Swann to Hold Inaugural Sale of Modern & Post-War Art

New York—On Thursday, December 3, Swann Galleries will offer an inaugural sale of Modern & Post-War Art, headed by specialist Harold Porcher. The house will present works by Esteban Vicente, as well as Giorgio Cavallon, the sculptor David Hare, Irene Rice Pereira, Sargent Johnson and many more. 

Abstract Expressionism and Non-Objective Abstraction forms the core the offering. Esteban Vicente’s 1985 oil and paper collage on canvas, Primavera Series: Lerna, stands out among the Abstract Expressionist works ($25,000-35,000), along with Norman Bluhm’s 1961 mixed-media work ($12,000-18,000); and Giorgio Cavallon’s 1984 abstract oil on canvas ($10,000-15,000). Non-Objective Abstraction highlights include works by Rudolph Bauer and Rolph Scarlett, notably Bauer’s 1938 double-sided drawings on paper ($1,000-1,500), and Scarlett’s gouache works Untitled (Biomorphic Abstraction) and Untitled (Banister), 1930 ($1,000-1,500, each). Hard-edge painting is represented by John Stephan with Disc 5, In Memory of My Father, acrylic on canvas, 1973 ($6,000-8,000).

Further abstraction of note includes a 1933 oil-and-mixed-media collage by Irene Rice Pereira ($10,000-15,000); a 1955 oil-and-collage scene by Allan Kaprow ($10,000-15,000); a 1948 oil painting by Carl Holty ($5,000-7,000); and a 1950 oil-on-paper work by Gertrude Greene; in addition to works by Jimmy Ernst, Milton Resnick and John Little.

The sale is led by Sargent Johnson’s The Knot and the Noose, a circa-1948 terracotta work evoking Egyptian imagery ($30,000-40,000). Additional sculptural works of note include David Hare’s Figure in the Window, braised steel weldment, 1955 ($20,000-30,000); Robert Therrien’s Blue Crib, encaustic on wood, 1980 ($20,000-30,000); and Günther Uecker’s Traffic Paint, street marking paint on wood with a nail, 1966 ($3,000-5,000).

In addition to the work by Sargent Johnson, notable African American art includes a run of mixed-paper collage works by Sam Middleton, with Composition, 1992 ($6,000-9,000), and American Mist, 1970 ($3,000-5,000), as well as a 1970 crayon and watercolor image ($2,000-3,000). Hughie Lee-Smith is on offer with Pumping Station, oil on canvas, 1960, a scene of isolation and loneliness evoking the themes for which the artist is best known ($25,000-35,000). 

The sale is rounded out by Mail Art works, with a 1977 ink-and-watercolor desert scene by Horace Clifford Westermann ($10,000-15,000), and The Rose, a 1964 tempera-and-ink image by Joe Brainard ($3,000-5,000). Op Art is present with a run of three acrylic-on-paper designs by Francis Celentano ($2,000-3,000, each).  

Limited previewing (by appointment only) will be available through December 2, to be scheduled directly with a specialist in advance and conforming to strict safety guidelines. Swann Galleries staff will prepare condition reports and provide additional photographs of material on request. Advance order bids can be placed with a specialist for the sale or on Swann’s website, and phone bidding will be available. Live online bidding platforms will be the Swann Galleries App, Invaluable, and Live Auctioneers. The complete catalogue and bidding information is available at www.swanngalleries.com and on the Swann Galleries App.

Additional highlights can be found here.

Captions:

Lot 31: Esteban Vicente, Primavera Series: Lerna, oil and paper collage on canvas, 1985. Estimate $25,000 to $35,000.

Lot 55: Sargent Johnson, The Knot and the Noose, terracotta, mounted on a wooden base, circa 1948. Estimate $30,000 to $40,000.

Auction date: Thursday, December 3, at 1:00 pm

Specialist: Harold Porcher • [email protected] • 212-254-4710 x 67

Chief Marketing Officer: Alexandra Nelson • [email protected] • 212-254-4710 x 19

Public Relations Associate: Kelsie Jankowski • [email protected] • 212-254-4710 x 23

Social media: @swanngalleries  

#   #   #

PRINTED CATALOGUE & ADDL. DIGITAL IMAGES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Swann Auction Galleries is a third-generation family business as well as the world’s largest auction house for works on paper. In the last 75 years, Swann has repeatedly revolutionized the trade with such innovations as the first U.S. auction dedicated to photographs and the world’s only department of African-American Fine Art. More than 30 auctions and previews are held annually in Swann Galleries’ two-floor exhibition space in Midtown Manhattan, and online worldwide. Visit swanngalleries.com for more information.