Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
818 North Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60301
708-383-5234
About Auction House
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers based in Chicago is considered one of the premiere specialty auction houses in the country and has been conducting auctions since 1987. We hold several carefully curated auctions each year. Our departments include: Fine Art, Early 20th Century Design, Modern Design, Fine Furniture & Decorative Arts, Silver & Objects of Vertu, and Fine Jewelry & Timepieces.Auction Previews & News
18 Results-
Auction ResultSpotlight on Success: Tiffany Studios Glass Soars at Rago and Toomey & Co.’s April 2025 Glass & Lighting Sale
The appeal of turn-of-the-last-century Tiffany Studios glass, lamps, and decorative arts appears timeless. Rago and Toomey & Co. of Lambertville, NJ, presented a 98-lot Art Nouveau | Art Deco Glass & Lighting event on April 10, 2025. This auction featured a well-curated offering of merchandise from legacy manufacturers, including Duffner & Kimberly, Loetz, Daum, Galle, Lalique, and others... but examples from Tiffany Studios stole the spotlight in nearly all collecting categories. According to the auction houses, the event realized $1,170,656 overall. Here are some impressive highlights from this stunning, signature spring event. Lot #0118, a Tiffany Studios peony border floor lamp, was estimated at $100,000 to $150,000 and sold for $145,200. Image courtesy of Rago and Toomey & Co. Tiffany Studios Peony Border Floor Lamp The top lot in this elegant sale was #0118, an exceptional Tiffany Studios glass peony border floor lamp. Estimated at USD 100,000 to $150,000, it delivered $145,200. This stunner from around 1910 featured a primarily pink, green, tan, and yellow leaded glass shade; a patinated bronze Piano base; and a complementary pointed finial. It measured 77 inches high with a 24-inch diameter. The shade and base were marked 'TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1574-6' and 'TGDCO TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 21551', respectively. The lamp, which was consigned from a private collection in New England, was illustrated in several specialty Tiffany reference books. Louis Comfort Tiffany loved peonies, and they were a regular theme throughout his work. These flowers translated well into glass, with their fluid shapes, great coloration, and natural variations. They were also deeply symbolic to Tiffany, as they represented affluence, success, and inherent beauty across several cultures. Lot #0105, a Tiffany Studios poppy table lamp, was estimated at $100,000 to $150,000 and sold for $112,200. Image courtesy of Rago and Toomey & Co. Tiffany Studios Poppy Table Lamp Table lamps from several premier manufacturers were also well represented in this sale. Lot #0105, a Tiffany Studios glass poppy table lamp, was estimated at $100,000 to $150,000 and traded hands at $112,200. This example measured 27 inches high with a 20-inch diameter and was manufactured…
-
Auction PreviewSignificant Etching & Lithograph Artworks by Salvador Dali and Elizabeth Catlett Come to Sale with Toomey & Co.
A 1947 etching of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon by Salvador Dali is a key highlight of the upcoming sale by Toomey & Co. According to the legend, the saint arrived in a village where a tyrannical monster would extort tribute from its inhabitants on a regular basis. When their livestock and trinkets were exhausted, the villagers began offering humans. This went on until the princess was selected as the next offering. Saint George rescued the princess and slayed the dragon. In Christianity, George of Lydda is considered a martyred soldier and venerated as a saint, although the narrative has diverse pre-Christian origins. Published by the Print Club of Cleveland, it is signed and dated to lower right ‘Salvador Dalí 1947’. The etching belongs to the edition of 250, printed by Charles S. White at the studio of Stanley William Hayter (New York). Another noteworthy artwork in the catalog is Black Maid, a 1946 lithograph by Elizabeth Catlett. The imagery highlights the experience of African-American women. The sculptor and graphic artist is renowned for her portrayal of the Black community, particularly focussing on issues of racism and social discrimination. Visit Toomey & Co. to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Prints + Multiples sale. More auction previews are available on Auction Daily.
-
Auction IndustryA Feast for the Eyes: The Lee and Susan Stahl Collection of American and English Art Pottery at Toomey & Co.
Assorted lots from the Lee and Susan Stahl Collection of American and English Art Pottery sale. Image courtesy of Toomey & Co. Toomey & Co. of Chicago, IL is presenting its Lee and Susan Stahl Collection of American and English Art Pottery sale on January 17, 2024. This auction includes over 220 lots of rare and beautiful category-spanning ceramics from the best-known and most prized manufacturers and artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Here are some stunning highlights from this midwinter sale that caught the eye of the Auction Daily team. Lot #0104, a Sabina E. Wells for Newcomb College Pottery vase, is estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. Image courtesy of Toomey & Co. Fine vases from legacy potteries including Weller, Roseville, Shearwater, and Moorcroft are well represented in this sale, with over 140 examples on offer. The top offering in this auction is lot #0104, a rare, turn-of-last-century Sabina E. Wells for Newcomb College Pottery vase. It is estimated at USD 10,000 to $15,000. This glazed earthenware treasure from 1904 measures 9.375 inches by 6.5 inches. It is decorated with hand-drawn anemones and foliage in a blue, white, and green palette. Its identifying marks include a glazed manufacturer's mark, date code, and the artist's signature on its bottom. This vase was previously sold as lot #191 at Rago's Craftsman Auction held on January 24, 2004. Sabina Wells (American, 1876 - 1942) was a South Carolinian artist, designer, and photographer. She worked for Newcomb Pottery, which was also known as Newcomb College Pottery. This firm was in business from 1895 through 1940 and produced Arts and Crafts-style pottery. Newcomb Pottery was a spin-off company from the ceramics department at what is now Tulane University in New Orleans. This program was specifically designed to provide a liberal arts education to women from the American South. Lot #0162, a Newcomb College bowl by Sadie Irvine, is estimated at $800 to $1,000. Image courtesy of Toomey & Co. Art pottery bowls share the spotlight at this single-owner auction. Lot #0162, a Newcomb College Pottery bowl by Sadie Irvine, is estimated at $800…
-
Auction Preview1904 Newcomb Pottery by Sabina E. Wells and Rare Roseville Pottery Futura Tank Vase Lead the Lee and Susan Stahl Collection of American Art Pottery Auction
A wealthy widow, Josephine Louise Newcomb, founded Newcomb College Pottery in 1886 in New Orleans. Newcomb College operated for almost 50 years. It was one of the most successful and admired American Arts and Crafts Movement potteries. Newcomb was the women’s branch of nearby men’s-only Tulane University. The pottery developed in stages and grew out of the omnipresent belief that crafts were an appropriate and acceptable career choice for women. The Lee and Susan Stahl Collection of American Art Pottery, offered by Toomey & Co, will offer an early vase with anemones made in 1904 by Sabina E. Wells for Newcomb College Pottery. It is a glazed earthenware with bluish shades of anemones on the neck of the vase. From the Roseville Pottery, established in 1890, comes a rare Futura Tank vase (model 412-9). It is a crystalline-glazed earthenware manufactured in Ohio in 1928. The creator Roseville Pottery was founded by a Civil War veteran and businessman John Frederic Weaver of Roseville, Ohio. Local potters, businessmen and the secretary and general manager George Young helped the company take off. Roseville Pottery expanded by acquiring the factory of J.B. Owens Pottery, and absorbed Midland Pottery (formerly McCoy Pottery) in 1895 with over 100 employees. The company’s decorative ceramic objects were highly in demand. Other notable lots in the sale include a Vellum-glazed plaque by Sara Sax for Rookwood Pottery, a glazed earthenware in its original frame, and a collection of seven Pomegranate vases by Moorcroft Pottery. The sale has over 200 works, including vases, bowls, tableware, landscapes, sculpture, and more. View The Lee and Susan Stahl Collection of American Art Pottery auction and register to bid by visiting Toomey & Co.
-
Auction PreviewLoló Soldevilla’s Artwork and Emil Carlsen’s Oil on Canvas Highlight Toomey & Co’s Upcoming Sale
Loló Soldevilla (1901 - 1971) is considered a pivotal figure in concrete Cuban art and geometric revolution. Born in Havana, Cuba, Soldevilla started her artistic career late. She began painting in 1948 under the guidance of her painter friend Wifredo Lam. A lover of geometric compositions, she experimented with various sculptural mediums such as stone, plaster, and bronze besides painting. Soldevilla co-founded the Galería Color Luz with Pedro de Oraá in 1957, to solely support abstract artists and their ideas. An untitled artwork made by Loló Soldevilla is a key highlight of the upcoming sale from Toomey & Co. The painted wood and steel sculpture looks abstract and seems to be inspired by geometric forms. The sale will also feature an oil on canvas by Emil Carlsen. An American Impressionist painter, Carlsen was known primarily for his striking still lifes. He painted landscapes and seascapes later in his career. The artist often employed a frosting technique wherein thick brushwork of white paint was applied in the end to enhance the composition. The available painting, titled Pastoral Lake with Figures, was rendered in 1881. According to the lot description, this work is listed in the Emil Carlsen Archives as number 3375. Visit Toomey & Co. to view the complete Fine Art auction catalog and place a bid.
-
Auction PreviewRare Rohlfs Library Table and Stickley Settle Available at Toomey & Co. This June
Leading the upcoming Early 20th Century Design auction from Toomey & Co. is a rare and important library table by Charles Rohlfs from the Collection of William and Patsy Porter. This 1907 oak table features the maker’s signature cut-outs and carvings that reference the Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts movements. Rohlfs worked on the periphery of these major styles, often taking on commercial clients and commissions while staying out of the limelight. He crafted the available table near the end of his furniture-making career. Also on offer from the Collection of William and Patsy Porter is a rare inlaid settle designed by Harvey Ellis or LaMont A. Warner for Gustav Stickley. The piece dates back to circa 1903 and features a large red manufacturer’s decal to the back. Collectors can consider several furniture items designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in this sale, including a Peacock side chair from the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Wright designed the second Imperial Hotel after the first structure was destroyed in a fire. The resulting building was among Wright’s most famous Japanese structures, and it included original chairs designed by Wright to complement the architecture. The offered oak, leather, and brass Peacock side chair features a hexagonal back and bright yellow leather cushions. Other designers represented in this auction include Orlando Giannini, Alfred-Louis-Achille Daguet, and Dirk van Erp. Visit Toomey & Co. to view the complete Early 20th Century Design auction catalog and place a bid.
-
Auction IndustryColor Me Beautiful: Heritage Auctions’ Pursuit of Beauty: Art Nouveau, Deco & Glass Event
The Art Nouveau (circa 1890 - 1914) and Art Deco (circa 1919 - 1939) movements are responsible for many of the most coveted, iconic, and signature vintage to antique decorative art designs today. World-class manufacturers from those periods include Tiffany Studios, Lalique, Loetz, Wedgwood, Pairpoint, Daum, and others. The finest examples of these magnificently produced lamps, vases, statues, and other treasures are still in demand a hundred or more years onward and catch the world's attention when they appear at auction. Heritage Auctions of Dallas, TX is presenting its 462-lot Pursuit of Beauty: Art Nouveau, Deco & Glass sale on May 25, 2023. Here are some important highlights from this extraordinary event. Lot #79004, a Tiffany Studios Drophead Dragonfly table lamp, is estimated at $100,000 to $150,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions. This curated auction offers nearly 40 century- and category-spanning lots of fine Tiffany Studios lamps, vases, and other household items. Tied for top lot in this sale is #79004, a leaded glass and gilt bronze Drophead Dragonfly table lamp, estimated at USD 100,000 to $150,000. This circa 1910 example is marked both on its shade and base. This stunning, fully provenanced example features a shade with nine descending dragonflies, each with an outstanding combination of body and eye color. Dragonfly light shades are a classic pattern for Tiffany. This general design was "invented" by Tiffany designer Clara Driscoll in 1898 and was first shown at the Grafton Galleries in London in 1899. Driscoll's vision would go on to win a bronze medal at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, and the rest is history. In April 2022, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers of Chicago sold a jeweled Drophead Dragonfly table lamp for $562,500. Lot #79312, a glass cactus Lalique center table, is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions. This auction offers more than 40 gorgeous vases, plates, figurines, bottles, and other rarities made by the French company Lalique. Of special note is lot #79312, a marked, clear and frosted glass cactus center table, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. Its circular, straight-edge top is supported by…
-
Auction IndustryArtist to Know: Edward Penfield
Rago and Toomey & Co. to Offer Over 100 Works by American Illustrator A significant figure in the history of poster and graphic design, Edward Penfield (1866 - 1925) was celebrated for his bold, abstract posters. A precocious talent, Penfield drew inspiration from Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints and early Egyptian sarcophagi paintings. He is often referred to as the father of the American poster movement. He worked for the prestigious Harper's Magazine from 1891 to 1900 and created distinctive graphic images. Over 100 works dedicated to Edward Penfield: American Illustrator will come to auction with Rago and Toomey & Co. on May 18, 2023. Bidding begins at 2:00 PM EDT. Before the auction starts, get to know Edward Penfield and his art. Edward Penfield in front of his Harper’s covers. Image courtesy of Rago. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Penfield was the son of Josiah B. Penfield and Ellen Lock Moore. He was the third of five children. His mother Ellen was a homemaker and his father Josiah was a bookkeeper and flour merchant. Reportedly, the artist’s health wasn’t strong in his childhood and youth. As a young child, he was influenced by his Uncle Henry Lewis Penfield (1825 - 1901), who owned a 'bureau of engraving,' or studio, in New York City. Penfield received his elementary education in Brooklyn. At 23, he studied under George de Forest Brush at the Art Students League of New York. Brush, an American figurative artist, was known for portraying romantic scenes of Native American life. Penfield joined the publishing house Harper and Brothers at the age of 25 as a staff artist and editor. Penfield quickly set his own style of basic figures with bold outlines devoid of irrelevant detailing. After his promotion to artistic director, Penfield created his first lithograph poster advertising for Harper's Magazine in 1893. The poster shows a man in a green coat engrossed in reading as he gets wet from rain. It was a runaway success, and he produced posters advertising each successive issue of the magazine for the next seven years. “It was unlike anything seen in…
-
Auction PreviewLandscape & Seascape Paintings by American Artists Come to Sale with Toomey & Co.
Artist David Mann is famous for painting Native American subjects in scenes of everyday life. His depictions are particularly noteworthy for their attire and background. He portrayed the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains in the 19th century, before they were moved to reservations. One such untitled work by Mann is a key highlight of the upcoming sale from Toomey & Co. It depicts a Native person on horseback, guiding his herd. Mann’s paintings often emphasized the role of horses in the lives of Native Americans. Another noteworthy lot in the sale is a painting by Robert Kipniss, titled Landscape. The composition portrays trees and a row of houses in a field, evoking a feeling of solitude. It also exemplifies the American painter’s use of a subtle color palette, mostly comprising black and white hues. The Shoreline by Wesley Willis also leads the catalog. The artist used colorful marker pens to illustrate an urban scene with intricate detailing. The musician and visual artist from Chicago suffered from schizophrenia yet immersed himself in his art. Equally striking is Abraham Jacob Bogdanove’s Norton's Ledge (Monhegan Island, ME). He is celebrated for his seascape paintings of Monhegan Island. Visit Toomey & Co. to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Fine Art sale.
-
Auction PreviewTimeless Furniture Designs by Gustav Stickley Are Up for Sale at Toomey & Co.
Furniture designer and maker Gustav Stickley was one of the most prominent figures of the American Arts and Crafts movement. As well as disseminating Arts and Crafts ideals, Stickley helped shape American taste and influence design in the United States by marketing his furniture and home plans. Since 1900, with his pioneering “mission” or “craftsman” furniture, he demonstrated how every home deserves solid, honest furniture that is crafted with uncompromising workmanship and provides real functionality. A Spindle Morris chair made by Gustav Stickley is a key highlight of the upcoming sale from Toomey & Co. Incorporating exposed joinery and oak, accompanied by Gustav Stickley’s trademark Flemish phrase Als Ik Kan, this Morris chair is a classic example of American furniture design. The sale will also feature a woodblock print by Gustave Baumann. A painter and printmaker, Gustave Baumann was known primarily for his striking polychrome woodblock prints depicting scenes from the American Southwest. The artist created an impressive collection of color woodblock prints that combined his woodcarving skills with painting sensibilities. The available print shows two boats moored at a dock on a creek, set against an autumnal field and trees in the background. Explore more items and register to bid by visiting Toomey & Co.
-
Auction Industry, Press ReleaseToomey & Co. Auctioneers To Hold Modern Design + Post-war & Contemporary Art Sale On August 24
Oak Park, IL — On Wednesday, August 24, 2022, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers will hold a Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art sale with over 350 lots by influential figures from the mid-20th century to the present. Items on offer include paintings, prints, sculptures, furniture, lighting, metalwork, pottery, glassware, and more. Along with examples by artists and designers from Chicago and the Midwest, the sale features works by a range of American and global innovators. Preview details and bidding instructions follow the auction highlights below. Highlights of Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art on August 24 Sorcerer’s Village, 1972Estimate $4,000-6,000 Paintings, Drawings, Prints & Sculptures One of the standout works on August 24 is an oil on canvas by celebrated Mexican painter Rodolfo Morales, Plaza in Four Parts (estimate $20,000-30,000), which combines elements of magic realism and surrealism to portray a traditional village scene. Robert Lostutter also draws on fantasy and the sale includes three of his watercolor and pencil drawings and an etching with unusual creatures (highest $3,000-5,000). Other illustrations of note are Patrick Nagel's drawing for COQ magazine and Bernar Vernet's conceptual, geometric work (each $4,000-6,000). Black artists with examples in the auction include Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Margaret Burroughs (highest $4,000-6,000). Two figural ceramic plaques will be up for bid by Marcello Fantoni and Clyde Burt and several steel sculptures by James Bearden will be offered (highest $7,000-9,000). The auction also has works by many other notable artists, such as: Marc Chagall, Alex Katz, Robert Rauschenberg, Sol LeWitt, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Peter Max, LeRoy Neiman, and Banksy (highest $1,500-2,500). Modern American Design American design features two pine display tables by Donald Judd selected by architect John Pawson for Calvin Klein NYC (each $10,000-20,000). Another statement-making form is Vladimir Kagan’s Cloud sofa for Directional ($6,000-8,000). Several classic, mid-century furniture lines are available from Edward Wormley and Paul McCobb (highest $5,000-7,000). Iconic examples from Herman Miller and Knoll will likewise highlight the sale. From George Nelson, the auction includes a Home Office desk, X-Leg dining table, and CSS wall unit (highest $4,000-6,000). Charles and Ray Eames are well represented with four DKW-2 chairs, a 670 / 671 lounge chair and ottoman, and a Compact sofa (highest $2,500-3,500). Various seating options from Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe are part of the sale, in particular, two Barcelona lounge chairs and two ottomans offered together and a custom, four-seat…
-
Auction Industry, Press ReleaseToomey & Co. Auctioneers Will Hold Back-to-back Sales On June 8-9
Oak Park, IL — On June 8 and 9, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers will offer over 700 lots total by esteemed artists and makers who were largely active in the early 20th century. Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts on Wednesday, June 8 will be followed by Keramics & Rookwood: American & European Art Pottery — Curated by Riley Humler on Thursday, June 9. The June 8 sale includes paintings, prints, sculpture, furniture, lighting, glassware, silver, jewelry, and more. The June 9 sale features art pottery, with vases, bowls, plates, jardinieres, wall plaques, and other forms. Preview and bidding details follow the highlights below. Highlights of Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts on June 8 Paintings, Drawings, and Prints Hermann David Salomon Corrodi (Italian, 1844-1905) Landscape with Ruins, Roma, circa 1880 oil on canvas signed lower right 57" x 93" Two impressive oil on canvas works stand out within the fine art section on June 8: Italian painter Hermann David Salomon Corrodi’s Landscape with Ruins, Roma, circa 1880 (estimate $40,000-60,000) and American realist John Sloan’s Fireguard, 1925 ($15,000-25,000). The sale also has seven paintings by Milwaukee artist Francesco Spicuzza and a forest landscape by Impressionist Carl Krafft (highest $1,500-2,500). Further highlights consist of a pencil drawing by Midwestern Regionalist John Steuart Curry, two color woodcuts and a watercolor and pencil work by Margaret Jordan Patterson, and prints by Martin Lewis, Reginald Marsh, Howard Norton Cook, and others (highest $2,000-3,000). Decorative Arts, Furniture, Jewelry, and Silver Bridging the fine and decorative arts is a rare sextile tableau by Dutch artist Adolf LeComte for De Porceleyne Fles Delft ($10,000-20,000). Important glasswork includes an Émile Gallé marquetrie de verres ou cristaux vase and a Louis Comfort Tiffany monumental vase with elaborate pulled designs (higher $30,000-50,000). The auction has a light fixture attributed to Frank Lloyd Wright, possibly from Browne’s Bookstore in Chicago, and three building elements from Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan projects (highest $10,000-20,000). Several American Arts and Crafts furniture designs will be up for bid, such as an inlaid shoefoot armchair attributed to Gustav Stickley, a rare bookcase from The Roycrofters, and a Charles P. Limbert Co. table lamp (highest $10,000-20,000). The sale…
-
Auction IndustryArt From the Edges: Folk, Outsider & Self-Taught Art + Americana With Toomey & Co.’s Aron Packer
Toomey & Co. will present its inaugural Folk, Outsider & Self-Taught Art + Americana auction on August 12th, 2021 at 1:00 PM EDT. The sale signals a growing industry awareness of Outsider Art and its place in the broader artistic canon. Auction Daily recently sat down with Aron Packer, Toomey & Co.’s Senior Specialist for Contemporary & Outsider Art, to learn more about this event. Anna Pottery/Wallace & Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Centennial snake jug, 1876. Image from Toomey & Co. Auction Daily: Please give us a brief overview of Toomey & Co.’s upcoming Folk, Outsider & Self-Taught Art + Americana auction. Toomey & Co.: The auction on August 12th starts with Folk Art, which includes a range of offerings, such as: important, late 19th-century stoneware from Anna Pottery / Wallace & Cornwall Kirkpatrick in Southern Illinois; woodcarvings by Carl Hallsthammar, Emil Janel, and others; patriotic/military items from different eras; 19th and early 20th-century Folk paintings; needlework by Samuel Folwell/Anna Greer and others; American quilts from various traditions; Tramp Art woodworking and decorative items; fish decoys; circus-themed material and a Snap Wyatt sideshow banner; gaming-related objects; tattoo flash drawings; and O.P. Lodmell stamp collages from the 1920s. Mostly post-war, artist-driven Folk/Outsider works follow. Within Outsider Art, there are many lots by Chicago artists like Lee Godie, Wesley Willis, Mr. Imagination, Wilbur Rouson, and William Dawson. African-American Folk/Outsider artists from the South and elsewhere in the Midwest in the sale include: Clementine Hunter, James “Son Ford” Thomas, Elijah Pierce, David Butler, Sulton Rogers, Prophet Royal Robertson, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Willie White, Purvis Young, and Mose Tolliver. White Southern Folk/Outsider artists consist of Howard Finster, Jesse Howard, S.L. Jones, Carl McKenzie, and R.A. Miller. To close the sale, we will offer assorted works by artists who were largely or entirely self-taught: Chicago’s Tony Fitzpatrick, Charles Steffen, Lee Groban, and Bruno Sowa; Illinois artists Stephen Warde Anderson, Eileen Doman, and George Colin; Milwaukee’s Bernard Gilardi; Georgia’s St. EOM; and Swedish artist Mana Lagerholm. Wilbur Rouson, Memory Assemblage, 1999. Image from Toomey & Co. Auction Daily: Some readers may be unfamiliar with Outsider and Folk Art.…
-
Auction ResultToomey & Co. Auctioneers sees intense bidding and elevated prices in first two sales of 2021
Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, ESU-421-C storage unit. Sold for $13,750. OAK PARK, IL.-Toomey & Co. Auctioneers has started 2021 with two high performing sales. Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art on February 25 and Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts on March 14 combined for a 98% sell-through rate and $1.72 million in total prices realized. With people spending considerable time at home and unable to travel freely to art and design conferences, shows, and exhibits during the pandemic, participation in the auction industry has surged and increasingly gone virtual, continuing a trend that had already been underway. Although Toomey & Co. Auctioneers has been based in Oak Park since 1982 and holding auctions since 1987, the current level of bidder interest and robust prices have not been seen in some time. “Our loyal base of consignors and buyers has allowed us to conduct successful auctions for well over three decades,” said President John Toomey, “but the strong results that we have been getting in all categories are driven by the fact that many new bidders are entering the market. With each sale, we have more and more people actively engaged online.” Highlights of Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art on February 25 Among the notable art results on February 25 were two magic realist works: Austrian Arik Brauer’s watercolor, Fenster (Window), 1965, which sold for $17,500, nearly three times its high estimate, and former Disney animator Eyvind Earle’s fantasy landscape, which realized $9,750. Chicago artists were well represented, such as Ed Paschke, with a motorcycle engine detail painting, Speed Freak, 1969 ($10,000), and Outsider artist Wesley Willis, with multiple ballpoint drawings (highest $3,125). Various metal sculptures from Harry and Val Bertoia were auctioned (highest $12,350) as well as a multicolored silkscreen on PVC tower by Israeli artist Yaacov Agam ($8,450). Modern design included a pair of nickel-plated brass Man and Woman head sculptures by Franz Hagenauer that achieved $16,250 and a Sculpted Bronze console table and cabinet by Paul Evans that sold for $13,750. The sale also featured a large ESU storage cabinet ($13,750)…
-
Auction IndustryArtists of Black History Month: Sam Gilliam
Signed Monoprint by Color Field Painter Offered at Toomey & Co. Sam Gilliam’s work set a new tone for American art in the 20th century. He rose to fame during the 1960s and early 70s with his “Drape” paintings. These colorful works discarded stretcher bars in favor of dramatic installations. Gilliam always leaned into abstraction, even when his Black contemporaries embraced figural works that documented history and struggle. He instead joined the ranks of Color Field painters in Washington, D.C. to challenge and expand the boundaries of modern art. “There are few artists who change the course of possibilities in painting,” said Pace Gallery’s Arne Glimcher to The New York Times, “and [Gilliam is] one of them.” Toomey & Co. Auctioneers will present a signed monoprint from Sam Gilliam’s mid-career on February 25th, 2021. Live bidding will begin at 11:00 AM EST. Read on to learn more about Sam Gilliam and his place in American art history. Portrait of Sam Gilliam in 1980. Photo by Anthony Barboza via Getty Images. Born in Mississippi during the Great Depression, Sam Gilliam is the seventh of eight children. He pursued art through his 20s before serving in the U.S. Army for two years. When Gilliam returned to civilian life, he settled in Washington, D.C. Gilliam intentionally avoided New York in his early career. He disliked the city’s competitive climate and refused to fit his art into the local market’s expectations. Gilliam began making his iconic Drape paintings around 1965. He painted vast pieces of canvas with stain and splatter techniques. The artist hung the loose canvases from walls and ceilings in defiance of traditional painting. Critics still discuss the meaning and inspiration of these abstract works. Gilliam has pointed out some connections for the viewer to consider. The paintings resemble laundry hanging from a clothesline and contain nods toward Black American jazz. They also carry undertones of political subversion, reflecting the upheaval of the civil rights movement. Despite their similarities, the Drape paintings are never displayed the same way. “Depending on the space and the place and the moment, they need to be…
