The upcoming Fine Photographs and Artifacts sale, offered by RR Auction, will particularly highlight a handwritten church cantata manuscript from Johann Sebastian Bach. This fragment belongs to the Ich habe meine Zuversicht (BWV 188) vocal composition and dates back to circa 1728. The fragment displays 11 ½ bars from the conclusion of the fourth movement, scored for alto vocals with cello and organ obbligato. The auction house notes that this fragment of the BWV 188 score may have been among the documents auctioned by the great composer’s son in 1774. It was eventually passed to Nora Kluge (née von Hase) of Lübeck in the early 1900s and then to various North American collections. Another notable document in the sale is a signed letter from Ludwig van Beethoven to Franz Christian Kirschhoffer. The letter invites Kirschhoffer to Beethoven’s home for lunch and notes some business affairs. The recipient was involved in the shipment and delivery of Beethoven’s Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123, considered a masterpiece.
Additional lots of interest in this sale include a painting from American artist Oleg Jones depicting Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president. Jones completed the work in 2022 with acrylic paint, resin, and glass. It is signed by both the artist and Zelensky; photos of Zelensky signing the work in his office will accompany the lot. With over 900 items, this sale presents a wide range of fine art, ephemera, and collectibles ranging from Albert Einstein photographs to books signed by John Lennon. Visit Bidsquare to learn more about the Fine Autographs and Artifacts sale and browse other online auctions.
Leading Hindman’s upcoming Watches auction is an 18-karat white gold wristwatch by luxury French jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels. The Pont Des Amoureux watch comes with a retrograde display wherein a woman with an umbrella indicates the hours, while a man holding a flower shows the minutes. It comes with a diamond bezel, grisaille enamel dial, and an 18-karat white gold and diamond buckle. It has a 38.00 mm case diameter. Le Pont des Amoureux watches were launched in 2010 by Van Cleef & Arpels.
Wristwatches from Patek Philippe, Rolex, Cartier, Dewitt, Tiffany & Co., and Audemars Piguet is available in this upcoming event. From Dewitt comes an 18-karat rose gold Academia Mathematical watch. It has a 42.5 mm case diameter. The multi-layered black dial comes with golden numerals. The open case back bears a Dewitt Academia Geneve stamp complete with safety screws. Also on offer is a Rolex 18-karat yellow gold Submariner watch and exquisite pocket watches with an array of limited edition pieces from Cartier and A. Lange & Söhne. Visit Hindman to find more information on the Watches sale and to place a bid.
A Coolidge draped Bellevue kerosene stand lamp will lead the upcoming 19th & 20th Century Lighting auction from Jeffrey S. Evans & Assoc., Inc. The stand lamp has jade-like opaque green color, Coolidge drape, and matching translucent chimney-shade with light opalescence. It features a Taplin-Brown collar fitted with a slip burner. It was manufactured around the fourth quarter of the 19th century by Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass & Glass Co. Gas, paraffin, and kerosene lamps have been a popular lighting fuel since they were invented and reinvented in 1813 by John Tilly and later in 1846 by Abraham Pineo Gesner. The auction house will offer a large assortment of early to late kerosene lighting, plus fluid lighting from the Jim & Oneida Hayes collection and the Robert Lee Turcato estate.
A translucent, starch blue Ripley wedding stand lamp is another notable lot in this sale. It is a kerosene stand lamp with starch blue fonts and match holder and a starch blue tall recessed-panel base. The foot has an embossed inscription that reads “RIPLEY & CO / PAT FEB 1ST 1870.” The lamp has Scoville Queen Anne slip burners, a brass connector, and fine-line collars, probably made in the third quarter of the 19th century. The sale also has finger, miniature, banquet, and parlor lamps. Visit Bidsquare for more information on the upcoming March 2023: 19th & 20th Century Lighting, Day 2 sale and browse other online auctions.
In its upcoming sale, Potter & Potter Auctions will showcase Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle items from the collection of Robert Hess. Among the highlights are original illustrations, first editions, letters written by the author and actors portraying Holmes, notable movie posters, and signed photos. The sale also features rare ephemeral items from The Lost World, a Richard Lancelyn Green collection, Jeremy Brett estate items, and an original Baker Street sign. One of the top lots in the sale is an autograph manuscript for the article “The Argument from Necromancy” by Arthur Conan Doyle. In this article, Doyle responds to four questions sent to distinguished individuals in Spiritualism: Its Present-Day Meaning.
One of the key highlights of the sale is a collection of pirated editions dating back to the late 19th century, which flouted nascent copyright laws of the day. There was a 28-year American copyright at the time with possible renewal for another 28 years, while English copyrights lasted for the author’s lifetime plus 50 years. Doyle’s books could be printed by publishers without the need to pay him royalties due to this loophole, placing his work in the American public domain. Other notable lots in this sale include original pencil sketches by Deirdre Keetley, original storyboards and set design sketches by Michael Stringer, and a Cabinet card photograph with Doyle’s signature. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming A Study in Sherlock sale.
American sculptor André Harvey was famous for creating small and large-scale realistic bronze sculptures. The artist initially worked as a journalist and an educator. In 1969, he met and worked with an abstract sculptor, Michael Anasse Valauris, in France. Upon returning to America, Harvey began working in fiberglass and slowly adapted to bronze, collages, gold, and granite. The upcoming sale, presented by SebastianCharles Auctions, will feature a bronze sculpture titled A Gathering of Emperors by André Harvey. It depicts a group of emperor penguins waddling along an icy perch. The sculpture is affixed to a wooden base.
Also showcased is American artist Thomas Hart Benton’s lithograph titled Youth Music. Rendered in 1974, the artwork depicts young musicians and a joyful audience. Benton was fascinated by American vernacular music and often incorporated country ballads into his works. The upcoming sale also presents an Art Deco desk clock from Tiffany, George Molnar’s oil on canvas titled Newborn, a Chinese hand-carved wood dining table, and limited edition watches from Rolex and Omega as well. Visit Bidsquare to view the complete catalog for this April 4th Spring Auction and other online auctions.
Highly popular during the Victorian period, a cylinder cabinet is a type of furniture that has a curved upper section. These cabinets usually have hidden compartments and multiple cubbies. A Victorian cylinder secretary cabinet made of carved and parcel ebonized wood is a key highlight of the upcoming sale by Showplace. It features mother of pearl keyhole covers and drawer pulls. Another noteworthy piece of furniture is a Herman Miller mid-century modern sofa. Upholstered in black, it’s a three-seater with solid back and seat and six stainless steel feet. The company is known for creating functional furniture for homes and offices.
A modern Turkish rug woven with wool also leads the catalog. The cream-colored piece is adorned with medallion motifs. The origins of Turkish carpets are rooted in the nomadic history of the Central Asian region. The wandering tribes lived in tents and the portable rugs provided much-needed comfort. The sale also features a Dansk Danish porcelain dinner service set for eight. Adorned with the Tivoli Gardens pattern, each piece has overglaze black marks on the underside. To view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Showplace Backstage, Astoria, NY sale, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.
The joy of living and celebrating life is visible in Milton Avery paintings such as Woman by the Sea. Avery (1885 – 1965) was an American Colorist who earned the title for his imaginative and expressive use of the palette. He used distinctive colors and pure interlocking forms. His portraits are faceless, and human bodies form vivid shapes that mimic their environment. Woman by the Sea is a figural seascape painted in 1944, available in Christie’s upcoming Modern American Art auction. This painting was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1960.
Christie’s inaugural sale of Modern American Art will present curated 20th-century American paintings, works on paper, and sculptures. Notable works include Edward Hopper’s 1942 watercolor Four Dead Trees, a rare John Sloan painting of New York, and a Charles Burchfield watercolor titled Haunted Twilight. Burchfield (1893 – 1967), a disciple of Henry Keller, was an American visionary artist known for his passion-filled paintings of nature and townscapes. Haunted Twilight, created in 1957, is a mixed media on paper laid down on board. Works of Western Modernism are featured as well, including Nicolai Fechin’s Cesarita in Violetand and Robert Henri’s Juanita. Visit Christie’s for more information on the upcoming Modern American Art sale and to place a bid.
A 1979 platinum palladium print of Irving Penn’s iconic portrait of his wife, titled Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), takes center stage in Phillips’ upcoming Photographs sale. The famed Vogue photographer took this picture in 1950, just months after his marriage to Lisa Fonssagrives, a Swedish painter, sculptor, ballet dancer, and model. Penn experimented with platinum printing starting in the 1960s. He sought the gray scale complexities offered by the antiquated method, yielding brilliant whites and soft grays. Phillips notes that platinum palladium printing was an expensive and technically challenging task that Penn embraced in his endless pursuit of photographic mastery. On the back of this print, Penn noted that he coated and exposed the work twice on Rives paper.
Another notable work in this sale is Cindy Sherman’s Untitled #546, a 2010 photo pair that was printed in 2012. These self-portraits are set against an Icelandic backdrop. The piece was commissioned by POP magazine. Sherman’s characters—posing awkwardly in vintage Chanel—appear larger than life in the close foreground. Notable black-and-white works in the catalog include a gelatin silver print of Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico and Sohei Nishino’s high-angle view of New York City from 2006. The latter work belongs to Nishino’s dizzying Diorama Maps series. To create the available work, the artist took thousands of photos of New York from various angles, constructed a massive collage using the raw material, and then photographed the final product to create a wall-sized print. The effect is a composite view of the city as both location and living organism. Additional lots of interest include prints by Robert Mapplethorpe, Diane Arbus, and Peter Beard. Visit Phillips auction to view the full catalog and register to bid in this Photographs sale.
Through early April, Bonhams Skinner will present a timed auction of furniture and decorative art from the Goddard Family Collections. This historically significant family has resided in Providence, Rhode Island for generations. The family produced the first newspaper printed in Providence in the 1760s, and their business endeavors would eventually give rise to the United States Postal Service. This sale of over 250 lots especially highlights antique American furniture, such as an exceptional carved and figured mahogany Chippendale dressing table. This circa 1765 piece contains Rococo details, claw feet, and elaborate carvings. Also available is a Massachusetts block-front mahogany chest of drawers that dates back to 1760.
Additional lots of interest include a set of 46 porcelain table items crafted in China in the late 18th or early 19th century. This dinner service features two bands of trellis and spearhead borders in gilt blue enamel. A heraldic shield can be found in the center of each item. Bidders can also consider a vivid porcelain plaque from the late 19th century. It was produced by the Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur). This painterly piece shows a young musician gazing down as a young woman sleeps on his knee. It is mounted in a giltwood frame. Visit Bonhams Skinner to view the complete catalog and browse The Collections of the Historically Significant Goddard Family of Providence, Rhode Island.
Joan Miró was a well-known Surrealist painter, printmaker, and sculptor. His works also used elements of Expressionism and Fauvism. Miró’s artwork reflects child-like drawings of abstract shapes and bright colors. His lithographs and etchings drew inspiration from nature, contemporary art movements, and dreamy objects. The upcoming Auctions at Showplace event presents an abstract lithograph by Miró. The available Plate III, Album 19 portrays his signature semi-abstract forms. Another highlight is a pair of Maison Boudet urns from circa 1900. The ormolu urns from the Belle Epoque era have malachite veneer coating. Made in the brule-parfums form, these urns feature intricate gilt adornments on their handles, base, and lids. Their design is attributed to early Louis XV-era sculptor Jean-Jacques Caffieri.
The auction also showcases multiple furniture pieces from luxury furniture designer Karl Springer. The available “Souffle” double ottoman by Springer has a brass base coated with gold veneer. Its jacquard upholstery in plain greige emphasizes Springer’s use of unconventional materials. The ottoman’s rounded construction and chic style are characteristic of Springer’s furniture designs. Also offered among furniture pieces is a set of 14 Venetian Rococo revival-style dining chairs. The emerald green chairs have Chinoiserie silk damask upholstery. They feature white and parcel-silvered signature shell motifs and cabriole legs. Other noteworthy lots include a set of Royal Crown Derby “Olde Avesbur” dinner plates, Rosenthal porcelain, Chanel bags and jewelry, Persian silverware, Marc Chagall artworks, and Christian Liagre furniture. Visit Bidsquare to register to bid in the New York City Estate Auction, April 23 and browse other online auctions.
