Toomey & Co. Auctioneers To Hold Two September Sales: Modern Design + Post-war & Contemporary Art (9/2) And Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts (9/13)

Toomey & Co. Auctioneers will kick off its busy season with two September sales that together comprise nearly 800 lots. First up, on Wednesday, September 2, will be Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art, followed by Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts on Sunday, September 13.

The auctions on September 2 and 13 will each start at 10:00 a.m. CDT at Toomey & Co. Auctioneers, 818 North Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois. In light of COVID-19, neither sale will be open to the public, but bidders may participate by phone (708-383-5234) or leave absentee bids ([email protected]). Full auction catalogs are available online at toomeyco.com. Early registration with Toomey & Co. is strongly recommended. In addition, bids may be placed via two real-time, third-party digital platforms (LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable). Prior to both sales, preview is available virtually and by appointment. Those interested may contact [email protected] to request further condition information or schedule a preview time.

Toomey & Co. will conduct four additional auctions this fall: Interiors on October 15; Jewelry, Silver & Objects of Vertu on November 12; Tradition & Innovation on December 3; and Art & Design on December 6.

Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art on September 2, 2020

The auction on September 2 contains a variety of material by modern design innovators. From Denmark, a Kaare Klint eight-leg sofa ($10,000-20,000 estimate) will be up for bid as well as furniture by Finn Juhl and Arne Jacobsen. Italian design is also strongly represented, with Shiro Kuramata’s Ritz desk for Memphis Milano ($10,000-20,000) and items by Angelo Lelii, Oreste Bogliardi, and Carlo Scarpa. Frenchman Max Ingrand’s wall sconce ($5,000-7,000) is another highlight along with furniture from Jean Prouvé. Multiple notable American designers have lots in the sale, such as Gene Summers with a bronze side table ($5,000-7,000), Charles & Ray Eames with an ESU desk ($3,000-5,000), and Edward Wormley with a rare settee ($2,500-3,500). Mid-century design also features pottery from Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Edwin & Mary Scheier, and Rose Cabat plus jewelry from Sam Kramer and Paul Lobel.

Post-war and contemporary art standouts consist of Nicaraguan artist Armando Morales’ collage work, Año I, 1964 ($10,000-20,000) and Spaniard Xavier Bueno’s oil on canvas, Periferia, 1960 ($8,000-12,000). Two French works of note are Henri Cartier-Bresson’s silver gelatin print, Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954 ($8,000-12,000) and Marc Chagall’s color lithograph, Île Saint-Louis, 1959 ($5,000-7,000). Large bronzes from Robert Adams and Dimitri Hadzi lead the sculpture offering. In American art, Herman Maril’s oil on canvas, The Blue Pitcher, 1976 ($6,000-8,000) presents an intriguing interior scene and works will also be available from Sol LeWitt, Jenny Holzer, Peter Max, and Robert Indiana along with Chicago’s Lee Godie and Joseph A. Burlini.

Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts on September 13, 2020

On September 13, the auction will start with an impressive range of 19th century and early 20th century fine art. Landscapes include an engraving of the Rocky Mountains after Albert Bierstadt ($5,000-7,000), a moonlight scene attributed to Ralph A. Blakelock ($3,000-5,000), and works attributed to George Inness as well as Edward Moran and Thomas Moran. Three oil paintings by Carl Krafft (highest $2,500-3,500) also depict inviting natural settings as do three woodcuts by Gustave Baumann (highest $4,000-6,000). In addition, the sale has works by American Arts & Crafts artists Albert R. Valentien, William Seltzer Rice, and others.

Arts & Crafts furniture boasts various items by Gustav Stickley, like a Morris chair, early leather-top table, and writing desk (highest $4,000-6,000). Four lots from Prairie School architect Frank Lloyd Wright will be available: a sectional sofa, a set of six chairs, a credenza/sideboard, and a dining table (highest $2,500-3,500). Art pottery will include early modern architect William Le Baron Jenney’s Teco vase or lamp base ($1,500-2,500) and two vases by Sadie Irvine for Newcomb College (higher $2,000-3,000). Arts & Crafts silver and jewelry will be on offer from Chicago’s Kalo Shop, George Jensen, and other distinguished makers. The sale will conclude with Art Nouveau lighting and glass, with many designs by Tiffany Studios, such as a pair of wall sconces and a table lamp with Geometric shade ($10,000-20,000 each).

About Toomey & Co. Auctioneers

Located just west of Chicago in Oak Park, Illinois, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers holds several carefully curated auctions annually with material sourced from six departments: Fine Art, Early 20th Century Design, Modern Design, Fine Furniture & Decorative Arts, Silver & Objects of Vertu, and Fine Jewelry & Timepieces. Recent schedules have included single-owner and special sales drawn from important estates and private collections.