 / 1639, the picture was purchased from the artist by the King, suggesting that the King responded to the work personally, and had not directly commissioned it. Coming to the market for the first time in nearly three decades, the work is being sold in part to benefit the Department of European Painting and Sculpture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The sale also offers an outstanding group of Spanish paintings: from a large-scale religious scene by Francisco de Zurbarán, to a late work attributed to El Greco, to a detailed still life by Pedro de Camprobín y Passano. Leading the group is a newly-discovered painting attributed to Velázquez: Kitchen Still Life (estimate $1.5/2 million). According to renowned scholar William B. Jordan, the work is the only pure bodegón pantry painting of its kind by the artist. Qualities and aspects from this humble and intimate painting depicting kitchen utensils are replicated in other works by Velázquez, including ‘The Old Woman Frying Eggs’, in the National Gallery of Scotland. The Spanish section will also include a rare first edition of Francisco Goya’s first and most celebrated printed work Los Caprichos. [Madrid: Printed by Rafael Esteve for the artist, 1799.] (estimate $500/700,000). Consisting of 80 plates in the original binding, the book is generally considered the artist’s finest printed work, and remembered for its satirical presentation of society’s follies; many specific themes and allusions defy interpretation.

The Master Paintings Evening and Day Sales feature five Florentine tondi from the Italian Renaissance. Leading the group is The Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel (estimate $600/800,000), a late work by Sandro Botticelli and workshop. Most likely painted in the last five years of his life, the work features Botticelli’s crisp drapery folds and sharp outlines – distinguishing characteristics of his late works.

Furthermore, the sale will offer a newly-discovered work by the celebrated Flemish painter Sir Peter Paul Rubens. Study of a Horse with a Rider (estimate $1/1.5 million) is a rare example of a large-scale animal study by the artist. Until recently the painting had been described as by a follower of Sir Anthony Van Dyck, however the authorship had been difficult to discern due to overpaint and background added later that dominated the original scene. With the removal of these later additions, the canvas has been revealed as a work of high quality, and a typical example of the spirited and rapidly painted oil sketches for which Rubens is celebrated. A similar composition and pose is evident in the foreground of Rubens’ Henry IV at the Siege of Amiens, at the Gothenburg Museum of Art.

Following Sotheby’s unprecedented selling exhibition, GLAZED: The Legacy of the Della Robbia, the evening sale includes a quintessential Renaissance sculpture by the master Andrea della Robbia, Madonna and Child (estimate $150/250,000). Andrea worked alongside his famous uncle, Luca della Robbia, and later led their workshop with unparalleled success. The present example was produced at a moment when ‘Robbiana’ became ever more advanced under Andrea’s leadership, and was often simpler in design in order to stimulate greater reverence in the viewer.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s The Fountain of Love (estimate $1.5/2.5 million) is one of four allegorical portrayals of love that the artist executed in the 1780s. The present work is one of the artist’s most distinguished compositions of his mature career – versions of the celebrated composition hang in the Wallace Collection, London and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. The work, which combines a classical story with an atmosphere and dynamism, has enchanted audiences for centuries. The painting comes to the market for the first time in nearly 30 years, from the collection of Philadelphia sports team owner and entrepreneur Edward M. Snider. Separate release available.

OLD MASTER DRAWINGS
The Old Master Drawings sale features newly discovered or rarely seen drawings spanning four centuries and numerous countries. The sale is led by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones’, The Madness of Sir Tristram (estimate $350/450,000). In this highly finished watercolor, the artist successfully evokes the atmosphere of the medieval world by drawing inspiration from the early northern and Italian Renaissance, in particular, Botticelli’s Primavera. The Italian section is further distinguished by a rare preliminary study for a chiaroscuro woodcut by Parmigianino and important discoveries by Lelio Orsi and Nosadella. This season, the sale will present one of the most exceptional and comprehensive groups of works by François Boucher to come on the market in decades. The group of seven drawings is led by the spontaneous and large scale trois crayons drawing Study of a Young Chinese Woman Seated at the Table (estimate $50/70,000). Representing an important element in his career, Boucher re-uses these characters throughout his oeuvre enlivening them each time with a renewed sense of energy and vivid imagination. Additional British works on offer include exceptional works by Turner, William Blake and Gainsborough. A remarkable selection of seven works by Il Guercino offers rare landscapes in pen and ink and red chalk including A River Landscape with a Fisherman, a City in the Background (estimate $30/40,000) alongside superb figure drawings from all periods of the artist’s career.


Website : Sotheby’s

Source : Artdaily
 
 

2017-01-17

7468 - 20170124 - Phenomenal single-owner collection of 1,000 signatures to be offered at Campbells - Worthing - U.K. - 24.01.2017

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Duke of Buckingham.
 
A magnificent collection of more than a 1,000 signatures from iconic historical figures from the past five centuries, from Charles Dickens to the Duke of Wellington to the First Men on the Moon to Buffalo Bill and Harry Houdini will be offered by auctioneers Campbells on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 11am at their premises, 44-46 High St, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1LL. For those who cannot attend the sale, online bidding is available via www.the-saleroom.com. 
The collection was amassed by the late John Evans, who meticulously framed or put the signatures in albums. He was passionate about politics, which is evident from the collection, and was one of the first Anti-Vivisection campaigners.

Auctioneer Paul Campbell was asked to take the collection when Mr Evans died earlier this year, he said: "It's been such a privilege to turn the pages of one man's life and passion and to see and consider the history he brought together. The Dalai Lama is next to Spencer Perceval, the Prime Minister who was murdered inside the House of Commons in 1812."

Estimates range from £50 to £1,000, with the earliest signature dating from 1697 from the 1st Duke of Marlborough. One of the most fascinating signatures is that of Charles Dickens on a Coutts cheque for £35 for a piece of silver in 1861 to Messrs Hunt & Roskell, which was originally founded as Paul Storr in 1819. Other literary names include J.M Barrie; Rudyard Kipling; William Wordsworth; Arthur Conan Doyle and John Ruskin.

Mr Evans was obviously fascinated by the Duke of Wellington and there are several letters from him as well as a lock of hair and an invitation to his funeral plus a letter from his wife, Catherine Pakenham. One letter is from his Parisian Headquarters, dated 1815 – the year of the Battle of Waterloo, when he defeated Napoleon – who is also featured in the auction.

Unfortunately, there is no signature from Lord Nelson, but there are letters from his mistress Emma Hamilton and her husband, Sir William Hamilton as well as Sir William Beatty, the doctor who treated Nelson until his death. Other important military figures include Lord Kitchener; Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding and Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein.

Other important Historical Figures include Explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and Lord Hunt – who led the successful 1953 expedition to Mount Everest; photographs taken on the moon that were later signed by the first men on the moon including Neil Armstrong; Buzz Aldrin and Charlie Duke as well as Artists including Pablo Picasso; Dante Gabriel Rosetti and an exquisite sketch from Dame Laura Knight.

Most Prime Ministers from Robert Walpole to Winston Churchill through to Tony Blair are featured either in bound albums or signed books, which also include Mikhail Gorbachev. A delightful comment from Scottish Politician James Keir Hardie, who was the first Labour Member of Parliament, commented “Autograph hunters are a wee bit of a nuisance”, while a letter from Harold Wilson discusses Huddersfield Town and a letter from Margaret Thatcher covers a topic close to Mr Evan’s heart, antivivisection.

Elsewhere, there is a group of signatures from the Charge of the Light Brigade including Private William Boyd, who participated; the Earl of Cardigan, who commanded the Light Brigade and Lord Lucan who gave the order to charge!
 
 
 
 

2017-01-16

7467 - 20170121 - Sotheby's comic strip sale led by major European and American cartoonists - Paris - 21.01.2017

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Franquin, Spirou & Fantasio: Les Petits Formats (estimate: €75,000-80,000). Photo: Sotheby's.
 
Sotheby’s announced the next edition of its Comic Strip sale: the first sale of 2017. On Saturday 21 January, comic strip amateurs can admire original pages by leading American and European cartoonists. The event will be led by four Masters of Europe's golden age of strip cartoons: Hergé, André Franquin, Uderzo and Edgar P. Jacobs. The sale will also include a magnificent selection of top-quality American pages, which collectors in Europe rarely get to see at auction. Artists include Alex Raymond and his legendary hero Flash Gordon, Charles Schulz with Peanuts and Robert Crumb accompanied by the distinctly naughty Fritz the Cat. Bernard Mahé from the Galerie 9e Art (Paris), and Eric Verhoest from the Galerie Champaka (Brussels) will be the expert consultants for this new event. 
EUROPEAN CARTOONISTS
Uderzo, Astérix: Le Devin (estimate: €140,000-180,000)
The incontestable star of the sale is a masterpiece by Astérix's cartoonist. Taken from the album Le Devin (Asterix the Soothsayer), this page was signed and presented by Uderzo to the assistant of his German publisher in 1975. Making its first appearance on the market, it reveals the artist's genius in both the narrative divisions and the staging. His humour can also be seen in the panel where Dogmatix leaps up to hide in Obelix's breeches, and in the next one, where the anger is palpable in the very movement of the air, the lettering and in the look of the speech balloon. Uderzo left nothing to chance! A rare detail: one of the panels is inspired from a Rembrandt picture The Anatomy Lesson in the last panel.

Franquin, Spirou & Fantasio: Les Petits Formats (estimate: €75,000-80,000)
This page was first published in Le Parisien Libéré and four years later, in Spirou. It belongs to the golden age of Spirou & Fantasio. At this period, the publisher Dupuis was trying to export its hero to France. The initial idea was to make use of a major newspaper, Le Parisien Libéré, to feature new adventures of Spirou & Fantasio independently of the ones published in the Spirou magazine. Franquin accepted the challenge. The adventure here, Les Petits Formats, takes place entirely in Champignac, and echoes the incredible success of the rubber cartoon characters in the late Fifties. The hero finds himself in the company of the legendary Marsupilami. This page is a remarkable example of Franquin's art.

Hergé, La Palette du Peintre, colouring album cover, 1957, Chinese ink and white gouache, 40 x 31 cm (estimate: €120,000-150,000)
This splendid composition places the six main characters from the Adventures of Tintin on an artist's palette. It consists of the original gouache for the cover of a large colouring album published in 1957. Here we see Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, the Thompson Twins and Professor Calculus jubilantly emptying tubes of paint in a picture demonstrating Hergé's exceptional talent as a publicity and poster artist. This illustration is also striking for its modernity: a reflection of his interest in painting.

E. P. JACOBS, Blake et Mortimer - Volume 8, S.O.S Météores, Page 2, Chinese ink on paper, published by Lombard – 1959 (estimate: €70,000-80,000)
This rare page shows Mortimer in rainy Paris surroundings, full of humorous details like the traffic jams in the Place de la Concorde. However, it is the attention and clarity of Jacobs' drawing that reveal his admirable talent, particularly in the magnificent panoramic view of the station, and then in the train. Each incidental figure seems to have a real identity and character. The meticulous care lavished on the credibility of characters who play no role in the plot is a real achievement.

We can also mention various sequences: series of two to five pages that are a highly particular feature of strip cartoon narrative. For example, collectors can discover pages 14 and 15 in Chinese ink from Volume 4 of Cargos du crépuscule from Maurice Tillieux's series Gil Jourdan (estimate: €22,000-25,000), together with pages 35 to 39 from L'Arbre des deux printemps by Dany in watercolour ink and gouache (estimate: €9,000-11,000).

American cartoonists
Alex Raymond, Flash Gordon, Page of 4 July 1937, 41 x 51 cm (estimate: €42,000-46,000)
Here, Alex Raymond was at the peak of his art. This original page from Flash Gordon has a timeless, incredibly modern feel to it: a real tour de force due to the balanced composition, which makes skilful use of geometrical motifs. The crosshatching and shadow show effects that reflect a timeless beauty, reminiscent of Japanese prints.

Charles Schulz, Peanuts, Goo ol' Charlie Brown, Sunday page of 10 February 1974, Chinese ink, 43 x 61 cm (estimate: €35,000-40,000)
Making play with the comic effect of repetition as well as with the incongruity between text and image through his extremely pure stylisation, the creator of Peanuts always make his readers laugh. He introduced a new take on humour by mingling the philosophical with the absurd, and made the comic strip a real visual art. In addition, the Sunday Pages, far rarer than the gags presented in a single strip, give added value to this admirable page.

Robert Crumb, Fritz the Cat, Fritz the No Good, 1968, Bollantine Books – 1968, page 13, Chinese ink on paper (estimate: €12,000-14,000)
The quality of this page from Fritz the No Good comes from the opposition between two inking techniques used by Robert Crumb. Firstly, the solid areas in undiluted Chinese ink give extraordinary intensity to the night sky; secondly, the crosshatchings laid edge to edge give substance to the settings. The urban architecture in the page is also worth pointing out. From the houses to the motorway slip roads and typically American bridges, Crumb's pen provides an accurate depiction of his backgrounds.

Burne Hogarth, Tarzan, Sunday page - 25 April 1948, Chinese ink on paper (estimate: €12,000-15,000)
Strip cartoon collectors will be enchanted by this exceptional Sunday Page of Tarzan from 1948, showing Burne Hogarth's beautifully refined inking and magnificent depictions of anatomy. Hogarth, who was a genius at inking, bases his drawing on both solid black areas and the precise anatomical details of his characters. Here Tarzan, adopting extremely protective gestures, embodies the archetype of wild virility. Meanwhile, the sensual Jane reflects the physical types in favour with Hollywood at the time. The entire series is based on the myth of the protective man and the woman dependent on his strength. This page thus illustrates a virtually historico-sociological image of America during the 1940s.
 
 
 
 

2017-01-13

7466 - 20170119 - Fresh-to-market, eccentric oddities headline Heritage Auctions' Gentleman Collector Auction - Dallas, TX - 19.01.2017

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A Bach-Auricon 16-mm Motion Picture Newsreel Camera Package (est. $25,000-35,000), circa 1953, retains all of its original components and sits on a factory-correct original wood tripod, the height of which can be adjusted to anywhere from 67-92 inches.
 
A remarkable variety of private collections, all carefully curated over decades, comes together in the fifth annual Heritage Auctions' Gentleman Collector Auction Jan. 19 in Dallas, Texas.
"This sale covers a wide spectrum," Heritage Vice President of Special Collections Nick Dawes said. "We started the Gentleman Collector Estates Auction five years ago with the collection of Malcolm Forbes, and I think this is the best auction we have had so far."

Highlights include a circa 1919 Rare and Important Mitchell 35mm Standard A Motion Picture Film Camera (est. $70,000-100,000) operates as either a hand crank or electric drive. It originally was owned by RKO Radio Pictures, before ultimately being owned and used by a Walt Disney cinematographer. One of the early Mitchell Standard motion picture cameras that shot nearly all of the early movies in Hollywood and around the world, this one retains the original design and is in excellent condition.

A Bach-Auricon 16-mm Motion Picture Newsreel Camera Package (est. $25,000-35,000), circa 1953, retains all of its original components and sits on a factory-correct original wood tripod, the height of which can be adjusted to anywhere from 67-92 inches. The camera, considered a rare find from the golden era of movie newsreel cinematography, has all of its original paint and finishes, and the large, original factory 1,200-foot film magazine. The camera's movement and sync motor work, and the package includes the lens and sound amplifier.

A Rare American Gilman Joslin Terrestrial Library Globe on a stand (est. $15,000-20,000), circa 1869, (nicknamed the 'Boston Globe') highlights a rare cartographic group including maps, some dating to the 16th century. The globe, in original condition was consigned by an East Coast family and is one of two iterations of this floor model terrestrial globe by Joslin, who was awarded a gold medal for his terrestrial and celestial globes by the American Institute in 1852.

Another lot expected to be among the most coveted in the auction is a Pair of Cantonese Export Silver Gilt Filigree Rosewater Sprinklers and Underplates (est. $12,000-18,000), circa late 18th century, made for the Indian or Middle Eastern market and recently discovered by a Heritage expert in Holland.

Collectors will have a chance to acquire a Mole Richardson Model 410 2000 Watt Fresnel Studio Light (est. $12,000-18,000), circa 1939. This light, which stands 65-1/2 inches high, has been refreshed with factory-correct instrument pain finish and bead-blasted to expose the original Shelby Steel Tube yoke and the original bronze fittings. It includes the original on/off switch and the original factory cable, but also includes a new wireless remote control on/off switch. The light was owned and used by Paramount Film Studios until it was sold in 1988, has electrical internals that have been cleaned, de-wired and fitted with a socketed 2,700-degree LED lamp, and includes a refinished mid-century factory stand.

Among the private collections is a group of 31 rare microscopes from a private West Coast collector. A spectacular cased Smith and Beck Binocular Microscope (est. $7,000-10,000), circa 1858, includes two full boxes of rarely seen accessories and bull's-eye condenser, all in the original cabinetry. The instrument was the personal property of gentleman scientist extraordinaire Thomas Glaebrook Rylands, a descendant of whom sold it to the current seller. The auction also includes a 1959 Cased Ernst Leitz Dialux with an inclined binocular head with calibrated inter-pupillary adjustment and adjustable left eyepiece.

Perhaps the finest collection of vintage British biscuit tins to come to auction includes over 300 tins and most of the rarities, in very fine condition. Collectors are sure to fight over the rare William Crawford & Sons Rolls-Royce Limousine Biscuit Tin (est. $1,200-1,600), circa 1929.

Other lots that are expected to attract intense bidder interest include, but are not limited to:

· A rare Spanish Mechanical Rowboat Toy in its Original Box (est. $7,000-9,000), circa 1930 – one of the highest quality toys we have seen at Heritage.

· An Alligator Leather and Silver-Mounted Violin Case (est. $3,500-5,000) from sometime in the first half of the 20th century.

· A Mikhail Ovchinnikov Russian Silver Tankard with Wood Grain Motif (est. $3,000-5,000), circa 1908-17, with chased faux bois decoration to body simulating woodgrain, saw tooth texture on the edge of the lid and a geometric handle and heart-shaped thumbrest.

· A collection of nautical antiques relating to Admiral Horatio Nelson, over 50 antique meerschaum pipes, an exquisite collection of Georgian and Victorian paint boxes collected by a prominent artist, over 50 remarkable alligator leather accessories, mostly of the Edwardian period, a collection of drinking tankards of the highest quality and a fascinating collection of 19th century German nutcrackers round out this delightful sale.

· Two nine-inch Continental Carved Oak Comical Dwarf-Form Nutcrackers (est. $1,200-1,600), circa late 19th-early 20th century.

· A 19th-century Fine Meerschaum Pipe of a Tattooed Female Moore in its original case (est. $800-1,200); woman portrayed is semi-topless.

· Three J. Holland, W.J. Reeves & Son, and J. Newman's English Regency Watercolor Paint Kits (est. $400-600) from the first half of the 19th century.
 
 
 
 

2017-01-12

7465 - 20170116 - Whittredge painting is an expected top lot at Ahlers & Ogletree's Jan. 14-16 auction - Atlanta, GA

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This important oil painting by the Hudson River School artist Worthington Whittredge (Am., 1820-1910) will be sold Jan. 14-16 in Atlanta by Ahlers & Ogletree.
 
A stunning oil on canvas painting by the renowned Hudson School artist Worthington Whittredge (Am., 1820-1910), titled Campers in the Blue Ridge Mountains, artist-signed lower right, is an expected top lot at Ahlers & Ogletree’s New Year’s Signature Estates Auction, slated for Jan. 14-16 in the firm’s gallery at 715 Miami Circle (Suite 210) in Atlanta.
From a prominent Atlanta private collection, the painting depicts a stony stream surrounded by dense forest, with a group of figures in the background building a small fire in a bright stream-side clearing. It is a classic Hudson River School painting that captures the essence of American Transcendentalism. Measuring 23 inches by 34 inches, it’s expected to bring $40,000-$60,000.

Several relevant documents are available that attest to the work’s impeccable provenance. These include correspondences regarding the painting’s authenticity (and two that pertain to a 1974 restoration effort) from officials at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute (Utica, N.Y.), the High Museum of Art (Atlanta, Ga.), and Berger Art Conservation, Inc. (New York, founded in 1967).

The painting is housed in a likely original press molded and gilt frame, with vintage plaque affixed to the bottom reading, “Worthington Whittredge Campers in the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Works by Whittredge can be seen in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (N.Y.), the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.), and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Worthington Whittredge was born in a log cabin and raised on a farm near Springfield, Ohio. He painted landscapes and portraits as a young man in Cincinnati before traveling to Europe in 1849 to experience life and further his artistic studies.

Whittredge arrived in Germany and enrolled at the Dusseldorf Academy, a major art school of the period. There, he met and befriended Albert Bierstadt and later Sanford Gifford; both would also go on to become leading Hudson River School painters. He spent nearly ten years in Europe, finally returning to the United States in 1859 and establishing an art studio in New York City.

There, he launched a career as a landscape artist, developing what came to be known as the Hudson River School style, along with Bierstadt, Gifford and other contemporaries. Whittredge’s artwork incorporated the topographical style of the Hudson River School with the use of light and color typical of the French Barbizon School and Impressionisn.

Whittredge also painted in the Great Plains states, but he is best known for his Hudson River School renderings like the one being sold, works that feature the Catskill Mountains in New York, the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Ahlers & Ogletree is a multi-faceted, family-owned business that spans the antiques, estate sale, wholesale, liquidation, auction and related industries. Ahlers & Ogletree is always seeking quality consignments for future auctions.
 
 
  
 

2017-01-11

7464 - 20170115 - Kaminski Auctions to feature fine Asian art from the Travis Brock collection of monochrome ceramics - Beverly, MASS - 15.01.2017

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Harriet Whitney Frishmuth "Crest of the Wave" Bronze
 
On January 15th Kaminski Auctions will hold a two-session auction beginning with an array of fine Asian items from The Travis Brock Collection of Monochrome Ceramics of Bethesda, Maryland. The collection was acquired in Derbyshire, England in 1972. Highlights include a fine Chinese "Langyao" vase, with a lustrous red glaze with an under glazed Kangxi seal of the period, valued at $3,000-$4,000.  
There is also a very rare pair of Kangxi aubergine "Dragon" dishes with deeply rounded interiors finely incised with five-clawed dragons. The exteriors are similarly decorated with pairs of striding dragons. They are conservatively estimated at $6,000- $8,000. A very fine Chinese sang-de-boeuf "Yuhuchun" vase of pear-shaped form with the Qianlong seal on the base is estimated at $4,000-$6,000, and there is a fine Chinese celadon bottle vase painted in a rich bluish-green glaze valued at $2,500-$3,500.

An early 19th century Chinese famille-noire figure of Guanyin elegantly covered with bright yellow, green and aubergine glazes stands sixteen inches high and a group of eight 18th and 19th century Chinese archer rings, in jade, agate, Peking glass and hardwood round out the top lots of this important collection.

Chinese furniture in the auction includes a large 18th century Chinese wood cabinet with brass work and a Chinese huanghuali wood scholar's cabinet from the late 19th to early 20th century.

Session Two features items from the lifetime collection of Cheryl Burke of Sarasota, Florida and other Massachusetts and New Hampshire estates. Highlights of this session include a Harriet Whitney Frishmuth bronze sculpture titled "Crest of the Wave ", signed and dated "1925" and marked edition 7/8 "Gorham Co. Founder". Displayed on a white marble base it is estimated at $12,000-$18,000.

There is also an important 19th century or earlier carved marble head of a mythological figure from a Rome, Italy estate. The figure possibly represents Alexander with the horns of Ammon after his conquest of Egypt in 332 B.C., when the priesthood accepted him as the son of the god Ammon. It is valued at $2,500-$3,500.

Fine art in the auction includes paintings by Brian Coole, "The American Hong at Hong Kong," an oil on panel signed lower right and two paintings by the Russian artist Mikhail Aleksandrov, "The Bird " and “Creation” from the Kouros Gallery, Madison Avenue, New York.

The auction will be held at the Kaminski Auctions gallery at 117 Elliott Street, Rt. 62, Beverly, Massachusetts. Preview will be held Wednesday-Saturday, January 11-14 from 10:00-5:00pm and day of sale beginning at 8:00am. Preview is open all day while auction is live.
 
 
 

2017-01-10

7463 - 20170119 - Once-in-a-lifetime collection of microscopes feature in Heritage's Gentleman Collector Auction - Dallas, TX - 19.01.2017

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A Rare Cased Smith and Beck Binocular Microscope with Thomas Glazebrook Rylands Archive, circa 1858.
 
The unprecedented sale of 32 antique microscopes is set to star in Heritage Auctions' Jan. 19 Gentleman Collector Auction. The instruments come from a prominent West Coast collection and are offered at no reserve. The consignor has assembled a collection over the years that rivals those in many museums. All are offered with period cases and have been meticulously maintained.
A rare cased 1858 Smith and Beck Binocular Microscope is one of the collection's finest pieces. Over three dozen pristine accessories accompany the instrument. The microscope was the personal instrument of Thomas Glazebrook Rylands, widely regarded as one of 19th-century Britain's brightest minds. A collection of his hand-drawn charts, calibrations and botanical specimens are included in the lot.

Microscopes have long been a fascination with gentleman collectors. Microsopists generally attribute the modern microscope to the invention of the compound microscope in the Low Countries in the early 17th century. Since then, the instrument has been a staple of scientists' desks and laboratories across the globe. The most notable collector was King George III, whose collection filled the halls of Kew Palace.

Of the 32 instruments on offer, five date before the 20th century, including a cased J. Swift & Son Folding Traveling Monocular Microscope. The microscopes display no more than light wear from use. Some maintain full optics – a testament to the collection's quality.

Additional auction items relating to early microscopy and 20th century science include several rare slides, such as a microscopic picture slide of a basket of flowers, and autographs of Jonas Salk, Linus Pauling, and Albert Sabin.