Press Release

New: Themed Auctions | Coming Summer / Fall 2020

This summer and fall, Freeman’s is pleased to announce the addition of four new, themed auctions that present art and objects from across specialist departments in compelling and unexpected ways. Accordingly, this fall will also mark the return of Freeman’s renowned The Pennsylvania Sale.

While a collection can undoubtedly be comprised of works of the same period and medium, we recognize that many collectors opt to eschew these traditional frameworks in favor of more fluid, creative and personal approaches. As such, these eclectic sales build upon the notion that intrigue and excitement can be born from contrast: finding the common ground between works of different origins. 

Read on to learn more about the exciting new sales being added to the upcoming auction schedule.*

The European Lifestyle – July 14

Evoking the storied walls of English estates and the gilded halls of French chateaux, The European Lifestyle gathers together the decorative and intellectual traditions of Britain and the Continent with a selection of fine art, furniture, decorative arts, and ephemera that recall the luxury and leisure of the 18th century. Featuring themes relating to regal, philosophical, equestrian, pastoral, and leisurely pursuits, property to be offered includes fine porcelain and ceramics, furniture from the Baroque through Neoclassical periods, landscape pictures and portraits, sculpture, historical and literary volumes, musical instruments, and refined objects and accessories for entertaining and embellishing home and garden.

Head of Sale: Laura Sevelis |  [email protected] 

Ritual & Culture – September 23

Freeman’s inaugural Ritual & Culture auction will celebrate the richness and diversity of global cultures.  Spanning continents and millennia, this sale will illustrate the complexity and beauty of our shared history, and will include objects from antiquity, Africa, Oceania, Asia, the Islamic world, medieval Europe, and pre-Columbian, First Nation, and Native American peoples.  With an emphasis on traditions and ceremonies, Freeman’s will present objects, artifacts, texts, and codices relating to deities, hagiography, storytelling, bodily practices, cultural transmission, and our relationship to animals and nature.

Head of Sale: Tessa Laney  |  [email protected] 

Age of Exploration: Travel & Discovery – October 14

Age of Exploration: Travel & Discovery chronicles the storied history of cartography, travel, trade, and seafaring while capturing the universal spirit of travel and evoking the thrill of venturing into the unknown.  Globes, maps, travelogues, works from the Grand Tour, navigational charts and instruments, ship models, marine paintings, export porcelain and furniture, luggage and campaign furniture, and Art Deco travel posters are among the works to be offered which document the vast trajectory of cultural exchange and expansion across the globe.

Head of Sale: Darren Winston  |  [email protected]

ELEMENTS: Earth & Fire – October 21 

Inspired by the natural world, the Elements auction series captures the history of our artistic ambition to harness the beauty of Earth’s most inscrutable elements.  This first sale, Earth & Fire, will highlight the creative possibilities and infinite forms of metals and stones; it will feature a variety of lots both highly cultivated—historical and modern silver, vermeil, objets de vertu, enamels, pietra dura, ormolu—and organic—gems, scholar’s rocks, blue john, specimen marbles, hardstones, and minerals.  Works emulating the unique patinas, patterns, and colors of metal and stone—silvered, gilt, and faux marbre furniture and decorative arts—as well as sculptures of worked bronze and marble with origins from China to America will display the breadth of ingenuity formed from these rigid and volcanic materials.

Head of Sale: Tessa Laney  |  [email protected]

The Pennsylvania Sale — October 28

Launched in 2005 to coincide with Freeman’s bicentennial, The Pennsylvania Sale celebrates Pennsylvania's longstanding legacy as a major and influential artistic region. Printed books, maps, manuscripts, fine furniture, folk art, decorative arts, and 20th century design will be presented conjointly, all working together to tell the greater story of the growth of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and of the development of craftsmanship within it. The sale connects Pittsburgh with Philadelphia, showcasing items made both by major factories and individual artists, and embraces the formal, sophistication of the city, as well as the folk traditions of the outlying counties. Building on Freeman’s long-term success selling items from its native state, The Pennsylvania Sale is a comprehensive tribute to the entire region—its history, people, and the art and objects they made, used, and cherished.

Head of Sale: Tim Andreadis |  [email protected]