Born to Dutch parents in London, Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661) painted many portraits of English gentry in his lifetime. In most of his early works, the portraits were painted within a feigned oval frame. One of the leading lots in the upcoming Period Antiques, Fine Art, & Decorative Arts – Online-Only auction, presented by Ahlers & Ogletree, is Johnson’s oil on canvas portrait of Sir Edward Walker, Garter Principal King of Arms (1611-1677). The painting depicts Walker in a fictive oval cartouche, wearing a cambric collar and badge. After the execution of Charles I, he followed Charles II into exile, also serving as Clerk of his Privy Council at The Hague in 1649. This portrait was likely completed during Walker’s time at The Hague.
Another highlight is a 20th-century Iranian wool Serapi rug, designed with geometric floral motifs. The sale also features a 17th-century Spanish walnut vargueno cabinet. The intricately carved and partially gilded cabinet has ten floral-painted, bone inlaid drawers with Solomonic columns. A central door with scrolled pediment detail opens to reveal three additional drawers. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Strongly influenced by his grandfather, David Smith began pursuing painting and sculpture at a young age. Describing his passion for art, he reflected, “When art exists it becomes a tradition. When it is created, it represents a unity that did not exist before.” Known as an Abstract Expressionist sculptor and painter, Smith worked as a welder at automotive factories before he decided to pursue his art. His welding skill later proved to be useful when he welded together found objects for his works. Smith’s style would eventually evolve from early Surrealism to geometric abstraction. An example of his earlier work, from 1958, will be highlighted on the first day of the upcoming Millea Bros Select auction, presented by Millea Bros. Ltd.
Bringing together the works of noted artists such as Line Vautrin, Jean-Baptiste Huynh, and John Wells, this sale of over 300 lots will include categories such as decorative art, furniture, and ethnographic pieces. A photograph from the lens of Jean-Baptiste Huynh is among the lots of interest. The self-taught photographer mastered the techniques of lighting and printing, which lead to the development of his Minimalistic style. Such Minimalism can be seen in his work titled Ethiopie-Portrait VI, which is available in this event. An abstract painting from John Wells and a Surrealist sculpture from Jens-Flemming Sorensen will be offered as well. To view the full catalog and register to bid, visit Bidsquare.
Diane Arbus is known for her black and white photographs capturing various marginalized groups. Her interest in photography developed after she received her first camera from her husband, Allan Arbus. Together with her husband, Arbus contributed to many popular magazines, including Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, and Seventeen. The upcoming auction, presented by Christie’s, highlights a photograph titled Family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N.Y. by Arbus. This gelatin silver print was part of her 1968 assignment for The London Sunday Times.
The auction will feature a gelatin silver print titled Mcclellanville, S.C. (Barber Shop Through Screen Door) by Robert Frank, a Swiss photographer, filmmaker, and author. Also offered are still-life images and portraits from the 20th-century photographer and printmaker Irving Penn. Prints from Penn’s flowers series for Vogue and studio portraits of tradespeople from his Small Trades series are particularly highlighted. Completing the auction are works from contemporary artists such as Hiroshi Sugimoto and Thomas Ruff, along with Polaroid prints by Ansel Adams and Andy Warhol. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Christie’s.
The Decoy & Sporting Art Sale, offered by Guyette and Deeter, is anchored by hand-carved bird and fish decoys. A hollow-carved swan made by Charles Birch is among the leading lots. A boatbuilder, waterman, and decoy carver from Willis Wharf, Virginia, Birch’s skill as a decoy artist is well known among collectors. Used as confidence decoys, few of these working swan pieces are known to exist today. Another available decoy is a willet by William Bowman, a master carver from Long Island, New York.
Beyond decoys, there are several works of sporting-related fine art, including original aquatint paintings by John James Audubon. Additionally, the catalog offers etchings from artists such as Roland Clark, Frank W. Benson, and Richard Bishop. Other collectible items in the sale include antique shell boxes, powder tins, a vintage salesman’s sample case of spear tips, and more. Completing the sale are several hunting-related items and handmade bird calls from makers such as Fred Jolly, Claude Stoe, and Neil Cost. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
The USS Mahan (DLG-11) spent over 30 years in various deployments during the Vietnam War and other conflicts. A Farragut-class guided missile destroyer, the Mahan was named in honor of Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, a renowned naval officer, author, and historian. The ship was scrapped in 2004 but was first the subject of a professional miniature model. This piece, which leads the upcoming Hilman Walker Collection of World War I & II Posters sale, was made by a professional artisan based out of State College, Pennsylvania. It measures 64 inches long, a fraction of the ship’s actual length of 512.5 feet.
The auction, offered by Turner Auctions + Appraisals LLC, will include selections of ship memorabilia alongside the miniatures. Sets of Lamberton china, Manhattan-pattern flatware, and dinner napkins from various ocean liners are particularly featured. Vintage war posters form the majority of the auction’s catalog, however, sourced from the collection of a San Francisco Bay Area lawyer. A Vietnam-era roadside billboard is one of the largest lots coming to auction, measuring 21 by almost 9 feet. It shows an American soldier gazing earnestly at the viewer with parachutes dotting the sky behind him.
Many of the available World War I posters appeal to the conscience of America, including a relief campaign piece showing a young woman with her palms outstretched. Both British and American posters also called to citizens’ sense of patriotism and duty: “Be honest with yourself,” reads a quote on a 1915 British poster, “Be certain that your so-called reason is not a selfish excuse.” View each of these lots and register for online bidding on Bidsquare.
Xavier Esqueda is a self-taught Postwar artist who often explored the principle of perspective and American Pop Art in his works. The upcoming auction, presented by Morton Subastas, offers an acrylic on canvas titled The Roof of the Architect by Esqueda. Another Mexican artist featured in the event is Héctor De Anda, who considers memory to be an important theme in his work. He often experiments with different materials and techniques, transforming them into a plastic form. Spina di Pesce, a sculpture by De Anda, is a notable piece in the auction. This fishbone sculpture is made of 33 onyx carvings on a metal base.
Also showcased is a mask from the 1979 Open Mind and Empty Head series by Mathias Goeritz. He was a leading artist who introduced Modern art and emotional architecture in Latin America. Inspired by pre-Hispanic clay sculptures, the offered bronze mask shows the artist’s early Minimalist style. A lithograph by Joan Miró and a bronze sculpture by Enrique Jolly are also featured. The auction house’s online-only weekly auction offers 300 lots that also include antique furniture, jewelry, wines and spirits, Persian rugs, and books. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
The North American Auction Company is offering jewelry, fine art, collectibles, and more in the upcoming American Indian & Western May Sale. Included among the jewelry lots is a new 13.48-carat diamond and 14-karat white gold tennis bracelet that comes complete with paperwork. At a total length of seven inches, this bracelet features 40 brilliant-cut natural diamonds.
In the couture and textile lots, an Indian Wars split buffalo horn war bonnet can be found. This piece dates back to the 1880s and includes an American bison hide cape. The headdress is beaded in a geometric pattern common in the 19th century. It is attributed to the Blackfoot Tribe in the Waterton Lakes region of Northern Montana. Other items highlighted in the auction include a purple-pink sapphire and diamond ring, a framed Buffalo Bill Lewis and Clark ten-dollar bill, and a 1788 hand-hewn and carved wood spinning wheel. For the complete catalog and to register to bid, visit Bidsquare.
The Hammerman Brothers – Benjamin, Bernard, and Hyman – were the descendants of an Eastern European craftsman. After their service in World War II ended, the trio set up a jewelry manufacturing company. As they expanded their business, they acquired the Bermont Diamond Company, securing an in-house supply of gems. An 18-karat gold, diamond, and pearl necklace by Hammerman Jewels is one of the leading lots in the upcoming Fine Jewelry and Watches auction, presented by Hampton Estate Auction. Another highlight of the sale is a Patek Philippe Aquanaut steel watch (ref 5167 1A) designed with a black embossed dial, white Arabic numerals, and a self-winding mechanical function. The Swiss luxury watchmaker is known for manufacturing some of the most complicated mechanical watches in the world.
The auction will also feature a Rolex Yacht-Master II blue bezel steel watch. Designed to be a sports watch, the Yacht-Master was first introduced in 1992. The company released the Rolex Yacht-Master II regatta chronograph watch in 2007. It is known to be the world’s first watch equipped with a programmable countdown from 1 to 10 minutes and a mechanical memory. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Marie Laurencin, a celebrity portrait artist, has created many surreal representations of women such as Coco Chanel in her signature painting style. In her piece titled Rose (1935), Laurencin captures a young girl in a dreamlike version of reality. Her color palette includes muted pinks, dove grays, and mint greens, and her lines are influenced by ancient Islamic art. This oil on canvas piece is available in the upcoming auction of Modern, Post War, and Contemporary paintings, presented by Capsule Auctions.
A broad selection of fine art is on offer, alongside some sculptures by noted artists. One such piece is from Bernar Venet, a French conceptual artist noted for a large sculpture series erected along a Belgian highway. His internationally acclaimed projects are greatly influenced by Minimalism and backed by logic. A sculpture inspired by his highway series will be available in this sale. Arc 97.5 Degrees uses horizontal pieces of steel, bunched together at a sharp angle. View the entire catalog and register to bid online on Capsule Auctions.
Art Deco emerged in 1925 as a result of the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. Jewelry made in the Art Deco era was typically fashioned in either white gold or platinum, arranged in simple shapes and clean lines. Pavé settings became popular during this time and custom-cut gems such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires were featured prominently. The upcoming Auction VIII – A Collection of Fine Jewelry, presented by Intervendue, features several Art Deco jewelry pieces. Highlighted among them is a diamond and sapphire bracelet set in platinum.
A white gold Bulgari Parentesi ring is also available. Introduced in the 1980s, Parentesi was designed especially for working women. The design took its inspiration from Rome’s travertine pavement with junctions linking stone blocks. Another lot of interest is an 18-karat white gold flower ring. This piece has a pearl in the center surrounded with full- and baguette-cut diamonds. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on Bidsquare.
