Representing a new generation of painters capturing the American West is Logan Maxwell Hagege, a Los Angeles-based contemporary artist. His works reimagine traditional Western motifs in an angular, modern style. “It’s my vision of the world; that’s where it starts and that’s where it ends,” he has stated. A 2017 painting by Hagege, titled Where Land Meets Sky, will be available in the upcoming Coeur d’Alene Art Auction. Showing two Native American figures on horseback against orange-tinted rock formations, the painting is framed by a turquoise sky. Also of interest is a poplar tree painting by Maynard Dixon, one of Hagege’s influences. The self-taught Western artist was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This 35th annual Coeur d’Alene Art Auction will present over 260 works of Western and American fine art, both contemporary and historical. Leading the lots is Nomads, an oil painting by Henry Farny. Completed in 1902 after years of both domestic and foreign travel, the piece shows a group of Native Americans crossing a snowy plain. Accompanying the painting is a letter written by Farny to the original owner. The artist describes his feelings about the work: “… personally it pleases me—as one of the most sincere things I have perpetrated in this vale of tears.”
Paintings from Thomas Moran, E. William Gollings, Victor Higgins, and other leading Western artists will also be available. Beyond painted works, a set of portfolios from Edward S. Curtis’ extensive The North American Indian photogravure project will be available. Included are 20 bound volumes from the series with a total of over 1,500 photographs from Curtis’ ethnological studies. Financed by J. Pierpont Morgan, the series has a foreword written by President Theodore Roosevelt. Visit Bidsquare for more information on the mentioned lots and to register to bid.
One of the most dominant and influential artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso was a master of reinvention. Although most famous for his paintings, Picasso made prints throughout his career — his first in 1899 and his last in 1972. He produced over 2,400 prints using a wide variety of techniques, most notably etchings, lithographs, and linocuts. The upcoming dedicated sale of Picasso Prints & Ceramics, presented by Sotheby’s, highlights an etching titled Jacqueline Lisant. Executed in 1964, the linoleum-cut print showcases Picasso’s second wife and muse Jacqueline Roque reading. One hand raised to her face and eyes cast down, she appears to be in an inner world.
The auction also features over 40 lots of ceramics. In 25 years, from 1947 to 1971, Picasso designed 633 different ceramics. Initially, Picasso produced simple utilitarian objects; he later created more complex forms such as pitchers and vases. The bodies and handles of these often depicted facial features or animals. Featured among these ceramic lots is Vase Deux Anses Hautes. Created in 1953, the vase resembles a woman’s body. The long, elegant neck becomes her head, the handles become her arms, and the round body becomes her veiled torso. View any of these lots and register to bid online on Sotheby’s.
During the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 19th century, French interior design experienced a shift. Decorative pieces such as mantel clocks became more ornate with the use of gilt bronze and ancient imagery, a departure from the serious English pieces popular at the time. The upcoming Eclectic Collection of Estates Worldwide auction, offered by Akiba Antiques, will feature several of these French mantel clocks from the Empire period. One of the leading clocks shows a woman carrying sheaves of wheat, visually balanced on either side by a farmer harvesting his field and an ox pulling machinery. True to the prevailing style of the period, this clock includes elaborate details favored by the French. It has a white enamel dial below the central figure, a detailed bezel, and ormolu animals on the front.
Other French Empire clocks in the sale follow a similar style. A mantel clock attributed to Louis-Isidore Choiselat, a Parisian bronze caster, shows two boys carrying the dial on a bale of cotton. A chained monkey perches on top while netting hangs in the space between the figures. Another clock emphasizes the classical motifs popular during the 19th century, showing Cupid and Psyche leaning on a pedestal. Based on the Greek and Roman myth surrounding the god of love, the couple is shown examining a gilt butterfly in Cupid’s hands. A 20th-century clock depicts a group of cherubs carrying absinthe vines. Examples of Gothic Revival and Lalique glass mantel clocks are on offer as well.
Beyond clocks, this auction will also highlight furniture and decorative art. From the Edwardian era is a metamorphic dressing table by George Betjemann & Sons, a London-based cabinetmaking firm that specialized in unusual furniture mechanisms. The available table opens to reveal four lifting sides and an adjustable mirror. For more information on these lots, as well as Asian art items, jewelry lots, and sculptures by Ernest Trova, visit Bidsquare.
Tinsel pictures gained popularity in 19th-century America as an evening activity between mothers and daughters. Crafting these pictures was later used to calm wounded soldiers in the Civil War. Coming to auction as part of the July Summer Art & Antiques event, presented by Neue Auctions, is a set of 14 tinsel pictures. Subjects of the pictures range from fruit bowls and flower pots to bluebirds and butterflies.
Several decorative art pieces are highlighted in this sale, including a cloisonné vase by Japanese artist Hiroaki Ota. Decorating the vase is a prunus tree in bloom. Bidders will also find several collectible albums. Featured among these is a copy of Pink Floyd’s Animals signed by band members Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason, and David Gilmour. The band used imagery from George Orwell’s novella Animal Farm (1945) to criticize the British government in the 1970s. “You better stay home/ And do as you’re told/ Get out of the road if you want to grow old,” warns the album’s penultimate song, “Sheep.” Those interested in this or any other lot can register for the event on Bidsquare.
Stereoviews were considered among the first forms of 3D photography. Popular between 1860 and 1920, two nearly identical photos were taken with a stereoscopic camera and then developed, printed, and mounted next to each other. They were then looked at through a stereoscope, where the image could be seen in three dimensions. In the upcoming Antique American Stereoviews auction, presented by Artelisted, are photos from the American Civil War, World War I, the Spanish-American War, and more. Included is a Civil War stereoview of Fort Sumter on April 14, 1865, showing a crowd awaiting the arrival of General Anderson and his guests just before the raising of the American flag. This photo was taken on the same day that President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Washington, D.C.
Another stereoview in the auction a rare photo from the Spanish-American War showing a soldier sounding a bugle. Other available items include photos of a Masonic hall in Palatka, Florida, a Civil War Confederate redoubt, and a Native American ceremony. View the entire catalog and register to bid by visiting Artelisted.
Self-taught designer David Webb created his first animal-inspired bracelet – an Indian sea monster– in 1957. The bracelet was purchased by Elizabeth Taylor and is now known as the Elizabeth Taylor Makara Bracelet. Since that time, Webb’s animal-inspired jewelry has increased in popularity. These pieces, composed of gold, gemstones, and enamel, have been seen on Jacqueline Kennedy, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Diana Vreeland. David Webb once said, “Women are tired of jewelry-looking jewelry, and they want one-of-a-kind pieces… Animals are here to stay.” The upcoming Jewels: Made in America auction, offered by Sotheby’s, presents a lion bangle-bracelet by Webb. The lion is composed of carved coral, round diamonds, and emeralds on cross-hatched white enamel.
Another highlight of the auction is a “Tiara Feather” cuff bracelet by Fulco di Verdura. Based on the “Feather Headdress” tiara Verdura designed for Betsey Cushing Whitney in the 1950s, the design is inspired by Native American feather headdresses. The cuff bracelet is rendered in 18-karat etched gold and diamonds. Also showcased is a diamond flower brooch from Oscar Heyman & Brothers, as well as jewelry pieces by Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, and Seaman Schepps. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Sotheby’s.
An Italian painter of the late-Baroque period, Giuseppe Gambarini (1860-1725) was widely popular in Bologna. He also painted frescoes in the Palazzo Buonaccorsi in Macerata. Among the highlights of the upcoming Stair auction of the collection of Matthew Rutenberg is Gambarini’s oil on canvas painting titled Three Franciscan Monks Resting on a Journey. The auction also showcases Portrait of a Boy, which is an acrylic and pigment on paper piece by Tony Bevan. This painting is a classic example of Bevan’s style, which focuses on the human figure with the use of jagged lines.
The collection of Matthew Rutenberg ranges from works by the Old Masters to contemporary artists. Rutenberg’s academic interests led him to European landscapes from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as contemporary British art. Owing to his in-depth knowledge of classic paintings, Rutenberg bought many unattributed works that he would research until an attribution could be made. His estate has donated art to several museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and Center for British Art, and the Ringling Museum. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Fortuna will present a selection of fine jewelry and watches by luxury brands in the upcoming July Jewels and Watches auction. Highlighted in the sale is a GIA-certified 4.51-carat yellow-green diamond ring. The piece is crafted in platinum and 18-karat rose gold with a brilliant-cut diamond of SI1 clarity. This diamond is graded as “fancy,” one of the six technical terms outlined by the Gemological Institute of America to grade diamonds according to the intensity of their color.
The sale will offer close to 200 pieces of jewelry and watches. Included is a rare pair of Cartier diamond and cultured pearl earrings from the Évasions Joaillières collection. With this collection, the luxury jewelry retailer explored many historical and traditional styles. The earrings are signed, numbered, stamped, and accompanied by a Cartier insurance certificate. Also available is Rolex’s first automatic chronograph model, the Zenith Daytona 16520 in steel. Featuring the Zenith El Primero movement, the watch is a classic collector’s item. View the full catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Photographer Hedda Morrison’s interest in photography started when she was gifted her first camera, a Box Brownie, at the age of 11. In later years, she would become known for capturing the city of Beijing and the lives of its people in the 1930s and 40s. A key lot in the upcoming Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic sale, presented by Doyle, is a photograph from the 1930s. This piece by Morrison shows the palatial heart of China, the Forbidden City.
Also included in the auction is a Chinese celadon jade censer with a cover. The first celadon pottery pieces were likely created in the Yue region during the second century CE. These pieces are mostly characterized by their semi-translucent green color. In the following centuries, these wares have undergone various changes in style and design. The sale also offers a Chinese cloisonné vase. The cloisonné technique involves applying colored enamels to different materials, which are then fired to bring out the design. This distinctive technique originated in ancient Egypt or the Byzantine Empire before later spreading to China. Register on Doyle to bid for the available items and view the full listings.
The upcoming Editions & Works on Paper Sale, presented by Phillips, brings together almost 250 examples of fine art. Featured among these lots is a Pop Art piece from Andy Warhol. The featured lot is a 1967 screenprint of Marilyn Monroe, one of the artist’s earliest works. He experimented extensively with his photographic silkscreen printing technique, which would later become create Warhol’s signature style.
The auction also showcases the work of Wassily Kadinsky, a pioneer of abstract modern art. He once described his experience with abstract art: “I saw all my colors in spirit, before my eyes. Wild, almost crazy lines were sketched in front of me.” Available in this sale is a portfolio of 12 Kadinsky prints, including drypoints, woodcuts, and lithographs. The auction also includes Joan Mitchell’s Sunflowers III. Many of her works, including the available piece, were influenced by Abstract Expressionism. To view more of these lots and register to bid, visit Phillips.
