Below is an early preview of the July 6th and 7th auction to take place at our Knoxville, Tennessee headquarters. In-person bidding plus phone, absentee, and internet bidding will be available. The full Catalog will be posted in early June. The consignment deadline for this sale is April 22nd.
Oil on canvas portrait of Dr. Hugh Kelso Walker (1802-1866) by Samuel Shaver (Tennessee, 1816-1878). The subject is depicted sitting in an armchair and attired in a black suit against a partially open window with a mountain and river landscape view visible to the right and a desk with books and documents visible to the left. Housed in a simple wood frame. Sight: 42″ H x 32 1/4″ W Framed: 43 1/4″ H x 33.1/4″ W. Biography of the sitter: Dr. Hugh Kelso Walker was born in 1802 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and was the son of John Walker and Margaret Kelso. In 1830, he married Frances Grantham Rogers, daughter of John and Mary Amis Rogers, early residents and founders of Rogersville, TN. More information in the coming weeks.
Oil on canvas portrait of Frances Grantham Rogers Walker (1795-1883/85 – Mrs. Hugh Kelso Walker) by Samuel Shaver. Depicted seated in a chair with a table to her left with a vase of flowers and a bowl of fruit and attired in a black dress with lace cap and neck covering and black brooch. Her left hand rests on an open book and a detailed mountainous river landscape is visible to her left. Housed in a simple wood frame. Sight: 42″ H x 32 1/4″ W Framed: 43 1/4″ H x 33.1/4″ W. Biography of the sitter: Frances Rogers Gaines Walker was born in Rogersville, TN in 1795. She was the daughter of John and Mary Amis Rogers, early residents and founders of Rogersville. She was briefly married to James Taylor Gaines from 1816 – 1821 and married Hugh Kelso Walker in 1830 and they had four children together.
Oil on canvas laid on board portrait of Joseph Rogers (1764-1833) by William Harrison Scarborough (TN/SC, 1812-1871), circa 1831. Rogers is depicted seated at a table and gazing directly at the viewer and is attired in a brightly striped coat with his right hand resting on a document with a partial book and quill pen visible, and a bookshelf and a red drape in the background. Featured in the book ART & FURNITURE OF EAST TENNESSEE by Namuni Hale Young, on page 73. Housed in a deeply carved cove molded dark wood frame. Sight: 29 1/2″ H x 24 1/4″ W. Framed: 37 1/2″ H x 32 1/2″ W. History: Joseph Rogers was born in County Tyrone, Ireland in 1764. He immigrated to the United States in 1781 at the age if 17 and by 1784, lived in Hawkins County in the home of Thomas Amis. Rogers would subsequently marry Thomas Amis daughter, Mary, in 1786. Thomas Amis gave the married couple a tract of land in 1787, upon which a seat of justice was established for Hawkins County. In 1789, the town of Rogersville was chartered, and named after Joseph Rogers. Primarily a merchant and innkeeper, Rogers was a prominent member of the community. He died in 1833 and was buried in Rogersville (Source: ART & FURNITURE OF EAST TENNESSEE).
Oil on canvas laid on board portrait of Mary Amis Rogers (1768-1833) by William Harrison Scarborough (TN/SC, 1812-1871), circa 1831. Rogers is depicted seated at a table against a dark background and gazing slightly to the left at the viewer. She is attired in a dark dress and white head covering which is pinned beneath her chin and extends as a shawl over her dress and her left hand rests on a large book, likely a bible. Featured in the book ART & FURNITURE OF EAST TENNESSEE by Namuni Hale Young, on page 74. Housed in a deeply carved cove molded dark wood frame. Sight: 29 1/2″ H x 24 1/4″ W. Framed: 37 1/2″ H x 32 1/2″ W. History: Mary Amis Rogers was the daughter of Thomas Amis, a Revolutionary war Captain who was awarded 1000 acres of land in Hawkins County where he erected a stone home in 1780 or 1781. She was born in North Carolina in 1768 and married Joseph Rogers, who was an apprentice of her father, in 1786. Thomas Amis gave the married couple a tract of land in 1787, upon which a seat of justice was established for Hawkins County. In 1789, the town of Rogersville was chartered, and named after Joseph Rogers. Primarily a merchant and innkeeper, Rogers was a prominent member of the community. He died in 1833 and was buried in Rogersville (Source: ART & FURNITURE OF EAST TENNESSEE).
George Dury (American/Tennessee, 1817-1894) oil on canvas painting depicting Colonel Randal William McGavock, CSA, in uniform. Unsigned. The oval canvas is housed in the original period heavily carved giltwood and composition Louis XV frame with swept edges, rocaille carved corners and centers, and carved spandrels. Sight – 30″H x 25″W. Frame – 46 12″H x 41 1/2″W. Note: according to family history, this likeness was made circa 1860, and the visible damage occurred during the latter part of the Civil War when a Union soldier entered the McGavock family’s Nashville home and slashed the painting with a sword. Exhibited, Two Rivers Mansion, Nashville, c. 1990, and Carnton Plantation, Franklin, circa 2000. This painting was the cover image for the book, “Pen and Sword: The Life of Randal McGavock,” based on his diaries, published by the Tennessee Historical Commission in 1960.
Charles Krutch (Tennessee, 1849-1934) East Tennessee atmospheric oil on canvas laid on board painting depicting a Winter/Spring mountain landscape, likely the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, rendered in muted tones of gray, green, and brown. Housed in a textured wood frame with linen mat. Signed lower right in red “Krutch”. Sight: 11 3/4″ h x 17 1/2″ W. Framed: 16 3/4″ H x 22 3/4″ W.
William Aiken Walker (American/South Carolina, 1839-1921), “Cabin at Arden, North Carolina, 1885”, exhibited watercolor on paper painting depicting two Black figures in the yard of a small log cabin, with another figure visible just inside the doorway, and mountains in the background under a gray and white cloudy sky. Signed W.A. Walker lower left and dated 1885, with the artist’s name and title of work written on the beige mat. Framed under glass in a narrow oak frame. Label en verso states the work was exhibited at “The World of William Aiken Walker, ” the Louisiana State Museum, Dec. 1972-Jan. 1973. Inscribed with title, artist and past owner information, and retaining part of an old Gordon’s Art Shop, Charleston, framing label. Sight – 9 1/2″H x 6 1/2″W. Frame – 15″H x 11″W.
William Posey Silva (American, 1859-1948), “Runnymede Lake,” c. 1925, oil on board atmospheric landscape painting depicting a garden scene at Runnymede Plantation outside Charleston, South Carolina. The lake is surrounded by trees, including live oaks, and flowering bushes under a hazy sky, all reflected in the calm surface of the water. Signed “William P. Silva” lower right. Titled in pencil en verso, “Runnymede Lake,” with inscription, ” To my dear young friend Sally Pinckney Burton / A souvenir of happy days at Runnymede. From William Silva 1925.” Original period carved partial gilt wood frame with gray painted mat. Panel – 12″W x 10″H. Frame – 15 1/4″W x 13 1/4″H. Note: In 1925, William Posey Silva visited South Carolina, where he painted several scenes in and around Charleston. He spent a considerable amount of time painting and socializing at Runnymede Plantation. The recipient of this painting, Sally Pinckney Burton, was the wife of noted Charleston museum director, scholar and author, Milby Burton.
Maria Howard Weeden (Alabama, 1847 – 1905) watercolor on paper portrait of an elderly African American man. Framed under glass in a molded woodgrain frame. Sight – 8″H x 6″W. Frame – 14 1/2″H x 12 1/2″W.
Beauford Delaney (American/Tennessee, 1901-1979) pastel on wove paper bust-length portrait of a goateed man with a pipe in his mouth. The man wears a brown suit with a bright blue tie and stares intensely at the viewer with furrowed brow. He sits or stands before a bookcase filled with colorful bindings that create a geometrically patterned background. Unsigned. Unframed. Sheet: 25″ H x 19 3/4″ W. Provenance: Estate of Beauford Delaney, Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, court-appointed administrator.
Beauford Delaney (American/Tennessee, 1901-1979) charcoal on wove paper bust-length portrait of black man – likely the artist’s brother, Joseph Delaney – depicted in three-quarters view, on Arches paper. The sitter wears horn-rimmed glasses and a jacket and gazes to the right of the viewer. Signed and dated “B. Delaney 63,” lower right. With full “J Perrigot Arches Special MBM (France)” watermark to left side of sheet. Unframed. Sheet: 25 13/16″ H x 10 5/8″ W. Provenance: Estate of Beauford Delaney, Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, court-appointed administrator.
Helen La France (American/Kentucky, 1919-2020), “Church Picnic,” oil on canvas painting depicting parishioners gathering outside a white frame church. Natural wood grain frame. Signed “Helen La France” lower left and dated 1998. Sight – 30″W x 22″H. Frame – 32″W x 24″H.
Helen LaFrance (Kentucky, 1919-2020), “Baking Pies,” oil on canvas painting depicting two women in a large kitchen preparing and baking peach pies. A large cast iron stove looms in the center of the room, and a table is set for six in the left foreground. Signed lower right and dated 1998. Narrow giltwood frame. Stretcher: 18″H x 24″W. Frame: 20″H x 26″W.
Minnie Evans (North Carolina, 1892-1987) crayon and pencil on paper titled, “Three Hieratic Heads”. 7 1/2″ x 5″. Circa 1943. More information in the coming weeks….
William Aiken Walker (American/South Carolina, 1838-1921) watercolor on paper painting dated 1864, depicting four African American musicians (three men and one woman), seated on chairs and playing various instruments including tambourines, triangle, and guitar. The fourth holds drumsticks but lacks a drum, indicating the sketch may have been left unfinished. Dated and Signed “WAW fecit 1864” in pencil lower left corner, with inscription, possibly a title, lower margin, “Select Private Entertainment.” 6 1/2″W x 4 1/8″H. Note: this painting was found with a pencil note reading, “This is my first & only attempt in water colours – I should have had the pleasure of sending you a better piece but unfortunately my teacher Col. Ed White removed to NY and I am left to struggle on in a rudderless patience trying way /with a deep sigh I say Excelsior”. The painting and note were discovered in a re-used envelope originally addressed to E. Milby Burton of the Charleston Museum from John D. Lane of Clemson S.C. (with sender and addressee names scratched out), inscribed in pencil, “Colored Sketch – by W.A. Walker” with the name “Sally A. Burton” written above.
Jean Virginia M. Hogan (Connecticut, 1909-before 1975) exhibited oil on Masonite Regionalist painting of an African American man asleep on the grass. A hat and a partially eaten apple lie on the ground at left. The man’s shoe and pant leg have holes in them and his head rests on a jacket or blanket. Beneath the figure and at his feet are newsprint publications: one is William Armstrong Jockeys Scratches-a popular publication that listed the horses withdrawn from a day’s horse races, along with betting odds and statistics-and another is a program or advertisement for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Signed “Hogan,” upper right, and additionally signed “Jean [Hoga]n” faintly en verso. With brass plaque to back of frame that reads “Springfield Art League Exhibition – 1942 / Springfield, Massachusetts / First Prize – Oil Painting.” Housed in an Art Deco gilt wood frame. Board: 22″ H x 27″ W. Frame: 31 1/2″ H x 36 1/2″ W.
Emil Eugen Holzhauer (Georgia/Florida, 1887-1986) oil on masonite neighborhood street scene in Macon, Georgia, depicting a row of tidy houses on the left side of a tree-lined neighborhood street with figures congregated on a porch. Two figures converse by a sidewalk gate and children seated on the street corner watch other children at play. A large brick structure is visible in the background. Signed lower left “Holzhauer,” signature partially obscured. Additionally inscribed en verso in red MACON and HOLZHAUER and in black MACON, GA. Housed in a green-painted wood frame, likely the original. Sight: 19 1/2″ H x 31 1/4″ W. Framed: 26 1/2″ H x 38 1/2″ W. Biographical note: (Adapted from AskArt): Holzhauer is known for avant-garde genre, landscape, and interior scenes, as well as teaching. Holzhauer immigrated to New York from Germany in 1906, where he studied art with Robert Henri and fellow students Edward Hopper, George Bellows, and Rockwell Kent. Influenced by the 1913 Armory Show and Henri’s teaching, Holzhauer adopted modernist elements of Expressionism, Fauvism, and Social Realism. He taught art at the Chicago Art Institute from 1921 to 1942 and at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia from 1942 to 1953. In 1953, he retired to Niceville, Florida where he taught until 1972.
David Davidovich Burliuk (New York/Russian Federation/Ukraine/China,1882-1967), “My Mother,” oil on panel painting depicting a woman with dark, pulled-back hair, wearing a blue dress, before a vividly colored background, all rendered in a thick impasto. Signed “Burliuk” lower right and dated 1908. Panel, 12 1/2″ H x 11 1/2″W, has been mounted to a burlap covered board enclosed in a giltwood frame, 24″H x 22 1/2″W. Note: the previous owner of this painting, Myron King, owned Nashville’s Lyzon Gallery and, as a personal friend of Burliuk’s, represented many of his paintings. According to King, this was a 1940s era copy by Burliuk of a portrait he painted of his mother, Ludmyla Mikhnevich, in 1908, which he was forced to leave behind in Russia.
Henri Hecht Maik (France, 1922-1993) oil on canvas painting entitled “La Nuit” and depicting a tiger illuminated by moonlight amidst an outcropping of vegetation beside a stream. A fish swims in the water and a bird perches on a nearby branch while a full moon hangs in the night sky at upper left, all rendered in shades of blue apart from the yellow eyes of the animals. Signed “MAIK 73,” lower left, and additionally signed “Maik” and numbered “1654” en verso. Titled and inscribed “WFCH” (Wally Findlay Chicago) and “#51476″ to stretcher. Housed in a painted, rusticated wood frame with beige textile liner, double gilt fillets, and brass name plate. Canvas: 8 3/4″ H x 6 1/4″ W. Frame: 16 1/2″ H x 14 1/4” W.
Guy Carleton Wiggins (New York/Connecticut, 1883-1962) oil on academy board American impressionist marine painting depicting three large sailboats grounded on a beach at left with the masts of numerous other ships visible behind them. Four figures accompanied by a small boat walk along the shore at right. Behind them a body of water in the middle ground reflects the cloudy sky and separates the figures from a distant green hillside. Signed “Guy C Wiggins” in brown paint, lower right, and titled in brown paint to verso “Clearing after a Shower.” Inscribed “AJ Bogdanove” and “Leonard Clayton” in pencil to back of frame along with Hayes Storage, New York sticker. Housed in a gilt wood Art Deco frame with foliate corners. Board: 12″ H x 16″ W. Frame: 19 3/8″ H x 23 3/8″ W.
Andrew Newell Wyeth (American, 1917-2009) ink on paper illustrated letter depicting Brinton’s Mill, a grist mill in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and adjacent buildings surrounded by leafless trees. Andrew and Betsy Wyeth purchased this property in 1958. The letter extends from recto to verso and reads: “BRINTON’S MILL along the Brandywine River built of field stone. When you come to Chadds Ford again I will [anxious] for you to see it. We are now in the process of restoring it back to its original state which will probably take several years to do. I do hope all your [family] are well and that your art center is coming along well. Again our warmest thanks to you both and our deepest wishes in the coming year to you. Andy.” With APF Manufacturing Inc. Framemakers and American Association of Custom Frame Makers, Inc. New York stickers affixed to backing along with “11882 Steine” inscription. Housed under glass in an ebonized, carved wood frame with cream mat. Sheet: 7 1/4″ H x 10 5/16″ W. Frame: 11 1/8″ H x 14 3/8 W.
Gerrit Van Sinclair (American/Wisconsin, 1890-1955), “The Youth of the Town,” oil on board street scene painting depicting four teenagers in a convertible, joyriding down a street in a sedate neighborhood. Signed lower right and dated 1933. Titled en verso and numbered 257. Dark mahogany tone frame with gilt accents at the molded edges. Sight: 31″H x 30″W. Frame: 41″H x 49″W.
Ignac Konrad (France/Hungary, 1894 – 1969) oil on canvas portrait painting titled “Sun Briar,” depicting the thoroughbred racehorse in profile standing atop hay in a stall, against a mottled brown background with a green window upper right and watering bucket lower left. The name of the horse, “Sun Briar”, along with his lineage “by Sundridge” (father) and “Sweet Briar,” lower left. The artist’s signature is lower right. The placard on the lower frame reads, “Sun Briar, at 14 years. Painted by Konrad 1929.” Housed in a carved wood frame with corner embellishments with gilt and red painted surface. Sight: 18 1/4″ H x 23 1/4″ W. Framed: 23 1/2″ H x 28 1/4″ W. Note: Sun Briar was bred in France in 1915, son of Sundridge, the 1911 Champion Sire in Great Britain and Sweet Briar, the daughter of St. Frusquin, a leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland and a winner of multiple top-level races. Sun Briar was sold at the 1916 Saratoga Yearling Auction. He was named the 1917 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and the American Champion Older Male Horse of 1919. He retired from racing in 1919.
James Peale Sr. (Maryland/Pennsylvania, 1749-1831) watercolor on ivory portrait miniature of John Johnson Sr. (1770-1824), fourth Chancellor of Maryland. Johnson is depicted in a blue coat, white waistcoat, and white shirt with a white cravat, set against a light brown background. Incised signature and date lower right corner, “I P 1802.” Entwined locks of hair together with gilt thread and pearls en verso under an oval glass opening. Housed in an oval rose gold metal frame and retains the original red tooled leather storage case. Miniature sight measures: 2 5/8″ H x 2 1/8″ W.
Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) etching and drypoint depicting the Virgin Mary and infant Christ in a domestic interior. Mary cradles Christ while she restrains a snake beneath her left foot. A cat on a riser plays with the hem of Mary’s dress while Joseph, shown through a central window, peers into the room. Signed and dated “Rembrandt f[ecit] 1654,” in plate, and inscribed “a” en verso. With foolscap with a seven-pointed collar watermark. New Hollstein’s first state (of four). Plate: 3 6/8″ H x 5 5/8″ W. Sheet: 3 7/8″ H x 5 13/16″ W. Bartsch, Hollstein (White and Boon) 63.
Edouard Leon Cortes (French, 1882-1969) oil on canvas Paris street scene entitled Place de la Madeleine and depicting a bustling street after a rain with pedestrians, horse-drawn carriages, a flower card, and shops or cafes at left. In the distance stands the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, or La Madeleine. Signed “EDOUARD CORTES,” lower right. With Findlay Galleries, Chicago sticker affixed to backing along with Wally Findlay Galleries, Chicago / Palm Beach tag. Additional small red and white sticker inscribed “6” plus “26653” inscription to backing. Back of frame inscribed “13056 – 8F Cortes.” Housed in a giltwood frame with textile liner and brass nameplate. Frame: 23″ H x 26″ W.
Edouard Leon Cortes (French, 1882-1969) oil on canvas Paris street scene entitled L’Opera and depicting a bustling street with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages plus a cafe or shop at left. A flagpole topped with the French “tricolore” flag bisects the composition. In the distance stands the Palais Garnier, or Opera Garnier. Signed “EDOUARD CORTES.,” lower right. With Findlay Galleries, Chicago sticker affixed to backing. Additional small red and white sticker inscribed “3” plus “26654” inscription to backing. With Melvin Picture Frame Co., New York sticker affixed to backing. Housed in a giltwood frame with textile liner and brass nameplate. Frame: 23″ H x 26″ W.
Pablo Picasso (France, 1881-1973) Oiseau No. 91 ceramic earthenware plate, with glazed engobe bird decoration on an unglazed black, blue and green ground; marked and numbered N. 91 MADOURA 21/150 EDITION PICASSO to underside. 9 3/4″ diameter.
Giuseppe “Bepi” Santomaso (Italy, 1907-1990) oil on canvas Arte Informale gestural non-objective composition entitled “September in Segovia” and rendered in black, white, and blue tones with yellow, brown, and dark red embellishment, 1959-60. Signed and dated “Santomaso 59,” lower left. Additionally signed “SANTOMASO” and titled and dated “‘SETTEMBRE A SEGOVIA’ / 1960” en verso. With original Galleria Pogliani, Rome label affixed to stretcher along with illegibly inscribed sticker with red border and small sticker inscribed “43.” Housed in a thin ebonized and gilt wood frame. Canvas: 28 3/4″ H x 39 1/4″ W. Frame: 30 1/2″ H x 41″ W. Note: A transcript of oral provenance history is available to the winning bidder. Biographical note: Giuseppe Santomaso studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice from 1932 to 1934. In 1939 he traveled to Paris on the occasion of his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Rive Gauche. Santomaso participated in the Rome Quadriennale in 1943 and executed illustrations for Paul Eluard’s Grand Air in 1945. In Venice in 1946 he was a founding member of the antifascist artists’ organization Nuova Secessione Artistica Italiana-Fronte Nuovo delle Arti. From 1948 Santomaso participated often in the Venice Biennale, where he was awarded the Prize of the Municipality of Venice in 1948 and First Prize for Italian Painting in 1954. Santomaso taught at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice from 1957 to 1975. In 1957 he traveled to New York, on the occasion of his first exhibition in the United States at the Grace Borgenicht Gallery. His stay was particularly important to the development of his non-objective style, as he met the leading Abstract Expressionists including Willem de Kooning, Hans Hofmann, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko (Adapted from The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation).
Alberto Burri (Italy/France, 1915-1995) paper, acrylic, fabric, and combustion on canvas mixed media abstract Art Informal painting and relief, 1960. Signed and dated “Burri / 60” en verso and titled “Combustione.T.2.” and additionally dated “60” to stretcher. Also inscribed “ZZ” within a circle en verso and “HAUT” with arrow drawing plus “1151” to stretcher. With Douane Paris Chappelle and Dogana Internationale Italiana Chiasso E.T. stamps en verso and to stretcher. Housed in a thin wood frame. Canvas: 22 3/8″ H x 17 9/16″ W. Frame: 23 1/8″ H x 18 5/16″ W. Note: A transcript of oral provenance history is available to the winning bidder. Biographical note: Alberto Burri was born in a small town in the Umbria region of Italy. In 1940 he received a degree in medicine from the Universita degli Studi di Perugia. He served in World War II first as a frontline soldier and then as a physician. Following his unit’s 1943 capture Burri was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Hereford, Texas. Disaffected by war and by his internment, he took up painting and never practiced medicine again. Burri developed a new material realism that stood apart from postwar gestural abstraction and its emotive and existentialist content. He blurred the boundaries between painting and relief sculpture. In the mid-1950s he turned to mass-produced industrial materials in prefabricated colors and developed a new technique of painting with combustion to make torched wood veneer works, welded reliefs of cold-rolled steel, and compositions of melted and charred plastic. Burri has been the subject of numerous retrospectives in Europe and the United States (Adapted from The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation).
Ben Nicholson (England, 1894-1982) oil wash and graphite on paper mounted to painted Masonite board abstract geometric composition in tan, white, and red, entitled Red Emphasis, 1963. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered “NICHOLSON / aug 63 / (red emphasis) ph 544” en verso. With Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York, label plus gallery stamp, additional label, and sticker inscribed “33” en verso. Board: 16 3/4″ H x 18 1/2″ W. Frame: 18 1/4″ H x 19″ W. Note: A transcript of oral provenance history is available to the winning bidder. Biographical note: “A modernist painter and sculptor who adopted the constructivist style in the 1930s, Nicholson is known primarily for his geometric abstract reliefs. He studied at the Slade School of Art 1910-1911, and spent most of the years 1911-1918 abroad. He married the painter Winifred Dacre (nee Roberts) in 1920, and began experimenting with abstract painting in 1924. Also in that year he became a member of the Seven and Five Society…and was elected president in 1926. In 1928, under the influence of Alfred Wallis, he began to paint in a primitive style. He travelled to France in 1932 and 1933 in the company of the sculptor Barbara Hepworth. There he became acquainted with Arp, Miro, Mondrian, and Calder. In 1933 both Nicholson and Hepworth were invited to join the Abstraction-Creation Group in Paris. He and Hepworth were married soon after, and during this period Nicholson began to make his signature carved reliefs. In 1937 he co-edited the magazine ‘Circle’ with Naum Gabo. In 1939 he and Hepworth relocated from London to Cornwall. The second world war interrupted their association with the international modernist movement, but Nicholson continued to develop his work, and introduced color to his reliefs and revisted landscape themes. Through the 1950s Nicholson continued to exhibit and garner awards. In 1957 he married Felicitas Vogler. They moved to Ticino in 1958. The Tate Gallery mounted his second retrospective in 1969. He left Vogler and returned to England in 1971, where he continued to work until his death in 1982.” (Source: Getty Research Foundation Museum).
Antonio Saura (Spain, 1930-1998) Surrealist-, Abstract Expressionist-, and Art Informel-inspired self-portrait in black, gray, white, and brown rendered in thick, gestural brushstrokes, 1962. Signed and dated “Saura 62,” upper left. Unframed. Canvas: 23 3/4″ H x 28 3/4″ W. Biographical note: Antonio Saura was born in Huesca, Spain. Initially, he experimented with diverse mediums including paint, lithography, engraving, prose, and poetry. In 1954, Saura moved to Paris, where he met Benjamin Perret and other Surrealists. His work of this period used biomorphic forms and recalled paintings by Joan Miro. Settling in Madrid in 1957, he began to paint in a more severe style with subject matter confined to repeatable motifs, such as the female body and portraiture. Stylistically, his work drew from the expressive painters of the New York school as well as from Art Informel artists such as Jean Fautrier. In 1957 he founded the El Paso group with other artists based in Madrid. The continuous political upheaval of the 1960s left Saura with a conflicted relationship to his art. In 1965 and again in 1967, he destroyed hundreds of his paintings. In 1968, he abandoned oil painting altogether for ten years and worked in other mediums. Later in his career, Saura designed stage sets for ballets and performances and ventured into filmmaking. Retrospectives have been held at many institutions, including the Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands (1963); Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (1966); and Museo de arte contemporáneo, Madrid (1982). In 2003, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao presented Antonio Saura: Memory and Recollection. Saura received numerous honors and awards, including the Guggenheim International Award (1960) and the Grand Prix des Arts de la Ville de Paris (1995). He was awarded the Carnegie Prize for his contribution to Documenta, Kassel, West Germany (1964). (Adapted from The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation).
Alexander Calder (French/American, 1898-1976) black gouache on Johannot wove paper Surrealist landscape painting depicting pyramids and circles illuminated by a crescent moon. Signed “Calder” and dated “53,” lower right. With Johannot et Cie Annonay watermark along left and right edges. Housed under glass in a distressed ebonized and gilt wood frame with cream fabric fillet. Sheet: 29 1/4″ H x 42 3/4″ W. Frame: 33″ H x 46″ W. More details in the coming weeks…
Elaine de Kooning (New York, 1919-1989) Abstract Expressionist watercolor painting on Fabriano paper depicting cliffs or a hillside covered in foliage rendered in shades of green and set beneath a blue sky. Likely created during the artist’s trip to Italy in 1981. Signed “E de K” and dated “10/6/81” in pen, lower right. With Fabriano blindstamp, upper right. Additionally signed “Elaine de Kooning” and inscribed “P.O. Box 1437 / East Hampton / N.Y. 11937″ in pen to back of frame. Floated under glass in a wood frame with cream mat. Sheet: 18 13/16″ H x 13 5/16″ W. Frame: 26 1/16″ H x 20 7/8” W. More details in the coming weeks…
Richard Peter Stankiewicz (active/lived Massachusetts, 1922 – 1983) “junk art” metal assemblage consisting of found patinated parts. Signed and dated along the right edge RPS, 1962-3. 15 1/2″ H x 15 3/8″ W x 9.8″ D. Provenance: Acquired from Hunter Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, 1965. Provenance: Deaccessioned from a Tennessee Institution. Artist Biography: Sculptor Richard Stankiewicz, was most closely associated with the Assemblage movement. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 until 1947. Beginning in 1948 he studied with Hans Hofmann at the Hoffman School in New York City, and with Fernand Leger and Ossip Zadkine in Paris from 1950–51. After he returned to the United States, he began to create assembled sculptures using scrap metal and discarded mechanical and household equipment. Stankiewicz was also an art educator and held positions at the State University, New York, Albany, 1967 and at Amherst College from 1970-71 (Adapted from AskArt).
John Alexander (American/Texas, b. 1945), “Deep Red,” modernist oil on canvas titled “Deep Red”. Depicts water lilies among a red pool of water. 34″ x 38″.
Ladies 18K yellow gold choker necklace with 18K yellow gold and porcelain pendant featuring an oval plaque with painted classical female dancing figure, surrounded by thirty (30) rose cut diamonds approximately 0.60 carats, Clarity-I1, Color-J and set into an 18K yellow gold frame. The necklace and pendant XRF test 18K gold. The necklace is 13″ L. with a drop chain to the pendant which is 2 1/4 x 1 1/4″ in size. The gross weight of the necklace and pendant is 54.21 grams. 19th century.
Ladies 18K yellow gold articulated bracelet featuring a mine cut diamond approximately 0.61 carats, Clarity-VS1, Color-I, accented by a Euro cut diamond in the mouth approximately 0.28 carats, Clarity-VS2, Color-H, and two (2) mine cut diamonds approximately 0.11 carats together, Clarity-SI2, Color-Light Fancy Yellow. The bracelet is marked “18K” with a makers hallmark and XRF tests 18K gold. The bracelet is 8″ L. and has a gross weight of 33.74 grams.
Men’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust stainless steel watch, silver face with baton hour markers, manual movement, calendar date aperture at three, acrylic bubble crystal, 35mm stainless bezel, Model # 16030, Serial Number 7251360, bracelet interior length approx. 8″ L. Presentation inscription to the back of the case.
Six (6) piece Gorham Maintenon pattern sterling silver tea service with repousse and chased floral and panel design. Includes tray, coffee and tea pots, creamer, sugar, and hot water kettle on stand. All stamped with maker’s mark, Sterling, Maintenon, and date mark for 1926. Each monogrammed W to central cartouche; this set descended from the Westinghouse family. Service pieces range from 6 1/2″ H to 12″ H. Tray: 19″ H x 29″ W. 308.50 total weighable troy ounces.
East Tennessee, Washington County, walnut pie safe, poplar secondary. Rectangular top with shaped backsplash over square nailed drawers, two with brass keyhole escutcheons, locks, turned wood knobs, paneled sides and back, and a canted base molding transitioning to four turned tapering feet. The cupboard doors have two punched tins decorated with concentric circles flanked by hearts and diamonds within a punched border with a horizontal wooden divider. Tins with older blue paint. 54 1/8″ H x 50 1/8″ W x 17 5/8″ D. Second half of the 19th century.
East Tennessee Sheraton style one-drawer table or stand. Square top over a dovetailed drawer with cherry figured veneered drawer front, flanked by applied rectangular stiles over a thin half-round molding transitioning to a shaped apron. Sides of table with shaped apron design. Ring turned legs transition into a painted circular turning that evolves into a square tapered leg and ends with a circular telescoping foot with a painted black turnip tip. Retains the original lock. 28 1/2″ H x 23 1/4″ W x 20 3/4″D. Second quarter of the 19th century.