Through the early 20th century, Pictorialist photography emphasized the beauty, tonality, and composition of its subject matter rather than reality. During the 1950s, photographers abandoned Pictorialism for Modernism. This style of photography produced works with a sharp focus and an emphasis on formal qualities. The upcoming Christie’s auction includes 89 lots from both artistic movements, as well as everything in between.
Showcased is a printed photograph from Edward Steichen. This photo shows a bouquet of roses and is titled Heavy Roses, Voulangis, France, 1914. It is thought to have been printed between the late 1950s and the 1960s. Also highlighted is a Clarence Hudson White platinum print from 1907. This image captures three children playing outside near a body of water. Photographs and prints by Dorothea Lange, Gertrude Käsebier, and Homer Page can also be found. To view more items from the 80 Years of Photography auction and to register to bid, visit Christie’s.
Pop artist Andy Warhol is best known for his sketches and photographs of Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven contrasts with the more contemporary figures in Warhol’s work. The upcoming Bonhams auction presents a Lenox museum board screenprint from the Beethoven portfolio. Titled Beethoven FS II.391, this piece shows the composer with the notes to ‘Sonata No.14’ impressed on top. Beethoven resembles a rock star in this work. Also showcased are Warhol’s screenprints of John Wayne, Mick Jagger, and Dracula. Another highlight is a 1982 I Love Liberty color screenprint on Arches 88 paper by Roy Lichtenstein.
American painter Wayne Thiebaud first became popular through his Pop Art pieces. However, the artist claims to be a lover of classical painting and often incorporates it in his depictions of cakes and pastries. A drypoint and aquatint piece by Thiebaud titled Four Cakes, from Recent Etchings I is notable, as well as a painting and a partially glazed earthenware pitcher by Pablo Picasso. Works by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Jasper Johns, and Ellsworth Kelly are also included in the Prints & Multiples auction. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bonhams.
Luxury watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Master Control in 1992. With its launch, the firm also introduced a rigorous testing period of 1,000 hours. Product accuracy and resistance to temperature, air pressure, shocks, magnetic fields, and water resistance is assessed. The Master Control became the first watch to undergo the test, setting a new benchmark for quality standards. Featured in the upcoming Premier and Emporium Auctions event, offered by Brunk Auctions, is a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control watch. Other timepieces available in this sale include a Rolex GMT Master II and a Patek Philippe pocket watch.
Beyond timepieces, this auction also includes over 100 lots of fine and decorative art. Leading these is an oil painting by Svend Svendsen, titled Lake Scene with Birch Trees. Originally from Norway, Svendsen is known for his rural scenes, marine views, and snowy landscapes. Also available is a set of seven American Gold Eagle coins. This lot from 1986 includes one quarter-ounce and six half-ounce Gold Eagles. Explore the full catalog for this auction and register to bid on Bidsquare.
The upcoming Premier Auctions sale, presented by Brunk Auctions, will highlight both 20th-century and contemporary artists, including Ivan Fedorovich Choultsé, Benjamin Cañas, and Harry Humphrey Moore. Choultsé was a landscape painter fascinated by the snowy scenes near St. Moritz. Court painter to Czar Nicholas II, Choultsé was appreciated for his portrayals of nature. Highlighted in this sale is his painting titled Lever du Soleil (Engadine), painted in shades of white and brown. This work is signed in the lower right corner and comes with a letter of authenticity. Also available is a piece titled Tangier by Harry Humphrey Moore, an American painter. He was among the first American artists to live and work in Japan.
Several pieces of war memorabilia can also be found. Among them is General Felix Zollicoffer’s sword. Born in Tennessee, Zollicoffer became a colonel in the Confederate Army in July of 1861. He led the first Confederate invasion of neutral Kentucky and was killed at the Battle of Mill Springs. View the entire collection and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Royal Doulton character mugs and cups, collectible books and jewelry, decorative arts, and more are available in the upcoming Spring No Reserve Collectibles Auction, presented by Whitley’s Auctioneers. Royal Doulton began in 1815 in London as Doulton & Co., before receiving a royal warrant and changing its name in 1902. The company is known for its ceramics, figurines, and character pieces. Featured in the auction are several character jugs, including the Auld Mac Owd Mac D5823. Designed by Harry Fenton and issued between 1937 and 1986, this piece was inspired by Sir Harry Lauder’s song Bang Went Sixpence. Another highlighted lot in the auction is a Royal Doulton Charles Dickens whiskey water pitcher jug. This 1937 raised-relief decoration jug shows scenes and characters from Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers.
A photograph of the 1900 Paris World Fair, an antique Chinese bronze ritual wine cup, and a Bell and Howell autoload vintage home movie camera will be featured as well. Several books complete the sale. View the entire catalog and register to bid on Bidsquare.
In August of 1993, Wizards of the Coast CEO Peter Adkison and his wife drove between game shops to promote a new card game called Magic: The Gathering. At first, very few people showed up to demo the new game, but Adkison and his wife noticed momentum was picking up. By December of 1994, a billion Magic cards would be printed. The series remains active to this day. Among the highlighted lots in the upcoming trading card auction, presented by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, is a 1994 Magic: The Gathering revised starter deck. The deck was one of the first revisions offered in the game’s history, and this lot comes to auction factory-sealed.
Pokémon card collectors can consider a featured first edition, holographic Dark Charizard card. This atypical depiction of Charizard was part of the 2000 Team Rocket Unlimited Singles Pokémon set. Among the card’s abilities is Continuous Fireball, which deals 50 damage points with each successful coin flip. Another Pokémon collectible available is a set of eight plush toys in the original store display case. Psyduck, Gengar, and Snorlax are among the Pokémon plushes in this lot. Those interested in this or any other item can register to bid on Bidsquare.
The upcoming Auction of Books and Documents of a Mexican Library, offered by Morton Subastas, will present primarily books, as well as photographs, illustrations, medals, and more. Of the rare and antique books up for bid is the first illustrated Spanish edition of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. This 1672 edition was printed in two volumes, with illustrations by Frederik Bouttats II.
Another bound item in the sale is the first edition of Manuel Maples Arce’s debut book of poetry, titled Andamios Interiores (Interior Scaffolding). The term “scaffolding” here is used by the author to refer to works in progress. Considered the first avant-garde book written and published in Mexico, it is presented as a milestone of the national literature. The book is divided into 4 parts, with a total of 10 poems.
Beyond books, a Keystone viewer with views of the Mexican Republic, a photograph of Maximilian’s vest and frock coat after his execution, and a medal of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle will be available. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Carl Adolph Buchner was a South African artist best known for his Modernist style. His paintings were greatly influenced by his 1957-1958 tour of Europe. Through his use of vibrant colors, Buchner’s portraits of children, young men, flower sellers, and harlequins often convey abstraction. His works are in the collections of the Rembrandt Art Foundation, the South African National Gallery, and the Pretoria Art Museum. In the upcoming Paintings & Drawings Online Auction, presented by Doyle, one of Buchner’s paintings will be highlighted. It shows a musician playing a banjo against a green backdrop.
A piece titled Portrait of the Artist’s Father is another key lot. It was painted by Malcolm Drummond, who created several notable works within the British Impressionist movement. The recurring subjects in his paintings were mostly urban scenes, figures, and interiors. Also among the 87 lots in this auction is an oil on canvas piece by the 19th-century American artist Edwin Graves Champney. He was known particularly for his depiction of life in New Hampshire. The available 1875 painting shows a view of a town above a river. To view the full catalog for the upcoming sale, visit Doyle.
Bruce Davidson, an American photographer, is best known for his sympathetic portrayals of communities on the margins. A selection of prints from Davidson’s East 100th Street series is a key lot in the upcoming Photographs sale, presented by Bonhams. After receiving a grant from the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts, Davidson photographed a single street in Harlem from 1968 to 1970. The auction house notes that the series was perhaps Davidson’s most influential body of work, showing life in what was then a particularly poverty-stricken area.
In 1926, Walker Evans went to Paris intending to write, but the Surrealists he met there had such great influence on him that he took up photography instead. Fascinated by his reflection, he shortly executed his first series of self-portraits. One piece from the series, titled 5 rue de la Santé, Paris, is among the featured lots. Also highlighted is Nick Brandt’s Elephant with Tattered Ears, Ambroseli. Brandt’s photography often captures the disappearing wildlife of East Africa. View all of these lots and register to bid at Bonhams.
Artists such as Andy Warhol, André Brasilier, and Diego Rivera, respectively pioneers in Pop Art, printmaking, and the mural movement, will be represented in the upcoming Modern & Contemporary Art auction, offered by Freeman’s. Warhol’s Chanel is one of ten images from his Ads series that drew upon media from the 1950s through the 1980s. The series included landscapes, portraits, and still lifes. This pencil-signed piece shows a No. 5 Chanel perfume bottle and was executed in 1985.
Ceramics are also showcased in this sale. Among the highlighted lots is a piece titled Face with Black Nose. It is the work of Pablo Picasso, who experimented with Cubism, Surrealism, and pottery throughout his career. The white earthenware clay vase is decorated with engobe carvings. Also featured in the auction is the work of Max Pechstein, a German Expressionist painter of the Die Brücke group. To view the entire collection and register to bid, visit Freeman’s.
