This spring, Freeman’s is proud to present Art + Design, a new auction highlighting icons of art and design from the twentieth century. Among a number of rare works featured in the sale will be over ten pieces from the Lehrer Family Collection by the famed woodworker, Wharton Esherick (1887-1970). Perhaps the greatest American furniture craftsman of the inter-wars period, Esherick created paintings, sculpture, furniture, woodcuts, and set designs of great imaginative scope. Spanning the Arts & Crafts movement, Cubism and German Expressionism, he helped to elevate woodworking to a fine art, imbuing his furniture with great sculptural quality and movement. His oeuvre and creative spirit have served as a point of departure for subsequent generations of craftsmen, including Wendell Castle, Sam Maloof, and Arthur Espinet Carpenter, to name just a few.
