500 Gallery to Showcase Rare Pieces by Thomas Hart Benton and Philip Guston in Upcoming Art Auction

Guns and paintbrushes, for Thomas Hart Benton, served as the last resort of mediation, providing soldiers with the only means of making themselves heard and, therefore, effecting change. 500 Gallery‘s upcoming Hidden Masterpieces Art Auction will feature one of seven large paintings from the Year of Peril series by Thomas Hart Benton. This series of paintings was created by Benton to shake Americans out of their complacency, confront their overconfidence and overoptimistic view of war, and enlighten them about its grim reality. With this series, Benton expressed his anger at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. 

Also leading the listings is an oil on canvas painting attributed to Philip Guston. As one of America’s best-known painters, Guston fused figurative and abstract art, humor, and tragedy in his works infused with lively touches and emotional resonance. Smoking Head with Plant captures the daring, innovative, and groundbreaking nature that defines Philip Guston’s late work, including the darkly humorous iconography that often dominates his paintings. Venice, Rio de Santa Salute, an oil on canvas painting attributed to Claude Monet, is also notable. The French artist is widely recognized as a pioneer of Impressionism, particularly in relation to plein-air landscape painting. You can view the entire catalog of this and other online auctions by visiting Bidsquare.