Internationally-acclaimed artist Joan Miró is widely considered a Surrealist. However, he never officially joined the artistic group. A contemporary of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Henri Matisse, Miró combined abstraction with Surrealist fantasy to pioneer a new style of Automatism. His mature style evolved from the tension between his fanciful, poetic impulse and the harshness of modern life. He worked extensively in lithography and produced numerous murals, tapestries, and sculptures for public spaces. The upcoming sale, offered by Sarasota Estate Auction, will feature an etching from Miró. The piece shows the figure of a woman executed in Miró’s signature dots and lines.
Also among the leading lots is a painting by Syd Solomon. An American abstract artist, Solomon’s style was heavily influenced by the climatic conditions of land, sea, and sky. Titled Return, the offered work features abstract brushstrokes in blue, yellow, red, and black. Also available in this event is a Gucci necklace. Made in a limited edition of six, the 1972 necklace comes with a set of mechanical tools. Beyond fine art and jewelry, the auction also includes a collection of handbags, watches, furniture pieces, and more. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on Bidsquare.
The Kangxi emperor was among the most prominent Chinese emperors of the Manchu Qing dynasty. The imperial kilns at Jingdezhen, overlooked for almost 60 years, were reopened during his reign. With the help of Jesuit missionaries, the emperor introduced new technologies to manufacture commercial and imperial porcelain. Kangxi-period porcelain especially popularized the famille verte and blue and white color palettes. The upcoming I.M. Chait Gallery auction presents a tall, Chinese Kangxi-style porcelain vase. The available famille verte vase has enameled overglaze decoration that shows trees and birds. The vertical registers, along with landscape scenes on the neck, are painted in the Kangxi color palette of translucent yellow, green, and black. These glassy colored enamels create a light iridescent or halo effect.
The auction also highlights a Chinese wucai porcelain covered vase with figural motifs. Wucai porcelain evolved during the Ming dynasty and was a predecessor of Kangxi porcelain. The available vase portrays Chinese market scenes with blue outlined underglaze. This Los Angeles collection also offers Han-style urns, Japanese Satsuma ware, Zhi and Hu vases, and Chinese lacquered furniture. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Angelo Cricchi is an Italian artist known for his fashion photography. After leaving a career as a professional athlete to pursue art, Cricchi began to explore the influence of literature and history. In 2009, after the Gloomy Sunday at MAK (Wien) exhibition, his sophisticated and stylized portraits of women became widely popular. One such painting capturing a woman with the lower body of a snake will be featured in the upcoming Underground & Ultracontemporary Art auction, presented by Bertolami Fine Art.
Bidders can also find acrylic work from Mr. Klevra. Best known for his murals found on the streets of Rome, Klevra is an Italian street artist, illustrator, and painter. His work often combines pop culture and Orthodox Christian iconography. The available work is a portrait of Pablo Picasso, executed in 2016. Also offered is an oil on canvas piece by Jerico Cabrera depicting white roses. View these items and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
The Art Deco movement originated in the early 1900s and reached its height in the 1930s. Bertolami Fine Art will present several works from this period in their upcoming Fine Art Jewels auction. Among the offered 311 pieces is an Art Deco-style bracelet in white gold. The handcrafted bracelet accented with rose-cut diamonds was made in Italy. Another Italian jewelry piece is a dragon brooch from the 1930s. The dragon has a ruby eye and a 1.20-carat diamond crest.
Of several bracelets, cufflinks, earrings, and necklaces, a three-colored diamond bracelet inspired by the Liberty movement is particularly featured. The Liberty movement was founded in England in the 19th century by William Morris, who wanted to focus on handmade products. Morris found his inspiration in the methods of the medieval and Renaissance periods. Also showcased is a 1950s Periwinkles Craft jewelry set. This 18-karat white gold set includes earrings and a necklace. Stylized with floral motifs, each piece has rock crystal petals set with rubies at the center. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Pedro Friedberg’s signature hand-shaped chair has reached icon status since its conception. Designed in the 1960s, more than 5,000 copies of the chair have been sold. This September, an airplane sculpture by Friedberg is available in Hindman’s Palm Beach Collections sale. Birds are perched on the wooden body of the plane, which rests on three golden legs. The Italian-Mexican artist was a part of the Surrealist art movement and gained international recognition for his novelty hand chairs and houses with artichoke roofs. Today, Friedberg’s works can be seen in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
David Bennett’s Rose Dancer, available in the sale, is composed of blown glass and bronze. The free movements of a dancer are caught in its details. Bennett’s style constantly pushes the capacity of blown glass and metal to create complex, playful forms. The American sculptor was formerly a lawyer and has served in the U.S. Army. Now his works are featured in venues like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Several furniture items, Art Deco pieces, Asian artworks, and silverware sets are also available in the sale. View all 284 lots and bid online at Bidsquare.
During the annual meeting of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1946, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr. accepted an award on behalf of his father. The former president was honored by the CIO for “the tireless service he gave to the toilers of this nation and the world.” Heritage Auctions’ upcoming Americana & Political Signature Auction features this CIO gold medal. It depicts a factory worker at the center and reads, “In lasting gratitude to Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1946.”
This sale also includes a scrapbook by Catherine Elizabeth Schultz Miller. It contains newspaper clippings of the Civil War and family obituaries from the 18th through the 20th centuries. This scrapbook carries a family legacy that has been passed down through the Schultz family for almost 200 years. An 1844 American flag used by an anti-immigrant nativist group is also available. Created to support Henry Clay’s presidential run, the flag is inscribed with the words “Native American.” View any other piece in the listings and register to bid on Heritage Auctions.
Highlighted in the upcoming Important Post Labor Day Auction is an oil painting by Luigi Lucioni. The Italian American painter was best known for his Vermont landscapes. This piece, titled The Weathered Barn, is a colorful depiction of a farm scene, complete with trees in the background, blue skies, and white clouds. The painting is signed by the artist and dated 1947.
A 1927 Model T Hack Woody Ford automobile is also showcased in this W.A. Smith auction. 1927 was the last year Ford made the Model T. This automobile is in good working and running condition and comes with the title. It has its original engine, though the body has been off for restoration and the upholstery has been replaced. Other lots include a 1967 oil painting titled Maine Community by artist Charles Wysocki, a 1921 bronze sculpture by Harriet Whitney, and a $20 Saint-Gaudens gold coin. View the entire catalog and register to bid by visiting W.A. Smith.
Palmyra Heritage Gallery will offer the upcoming Ancient Artifacts, Coins, & Islamic Art auction in mid-September. Among the key items are Greek and Roman terracotta pieces, Italian pottery, bronze phiale bowls, ancient Egyptian artifacts, and Islamic art. One example of the fine art selections is a small painting of an Indian noblewoman smoking with an attendant. The work is from the Mandi school and was painted around 1750 using opaque pigments and gold on paper. The Mandi painters were known for portraying the religious tales of Shiva from the Ramayana, especially those of Krishna or “Madho Rai.”
From the available coins is a Persian gold double daric from the Alexandrian Empire, made between 328 and 311 BCE. The coin is stamped with a Persian hero holding a spear in his right hand, a bow in his left. Also in the sale is an illuminated Quran manuscript. The text is written in Arabic script and is vocalized throughout with orange recitational markings. There are six fully-illuminated pages in color and gold. There are also ten pages with border decorations and gold lines. Divisions of the Quran are marked by marginal gold medallions. The last page bears the Islamic calendar date 1160, which corresponds to the year 1747 CE. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
George Bellows was a famous American artist known for his paintings and lithographs of American urban life. Bellows was an accomplished sportsman but also wanted to establish himself as an artist. To pursue his interest, he dropped out of Ohio State University and started studying at the New York School of Art under Robert Henri. He was introduced to the Ashcan School of artists who explored contemporary American culture in their work. After his education, Bellows’ Realist paintings often depicted sports scenes and boxing matches. The upcoming event, offered by Christie’s, presents a 1917 lithograph titled A Stag at Sharkey’s by Bellows. Initially executed as an oil painting, the lithograph is among the artist’s best-known works.
Also showcased are bronze pieces by Mexican sculptor Robert Graham. One highlight is a bronze figurine depicting a nude woman. “I don’t remember ever going to a gallery,” Graham once stated. “The things that were important were those murals and what people saw all the time.” It was photographer Helmut Newton who introduced Graham to his muse, the model Neith Andrina Hunter. The available sculpture of Hunter is similar to a statue at the Duke Ellington Memorial in Central Park. The auction also offers George III Axminster carpets, Tiffany & Co. silverware, Louis XVI ormolu-mounted porcelain ware and furniture, and works from artist Yousuf Karsh. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Christie’s.
Axminster Carpets Ltd. was an English carpet manufacturing company founded by Thomas Whitty in 1755. During his visit to Cheapside Market in London, Whitty was influenced by the Turkish carpets on display. After returning to Axminster, Whitty taught himself to weave and produced a similar quality rug. The hand-knotted carpets by the self-taught weaver soon became popular among the British royals and upper class. The upcoming Christie’s auction presents several Axminster carpets by Whitty, including a 1780s George III carpet. As an ardent botanist, Whitty had an affinity for flowers, which is visible in the blossom-filled central medallion and border design.
Another highlight is a colored lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec titled Moulin Rouge – La Goulue. Toulouse-Lautrec was a famous Post-Impressionist artist whose work is associated with the Parisian theatrical life of the 19th century. The available 1891 lithograph was a commission for the Moulin Rouge cabaret after it opened in 1889. Posters for the cabaret starring dancer La Goulue are among the most sought-after Toulouse-Lautrec artworks. The catalog will also include Louis XVI-style furniture, Puiforcat and Buccellati silverware, and Lawrence Holofcener sculptures. Interested collectors can browse the catalog and register to bid online on Christie’s.
