The New York collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Gutfreund will be offered in an upcoming Christie’s live sale. The auction especially highlights furniture drawn from French dealers and European auction houses. It will also include carpets and textiles, works of decorative art, Russian objects, sets of silver and porcelain, and rare books. Among the leading lots is an extensive Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica botanical dinner service. The set is from the 20th century and is identified in Latin on the reverse as Pattern No. 20. It comprises at least 290 pieces, including large leaf-shaped dishes, soup tureens, demitasse cups, pickle dishes, and more.
A painting of Mary Magdalene by Dutch artist Jan Massys, a pair of Russian tazze manufactured between 1860 and 1870, and a George III Moorfields carpet designed by Robert Adam will be available as well. View any of these lots and register to bid on Christie’s.
A work from Jean-Etienne Liotard, titled Portrait of Philibert Cramer, will be available in an upcoming Christie’s sale. Often described as porcelain-like, Swiss painter Jean-Etienne Liotard’s pastel portraitures exemplified his attention to detail. Explaining his method of painting, Neil Jeffares writes in the lot essay: “To achieve his highly enameled finish, Liotard compressed the pastel deeply into the support using the stick itself rather than a conventional stump.” Pastel portraits reflecting the prevailing Realism style would become the trademark of Liotard’s long and successful career. In the available painting, Philibert Cramer can be seen wearing a blue coat embroidered with silver, which creates a contrast against the plain background.
The Old Master & British Drawings auction also highlights Gaspar Van Wittela’s take on the landscape of Naples. The offered lot is a key example of the artist’s detailed cityscapes. His work shows the Riviera di Chiaia, with Mergellina and Posillipo in the background. Among the 96 lots in the catalog are works from Old Masters such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, and Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili. View the full listings and register to bid on Christie’s.
Hampton Estate Auction will soon present the upcoming Fine Jewelry and Watches sale. Brands such as Rolex, Paul Jeannot, Damiani, and Cartier lead the listings. A Rolex Presidential Day-Date watch is among the featured lots. This watch style was the first to clearly show both the date and the day of the week. The available 18-karat gold watch has a Catalan calendar and stick markers. It will fit a 7.25-inch wrist.
Also in the auction is an antique pocket watch by European watchmaker Paul Jeannot. The 18-karat gold minute repeater still has its original dial. While this particular example is missing the crystal, it is still in working order. Damiani is also represented with an 18-karat gold and diamond cocktail ring. The size 7.25 ring is 22 millimeters wide and features 4.12-carat diamonds. View the entire collection of jewelry and watches and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Akiba Antiques’ upcoming auction, held near the end of January, will highlight a Franklin Mint Sterling silver punch bowl celebrating the United States’ bicentennial. The bowl, issued in 1976, has a 24-karat gold lining and weighs 5490 grams. Its sculpted vignettes from American history make this piece stand out. They depict the first ships to land on American shores, several covered wagons traveling West, the Liberty Bell, and the moon landing. Franklin Mint was a private producer of such collectibles for several decades, specializing in numismatics and record sets.
Those interested in jewelry will find notable lots like an 18-karat white gold bracelet accented with yellow and pink diamonds. The bracelet has a total diamond weight of 11.60 carats. A vintage “Les Grecques” wristwatch from Patek Philippe is also available. A Greek-inspired meander pattern decorates the watch face.
The listings include two leadwood sculptures from self-taught Zimbabwean artist Mopho Gonde. Both depict naturalistic elephants in movement. A Baccarat-style crystal chandelier, a Tiffany Favrile glass vase are notable among decorative pieces. An electric guitar signed by Rapper’s Delight band The Sugarhill Gang will also be available. Find more information about any of these lots and register to bid on LiveAuctioneers.
John Neagle’s fascination with portraiture led him to become a self-taught artist at a young age. He started his career as an oil painter in 1815, working on sketches that he sold for five dollars each. Neagle’s work often used iconography to portray his subject’s profession or important experiences. Throughout his long career, Neagle depicted several prominent figures in Philadelphia, including an officer of the Philadelphia Artillery Regiment. This particular oil on canvas piece by John Neagle will be featured in the upcoming Home & Interiors auction, offered by Bonhams.
The event will feature over 400 lots, ranging from furniture and decorative art to collectibles and sculpture. A standout piece among them is Thomas Kirby Van Zandt’s Fast Trotter. Van Zandt, a New York painter active in the 1850s, was known for his folk art depictions of racehorses and livestock. His works were mainly popular among Albany’s elite citizens, including Erastus Corning and Judge Van Aernum. View this auction’s full listings and register to bid on Bonhams.
A product of the Napoleonic era, French Empire mantel clocks were elaborately-decorated pieces inspired by antiquity. Several examples of the style highlight Akiba Antiques‘ Eclectic Collection of Estates Worldwide sale. That includes a 19th-century mantel clock in gilt bronze and red griotte marble. Decorating the clock is an allegorical scene with a man, his plow, and a harvest goddess.
Collectors will also find numerous sculptures by Ernest Trova, such as Radical Cut Figure. Produced in 1979, replicas of this piece are still given to winners of the CFDA Fashion Awards. Notable recipients include Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs. Radical Cut Figure is an example of Trova’s Falling Man, a figure he spent decades reimaging. “Seriality is as essential to [Trova’s] work as it was to Warhol’s,” said one of Trova’s supporters. “Trova invented this great symbol of human fallibility through processing and reprocessing the image.”
Another sculpture featured in this event is Arman’s Accumulation of Violins. Inspired by Dadaism and Pop Art, Arman’s found-object works explore mass production and consumer culture. With Accumulation of Violins, Arman stacked and fused bronze versions of the instrument. Some of the violins are fully intact, while others are cut in half, forming a sculpture that is both towering and purposefully cluttered. Those interested in this or any other piece can view the full catalog and register to bid on LiveAuctioneers.
George Byron Browne (1907 ‐ 1961) is acknowledged as one of the founders of American Abstract Artists. A prolific Picasso follower, Browne’s works take references from everyday life, nature, and art history. Trained at the National Academy of Design, Browne followed traditional lines and a bright palette. He believed that “every artist has to have tradition. Without tradition art is no good. Having a tradition enables you to tackle new problems with authority, with solid footing.” The second day of the upcoming Winter Fine Art & Antique Auction, offered by Sarasota Estate Auction, features an oil painting by Byron Browne. Titled The White Acrobats, the oil painting features women acrobats, rendered in Browne’s signature line and abstract form.
Another highlight is a Shona sculptural bust of a woman in serpentine stone by Joe Mutasa. Named after the largest tribe in Zimbabwe that engages in sculpting, Shona sculpture refers to the modern stone carving movement. Shona artists draw inspiration from women, mythology, folklore, and rituals. Also showcased are crystal and bronze chandeliers by Baccarat Crystal, the first French crystal manufacturer to make chandeliers. Baccarat Crystal chandeliers are known for their intricate and timeless designs. Interested collectors can browse the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
A French abstract painter, Olivier Debré (1920 – 1999) was influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso and André Lanskoy. Debré moved to abstraction from figurative painting in 1941 after a visit to Pablo Picasso’s studio brought about a change in his style of work. Equally significant was the impact of André Lanskoy’s color scheme. One of the key lots in the upcoming Doyle auction is an oil on canvas from Olivier Debré. Personnage Fonce (Bleu – Bleu Noir) illustrates these strong influences in his work. Another lot of interest is Rythme Couleur, a gouache on paper piece by Sonia Delaunay. With its use of geometric shapes and bold colors, the painting exemplifies Delaunay’s experience with modern designs. The French/Ukrainian painter was one of the founders of the Orphism art movement of geometric abstraction.
David Hockney’s Celia Amused (Gemini G.E.L. 834; M.C.A.T. 222) is a noteworthy lithograph on offer. It is signed, dated, and numbered 32/100 in red pencil. The lithograph was published by Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles. Hockney’s relationship with Gemini G.E.L began in 1965 when the print workshop contacted him to work on a series of lithographs.
The auction will also include furniture, books, and fashion jewelry. Most of the collection comes from the Ford family’s earlier residence in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Doyle.
Indian Peace Medals were made to commemorate friendship or peace between early European settlers and Native American tribes. These medals were awarded to Native American chiefs by the federal government. By the time the United States was officially established, this trend was so important that peace medals were issued by almost every American president through Benjamin Harrison (who took office in 1889). A silver Martin Van Buren Peace Medal from 1837 is highlighted in the upcoming Early American History Auctions event. One side of the medal displays Van Buren’s bust, facing to the right. The other side shows two hands shaking below a tomahawk and peace pipe.
Another highlight of the sale is a Herculaneum Creamware portrait plate. A Liverpool-based company, the Herculaneum Pottery Company existed between 1793 and 1841. The company was known for its transfer-printed pottery and bone china porcelain. The available piece, made around 1800, bears the commemorative portrait of James Madison, the fourth American President. This upcoming auction also features a hand-colored western America map, a Revolutionary War-era musket, and a document signed by Thomas Jefferson and David Rittenhouse. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Harry Bertoia was a well-known sound art sculptor, graphic artist, and furniture designer. The artist was born in Italy and moved to America at the age of 15. Bertoia went to college with artists like Walter Gropius, Charles and Ray Eames, and Eero Saarinen. Although Bertoia was interested in arts and furniture design, his real talent was in sound sculpture. He often bent or stretched pieces of metal while experimenting in his workshop. When exposed to touch or wind, these pieces created enticing sounds.
The upcoming Rago auction highlights multiple tonal sculptures by Harry Bertoia. The highlight is an untitled multi-plane construction made for the First National Bank of Miami. The 1958 art installation is made with steel and covered in melt-coated brass. Bertoia’s sonambient sculptures produce vivid and familiar sounds that have a meditative effect on listeners.
Also showcased is a desk made for David Solinger’s law office by prominent wood sculptor Wharton Esherick. The 1954 walnut and cherry desk has a large storage space with drawers, shelves, and sliding doors. Popularly known as the “Dean of American Craft,” Esherick was known for reducing the gap between arts and crafts to revive interest in wood art. The available desk is a prominent example of Wharton Esherick’s Cubist and German Expressionist style.
The auction will feature furniture from the Nakashima Studio by father-daughter duo George and Mira Nakashima. A wall cabinet by George Nakashima highlights the characteristics of the American black walnut with its distinct design. Works from Albert Paley, Pierre Jeanneret, and others round out the catalog. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
