Featured in the upcoming Made in California Contemporary Art auction, offered by Bonhams, are two paintings from Sam Francis. The artworks, titled Los Angeles and Internalizing Van Gogh, were created in 1978 and 1985 respectively. Francis used liberal brushstrokes and exuberant colors to express his eclectic interpretation of Abstract art. An American painter known for the scale of his paintings, he was also credited with playing an elemental role in American post-war art’s international popularity.
Another work of contemporary art, a 1980 sculpture belonging to the estate of William and Josephine Roth, will be available in the auction. Small Horse, by Deborah Butterfield, is a three-dimensional model of a horse made of wood, metal, paper, and pampas grass. It stands 2.5 feet tall. Following Butterfield’s signature style, the piece uses mares to draw a metaphorical self-portrait and make a feminist statement. The event will also feature Thomas Houseago’s Drawn Face IV, as well as fine art and sculptures from Sam Durant, John McLaughlin, and Elmon Nelson Bischoff. Browse the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bonhams.
When Gio Ponti designed a building, he paid special attention to the furniture and decorative art that filled it. An architect, designer, and artist, Ponti was known to stay up for days on end to ensure every interior was to his liking. Several of his earthenware works lead the upcoming auction of 20th Century Decorative Arts, offered by Bertolami Fine Art. A 1927 piece designed by Ponti, titled Everything Awaits Us, is particularly notable. It measures 45 centimeters high and shows a winged figure leaning against a pedestal.
One of Ponti’s contemporaries is featured in the sale as well. Pietro Melandri often collaborated with leading Italian designers of the early and mid-20th century, drawing on Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles for his work. Available in this sale is a glazed ceramic flower box from Melandri. On the front, a woman holds a flowing piece of fabric above her head. Likely made in the 1920s, this piece was displayed in a Roman café for decades. Several ceramic plates and jugs from Guido Gambone, a terracotta vase from Salvatore Meli, and a selection of vintage ceramic figures complete the auction. Visit Bidsquare to view each of these lots and register to bid.
A selection of fine wines, along with Doc Swinson’s bourbon whiskey and Jim Beam whiskey in Ducks Unlimited decanters, can be found in the upcoming Fine Wine and Rare Spirits auction. Highlighted in this Leland Little event are three bottles of 2009 Chateau Pontet Canet Magnums. This wine is aged for 16 months in oak barrels in a vineyard composed of quaternary gravel. Its fragrances include blackcurrant and blackberries with subtle notes of cedar.
Three bottles of 2013 Verite are also showcased. This wine has received critical acclaim and celebrates the quality of fruit grown in Sonoma County, California. Hints of “graphite, cedarwood, charcoal, crème de cassis, and forest floor” can be found in this wine. View the complete listings and register to bid by visiting Leland Little.
Specializing in lifestyle products and leather, Hermès named its famous Birkin handbag after the English actress Jane Birkin. She met Jean-Louis Dumas, the son of Robert Dumas-Hermès, in a coincidental encounter. After she complained to him about how inadequate her bag was for daily use, Dumas invited her to France and the two co-designed the Birkin handbag. Among the key highlights of the upcoming Fashion Vintage auction, presented by Finarte, is a range of Hermès Birkin bags. An available blue jean Birkin bag is designed with gold hardware, while a toupe version is styled with palladium. Another Hermès lot in the sale is a gray wool and cashmere poncho designed with black leather details and trim.
The auction also features a pearl grey mink sleeveless jacket with edelweiss flower detailing and Italian artisan tailoring. A dark blue wool crèpe sleeveless dress, suit, and jacket designed with six jewel buttons is offered as well, along with a burgundy-colored cape and skirt set from Yves Saint Laurent. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Guatemalan artist Carlos Mérida was one of Latin America’s pioneer Modernists. Mérida was one of the first artists to fuse Modern European paintings to Latin American themes, especially those related to Guatemala and Mexico. In his career spanning nearly seven decades, Mérida adopted three major painting styles: figurative, Surrealist, and geometric. The upcoming Morton Weekly sale, presented by Morton Subastas, offers a gouache piece from Mérida. This 1939 work shows biomorphic figures with elongated heads and abbreviated bodies.
Rufino Tamayo was a Mexican painter and printmaker known for his large-scale murals and folk motifs. Tamayo helped garner international attention for Mexican art. “Art is a means of expression that must be understood by everybody, everywhere,” Tamayo said. “It grows out of the earth, the textures of our lives, and our experience.” Featured in this sale is a lithograph by Tamayo. Titled Figure of the Olmec Culture, the work shows a woman wearing a headdress and some ornaments, sitting with her legs crossed. This sale also includes a selection of wine and spirits, carved ivory sculptures, and gold and diamond jewelry. Explore the full listings and register to bid online by visiting Bidsquare.
Howard, Davis, & Dennison Company, which later came to be known as American Waltham Watch Company, began its operation in Massachusetts in 1850. Over the next hundred years, the company produced a range of items, from pocket watches to speedometers. Waltham was the first to mass-produce a complete watch under one roof. One of Waltham’s pieces is featured on the second day of the upcoming Important Summer Estates Auction, presented by Crescent City Auction Gallery.
Jewelry collectors can find several notable pieces in this auction, including a platinum dinner ring set with tanzanite. Also known as blue zoisite, the blue and violet gemstones are mined commercially at only one location in Tanzania. Blue zoisite was later named after the country where it was discovered. Also highlighted is a white gold link necklace with graduated, oval-shaped sapphires. Round diamonds circle each of the 45 links. A 20th-century Continental dining table with a glass top is available as well. It is supported by an urn-shaped center decorated with fruit on top. View these or any other items and register to bid on Bidsquare.
A platinum ring with a Kashmir blue sapphire weighing 4.81 carats is featured in the upcoming Spring Auction, presented by Grogan & Company. Kashmir sapphires have gained popularity for their signature velvet-like hue. This Marcus & Co. ring belonged to Nannette Eleanor Hoover Campanella, the first female head cheerleader of the Ohio State University team. Dr. Lawrence B. Dietrich Jr., a missionary priest, used this ring to propose to her in the 1970s. A second marriage for Campanella, the ring marked the beginning of a long and happy life together.
Another key lot featured in the auction is a gouache painting by Jane Peterson, a 19th-century American Impressionist painter. When many of her fellow women artists were painting domestic spaces, she was capturing scenes from around the world seen during her travels. The subject of this piece is Campo Santa Margherita, a Venetian landmark.
Mother and Child, a portrait by Henry Francois Farny, is also among the featured lots. It shows a Native American mother carrying a toddler on her back. The background and emotive faces of the subjects show the artist’s skill in painting details and landscapes. Farny developed an interest in Native American life after growing up near a Seneca Indian reservation in Western Pennsylvania. Theodore Roosevelt once remarked, “[Farny is] preserving for future generations phases of American history that are rapidly passing away.” To view more works from the mentioned artists, as well as jewelry, furniture, Asian art, watches, and collectibles, visit Bidsquare.
Robert Mapplethorpe was known for his black and white photographs of celebrities and both male and female nudes. His often controversial images sparked many discussions and debates about the right to freedom of expression. The upcoming auction, presented by Swann Auction Galleries, highlights the work of Mapplethorpe featuring the first World Women’s Body Building Champion Lisa Lyon. The 1980 silver print shows Lyon with her face covered by an elaborate hat while her arms are clearly visible.
The American Monument by the prominent photographer Lee Friedlander is also presented. This set of ten original silver prints is a deluxe edition published by the Eakins Press Foundation. Considered an inspirational photography book, The American Monument contains pictures of hidden historical monuments around the United States. Another highlight is a 1985 silver print of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat taken by Michael Halsband, a documentary filmmaker. The comic portrayal of the artists in boxing attire captures their friendship and competitive spirit. A print of the celebrated V-J Day in Times Square photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt is also notable. Works by Ansel Adams, Robert Frank, and Eliot Porter round out the sale. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Swann Auction Galleries.
The upcoming Sotheby’s auction will offer a painting by Jacob van Loo, a prominent artist from the Dutch Golden Age. Titled Danaë, the work captures a Greek myth of a princess locked in a brass room. This work shows the princess lying on her navy blue bed, surrounded by gold coins. Her maidservant stands beside her. Van Loo explored this myth in great depth during his career.
This auction also showcases artists such as Francesco Albani, François-Xavier Fabre, Caspar Netscher, and Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld. Albani’s available unframed painting shows Venus, a Roman goddess, surrounded by cherubs. They are helping her prepare for the day, combing her hair and offering mirrors and pearl necklaces. Albani was an artist from Italy’s Baroque period, trained in Annibale Carracci’s studio. For more information on these lots, visit Sotheby’s.
Silverware underwent many changes during the reign of George III. During his first few years in power, George II-style silver was still in use. It was only after the American Revolution that silverware returned to simpler forms from the Queen Anne period. After 1790, the demand for intricate designs was back. The upcoming Doyle auction presents a set of George III sterling silver dinner plates. This set of 24 plates has a gadroon border and heraldic arms engraved along the rim.
The auction also features several carpets and tapestries. A 19th-century Tabriz carpet from Northwest Persia is particularly featured. This ivory and red carpet has a central scalloped pendant medallion and a leafy vine border. Also showcased are Heriz, Bidjar, Bakshaish, Senna, and Agra carpets along with Aubusson and Flemish Verdure tapestries. Regency furniture, bronze sculptures, and timepieces will be available as well. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Doyle.
