American sculptor Louise Nevelson exhibited her art across America and internationally. Famous for her monochromatic painted wood sculptures, Nevelson’s art style was a mix of Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, and modern art. Besides sculptures, the revered artist explored different branches of printmaking. A multi-color aquatint etching by Nevelson, titled Celebration #5, is a key highlight of the upcoming auction from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation. Rendered in 1979, the composition has colorful and textured prints against Nevelson’s signature black background.
An artwork titled Air by Italian artist Francesco Clemente is another notable lot in the sale. It was produced in 2007. Clemente is an Italian contemporary artist whose works often symbolize mysticism and spirituality. The available lot depicts a human face partially covered with cloud-like shapes. Proceeds from this event will benefit students of art, and bidders can find posters, sculptures, jewelry, and photography. Collectors interested in jewelry can particularly consider an engraved medallion necklace designed by Elisa Melegari. Visit Bidsquare to view the complete catalog for this 2023 MassArt Auction – Silent Auction and other online auctions.
Italian-born American artist Harry Bertoia was a well-known sound art sculptor and furniture designer. In the 1950s, the artist once accidently broke a metal rod while welding. It emanated a sound that became his obsession. From then on, Bertoia began to capture the sound of his sculptures. He designed and recorded a series called Sonambient, which consisted of 11 vinyl LP albums. One such Sonambient sculpture by Bertoia is a key highlight of the upcoming sale at Alex Cooper Auctioneers. The 41-brass-rod installation is made of bronze silicon and beryllium copper.
An oil on panel by Emilio Sánchez Perrier leads the fine art section of the catalog. Titled The Stream, it is a finely-detailed landscape depicting a stream and the surrounding greenery. Internationally-acclaimed painter Martín Rico y Ortega was a major influence on Perrier. Another striking oil painting is Raoul Middleman’s Baltimore Harbor. Painted from the top of the Foundry Building, Baltimore, it is an Expressionist work noteworthy for the artist’s dramatic brushstrokes and earthy palette. Visit Alex Cooper Auctioneers to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Paintings, Furniture, Decorative Arts, & Fine Rugs sale.
The gestural nature and the use of collage and found objects link Jim Dine’s paintings with art movements like Abstract Expressionism and Neo-Dada. Dine (b. 1935) is an American artist whose career extends over 60 years. Dine’s paintings of flora, skulls, birds, and figurative self-portraits capture his intense autobiographical reflection and criticism of self. Details from Nancys Garden (from The Temple of Flora) is a rare limited-edition artwork by Dine and a strong example of the combination of his techniques. Created in 1984, it has dry point engraving and an electric tool with hand-coloring on Rives BFK paper. This hand-signed painting of a collage of flowers by Dine with the inscription “Happy Birthday 3.7.84 JD,” is available in the Buds of Spring Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art with Dane Fine Art this April.
Another rare find in this sale is a limited-edition, original dry-point etching with hand coloring on paper by Louis Icart. It is a hand-signed etching of a young person with a dog riding a motorcar in a painting titled Motorcar (circa 1923). Louis Icart (1888 – 1950) mastered the techniques of 18th-century French masters. His paintings often portray women with pets in familiar circumstances, yet in a visually appealing manner. The sale offers more than 1,000 original artworks from the 21st century’s celebrated and diverse artists. Visit Bidsquare for more information on the upcoming Buds of Spring Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art and browse other online auctions.
For the 1967 model year, Chevrolet launched the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro, a muscle car, in late 1966. A rear-wheel drive hardtop or convertible was available on this model. There were several packages offered on the first generation, but only three of them were standard: RS, SS, and Z/28. A performance package, the SS featured a 350 cubic inch or 396 cubic inch V8 engine, suspension, and drivetrain upgrades, along with ‘SS’ lettering and side stripes. The first-generation Camaro was manufactured by Chevrolet until 1969 before being replaced with the second-generation version. A 1969 Chevrolet Camaro L89 will be a key highlight in the upcoming Houston 2023 sale, presented by Mecum Auction Company. The 1969 Camaro offered several engine options, but the L89 aluminum head big-block engine stood out as the most uncommon. By using aluminum heads, NHRA Super Stock race cars can deliver more horsepower while reducing front-end weight, improving front-rear weight distribution.
Another striking vehicle on offer is a 951 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe. There were a number of Cadillac models produced between 1940 and 1964 under the Cadillac Series 40-62. As a complement to the Cadillac Series 61, in 1959, it was renamed Cadillac Series 6200 before being changed to Cadillac Calais in 1965. Explore the complete collection of automobiles available in the Houston 2023 sale and register to bid online by visiting Mecum.
Julian Opie’s This Is Shahnoza 2 removes the usual notion of sensuality from pole dancing. This is a hand-signed and numbered silkscreen on somerset satin paper by Opie, made in 2006, available in this timed April Showers Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art from Dane Fine Art. It is numbered from a rare, limited AP edition of 11. “I hope [my paintings] have a powerful connection to reality, an ability to evoke reality,” Opie states, because he believes that an artwork observes and yet must exist within the reality it discusses. A graduate from Goldsmiths School of Art, Julian Opie has exhibited internationally. His works are in many noted art collections, including Tate, the British Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
La Maison Abandonnée, an artwork by Maurice de Vlaminck, is another notable lot. It depicts an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, completed in 1945. It has a gloomy mood with dull colors and a swirling cloud above. Maurice de Vlaminck (1876 – 1958) was a French painter. He is considered one of the principal figures of Fauvism. He used intense colors rather than realistic or traditional colors to emphasize or deemphasize his subjects. Also available in the upcoming auction are David LaChapelle’s chromogenic print of Anna Kournikova in an all-red ensemble, as well as Jim Dine’s The Red Talisman, a woodblock print over red house paint from a rare limited edition of five. Visit Bidsquare for more information on the upcoming April Showers Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art and browse other online auctions.
This April, Potter & Potter Auctions will present its Houdiniana sale. Among 345 lots, one of the star attractions is a Harry Houdini Straitjacket Escape. The heavy canvas jacket was once used by Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist Harry Houdini, also known as Ehrich Weiss. Overall in good condition, the jacket has a series of leather straps across the neck, back, arms, and waist. Houdini (1874 – 1926) took his straight jacket escape stunts to another level by suspending himself upside down from cranes and skyscrapers. The lot is accompanied by photographs, documents, and newspaper articles, tracing the ownership of the jacket from Houdini to his brother Hardeen, and then subsequent changes in ownership.
Collectors will also find a rough wooden crate belonging to Houdini. Dating back to 1915, the crate was used for transporting the artist’s props and personal articles. The sides of the panel have paper labels referring to the box contents and transportation. Several other Houdini treasures are on the block, such as unpublished personal documents, a gilt-framed mirror, a wooden ladder, and Caveney bottleneck handcuffs. Also listed is a finely sculpted bronze bust of the famed magician in coat and bow tie. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to find more information on the Houdiniana sale.
The candelabras of the Victorian era were usually made with silver, considered an opulent metal during the period. With electrical lighting still in its nascent stage in those days, these candle holders became highly popular. A vintage plateau-shaped candelabra acquired by Mary Hopkins Searles is a key highlight of the upcoming timed auction at Christie’s. Made of four clawed feet, it is adorned with raised openwork bosses of rosettes, flowers, pinecones, and palm leaves. The bowl stands on six taloned feet and is decked with Gothic foliage and grape clusters. Another striking silver piece is a Swedish mounted Podolian ox horn. The twisting horn with a cast frieze portrays classical figures and Vitruvian scrolls. A male archer figurine on top holds bow and arrow aimed at an eagle and serpent in a combative position. The base is encircled by another serpent battling a griffin.
A Portuguese model of the Taj Mahal also leads the catalog. Made of 18-karat gold, it is set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, opals, and pearls. The base and sides of the structure are engraved with foliate scrolls. Visit Christie’s to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Sculptural Silver and Works of Art from the Orange Blossom Collection sale.
A sterling silver dinner service in the Queen Anne style is among the leading lots in Showplace’s upcoming auction. Each piece has “James Robinson / England” with sterling and London markings. They also bear the date marks for 1966. The set comprises 11 luncheon forks, 11 dinner forks, 12 dinner knives, 12 tablespoons, 12 teaspoons, and ten butter knives. The knife blades are elegantly designed and have bold octagonal pistol-form handles. The vintage lot also includes seven small articles by various other makers including Atkins. Established in 1912, James Robinson has been selling exquisite sterling silver flatware for over a century.
An oil painting by American artist Johann Berthelsen is another notable lot in the sale. Titled The Bell Ringer, the artwork shows a New York City winter scene with snow-covered streets. Visible in the background is James Gordon Bennett Monument at Herald Square. Berthelsen (1883 – 1972) was an Impressionist painter whose popular works often depicted New York City in winter. The sale also offers decorative art, jewelry, fine art, and furniture. Visit Bidsquare to view the complete catalog for this New York City Estate Auction and other online auctions.
A southern California artist, John Okulick creates primarily geometric wood sculptures that utilize bold colors and simplified forms to add visual interest. His works “[provide] the viewer with a sense of depth, depth of space based on his ingenious construction of perspective,” states the artist’s profile on Art Brokerage. A 1984 wood assemblage by John Okulick, titled Mountain Flyer, will soon come to auction with John Moran Auctioneers. This irregularly-shaped work features Okulick’s signature along one side. Semicircles, rectangles, and triangles collide in this colorful piece. Additional artworks of note in the catalog include an 1873 ship painting by James Webb, a silver gelatin print of Louis Armstrong by Philippe Halsman, and an oil painting of a rural town by Janet Munro.
Beyond sculpture and fine art, the upcoming Studio Fine & Decorative Art – Online auction includes decorative art, furniture, Asian works of art, and collectibles. Leading this section of the catalog is a Gorham Medici sterling silver flatware service. This style was introduced by the company in 1971. The available 41-piece set includes knives, forks, teaspoons, bon bon spoons, and a cake server, among other items. The auction offerings range from a 21st-century luster-glazed porcelain chess set from Lladró to monumental Chinese porcelain vases. Visit Bidsquare to view the complete Studio Fine & Decorative Art – Online catalog and find other online auctions.
American artist Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt was well known for his paintings of seascapes, landscapes, and Native cultures of New Mexico. His compositions of nature often reflected strong emotions. Barridoff Auctions’ upcoming sale will feature one such work by Nordfeldt. Titled Flight of Birds (1946), the oil on panel includes a frame with signature and Passedoit Gallery label on the verso. Another significant oil painting in this sale is Montague Dawson’s Gliding Along, the Deb. The maritime-subject work is titled and inscribed “The new 5.5 meter yacht, y Nicholsons.” The British painter usually portrayed sailing ships such as warships/clippers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Rolph Scarlett’s abstract oil on canvas is another notable lot. The artist is famous for his lively geometric compositions. German-born American painter Wolf Kahn’s Magentato Yellow is a striking pastel on paper, noteworthy for its picturesque landscape and abstraction. It exemplifies his visualization of nature that combined realism and color field. He would use a vibrant and sprightly color palette in his works to depict forests and foggy morning scenes. To view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Spring 2023 International Fine Art sale, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.
