Celebrated filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock believed in using strong visual elements rather than lengthy dialogues to advance the storyline of his films. Hitchcock made this his trademark style and its influence is equally evident in his signature. The upcoming auction of Style + Design, offered by Charlton Hall Auctions, will feature a framed autograph caricature by Hitchcock. The autograph is a nine-stroke silhouette line drawing doodled by the filmmaker. It resonates with Hitchcock’s filmmaking ideology of manifesting himself through his work.
A platinum and diamond ring with a 3.0-carat square-cut emerald at the center will also be available at the event. The ring comes with a PGS gemological report indicating the color and clarity of each of the gems. Other lots of interest include vintage furniture, collectibles, and home decor. Browse the online catalog and register to bid at Charlton Hall Auctions.
Henry Moore was a prominent 20th-century sculptor known for his abstract bronze works. His style used organic curves and both animal and human forms to reflect the hills of his childhood home in Yorkshire. The upcoming Impressionist & Modern Art Auction, presented by Bonhams, offers a cast bronze piece by Moore titled Two Piece Sculpture No. 7: Pipe. An example of the artist’s mature work, Moore described the sculpture as “less representational, less outwardly a visual copy.” The influence of the Modernist sculptor Constantin Brancusi can be observed in this two-piece spatial cast bronze. Also included are sculptures by Aristide Maillol, Jacques Lipchitz, and Joseph Csaky.
The auction also highlights Femmes aux Perroquets, a partially glazed ceramic relief by Fernand Léger. A predecessor of Pop Art, Léger spent the last years of his life creating public art. He took up commissions to develop mosaics, stained-glass windows, and murals for churches and national monuments. Femmes aux Perroquets is a related form of Léger’s popular masterpiece Composition aux Deux Perroquets, painted in 1940. Through that post-war piece, the artist captured the optimism of humans by showing the working class enjoying time outdoors. The auction also offers works from Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso, Tullio Crali, Jean Dufy, and Jules Pascin. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bonhams.
In 1955, Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was commissioned to write a first-grade primer that children would enjoy reading. However, Geisel felt constrained by the list of words the publisher deemed appropriate for first graders. He scanned the list for two words that rhymed, eventually finding “cat” and “hat,” and decided to work from there. A signed, original sketch of the titular character of Cat in the Hat is among the highlighted lots in the Exceptional Estates Auction, presented by Blackwell Auctions.
The event features lots from various categories, including jewelry, watches, and both fine and decorative art. Bidders can consider an English 18-karat gold pocket watch from the 1870s. The watch was produced by Wales & McCulloch, which also made deck watches for the Royal Navy in the early 20th century. Also available is an untitled painting by Nicholas Davis. In the piece, bright, geometric shapes are combined to create the image of two men playing bongos. Those interested in this or any other lot can register to bid on Bidsquare.
The upcoming Ancient | Near-Eastern | Asian Art sale, presented by Artemis Gallery, highlights a painting by Masoud Yasami. An Iranian American artist, Yasami’s abstract multi-dimensional works deal with space, color, illusion, balance, and chaos. He uses a variety of mediums and materials to create his works. As the artist says, “For many years I have dealt with gravitational force as the drama in my work; for example creating the illusion of forcing a rod to bend or a sphere to fall out of its position of balance and harmony.” The available 1990 piece, Composition with an Open Door, shows cloudy skies, a flowing waterfall, a silhouette of a fern leaf, and a lily.
The auction also offers over 200 lots of decorative arts. Standing out among them is an ancient Hawaiian grey basalt adz. The basalt was likely quarried from Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the largest primitive rock quarry on the islands. Adzes were essential tools used to shape everything from canoes to idols. The available hand-knapped rock would have been used for cutting, smoothing, and carving wood. A 19th-century Isfahan tile is also notable. This eight-pointed ceramic tile features a man on horseback. Several birds and a hare are depicted on the blue background. View the full catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
William Edmondson, the first Black American artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, saw himself as a religious messenger rather than a sculptor: “I didn’t know I was no artist till them folks come tole me I was. Every piece of work I got carved… is a message… a sermon, you might say.” Two examples of his carved limestone sculptures will be featured on the first day of the upcoming Summer Fine Art, Antique, and Jewelry Auction, offered by Case Antiques. One shows a standing woman holding a book in her left hand while the other shows a small animal sitting back on its hind legs. Augusta Savage’s plaster and bronze patina Gamin sculpture will also be featured. Another notable Black American artist, Savage modeled this work after her young nephew.
Several notable jewelry lots are available, including a 1995 necklace from Piaget. This 18-karat yellow gold piece is set with three strands of brilliant-cut diamonds and a center emerald pendant. Both vintage and contemporary Rolex watches are offered as well. Among these is an Explorer from the early 1960s and a yellow gold Cosmograph Daytona made approximately 30 years later. View each of these lots and register to bid on Invaluable.
Daum was well known for its innovative take on glassware and Art Nouveau designs. The glassmaking company made a breakthrough when it collaborated with famous artists such as Salvador Dalí and Hilton McConnico. At the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Daum’s creative team introduced cameo glass, a layered glass technique that achieves a multicolored surface. A blue and purple vase from Daum France will be available in the upcoming Interiors @1600 auction, presented by Freeman’s.
The event also highlights a set of handmade vessels from Roycroft. By the end of the 19th century, Roycroft was recognized as one of the leading sellers of Arts and Crafts products. The company, formed by artists, craftspeople, furniture makers, and others, supported the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement. A yarn-sewn table rug by Elizabeth Quincy and Catherine Lippett Donnison is another key lot. This detailed piece from 1803 depicts a countryside scene, accompanied by a document from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. View the complete catalog for this sale and register to bid on the Invaluable website.
A wildlife enthusiast, John James Audubon was one of the most celebrated American natural history artists. He was devoted to his work and would travel to explore, observe, and draw the birds of North America. Between 1827 and 1838, he produced 435 life-size watercolors of a variety of birds in Birds of America. The upcoming Sporting and Military Auction, presented by Merrill’s Auctioneers & Appraisers, features several examples of Audubon’s work, including Swallow-Tailed Hawk and Little Owl.
The auction offers 400 lots that range from furniture and decorative art to firearms and jewelry. Standing out among them is a Rolex Oysterdate men’s wristwatch. A brand known for its contemporary design, Rolex introduced the first waterproof case for a wristwatch in 1926. With a waterproof crown, the piece is built to protect the insides from the elements. Another item of interest is an oak sideboard by Gustav Stickley. This piece reflects the Arts and Crafts movement that had emerged in the late 19th century. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Invaluable.
John James Audubon, one of the most celebrated American natural history artists, devoted his life to identifying and drawing the birds of North America. In the late 19th century, Audubon set out to travel through America’s wilderness, capturing every notable species. Once bankrupt, Audubon’s ambition and artistic talent culminated in the publication of Birds of America in segments between 1827 and 1838. The upcoming Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Plate Books sale, presented by Swann Auction Galleries, highlights Audubon’s work titled Great Blue Heron. The 1834 engraved plate shows a blue heron standing near a stream, stretching its neck toward the water.
The auction also offers over 50 lots of atlases. Standing out among them is Atlas Historique by Henri Chatelain. First published in 1705, Chatelain’s Atlas Historique was part of an immense seven-volume encyclopedia. Groundbreaking for its time, the work included geography, history, people, heraldry, and cosmography. A group of Native American plates by Karl Bodmer is also notable. He accompanied the German explorer Prince Maximilian on his Missouri River expedition and produced 81 aquatints. To view the full catalog and to register to bid online, visit Swann Auction Galleries.
The upcoming auction of Fine Art, Asian Antiques, Jewelry, and Porcelain, offered by Helmuth Stone Gallery, will highlight an original oil on canvas by Richard Hambleton. A Canadian artist known in part for his work as a street artist, Hambleton is also recognized for his gallery works of “shadow” figures. The available painting of a cat reflects that darker style.
One of the featured lots of Asian art is a pair of porcelain decorated wood panels with Tang Ying seal marks. Tang Ying was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet, and was considered one of the “Four Masters of the Ming dynasty.” Beyond these are works by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Emile Albert Gruppe, Salvador Dalí, Jesús Rafael Soto, and more. Among the works of jewelry up for bid is an 18-karat white gold and diamond Chanel Ultra ring; a vintage gold and diamond scroll chased bangle; a gold, aquamarine, and diamond pendant necklace; and more. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
The afternoon session of the 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, presented by Phillips, brings to auction over 100 fine art pieces. Featured among these lots is a painting from Damien Hirst’s Spin series, inspired by psychedelic imagery. Hirst creates these works by throwing paint at a canvas attached to a rapid-spinning device. The Flaming Lips, the American rock band who Hirst named this particular Spin painting after, even visited the artist’s studio to create their own painting in this style.
Contemporary art collectors can also consider Sterling Ruby’s spray-painted piece, SP188. “My work evolved from looking at graffiti, vandalism, the violence of tags in the streets, and other forms of visual aggression,” Ruby told L’Officiel Art in an interview. Also available are two smiling sculptures by Yue Minjun. Although the Beijing artist’s smiling self-portraits are often compared to Surrealist works, Yue believes them to be a more grounded effort to understand the world around him. These two particular sculptures were produced in 2003 and are numbered 15 and 16 of a 25-work edition. Those interested in this or any other piece can register to bid on Phillips’ website.
