The furniture developed under George II was marked by the predominance of mahogany wood in place of the previously-used walnut. Heftier proportions, architectural cornices, and richly carved cabriole legs characterized the bold designs. A pair of George II mahogany and parcel-gilt armchairs is a key highlight of the upcoming sale of the Ann and Gordon Getty Collection at Christie’s. Attributed to Paul Saunders, the ornately-decorated chairs feature cartouche backs with C-scrolls and foliage. They consist of arms with foliate terminals and elongated cartouches. The scrolling foliage on cartouche-carved legs ending in ball-and-claw feet is typical of the Georgian style. Another striking George II lot is a pair of giltwood pier mirrors. Attributed to Matthias Lock, the mirrors feature cartouche form frames with flower basket crests flanked by ho-ho birds. The sides are adorned with trailing floral garlands, ram masks, and fruit motifs. The influence of French Rococo aesthetics is particularly noteworthy.
A large Meissen porcelain dinner service set designed with the ‘Gelber Löwe’ pattern also leads the collection. Each piece is painted in the Kakiemon style with a prowling tiger figure. The border is decorated with varied basket-weave patterns and painted with floral sprays and insects. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Christie’s.
Camille Pissarro was an Impressionist painter well-known for featuring rural landscapes. His work portrays changing seasons through the impressive utilization of light and color theory. The upcoming Christie’s auction features an oil painting by Camille Pissarro. Effet de neige à L’Hermitage, Pontoise depicts a winter scene at Pontoise. As per Katherine Rothkopf, “Pissarro found the winter season to be most inspiring. His works explored all motifs of the season. These works also set him ahead of other painters working on effets de neige or snow effects.” The available painting depicts brick homes, green stretches, and trees. Pissarro was a master in painting snow elements using thick brush strokes.
The auction also presents multiple works by Edgar Degas. One highlight is a pastel drawing titled Deux Femmes Causant. The art piece depicts a conversation between two women at a racetrack. Degas’ work is noteworthy for exploring urban scenes, detailed drawings, and light use. A charcoal painting by early Modernist and Impressionist artist Édouard Manet is also noteworthy. The drawing of three dog heads features Manet’s simplistic style and suppressed transitional details. This auction of the Ann & Gordon Getty Collection also offers multiple watercolor paintings by Giacomo Guardi. The artist’s work featured scenes of Venice, Guardi’s native town. The available Rialto Bridge watercolor is among his sought-after compositions. Collectors can also explore the artworks of Fantin-Latour, Canaletto, Joli, and Sargent and register to bid online by visiting Christie’s.
Freeman’s upcoming Asian Arts auction will include a pair of Chinese Huanghuali yoke-back armchairs, a sancai-glazed pottery piece of a woman and baby, and a copper alloy figure of Akshobhya. The rare 17th- or 18th-century Chinese Huanghuali yoke-back armchairs featured in the auction measure 43 ½ inches high and 25 ½ inches wide. Both feature a serpentine crest on the wide center slat with carved slats on either side. The rectangular seat with an inset soft mat is joined by a box stretcher sitting over a shaped skirt with carved scrolls.
A copper alloy figure of Akshobhya, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, will also be showcased. The piece is thought to have originated in Nepal between the 14th and 16th centuries, or possibly earlier. The figure is shown sitting on a double lotus throne behind a vajra with the right hand touching the earth. Other items on offer include a very rare Chinese small sancai-glazed pottery figure of a woman and baby, a large blue and white “Kraak” porcelain jar, a Chinese carved white jade mythical beast, and more. Visit Freeman’s to view the complete list of lots and to place a bid.
An influential writer of his times, James Joyce (1882 – 1941) is well known for his avant-garde works, including the landmark novel Ulysses. In this Modernist story, Joyce draws parallels between the protagonist of the novel and the hero of Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. A copy of Ulysses’ first English edition is a key highlight of the upcoming Potter & Potter Auctions event. It is one of the 100 copies on mold-made paper signed by the Irish novelist. From a total edition of 1,000 copies, this one was reserved for presentation by the author. Published by Bodley Head in England, it is considered the most striking edition of Joyce’s masterworks.
Another noteworthy book of poetical works has two volumes in one with the early half having olive green leather gilt. It was presented to Ernest Shackleton and the officers of the Nimrod by a member of the Royal Geographical Society. The book has flyleaves with quotes by famous authors, including the ones by Shackleton’s favorite author, Robert Browning. The Antarctic explorer cherished poetry, and his love for Browning’s works has been finely documented by journalist Harold Begbie. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Potter & Potter Auctions.
Argentina-born artist Julio Le Parc is a pioneer in modern Op Art and kinetic art. A founding member of Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel, he experiments with light and abstraction. Continuel Lumiere – Colonne Lumineuse (1960 – 63), an installation comprising wood, metal and kinetic electric motor, is a key highlight of the upcoming Modern and Contemporary Art sale, presented by Gray’s Auctioneers LLC. In this work, Le Parc combines light with movement and space to create elements of kinetic art. The installation comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Atelier Julio Le Parc and also features a “Howard Wise Gallery” label on the underside of the pedestal. Another noteworthy work is British street artist Banksy’s Pulp Fiction (2004), a screen print in black and yellow on wove paper. The pseudonymous artist is known for such grainy and monochromatic prints dealing with various political and social themes.
Memories of Surrealism by Salvador Dalí also leads the listings. This lot is a set of 12 etchings with portfolio on colored lithographs on Japan paper by the Spanish Surrealist artist. These striking images with outlandish depictions exemplify Dalí’s technical mastery and precision in draftsmanship. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.
Though the term “objet de vertu” generally excludes items with practical function, artistic objects that are intended to exist primarily as show pieces are sometimes classified this way, as with the pieces in the Gold Boxes and Vertu auction available from Hindman. One example of such items is a cartouche-shaped box with a lid containing numerous European and rose-cut diamonds in various shapes. The gems are mounted in silver-topped gold and fixed on carved bloodstone with a yellow gold hinged lid. Though the box has obvious function, it exists primarily for the beauty of its own design.
Other items in the sale include a Cartier Art Deco diamond and platinum-mounted enamel compact, an Art Deco diamond-mounted gold and enamel cigarette case, a German gold and enamel bonbonniere, and more. Beyond containers and boxes there are several personal seals, such as a French gold, ruby and amethyst mounted agate hand-seal; a golden combination snuff box, scent flask, and hand-seal; and a Russian silver gilt and guilloche enamel-mounted rhodonite cigar holder. View any of these lots and register to bid on Hindman.
American painter and folk artist Frank Finney was born in Cornwall, England, in 1947. Finney was well known for his carvings. He used painted walnut, carved pine, stone, bone, and shell as his primary materials. Many of Finney’s works will be featured in this upcoming New England Auctions event, including a carved drummer boy whirligig. The intricate sculpture of a drummer boy in uniform is made of carved wood, paint, and metal.
Another vintage piece that will be available in the auction is a vintage Parcheesi game board. The mid-19th-century game board is designed with stars in red and green paint and is in an unusual coffin shape. The home base of the board is raised and has square nail construction. Parcheesi is a popular American version of the Indian cross and circle board game Pachisi. It is typically played with two dice, four pieces per player, and a board with a track around the outer, four corner spaces, and four home paths leading to the center end space. Collectors can also find a sculpture depicting four peacocks sitting on the branches of a tree with pineapple finial. Explore a range of items and register to bid in this and other online auctions on Bidsquare.
Cuban artist Loló Soldevilla worked at the height of the concrete art movement, which was dedicated to the artistic potential of geometric shapes and abstraction. Soldevilla was an avid traveler who distilled many influences into completely new work. A large mixed media painting by Loló Soldevilla leads Akiba Antiques’ upcoming Finishing Odds & Ends event. Created in the mid-20th century, this piece depicts interlocking circles, rectangles, and narrow bands against a slate gray background. Using Soldevilla’s characteristic style, the work uses bright pops of colors to accentuate overlaps, angles, and corners.
A selection of fine table- and teaware is also available in the sale. This includes a seven-piece Gorham sterling silver tea and coffee set in the Art Nouveau style. The set comes with its original tray. Swirling flowers cover each hand-hammered item, yielding whimsical shapes and elaborate spouts. Collectors can also consider an ancient Vietnamese Guom saber carried by officers of the 19th-century Nguyen dynasty. These types of blades emphasized workmanship and artistry, demonstrated here with the saber’s elaborate brass details with smoke motifs and mother-of-pearl insets along the scabbard. To view the complete auction catalog and register to place a bid, visit LiveAuctioneers.
Venetian canals and palaces have been an artistic hotspot for a long time. Canaletto or Giovanni Antonio Canal was an 18th-century Italian painter famous for portraying evocative views of Venice. His works were highly valued by art collectors and continue to retain great worth. One such Canaletto masterpiece will be sold from the collection of Ann and Gordon Getty at Christie’s New York on October 20. The Ann & Gordon Getty Collection: Volume 1 sale features a Canaletto painting that depicts the Grand Canal looking east with the Santa Maria Della Salute Church in the backdrop. The oil on canvas was one of two commissioned by English politician William Holbech shortly before 1750.
Another impressive lot is a painting by American Impressionist Mary Cassatt, titled Young Lady in a Loge Gazing to Right (circa 1878–79). The evening sale will also bring Chinese works of art, masterpieces by Tiffany, European furniture, 20th-century design, and more. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation for the Arts. Visit Christie’s to browse the full catalog and discover other online auctions.
Myron E. Scott, a newspaper photographer, named Chevrolet’s muscle car Corvette after naval warships. The name held significance to the brand’s target customers, primarily American men who had served in the military. The model would go on to become one of the most popular American automobiles in the 1970s. A 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe car will be highlighted at the upcoming timed Chattanooga 2022 sale, presented by Mecum Auction Company. It has several notable features, including a V-8 engine, automatic transmission, six-way sports seat. and cruise control. While the exterior is black with a glass top, the interior is gray with full leather upholstery.
A 1969 Chrysler 300 will be on offer as well. From 1962 to 1971, Chrysler built the Chrysler 300 automobile, a full-size car that was regarded as a sumptuous “muscle car” at the time. The luxury car boasts a 440 CI L-code high-performance V-8 engine with automatic transmission. It comes in a gold exterior with a complementary tan vinyl top and tan interior finish. Find the complete automobiles catalog and register to bid online by visiting Mecum.
