Auction of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings
On Tuesday, March 9 Swann Galleries offer a large selection of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings at auction. The two-session sale is divided into sections devoted to 19th century prints and drawings, American works, and modern European prints and drawings.
The auction opens with more than 170 lots of 19th century prints and drawings. Highlights of these include Camille Pissarro's Femme a la Barriere, etching, 1889 ($10,000 to $15,000); Edouard Vuillard's La Cousiniere, color lithograph, 1899 ($15,000 to $20,000); three pencil sketches of cats and a chalk drawing of a dog by Theophile Steinlen ($1,000 to $1,500 to $2,000 to $3,000); several of Paul Cesaer Helleu's portraits of society ladies, among them a color drypoint Femme au Chapeau, les mains sur le menton, circa 1905 ($,5000 to $8,000); a group of 20 color lithographs (of 32) from James Ensor's Scenes de la vie du Christ, artist's proofs printed on eight sheets of paper, 1921 ($12,000 to $18,000); and nearly 20 etchings by James A.M. Whistler.
A large section of Modern American prints and drawings include George Bellows's eerie Dance in a Madhouse, lithograph, 1917 ($7,000 to $10,000); John Marin's Downtown New York, the El, drypoint, 1921 ($5,000 to $8,000); Martin Lewis's Circus Night, a very scarce drypoint, 1933 ($10,000 to $15,000); Paul Cadmus's locker-room scene, Horseplay, etching, 1935 ($7,000 to $10,000); John Steuart Curry's powerful portrait of John Brown, lithograph, 1939 ($4,000 to $6,000); Ralston Crawford's Grey Street, color screenprint, 1940 ($3,000 to $5,000); and Thomas Hart Benton's Wreck of the Ol' 97, lithograph, 1944 ($8,000 to $12,000).
A notable three-dimensional multiple among the American highlights is Francisco Zuniga's Mujer con Rebozo, Sentada, bronze with light brown patina, 1974 ($15,000 to $20,000).
An assortment of fine prints by Pablo Picasso includes the very scarce Femme au fauteuil II: Dora Maar, aquatint, scraper, burin and drypoint, 1939 ($20,000 to $30,000); Diurnes: Femmes assise en Pyjama de Plage II, color linoleum cut, 1961 ($25,000 to $35,000); and several desirable after prints, among them Maternite, color aquatint and etching, 1930, and Le Peintre, color collotype and stencil, circa 1950 ($10,000 to $15,000 each). There are also examples of his terre de faience ware, including his first editioned ceramic piece, Diaulos Player, a glazed oval plate, 1947 ($12,000 to $18,000); and Woman Lamp, a turned vase with painted and engraved decoration, 1955 ($10,000 to $15,000).
Rounding out the European prints are Henri Matisse's Marguerite VI, lithograph, 1948, and a proof impres
sion of Etude pour la Vierge, visage, lithograph, for which there was no published edition, 1950-51 ($8,000 to $12,000 each); Kees Van Dongen's La Marquise de Casati, color lithograph on Japon nacre, circa 1950 ($7,000 to $10,000); Willi Baumeister's Allegro, color screenprint, 1954 ($5,000 to $8,000); Georges Braque's L'Oiseua et son ombre II, color aquatint and etching, 1961 ($15,000 to $20,000); and Yozo Hamaguchi's Mantric Music I (Twenty-Two Cherries in 15 States), color mezzotint, 15 impressions, 1988 ($10,000 to $15,000).
The first session of the auction will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 9. The sale will continue after a lunch break at 2:30 p.m. The works will be on public exhibition Friday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, March 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Monday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
An illustrated catalogue, with information on bidding by mail or fax, is available for $40 in the U.S./$50 elsewhere from Swann Galleries, Inc., 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, or online at www.swanngalleries.inc.
For further information, and to make advance arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction, please contact Todd Weyman at (212) 254-4710, extension 32, or via e-mail at tweyman@swanngalleries.com. Live online bidding is also available via Artfact.com.
Auction of Printed & Manuscript Americana
On Thursday, March 18, Swann Galleries will conduct an auction of Printed &
Manuscript Americana. Of special interest are fine Civil War material; aviation items; a selection of Judaica; and regional highlights related to locales including New York City. The sale also offers the Al Lowman Collection of books on Texas and the Southwest, and concludes with a large section devoted to Latin Americana.
Judaica highlights include the first printing of any part of the Bible in Hebrew in America, Liber Psalmorum Hebraice, with translation and notes in Latin, Cambridge, MA, 1809. This copy seems to have belonged to a Presbyterian minister in Mississippi (estimate: $9,000 to $12,000).
Among other notable collections of family documents in the auction are more than 130 pieces of correspondence of the MacDonald family, proprietors of the Sanford Hall asylum in Flushing, Long Island, 1825-1930 ($1,000 to $1,500); and an archive of Strong family papers, circa 1850-1940, including the diary of John Ruggles Strong, the eldest son of George Templeton Strong, a renowned New York City lawyer, whose own diary created quite a stir upon its publication ($1,500 to $2,500).
Of special note among the Civil War material are James H. Simpson, and James W. Abert's manuscript map, Part of Loudon County, Virginia, pen, ink, and wash on silk, signed by the mapmakers, who were captains and topographical engineers in the United Staets Army, Harpers Ferry, VA, July 29, 1861 ($2,000 to $3,000); 37 letters from Corporal John Myers of the 29th Iowa Infantry, to his wife and others, 1862-63 ($1,500 to $2,500); and an archive of more than 200 pay and recruitment documents for Newark, New Jersey troops, 1861-66 ($1,200 to $1,800).
From further North is a very rare and important Canadian item: a pamphlet on Newfoundland, Canada, A Discourse Containing a Loving Invitation both Honorable and Profitable to all Such as Shall be Adventurers…in the New-Found-Land by Richard Whitbourne, one of the founding fathers of Newfoundland, first edition, 46 pages, London, 1622 ($3,000 to $4,000); as well as An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons…, six pages, London, November 3, 1643, an act of Parliament that appointed Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick, as governor and admiral of the British American colonies ($2,000 to $3,000).
Two wonderful aviation items are Orville Wright's pencil sketch (on the back of an envelope) of aircraft upright cross-sections, illustrating the results of wind-tunnel experiments done by the Wright brothers in January 1903, Dayton, OH 1915 ($4,000 to $6,000); and an archive of letters, photographs and other documents related to aviation pioneer Stanley Yale Beach's professional and personal life, 1911-33, mostly 1924-33 ($3,000 to $4,000).
Other subjects areas represented in the sale include American Indians, the American Revolution, early American imprints, Presidents, Whaling; and material pertaining to individual states.
The final section of the sale contains more than 80 lots of Latin Americana, among
which are 24 scarce leaflets and pamphlets relating to Argentina's struggle for independence, 1808-1813, such as a proclamation from the Primera Junta, issued the day after its formation, reassuring the populace of its intention to uphold the rule of law and the Catholic Church, Buenos Aires, May 26 1810 ($1,500 to $2,500); Cuerpos Militares de Buenos-Ayres, a decree establishing the Argentine army, Buenos Aires, May 29, 1810 ( ($1,000 to $1,500); and other proclamation urging the people of Cochabamba, Bolivia, to rise up in support of the revolutionary militia en route from Buenos Aires, August 9 1810 ($2,000 to $3,000).
The auction will take place Thursday, March 28 at 1:30 p.m. The items will be on public exhibition Saturday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, March 15 through Wednesday, March 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.
An illustrated catalogue, with information on bidding by mail or fax, is available for $35 from Swann Galleries, Inc., 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, or online at www.swanngalleries.com.
For further information, and to make advance arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction, please contact Rijck Stattler by telephone at (212) 254-4710, extension 27, or email: rstattler@swanngalleries.inc.
Online bidding is available via Artfact.com.
Ski And Winter Sports Posters Featured in Vintage Posters Auction
Swann Galleries' auction of Vintage Posters on Thursday,
February 4 featured a fine selection of winter sports posters, as well as 15 Mather Work Incentive posters, and scarce Hebraic and Judaic posters. There is also a run of rare Russian posters; images advertising tourism to Bermuda, four Winchester hunting posters, and a collection of old-fashioned telephone advertisements. The sale opens with 60 assorted ski posters, among them nine for the annual Dartmouth Winter Carnival, dating from 1936-1961. A 1936 design by Dwight Clark Shepler is the earliest Dartmouth Carnival poster Swann has ever offered. The sunny image of a down-hill skier is advertises Slalom Races, Jumping and Joring for a combined admission of $1.00.
An illustrated auction catalogue, with information on bidding by mail or fax, is available for $35 from Swann Galleries, Inc., 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, or online at www.swanngalleries.com.
For further information, and to make advance arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction, please contact Gwendolyn Rayner at (212) 254-4710 ext. 53, or via e-mail at grayner@swanngalleries.com.
Old Master Paintings & Drawings
Encompassing the 17th through early 19th centuries, this auction presents elegant English and Continental furniture, decorations, porcelain, sculpture, mirrors, clocks, chandeliers, sconces, tapestries and rugs.
Old Master paintings are highlighted two superb views of ancient Roman monuments by the Italian artist Giovanni Paolo Panini. Also noteworthy is an extensive landscape by Hans Bergaine, an artist who worked in the Netherlands in the early 17th century. Bergaine's work is extremely rare. This work is only the second painting by him to appear in auction in recent years.
The Well-Appointed Room section of the auction comprises almost 200 lots of furniture and decorations from Jonathan Burden, LLC and John J. Gredler Works of Art, and globes and other articles from George Glazer Gallery.
Swann Galleries To Auction The Jerome Shochet Collection of Signed Portraits
On Thursday, February 11, Swann Galleries will auction the Jerome Shochet Collection of Signed Historical Photographs, which includes many presidential signatures as well as signed portraits of writers, artists and other important historical figures from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Presidential highlights include one of the earliest signed images of any president, a boldly signed carte-de-visite portrait of John Quincy Adams, circa 1825. There is also a seated portrait of Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Gardner, 
signed "A. Lincoln," as president; a rare, unusually large portrait of Chester Arthur and a photograph of Theodore Roosevelt and his Cabinet, signed by the president and nine other men in the image, Washington, 1906.
In addition, there are signed portraits of President Grant, Hayes, Hoover, Johnson, Nixon, Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson and more.
There are also items related to notorious figures involved in presidential assassinations. A signed photograph from John Wilkes Booth, inscribed "Yours affectionately," became one of the most recognizable images of the actor/assassin of Lincoln, 1862-65, and there is also a related item, a signed and inscribed portrait of Boston Corbett, the man who killed Booth. A signed bust portrait of Charles Guiteau, the miscreant who assassinated James Garfield, is also featured, Washington, 1882.
Civil War highlights include a Mathew Brady carte-de-visite of Elmer E. Ellsworth, the first notable casualty of the war, who died while removing the C
onfederate flag displayed in Alexandria, Virginia; and the last known photo of Robert E. Lee, signed "R.E. Lee" and a signed and inscribed portrait of Jefferson Davis.
The auction will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 11. The Autographs will be on public exhibition Saturday, February 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, February 8 through Wednesday, February 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Thursday, February 11, from 10 a.m. to noon.
An illustrated catalogue, with information on bidding by mail or fax, is available for $35 from Swann Galleries, 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, or online at www.swanngalleries.com. For further information and to make advance arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction, please contact Marco Tomaschett at (212) 254-4710, extension 12, or via e-mail at mtomaschett@swanngalleries.com.
Record Prices Achieved for Works by Chéret and Mucha
On December 16, 2009, Swann Galleries conducted their annual auction of Rare & Important Art Nouveau Posters. The sale offered many prized
turn-of-the-century images by European masters of the art form including Jules Chéret, Alphonse Mucha and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as American artists such as Evelyn Rumsey Cary and Maxfield Parrish.
Nicholas Lowry, Swan Galleries President and Director of the Posters department, said, "At least five world-record prices were set as collectors competed for a host of rare and beautiful graphic images. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the high prices for the Courrier Francais versions of Jules Chéret's posters. Previously unrecorded images also sold quite well."
Those previously unknown images included an early aviation poster by Roger Jourdain, Aérodrome de Vichy, which used silhouettes of a Wright-Ariel biplane and a Voisin biplane to promote a 1909 air show held in Vichy. It sold for $12,000*–an auction record for work by the otherwise unknown artist.
Another previously unknown item was Eugene Grasset's L'Estampe et l'Affiche, a decorative panel depicting a human representation of "the poster" threatening the "cabinet print," to deliver the message that the youthful artistic poster would rejuvenate an art market that had relied too long on classic prints, $3,600.
Among the small-format Courrier Francais versions of Jules Chéret's fanciful posters, two for the Palais de Glace set records; one from the January 28, 1894 supplement, $5,040, the other from March 1, 1986, $5,760. Well-received Chéret images in their original formats were Theatre de l'Opéra/Carnaval, Paris, 1894, which brought $7,800 and Exposition des Arts Incoherents, Paris, 1886, which sold for a record $3,120.
Also setting records were Alphonse Mucha's Lefévre-Utile/Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, 1904, $7,800, and Alfred Choubrac's Nectar Bourguignon, Paris, 1891, $3,360.
Rounding out the European images w
ere two classic posters by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, which were also the top-priced lots in the auction: Divan Japonais, Paris, 1893, $18,000, and Troupe de Mlle Eglantine, 1896, $26,400.
American highlights included Evelyn Rumsey Cary's Pan-American Exposition/Buffalo, 1901, $7,800, and Woman Suffrage, circa 1905, $5,760; and Maxfield Parrish's The Century/Midsummer Holiday Number, 1897, $4,080.
For complete auction results, the illustrated catalogue and prices realized can be viewed online at www.swanngalleries.com. Catalogues are also available for $35 from Swann Auction Galleries, 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, with prices realized on request.
For information about upcoming poster auctions, please contact Gwendolyn Rayner at (212) 254-4710, extension 53, or via email at grayner@swanngalleries.com.
Photographs & Photographic Literature Auction at Swann
Sale total: $1,303, 148 with Buyer's Premium
Hammer total: $1,085,100
Estimates for sale as a whole: $1,386,300 - $2,011,650
We offered 326 lots, 245 sold (25% buy-in rate by lot)
Top lots, Prices with buyer's premium
28 Eadweard Muybridge, diverse group of 125 plates from Animal Locomotion, collotypes, 1887 $81,000 D
255 Eddie Adams, Saigon (General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner Nguyen Van Lem), silver print, a gift to Adams's son, with letter of provenance, 1968, printed 1980s, $43,200 C
284 Richard Avedon, Rudolf Nureyev, Paris, France, silver print, 1961, printed 1999, $26,400 C
27 Alexander Gardner and Chas Bell, suite of 29 cabinet cards published by The U.S. Geological Survey of the territories, albumen prints, late 1860s-early 1870s, $26,400 D
211 Bert Stern, Marilyn (Crucifix II), chromogenic print, 1962, printed 1990, $24,000 D
152 Horst P. Horst, Mainbocher Corset, Paris, silver print, 1962, printed 1990s, $21,600 C
227 Harry Callahan, Chicago, silver print, 1950, printed early 1970s, $18,000 C
64 Wilson A. Bentley, elegant group of 7 snowcrystals, gold-chloride toned photomicrographs from a glass plate negative, circa 1903-1910, $18,000 C
297 Diane Arbus, Agnes Martin, silver print, 1966, $18,000 C
292 Horst, Round the Clock I, silver print, 1987, printed 1980s, $16,800 C
282 David Bailey, Jean Shrimpton, silver print, 1963-1964, $16,800 C
99 Man Ray, Untitled (rayograph with a screen), silver print after the original rayograph, circa 1922, $15,600 C
42 A spectacular album containing 62 photographs of China, albumen prints, 1880s, $15,600 D
117 Lewis W. Hine, Powerhouse Mechanic (variant), silver print, circa 1926, $15,600 D
21 American portrait collection with more than 115 tintypes, 1860s-1880s, $15,600 C
189 Archive documenting Vladimir Kozmich Zworykin's early experiments with television transmission, including more than 125 photographs, 1930s-1940s, $15,600 C.
