The Eye | Spring/Summer 2024

EYE THE

THE EYE LOOKS BUT IT IS THE MIND THAT SEES

LOOK SEE STUDY CONSIDER

THE

EYE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Whitney Bounty WORDS

Lynda Cain, Tim Carey, Courtney Chapel, Lauren Colavita, Raphaël Chatroux, Corbin Horn, Katie Horstman, Erin Rust, Gemma Sudlow, James Smith, Adam Veil, Adrianne Wolkenberg

Special Contributors: Arnold Rampersad

PHOTOGRAPHY

Zoë Bare, Violet Christian, Richard Hogan, Ola Piatkowska

Special Contributors: Eitan Gamliely

COVER, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 20, NEW YORK

Françoise Gilot (1921-2023)

Autoportrait avec Deux Femmes (detail) , 1944

Graphite on paper.

$6,000-$8,000

See page 34

FRONTISPIECE, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 20, NEW YORK

Max Ernst (1891-1976)

L'Oiseau à L'Œil de Verre (detail), 1972

Gouache and tempera on board.

$150,000-$250,000

See page 34

THIS PAGE, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 20, NEW YORK

Françoise Gilot (1921-2023)

The Model (detail) , 1958 Oil on canvas.

$40,000-$60,000

See page 34

PHILADELPHIA SOLD FOR $157,500

Harry Bertoia (1915-1978) Untitled (Tonal Sculpture), 1970s

Ansel Adams (1902-1984) The Teton Range and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 1942 CHICAGO SOLD FOR $138,600

Roman Marble Head of a Youth Wearing a Laurel Wreath

NEW YORK SOLD FOR $415,800

An Exceptional F.P. Journe, 18K Rose Gold 'Octa Chronograph' Watch

The North American Indian Limited edition. A complete subscriber's set of Curtis's monumental work CHICAGO SOLD FOR $882,000

Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952)

PHILADELPHIA SOLD FOR $151,200

1962

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Tête de Femme (Jacqueline au Chapeau Noir),

CHICAGO SOLD FOR $315,000

An Egyptian Wood Head of Osiris Late Period, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C.

CINCINNATI SOLD FOR $171,000

Andrew Clemens (1857-1894) Sand Bottle Commissioned by John and Margaret Leary of McGregor, Iowa, circa 1887

CHICAGO SOLD FOR $529,000

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) One More Week of School and Then..., 1919

PHILADELPHIA SOLD FOR $60,325

Jules Leleu (1883-1961) Sideboard, France, circa 1960

CHICAGO SOLD FOR $289,800

A Unique and Magnificent Set from the Library of Thomas Jefferson: His Personally Assembled and Specially-Bound Seven-Volume Collection of The Works of Aeschylus PHILADELPHIA SOLD FOR $101,600

SOLD FOR $100,800

Fernando Botero (1932-2023) Horse, 1995

Dale Chihuly (b. 1941)

A Tomato Red Macchia with Blue Diva Lip Wrap, 2000 PALM BEACH SOLD FOR $63,500

Navajo Classic Second Phase Blanket Circa 1870

CINCINNATI

THE COLLECTION OF SIDNEY ROTHBERG REACHES ALMOST $5M AT AUCTION

Hundreds of rediscovered Impressionist and Modern masterpieces soared past their estimates in What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg on February 27 and 28, achieving a two-day total of $4.9 million.

After a global tour that saw the collection exhibited in Paris, New York, and Chicago, the more than 240 works were sold in Rothberg’s beloved hometown of Philadelphia before a full saleroom. Across the two days, 93% of lots sold as 1,099 bidders vied for the chance to acquire pieces from the enviable collection.

RENOIR’S LONG-LOST BOY

The top lot of the collection was a portrait of Pierre Goujon by legendary French Impressionist PierreAuguste Renoir, which sold for $330,200. Executed in 1885, the oil was commissioned by Senator Étienne Goujon, along with individual portraits of his other three children. The classicized portrait reflects Renoir’s experimentation at a time when he was growing disillusioned with Impressionism, and symbolized a new path for the Master. The oil offered at auction was the only portrait of the series still in private hands, having been in Rothberg’s collection for over six decades. Three phone bidders battled over the piece for several minutes before the work eventually sold to a private collector in the United States.

A SPIRITUAL, TRANSCENDENT PORTRAIT

A 1928 oil on canvas by Robert Delaunay more than doubled its pre-sale estimate selling for $215,900. Portrait de Madame Jacques Heim is a large-scale, three-quarter-length portrait whose interplay of color and rhythmic forms produces a spiritual, transcendent quality. The work is typical of Robert Delaunay’s highly personal approach to composition and color harmonies as his subject—Madame Jacques Heim, the wife of the French costume and fashion designer Jacques Heim—is distilled down into a mosaic of flat, complementary light and dark translucent color planes gleaned from various vantage points simultaneously. Several bidders competed for the large portrait which ultimately went to a phone bidder in France.

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OTHER NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS

Bidding across both days was spirited, with 52% of lots won by newly registered clients and several soaring past their estimates. This was the result of an extensive, and proactive marketing campaign that started early in the Fall of 2023. Among the many highlights of the sale were:

OPPOSITE, FIRST ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

SOLD FOR $215,900

Robert Delauney (1885-1941)

Portrait de Madame Jacques Heim, 1928

SOLD FOR $114,300

Lucas Samaras (1936-2024) Reconstruction #104, 1979

BACK FOR MORE

On the second day of the sale, lots continued to exceed expectations, with the auction achieving a 94% sell-through rate. The day's top lot was Fairfield Porter's Seascape , which sold for $41,275–nearly seven times its pre-sale estimate. Alexander Archipenko’s bronze Walking , Schreitende also sold for nearly seven times its estimate, selling for $33,020.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

A “collector’s collector” with a deep understanding of art and artists, Sidney Rothberg (1924-2008) first developed a passion for art as a young soldier deployed to France in World War II, and later as a student at the Université of Dijon—an experience that made him a true Francophile and triggered his legendary curiosity.

OPPOSITE, SECOND ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

SOLD FOR $165,100

É douard Vuillard (1868-1940)

Femme dans une Grotte, 1891

SOLD FOR $330,200

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Pierre Goujon en Costume Marin, 1885

SOLD FOR $152,400

Chaim Soutine (1893-1943) Canard Pendu

The sale title, What Do You See? , paid homage to Rothberg’s inquisitive mind and keen eye. Whether in a museum, gallery, auction house, or within his own home, he would always invite you to share your personal impressions of a work of art, regardless of your age or art knowledge. As Rothberg's daughter, Saranne, recalled, “Anyone who knew my father would remember this phrase—he was so interested in knowing how people perceived a work of art. Many people have told me that he was the reason they started going to museums more frequently or eventually began collecting themselves.”

A lifelong Philadelphian, Rothberg was an avid gallery and museum goer while attending the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; he later enrolled as a student at the Barnes Foundation, eventually becoming a guest lecturer there. Rothberg was a regular bidder at Freeman’s, even teaching his daughter how to bid at auction on the Freeman’s floor before she attended kindergarten.

OPPOSITE, THIRD ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

SOLD FOR $101,600

Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021)

River Canyon at Folsom, 1958

SOLD FOR $127,000

Lee Bontecou (1931-2022) Untitled, 1970

“Sid Rothberg had a unique perspective both on life and art that led to the creation of an incredibly eclectic and exciting collection,” said Alasdair Nichol, Deputy Chairman and Director of Fine Art at Freeman's | Hindman. “He took a deep dive into an artist’s œuvre and was drawn to works that marked an inflection point in their creative development. His approach to collecting was characterized by an intellectual curiosity and a penchant for pivotal works rather than the ordinary.”

CHICAGO SOLD FOR $765,660

Wayne Thiebaud (1920-2021)

1962

DENVER SOLD FOR $264,600

Fritz Scholder (1937-2005) Sioux War Party, 1972

CHICAGO SOLD FOR $1,290,000

An Important Kashmir Unheated Sapphire and Diamond Ring

CHICAGO SOLD FOR $176,400

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) Mick Jagger, 1975

Avocado Salad,

PHILADELPHIA SOLD FOR $226,800

Lê Thị Lựu (1911-1988)

Mother and Children in Landscape, 1962

A Chinese Clair-de-Lune Glazed Porcelain

Bottle Vase, Changjingping 18th/19th Century CHICAGO SOLD FOR $444,500

NEW YORK SOLD FOR $176,400

Albert York (1928-2009)

Porch Bench with Seated Figure, circa 1967

NEW YORK SOLD FOR $126,000

Francis Speight (1896-1989)

White House with Variations, 1930

PHILADELPHIA SOLD FOR $113,400

Carl (Wilhelm Emile) Milles (1875-1955)

Small Triton Fountain

Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928) Pointer with Quail PHILADELPHIA SOLD FOR $126,000

John James Audubon (1785-1851)

American White Pelican (Plate CCCXI) CHICAGO SOLD FOR $88,200

Bluebird and Spy Glasses (Binoculars), 1957 CHICAGO SOLD FOR $189,000

Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977)

After announcing an historic merger on January 9 that marked the foundation of a dynamic and comprehensive company well-positioned to lead the upper-middle auction market, Freeman's | Hindman continues to offer a full suite of trusted services including appraisals, auctions, and private sales across all fine art and luxury collecting categories.

A ROBUST NEW YORK PRESENCE

One of the undoubted highlights of the Winter 2024 auction season was the opening of the company's new permanent New York saleroom, located at 32 East 67 th Street. A First Look event–aptly timed to coincide with The Winter Show–welcomed art advisors, dealers, estate professionals, and private collectors from the local area and beyond. Guests were invited to visit the new premier space, view notable highlights from the house's upcoming season, and meet the expanded specialist team, which is led by Executive Vice Presidents Gemma Sudlow and Alasdair Nichol.

A SUITE OF SINGLE-OWNER COLLECTIONS

While the Winter 2024 season was led by the abovementioned Collection of Sidney Rothberg ( see page 12 ), it also included the white-glove sale of 20 th century design from a New York Collection, and property from the Palm Beach home of William L.

Bernhard and Catherine Cahill, who worked with noted interior designer Keith Irvine of Irvine & Fleming to decorate their retreats. The latter sale nearly doubled its low estimate, generating anticipation for the May 21 sale of property from the couple’s Southampton, New York home. Set to bring many additional private collections and estates into the spotlight, the Spring season includes the inaugural auction to be held at the New York saleroom, The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright (see page 44).

AN EXPANDED AUCTION CALENDAR

With one eye always on the future, the company is already inviting consignments and adding exciting sales to the Fall/Winter 2024 auction season. Following a series of successes offering Impressionist and Modern Art in Philadelphia–including works by Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt, and most recently, by Claude Monet–the company is pleased to further specialize its offerings by adding a dedicated Impressionist and Modern Art sale to the calendar this October.

HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING

Claude Monet (1840-1926) La Couseuse au Corsage Rouge, 1868

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THESE LOTS AND COLLECTIONS

A PHILADELPHIA HOMECOMING

From different consignors and continents, a selection of remarkable 18 th-century objects commemorating the great Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, have found their way back to Philadelphia where they will be featured in our April 30 American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts auction.

The first item, consigned from Italy, is a previously unrecorded portrait of Benjamin Franklin, attributed to the English portraitist Mason Chamberlin. Sharing

some characteristics with the famous Chamberlin portrait of Franklin in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc. no. 1956-88-1), the Founding Father is seated in his study, wearing a powdered wig and brown suit. One hand rests on an open book while the other holds folding spectacles. The contours of the face, cleft chin, and eyes are unmistakably Franklin’s.

The portrait was acquired by the consignor in 1970 from family friend, priest, and fellow collector, Don

Ermanno Volta (1925-2016). Volta had purchased the portrait in Rome with an attribution to Pietro Longhi (1701-1785) and decided to sell it upon learning that the Longhi attribution was unsupported.

The portrait is joined by a unique, double-sided composition snuff box attributed to Jean-Martin Renaud and purportedly presented to Franklin by French King Louis XVI. One side depicts the mythical Fame carrying portrait medallions of the two Founding Fathers, “Franklin Wassington [sic].” The other side, entitled “ Americana Prosperus ,” depicts a family group watched over by Mercury with a trading ship beyond.

Descending directly in the Bache-Scott Family to the present owner, the snuff box was included in the 1936 exhibition Benjamin Franklin and His Circle at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was illustrated in the accompanying exhibition catalogue. It is also illustrated in B. Stephens's, H. Lewis Bullen's, and W. Rowlands's The Pictorial Life of Benjamin Franklin (1923) and discussed in Charles Coleman Sellers's Benjamin Franklin in Portraiture (1960), pp. 387-388.

The final item is an unglazed porcelain figural group depicting Louis XVI and Benjamin Franklin by CharlesGabriel Sauvauge. It commemorates the treaties signed in 1778 by France and the United States,

RIGHT, TO BE OFFERED APRIL 30, PHILADELPHIA

A Rare Commemorative Unglazed Porcelain Figural Group of French King Louis XVI and Benjamin Franklin

Attributed to Charles-Gabriel Sauvauge (French, 1741-1827), Niderviller Factory (France, active 1754-1827), circa 1780

$15,000-$25,000

OPPOSITE, TO BE OFFERED APRIL 30, PHILADELPHIA

Attributed to Mason Chamberlin (1727-1787)

An Unrecorded Portrait of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), circa 1778

Oil on canvas.

$50,000-$80,000

LEFT, TO BE OFFERED APRIL 30, PHILADELPHIA

A Unique Commemorative Neoclassical Double-Sided Composition " Americana Prosperitas " Snuff Box

Attributed to Jean Martin Renaud (1746-1821), circa 1785

$5,000-$10,000

recognizing American Independence and guaranteeing trade rights between the two nations without British interference. Inscribed “ Liberté Des Mers ,” the king is shown in court dress in contrast to Franklin’s plain dress. Dating to circa 1785, this figural group was included in the 1989 exhibition, La Révolution Française et L’Europe at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, France, 1989, no. 447.

WHERE REALISM MEETS ABSTRACTION

The paintings that Milton Avery produced in Gaspé are rare and don’t appear often on the market. As such, Freeman’s | Hindman is proud to present Oxcart , which appears on the market for the very first time, having sold directly from the artist’s studio in May 1940 to The Valentine Gallery, New York.

The Gaspé landscapes represent a critical moment in the artist’s career–when Avery began to use color as his primary means of expression. Using a restricted, darker palette, Avery channels the art of Pablo Picasso and George Braque, simplifying the composition as well as its execution. Following in the Cubists’ footsteps, Avery reinterprets a traditional, pastoral scene as a two-dimensional arrangement

of forms, tones, and textures. The slightly skewed perspective reinforces the flatness of the pictorial space, allowing Avery to achieve his signature synthesis between realism and abstraction. Above all, the work reflects Avery’s attachment to the landscape, specifically the New England seaside along Gloucester–a place he first visited in 1920 and often returned to between then and 1945 with his wife Sally.

TO BE OFFERED JUNE 2, PHILADELPHIA

Milton Avery (1885-1965) Oxcart Oil on canvas.

$150,000-$250,000

CAPTURING THE PIVOTAL MOMENT

The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill forever changed the identity and landscape of the American West. While miners from across the world scrambled to make their fortunes, practitioners of a recently discovered technology–the daguerreotype–raced to record the prospectors and rapid changes in the towns and landscapes that would define the era. These pioneering photographers left behind a body of work that brings to life a pivotal moments in American History: The California Gold Rush.

From studio portraits of “Forty-Niners” to views of the cities and camps in which they lived and worked, Freeman's | Hindman has been entrusted with offering a remarkable selection of Gold Rush-era photography at auction over the last 30 years. This whole plate daguerreotype capturing San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush is no exception.

Taken between 1852-1854, the image shows the southeast corner of Front and Sacramento Streets, focusing on a series of buildings that once served as the headquarters for the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance. Located close to the waterfront (as

The daguerreotype’s exceptional clarity and contrast reveal many details within the composition, including figures seated in doorways, horse-drawn carts parked in the street between stacks of barrels, and timber that almost certainly would have been used in the construction of wooden ship hulls.

This historic image encapsulates the rapid growth that transformed San Francisco from a settlement of approximately 200 residents in 1846 to a boomtown representing the epicenter of the California Gold Rush. A daguerreotype of this size and importance has not appeared at auction for nearly 20 years.

TO BE OFFERED MAY 31, CINCINNATI

Whole Plate Daguerreotype Capturing Gold Rush-Era San Francisco 1852-1854

$30,000-$50,000 evidenced by the ship masts just visible behind the “Ship Chandlery” at left), this busy intersection was occupied by commission merchants and importers who offered various wares to fortune-seeking miners.

DODGING THE PUNCH

In a series of sales starting on April 30 and concluding on June 4, Freeman’s | Hindman will sell several works on behalf of the Brandywine Museum of Art to benefit future acquisitions and the care of their collections. One of the highlights is The Boxers , an original bronze by Mahonri Mackintosh Young. Capturing a tense and dramatic moment of the fight, the sculpture is derived from a series of pugilists the artist developed in the mid-1920s.

LEFT, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 2, PHILADELPHIA

Mahonri Mackintosh Young (1887-1957)

The Boxers, 1926-1931

Bronze with dark black patina.

$40,000-$60,000

Sports Illustrated declared “A Star Is Born” in 1984, as an electrifying, air-defying Chicago Bulls rookie took over the NBA and captivated the sports world: Michael Jordan.

Despite his dazzling displays on the hard court, Jordan’s rookie campaign saw a narrow market for basketball cards. Unlike the national pastime, hoops fans could not purchase a pack of cards at their local grocery or candy shop to collect and trade. Star Co. emerged as a much-need answer for those yearning for a cardboard connection.

Distributed primarily at select hobby shops and through mail order, the 1984-85 Star set featured a total of 288 cards, including team sets and insert subsets. The Chicago Bulls team set contained 12 cards and showcased key players from the team–with Michael Jordan's rookie card stealing the spotlight.

The 1984-85 Star Co. Chicago Bulls team set holds a special place in the hearts of basketball card collectors, primarily thanks to the inclusion of Jordan's rookie card, Number 101. Although card Number 57 in the 1986-87 Fleer set is considered a Jordan rookie due to its broad, national distribution, the 1984-85 Star card is the only card made during Jordan’s rookie season.

The packaging of the Star Co. cards, sealed in clear plastic polybags, added to the allure of the set. Collectors prized these cards not only for their content but also for their packaging and presentation. The Jordan rookie card became a symbol of greatness within the hobby.

Over the years, the value and demand for the 198485 Star set, particularly the Jordan rookie, has skyrocketed. With an estimated production run of 3,000 total sets, prices have soared since they were originally issued for collectors.

Freeman’s | Hindman is pleased to offer a fresh-tomarket complete set of 1984-85 basketball cards with all 288 issues in their original sealed bags. The set remains untouched since our consignor purchased them originally in the mid-1980s. This offering–an undoubted highlight of our next Sports Memorabilia auction–is truly rare air.

OPPOSITE, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 13, CHICAGO

A 1984-85 Star Basketball Unopened Team Bags

Complete Set Including Chicago Bulls Michael

Jordan Rookie Card

$50,000-$70,000

TRULY RARE AIR

THE EVOLUTION OF NAVAJO SILVERSMITHING

In pursuit of information and ideas, Philadelphia author and New York Times book critic, Hoffman Birney (1891-1958), traversed the American Southwest in the 1920s. During his journeys, Birney developed a passion for early Navajo jewelry and amassed an important collection that documents the evolution of early Navajo silversmithing. Upon his death, the collection was loaned by Birney’s widow to the University of Montana, where it was showcased for nearly two decades before returning to the family.

Although indigenous jewelry-making in the Southwest dates back to pre-contact times, silversmithing was not introduced to the area until the 1860s. 19 th-century Navajo silver jewelry is, therefore, exceptionally rare.

One of the many highlights from the Birney Collection is a First Phase Concha Belt, dating to 1880-1890. The central diamond cutout in each of the seven conchas is indicative of the First Phase style, where threaded leather was used as an attachment technique before soldering became a mastered skill.

TO BE OFFERED JULY 11, CINCINNATI

Navajo Round First Phase Concha Belt

Fourth quarter 19th century

$8,000-$10,000

FIT FOR ROYALTY

Of the British-based gun makers, the names James Purdey & Sons (gun makers by appointment for the Royal family), Holland and Holland, W&C Scott, and Westley Richards are amongst the finest.

Highlighted in the upcoming Arms, Armor and Militaria auction is a pair of exquisite James Purdey & Sons 20 bore game guns completed in June 1967 for the Marquis de Villabragima of Spain. The pair is cased in a traditional British Motor Case bearing the Marquis's monogram along with silver-plated accessories.

TO BE OFFERED MAY 1, CINCINNATI

A Pair of Consecutively Numbered James Purdey & Sons

20 Bore SxS Hammerless Shotguns Made for the Spanish Marquis de Villabragima

In original motor case with accessories.

$60,000-$100,000

ETCHING MELANCHOLIC REALISM

Le Repas Frugal (The Frugal Repast) is a portrait of poverty and isolation executed during Picasso’s Blue Period. From 1904, this early foray into printmaking demonstrates a prescient mastery of line and form, while etching a deeply human experience underscored by melancholic realism.

The composition centers on a gaunt couple partaking in a meager meal. The man, depicted blind and in profile, leans on a female companion, whose gaze meets the viewers. Their attenuated limbs and emaciated features, achieved through Picasso's characteristic use of distorted figures, emphasize their hardship. The sparse table setting—a single plate, two glasses, an empty wine bottle, and a few pieces of bread—reinforces the theme of frugality.

It has been suggested that Le Repas Frugal reflects Picasso's own experience in Barcelona and Paris. Living in poverty amongst struggling artists and social outcasts, Picasso channeled his empathy for the marginalized into his work. His Blue Period,

characterized by a somber palette of blues and greens, evokes a sense of detachment and emotional distance—here, accentuated by the emptiness that envelopes the couple.

Picasso’s technique also contributes to the work’s mood. His use of drypoint–a process resulting in a rougher line than traditional etching–adds a textured quality that amplifies the rawness of the scene. Subtle hints of a previous landscape incised into the zinc plate—a testament to Picasso's resourcefulness—imparts a layer of history and impermanence, mirroring the couple's reduced circumstances.

Le Repas Frugal, one of Picasso’s most significant graphic works and a highlight of the May 11 Modern and Contemporary Art sale, offers technical skill and emotional depth in equal measure. It is a seminal example, not only for its exploration of social themes during the artist’s Blue Period, but for showcasing his nascent printmaking prowess.

TO BE OFFERED MAY 11, PHILADELPHIA

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Le Repas Frugal, from La Suite des Saltimbanques, 1904, printed 1913 Etching with drypoint on Van Gelder paper.

$80,000-$120,000

UNQUALIFIED REGARD AND ADMIRATION

Langston Hughes and Noël Sullivan came from drastically different worlds but were brought together by fate and the extraordinary power of idealism and human sympathy. They first met late in 1932, when Hughes arrived in San Francisco near the end of an arduous cross-country reading tour that he had put together both to fund his writing career, and also to bring “poetry to the people.” Friends had told him about a wealthy white liberal San Franciscan, a classical singer of local note and a devout Roman Catholic with a special interest in black Americans and their struggle for social justice. Sullivan owned a mansion on fashionable Hyde Street where he employed a largely African American staff.

Hughes’ visit lasted only a few days but made an indelible impression on Sullivan. Sullivan had met many black leaders, but “never has anyone of them inspired in me the unqualified regard and admiration that I feel for you. Indeed, had I been told ten days ago that your integrity (and by that word I think I mean more than is implied in its customary usage) existed anywhere—I should have been skeptical...The contact with you has extended immeasurably for me a sense of tenderness toward everyone.”

LEFT AND BELOW, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 7, CHICAGO

Langston Hughes (1901-1967)

Scottsboro Limited, 1932

Limited edition, with frontispiece dedicated to Noel Sullivan; together with laid-in typescript poem ( illustrated below )

$6,000-8,000

When Hughes returned in near-poverty from the Soviet Union in 1934, Sullivan gave him free use of a cottage he owned in Carmel-by-the-Sea, down the coast from San Francisco. There Hughes composed one of his best books, a collection of charged short stories called The Ways of White Folks . He dedicated the work to Sullivan. Sullivan’s loyalty to Hughes was capped when he built a cottage for Hughes at the Farm, where the poet could come and go as he liked.

“To say what your friendship has meant to me,” he once wrote to Sullivan, “would take more pages than I have ever written in any of my books.” Sullivan’s loyalty and generosity to him “make me believe in you like the early Christians must have believed in that rock on which...the church was founded.”

Freeman’s | Hindman thank Arnold Rampersad for these words.

A WINTER NIGHT'S POETIC FORCE

On June 2, Freeman’s | Hindman will offer several works by George Sotter, which originate from a private Pennsylvania collection whose owner personally knew the artist. Among the works is A Light in the Window , a quintessential view of a solitary barn nestled in the snow at night. Rendered in a particularly large format, the painting shows a twinkling light through the window of an old stone barn, which adds a sense of narrative and mystery to the scene.

A protégé of Redfield, Sotter made a name for himself through such nocturnal, romantic landscapes depicting his beloved Bucks County. Captured in a

palette of turquoise and light blues, the present work denotes a more mature style, replete with darker and purple hues that perfectly render the quietude and isolation of the scene. Occupying much of the picture plane, the imposing building reinforces the poetic force of a simple, yet dramatic, winter night.

TO BE OFFERED JUNE 2, PHILADELPHIA

George Sotter (1840-1926)

A Light in the Window Oil on canvas.

$100,000-$150,000

THIS PAGE, TO BE OFFERED MAY 11, PHILADELPHIA

Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

$ (9), 1982

Color screenprint on Lenox Museum Board.

$100,000-$150,000

OPPOSITE , TO BE OFFERED MAY 21, PHILADELPHIA

Allen Jones (British, b.1937)

Scene Seen (detail) , 1977 Oil on canvas.

$30,000-$50,000

THE POWER OF MONEY

In the early 1980s, amidst a booming American economy fueled by deregulation and materialism, Warhol unveiled his now-iconic Dollar Signs series. These vibrant silkscreens weren't merely depictions of currency; they were a potent commentary on the social and cultural zeitgeist of a flush and freewheeling decade.

The era witnessed a growing obsession with wealth. The so-called "Me Generation" prioritized personal gain, and conspicuous consumption became a cultural norm. Warhol, ever the chronicler of popular culture, captured this fascination with the dollar sign–a universally recognized symbol of financial power. By isolating and magnifying it–and in the present example, multiplying it—he transformed a mundane symbol into a Pop icon.

Warhol's signature repetition amplified his message. Multiple dollar signs plastered across canvas or, here, reproduced in silkscreen, created a sense of abundance, even excess. Their expressive colors–often contrasting starkly with the background–grabbed attention, mirroring the flashy extravagance of the 80s. And by elevating the dollar sign to the status of art object, Warhol blurred the lines between cultural and financial value.

Yet, Warhol’s series wasn't just about American materialism; it reflected a global shift. The rise of Japanese economic dominance and the oil boom in the Middle East cemented the dollar's significance as the world's reserve currency. His iconic series, then, transcended national boundaries, becoming a powerful and persistent symbol of the growing power of money.

Works like the present lot–which features nine dollar signs in a rainbow of colors–captured the allure and critique of wealth in Reagan-era America, offering a lasting commentary on the ever-present influence of money in our lives.

Americana

Timeless Treasures: Exploring Antiquities & Americana form Philip Pearlstein's Studio

Center Stage: The Laura Pels Collection, Act I: Fine Art

The Laura Pels Collection, Act II: Furniture and Decorative

Center Stage: The Laura Pels Collection, Act III: Luxury Handbags and Couture

Her Brilliant Friend

THE LAURA PELS COLLECTION

Freeman’s | Hindman is delighted to announce Center Stage: The Laura Pels Collection, a series of single-owner sales starting in New York on June 20.

A dedicated philanthropist and supporter of nonprofit theater through her eponymous foundation, Laura Pels (1931-2023) forged important relationships with playwrights, actors, and creative directors in the United States and abroad. She was also a close friend and confidante of artist Françoise Gilot, whose paintings and drawings feature prominently in this stunning River House collection alongside works by contemporaries Jean Cocteau, Joan Miró, Alexander Archipenko, and Sam Francis.

The suite of sales will begin with a live fine art auction held from Freeman’s | Hindman’s new Upper East Side location at 32 East 67 th Street. It will be followed by concurrent online sales of American and European furniture and decorative arts as well as important handbags and couture by luxury makers such as Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, and Hermès.

Gemma Sudlow, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for the New York region comments: “We are honored to be the auction house of choice for this distinguished River House collection. Laura Pels was a dedicated supporter of the dramatic arts, and we are delighted to pay tribute to her philanthropy and connoisseurship through this suite of sales where her legacy will be celebrated center stage. The recent announcement of a major exhibition devoted to the life and work of Françoise Gilot at the Musée Picasso in Paris is the perfect context to re-evaluate the importance of Gilot’s work and there are many fine examples in this sale that speak to the unique and enduring friendship Ms. Pels enjoyed with the artist.”

To honor this historic friendship and pay tribute to Ms. Pels’ French origins, a selection of highlights will travel to Paris for a special exhibition this Spring. Raphaël Chatroux, Head of the American Art Department, comments: “Ms. Pels was born near Bordeaux and studied acting in Paris, where she

OPPOSITE, FROM TOP, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 20, NEW YORK

Works from the Laura Pels Collection in situ , featuring:

Françoise Gilot (1921-2023)

Autoportrait avec Deux Femmes, 1944

Graphite on paper.

$6,000-$8,000

IMAGE: By Eitan Gamliely

Françoise Gilot (1921-2023)

The Model, 1958

Oil on canvas.

$40,000-$60,000

THIS PAGE

Black-and-White Double portrait of Laura Pels (detail)

IMAGE: Courtesy of the Pels Family.

Article continues next page

"UNDER HER SPELL, MANY SUCCESSES ARE WOVEN ROUND AND AROUND THE LIFE OF HER THEATRE AND SHE, ALWAYS THE MAGICIAN, IS RAISING THE CURTAIN."

– Françoise Gilot on Laura Pels, as quoted in a dedicated poem, "To Laura"

THIS PAGE, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 20, NEW YORK

Jean (Hans) Arp (1886-1996) Fleur de Rêve au Museau, 1954

Bronze with dark brown patina.

$60,000-$80,000

OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT, TO BE OFFERED JUNE 20, NEW YORK

Works from the Laura Pels Collection in situ , featuring:

Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957)

Sans-Titre (Horse Rider), circa 1912

Blue crayon and pencil on buff paper.

$150,000-$250,000

Sam Francis (1923-1994)

Abstraction in Blue and Red, 1953

Watercolor on paper.

$100,000-$150,000

IMAGE: By Eitan Gamliely

rented an apartment and ran Le Théâtre de l’Atelier together with her daughter. Her collection undoubtedly reflects how much of a Francophile she was. It was particularly important for us to celebrate her legacy and commitment to the arts by exhibiting treasured works from her collection in her home country, which granted her the Légion d’Honneur in 2002."

Among the 16 works by Françoise Gilot to be offered is The Model , a stunning female nude standing against a Matisse-inspired red background. Executed in 1958, the work bears strong Fauvist and Cubist influence and is a testament to Gilot’s ever-changing, creative style, especially considering how it differs from later

examples of the artist's work also included in the sale (a variety of portraits and landscapes from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s).

Other Fine Art highlights include a rare, blue-colored crayon composition by Constantin Brancusi from 1912-1913 depicting a horse rider; two organic sculptures by Jean (Hans) Arp; and L'Oiseau à L'Œil de Verre –a whimsical tempera by Max Ernst framed in an impressive brass structure ( see frontispiece ). Ceramics by Jean Cocteau, prints by Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso, as well as original works by Miquel Barceló, Georges Rouault, and Claudio Bravo will also be included.

Jacques Adnet

A PILLAR OF FRENCH MODERNISM

THE MAY 21 DESIGN AUCTION FEATURES A SINGLE-OWNER COLLECTION OF NEARLY A DOZEN PIECES BY PREEMINENT FRENCH

20 TH CENTURY FURNITURE DESIGNER JACQUES ADNET.

Originally trained as an architect, Jacques Adnet first came to prominence in the heyday of Paris’s Art Deco movement. He and his twin brother, Jean, established their first firm, J.J. Adnet, in Paris in 1916, and they exhibited in the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes , where they gained notoriety–recognized for their vision and ability to stage areas as both furniture designers and interior decorators.

Despite their successful partnership, Jacques and Jean ultimately pursued separate careers: Jacques became Design Director at Compagnie des Arts Français (CAF), while Jean went on to become a sales manager at Les Galeries Lafayette. While at CAF, Jacques collaborated with numerous design luminaries, including Serge Mouille, Charlotte Perriand, Georges Jouve, and François Jourdain. Though Art Deco influences always surrounded his design, his furniture matured towards a restrained simplicity that would visually define his legacy.

Adnet's distinct pared-down aesthetic and exquisite craftsmanship garnered the attention of decorators and design houses. He was asked to design a variety of common rooms for luxury ocean liners, the Riviera Casino owner Frank Jay Gould’s mansion, the main meeting room in Paris for UNESCO’s international headquarters, and the French President’s studio. Throughout these prestigious commissions, he retained his vision and strove to create practical, useful pieces for everyday life, believing furniture should be functional and geometrically simple.

Adnet's most iconic designs feature hand-stitched leather wrapped on deceptively simple metal frames, and many of these were sold through the luxury powerhouse brand, Hermès. Though the collection on offer includes a range of Adnet's popular and lesserknown designs, each piece is a testament to his careful construction and reflects his unique take on luxury and commitment to simple, functional beauty.

Amongst the more iconic designs is a circular mirror wrapped in a leather frame with an integrated, adjustable leather hanging strap. The piece’s buckles and straps emulate the fashionable styling of Hermès’ belts and handbags. A lesser known piece is a chic magazine rack (see page 32) , whose leatherwrapped frame features an integrated loop handle for portability–a feature that is at once functional and also its most notable design feature.

Perhaps the red leather and brass chair best epitomizes Adnet’s work from this period. The alluring warmth of the leather is accented with exquisite exposed stitching in a contrasting cream tone celebrating the fabrication. Featuring a simple frame and a restrained use of curved elements, the unexpected faux-bamboo brass legs give the chair a hint of attentive exoticism.

Though heavily focused on the work of Adnet, the collection also includes works by other European masters of design, including Piero Fornasetti, Alessandro Pianon, Gio Ponti, and Napoleone Martinuzzi, among others.

TO BE OFFERED MAY 21, CHICAGO

(1900-1984)

$5,000-$7,000

Jacques Adnet

Saddle Stitched Leather Armchair, France, circa 1950

Leather, brass.

A Rich Aesthetic Tapestry

POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART FROM THE ESTATE OF JORDAN AND CYNTHIA KATZ

On May 21, Freeman’s | Hindman is proud to offer Post War and Contemporary Art from the Estate of Jordan and Cynthia Katz , a single-owner sale representing over 30 years of passionate collecting. Featuring a curated selection of fresh-tomarket paintings, prints, and sculptures, this auction promises to be a testament to the couple’s discerning taste and dedication to art of the 20 th century.

Beginning as a modest art collection in the early 1980s, the Collection of Jordan and Cynthia Katz blossomed over the following decades under the guidance of gallerist Margaret Lipworth. The couple traveled to New York, London, and Palm Beach to visit the galleries and studios of the artists represented in this sale. Jordan was an amateur artist himself, creating paintings and sculptures that were inspired by the art in their collection. According to their daughter, the experience of collecting was an activity that gave them both great pleasure, and their art was proudly displayed on the walls of their three homes.

Within this meticulously curated private collection is a captivating group of works by renowned artists of the 20 th century, such as Alex Katz, Tom Wesselmann and Lynn Chadwick. Each piece within this collection exemplifies contemporary art's diversity of aesthetics, methods, and expressions–the vibrancy of Katz's iconic figurative paintings features alongside the boldness of Wesselmann's Pop Art compositions and the emotive power of Chadwick's sculptural forms.

A notable highlight from the Katz collection is Rackstraw and Pamela , a small-scale study by Alex Katz for a much larger work from 1976. Known for his distinctive style–characterized by bold colors, simplified forms, and flattened compositions–Rackstraw and Pamela is a seminal example of Katz's portraiture and showcases his unique approach to capturing the essence of his subjects. In this painting, Katz depicts realist painter Rackstraw Downes and his wife at the time, Pamela Berkley, who were both artists and friends of the painter. Set against the

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serene backdrop of coastal Maine, the composition is particularly striking due its close cropping, which eliminates extraneous details and focuses attention squarely on the sitters captured at an intimate moment. Seated together at a yellow picnic table, Rackstraw turns to Pamela, as the wind gently tousles their hair and their elbows touch. Despite the simplified forms, flat planes of color, and minimal shadow, there is depth and complexity to the figures, emphasizing both their individual personalities and the dynamic energy between them. The work is packed with emotion and Katz’s signature bravado.

Known for his bold and vibrant depictions of everyday objects, Tom Wesselmann often explored themes of consumer culture, sexuality, and the female form in

his artwork. Bedroom Face with Tulip , a large work on paper, exemplifies the artist’s distinctive style, featuring a graphic representation of a face alongside a tulip against the backdrop of a bedroom setting. Through the use of bright colors, simplified forms, and sharp lines, Wesselmann creates a visually striking composition that captures Pop Art's playful yet provocative aesthetic, which intrigues viewers to reconsider the familiar in a new light.

PREVIOUS PAGE, TO BE OFFERED MAY 21, PHILADELPHIA

Alex Katz (1935-2012)

Rackstraw and Pamela, 1976 Oil on Masonite.

$60,000-$100,000

OPPOSITE, TO BE OFFERED MAY 21, PHILADELPHIA

Tom Wesselmann (1935-2012)

Bedroom Face with Tulip, 1986 Liquitex on paper.

$100,000-$150,000

The Katz collection also features works from Lynn Chadwick’s sculptural œuvre. Lynn Chadwick was a British sculptor known for his innovative and dynamic abstract sculptures. He often created small-scale models–or maquettes–usually made from metal or bronze, that served as preliminary studies for his larger works.

The two angular seated figurines that comprise Maquette II Diamond (2 Figures) are a particularly enchanting example of Chadwick’s small-scale work. Each figure has their own identity and individual body shape–one has a more soft and feminine figure, featuring an accentuated waist and hips,

subtle belly, and slender legs; the other has much broader shoulders and a traditionally masculine torso. Furthermore, each figure has a polished bronze face, which was a trait Chadwick would occasionally incorporate into his sculptures. These faces, often characterized by their smooth and reflective surfaces, exist in striking contrast to the sculpture's otherwise rough texture and sharp angles. Chadwick's use of polished bronze faces imbued his otherwise abstract compositions with humanity and introspection, creating a captivating interplay between the organic and the industrial within his art. The collection also includes a geometric candelabra, Three Branched Candle Holder III , which illustrates the expansiveness of Chadwick’s repertoire.

Together, these artworks contribute to the rich tapestry of the Collection of Jordan & Cynthia Katz, and invite viewers into a world where artistic innovation and expression flourish.

THIS PAGE, TO BE OFFERED MAY 21, PHILADELPHIA

Lynn Chadwick (1887-1974)

Maquette II Diamond (2 Figures), 1984 Each bronze with black patina with gold.

$60,000-$100,000

Extraordinary Legacy, Trailblazing Style

THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF SECRETARY MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT

LEFT, TO BE OFFERED MAY 7, NEW YORK

A Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire Patriotic Leopard

Pendant/Brooch

$2,000-$3,000

IT IS THE DISTINCT HONOR OF FREEMAN’S | HINDMAN TO PRESENT THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF THE LATE FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT ACROSS A SEQUENCE OF

LIVE AND ONLINE SALES THIS MAY.

Featuring a range of personal property, from her distinctive pins to the beautiful fine and decorative arts that populated her Georgetown home and her offices, The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright shines a spotlight on the collecting sensibilities of this deeply influential national and international icon.

“Madeleine Albright’s name and career are synonymous with reaching a pinnacle of female achievement” says Gretchen Hause, Senior Vice President, Co-Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts. “Presenting her biography in objects at auction is a professional and personal honor, and will no doubt excite new generations of global citizens.”

Madeleine K. Albright (1937-2022) lived a life of service and leadership. She was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 1993 and shattered a glass ceiling when she was sworn in as the nation’s first female Secretary of State in 1997, becoming at the time the highest serving woman in the history of the United States government. Fiercely committed to democracy and human rights, Albright championed America’s alliances, promoted the expansion of NATO, supported non-proliferation efforts, and supported the expansion of free trade.

Secretary Albright received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, in 2012.

During her trailblazing diplomatic career, Secretary Albright discovered the power of jewelry to convey foreign policy messages. Before long, she began selecting appropriate pins to communicate her point of view. As shared in her book Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box, she deployed pins within her “personal diplomatic arsenal” to express her hopes, mood, and often a pointed message. She donated a collection of her pins to the National Museum of American Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, but Freeman’s | Hindman is delighted to offer at auction many other signature pins and jewelry that she wore throughout her life– including those worn at celebrated events and special occasions. Also available are selections of decorative objects, fine porcelain, silver, and books that she collected during her travels around the world.

The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright presents the singular opportunity to acquire some of the objects that Albright wore, lived with, and treasured throughout her life.

Standout highlights include many of Albright’s hallmark pins; diplomatic and political memorabilia; historical books; designer scarves, hats, and handbags; and, antique furniture and decorative objects.

At the Intersection of Two Brothers' Worlds

THE COLLECTION OF MR. AND MRS. RICHARD E. OLDENBURG

As director of The Museum of Modern Art, New York from 1972-1994, and later Chairman of North and South America at Sotheby’s until 2000, Richard Oldenburg was a towering figure in the art world in the latter part of the 20 th century. He and his older brother, the renowned Pop artist Claes Oldenburg, were born in Sweden and moved to Chicago as young children, when their father assumed the role of the city’s Swedish Consul General. Their influential mother was the opera singer and abstract painter Sigrid Lindforss.

While their career trajectories diverged at first, the two brothers both ended up living in New York City in the 1960s, with Richard working in publishing at Doubleday and MacMillan, and Claes emerging as an influential artist on the Pop Art scene. An exhibition opening of Claes’s work at MoMA brought their worlds together, with Richard reconnecting with a colleague who suggested a role in publications at the museum. Later assuming the role of Director, Richard would have a tremendous impact on the future of the institution, in terms of expanding its physical scale and international reputation.

In an oral history for the Museum of Modern Art, Richard recounted: “through [Claes], I met Rauschenberg, Lichtenstein, Warhol, Segal, Rosenquist—everyone—because they were all in very close contact. It was a very exciting time. It was the whole emergence of the Pop Art movement.”

Richard was an avid collector of works by these and many other contemporary artists, as well as of decorative arts and antiques, but his collection of his brother’s works are the most personal of the group.

Following an initial sale in October 2019, Freeman’s | Hindman is honored to offer additional works from this intimate collection, primarily comprised of drawings and studies for some of Claes’s most important projects. Also included are several figure studies and a brooding self-portrait. Many of the works were generously lent to the artist’s exhibitions at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, and elsewhere.

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT TO BE OFFERED MAY 11, PHILADELPHIA

Claes Oldenburg (1929-2022)

Study for Announcement for One-Man Show at Dwan Gallery - Frankfurter in Buns, 1963 Gouache and crayon on paper.

$20,000-$30,000

Claes Oldenburg (1929-2022)

Poster Announcing Voyages I, 1961 Oil on paper.

$15,000-$25,000

Claes Oldenburg (1929-2022)

Chicago Picasso Adapted to a Colossal Cufflink, 1972

Chalk and watercolor on paper.

$60,000-$100,000

Claes Oldenburg (1929-2022)

Proposed Colossal Monument for Staten Island, New York City – Fan, 1965

Pastel and watercolor on paper.

$18,000-$25,000

For the Love of the Barnes

THE COLLECTION OF DR. RICHARD J. WATTENMAKER

Freeman’s | Hindman is honored to announce the upcoming sale of The Collection of Dr. Richard J. Wattenmaker, to be held on September 22. Comprised of American and European Fine Art, Furniture and Decorative Arts, the single-owner event will pay tribute to the Philadelphia author, teacher, and scholar's eclectic taste and extensive knowledge.

Richard J. Wattenmaker (1941-2017) was often described as an art savant. Born in Philadelphia in 1941, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963, while also studying at the Barnes Foundation under Violette de Mazia. He continued his education at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, where he received his MA and PhD. Starting his career as the Director of Rutgers University Art Gallery, Wattenmaker subsequently became the Chief Curator of Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, Director of the Chrysler Museum, and Director at the Flint Institute of Arts. While in that role, he oversaw major shows and lectures dedicated to many of the artists

ILLUSTRATED: Works in situ in the Wattenmaker Family home. Article continues next page

for whom he would eventually become the leading reference, such as William Glackens, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Maurice and Charles Prendergast, as well as Jean Hugo, great-grandson of poet and novelist Victor Hugo, whom Wattenmaker and his wife, Eva, knew and regularly visited in the South of France. He also became a Senior Smithsonian Scholar in 2016.

In parallel to his growing academic responsibilities and many publishing projects, Wattenmaker developed a collection that echoed his diverse, yet overlapping, specialties and interests. His penchant for the bold, shimmering colors of his many Modern, Surrealist, and Fauve works blended effortlessly with his appreciation for Pennsylvania history in his assortment of Fraktur and redware ceramics. Above all, Wattenmaker’s primary passion and a great source of his intrigue, pride, and joy was wrought iron, which he collected avidly, both in America and Europe, especially France.

Wattenmaker's residence was a harmony of textures, colors, media, and aesthetics. In each room, fine art, furniture, and decorative arts not only lived and worked together, but actively engaged in dialogue–a bold and dynamic exchange of European and American influences. Clearly indebted to Dr. Albert C. Barnes’ exhibiting and collecting philosophies, Wattenmaker displayed gridirons, hinges, locks, and other trammels next to Modern oils and drawings on walls punctuated by stepback cupboards filled with glazed redware. He curated his own home with an enigmatic and deeply personal arrangement that spoke to him and revealed inherent connections.

Many of the Fine Art highlights of the sale–including a late work by Italian Surrealist Giorgio de Chirico featuring two horses against a seascape; five oils by William Glackens, including a refreshing summer view of Walker’s Pond in New Hampshire; works by Charles and Maurice B. Prendergast; as well as more than a dozen of works by Jean Hugo, including two impressive still lifes influenced by Henri Matisse–are by artists represented in the Barnes Foundation.

The Furniture and Decorative Arts section features fine redware and stoneware examples, Fraktur, a painted and decorated blanket chest, an important pair of pewter chargers, and a significant selection of American and European Ironwork, including utensil racks with accompanying utensils, several steeple cocks, and multiple mounts.

view extending beyond the auction room to include Freeman’s | Hindman's other areas of expertise; as well as our sister auction house in the United Kingdom, Lyon & Turnbull; and the thriving cultural and creative sector

A Transatlantic View

LYON & TURNBULL

SOLD FOR £745,201 ($931,500)

Roman Monumental Marble

Portrait Head of Pompeia Plotina Trajanic Period, circa 110-120 A.D. LYON & TURNBULL, LONDON

ADMIRATION FOR THE ANCIENT

Bidders from all over the world competed to own three extraordinary, larger-than-life Roman portrait busts at Lyon & Turnbull on March 21. The trio of massive 2 nd-century heads–which sold for a combined £1.7M ($2.1M)–boasted an 18 th-century provenance linked to the renowned Cobham Hall: they were previously owned by John Bligh, 4 th Earl of Darnley (1767-1831), the Lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent.

A noted amateur cricketer who made at least 27 appearances in first-class cricket matches between 1789-96, Bligh employed the architect James Wyatt to remodel the interiors at Cobham Hall where the sculptures, each now housed on a 19 th-century stand, remained until the house changed hands in 1957. They were last sold by Sotheby’s London in July 1957.

Combining decorative appeal, academic importance, and historic provenance, the busts attracted huge interest in the run-up to Lyon & Turnbull's first designated sale of Classical Ancient Art in London. The estimates on all three were shattered as bids came in by phone and online from the UK, the US, and across Europe. Two mighty images of the wives of the Roman emperors Trajan and Antoninus Pius made £745,201 ($931,500) each, while a bust of an older

aristocratic lady–a privately commissioned rather than civic piece–commanded £200,201 ($258,300).

Classical Ancient Art was the first 16 lots of a 100-lot sale that also included the company’s renowned Form Through Time sale. The sale total of £2.1M ($2.6M) was close to four times the global pre-sale top estimate of £550,000 ($687,500).

After the auction, Specialist Alex Tweedy said: "It has been a pleasure researching these highly historic busts over the past number of months. We are delighted to have achieved such outstanding prices for these important objects. They underscore the market's robust demand for exceptional, welldocumented pieces."

THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT, LYON & TURNBULL, LONDON

SOLD FOR £745,201 ($931,500)

Roman Monumental Marble Portrait Head of Faustina The Elder Antonine Period, circa 135-140 A.D.

SOLD FOR £200,201 ($250,250)

Roman Marble Portrait Bust of a Lady Hadrianic Period, circa 125-130 A.D.

AN INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP

This portrait of Raj Suraj Mal of Nurpur (reign: 16131618) holding a hawk, dates to circa 1770-80 and originates from the Punjab Hills. The well-adorned and robust ruler's right hand strokes the breast of his prize falcon–a mark of hunting prowess and regal demeanor.

This miniature is one of the highlights from Lyon & Turnbull’s inaugural sale of Islamic & Indian Art , which will feature 60 lots from the property of Dr. W.G. Archer (1907-1979) and Mildred Archer (1911-2005).

Incredible partners, Bill and Tim (as they were best known) were leading scholars and collectors in the field of Indian painting. Bill was posted with the Indian Civil Service in 1931, and remained in India with his wife until after the country's independence in 1948. While there, they both discovered an everlasting deep connection with the country, people, and culture. On their return from India, Bill became the keeper of Indian art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, while Tim became responsible for cataloguing all the drawings and paintings in the India Office Library.

They were passionate collectors and used their own private collection to promote the arts of India through worldwide exhibitions, loans, and publications. A strong area of focus for Bill was paintings from the Punjab Hills, having authored an early publication on the subject in 1952, before producing a two-volume comprehensive publication in 1973. This painting is just one of many works in the auction that originated from the fertile plains of the Punjab Hills.

AN ARCADIAN VISION

Le Cours d’Eau sous les Arbres is redolent of the ethereal stylization of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s mature work. Amidst a birch grove we find a farm hand, perhaps resting while journeying out from the town delineated in terracotta along the horizon. Corot suffused his landscapes with silvery Elysian ambience by painting on a ground of pale gray. He then applied colors from dark to light–first tracing the shadowy trees that so often frame his compositions, and coming last to the sky which, brushed in diffused strokes, glints through the tree canopies. Around Le Cours d’Eau, Corot has suggested yellow wildflowers with flicks of marigold pigment, almost audacious in their brevity. To the lower left the work bears the ‘Vente Corot’ stamp confirming its provenance.

TO BE OFFERED JUNE 12, LYON & TURNBULL, LIVE ONLINE

Raja Suraj Mal (reign: 1613-1618) of Nurpur Holding a Hawk Punjab Hills, Nurpur, circa 1770-80 Gouache and gold on card.

£6,000-£8,000 ($7,500-$10,000) + fees

Islamic & Indian Art

Lyon & Turnbull, Exhibition: London, Mall Galleries Kristina Sanne // kristina.sanne@lyonandturnbull.com

By the 1850s, Corot had devised an original landscape genre comprising imagined woodland and riverside idylls populated by peasants, nymphs, and bacchantes. These Arcadian visions, which Corot dubbed his Souvenirs , were often based on oil studies made en plein air . Their technical spontaneity and atmospheric verisimilitude constituted a novel approach to landscape painting which anticipated and influenced the work of the Impressionists. The Souvenirs’ fantastical nature ostensibly ran counter to the Impressionists’ objective to portray modern life, but Corot’s pastoral visions were a response to the encroaching industrialization and modernization of France. For this reason, their poignancy continues to resonate with audiences.

TO BE OFFERED MAY 15, LYON & TURNBULL, EDINBURGH

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875)

£80,000-£120,000 ($100,000-$150,000) + fees

Le Cours d'Eau sous les Arbres Oil on canvas.

Five Centuries Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh Nick Curnow // nick.curnow@lyonandturnbull.com

“IN CHINESE, THE WORD ‘LANDSCAPE’ IS CREATED FROM THE CHARACTERS ‘SHAN’ AND ‘SHUI’, MEANING MOUNTAINS

WATER. BUT I

AND

PREFER THE WORD ‘NATURE’, BECAUSE IT CALLS INTO BEING A MUCH BROADER WORLD: THE INTERSECTION OF MULTIPLE SPACES IN A PAINTING CAN CREATE SOMETHING LIKE A UNIVERSE, IN WHICH THE WIND AND THE ATMOSPHERE CAN BREATHE AND FLOW FREELY.”

– Zao Wou-Ki

PAINTING THE INVISIBLE

These two small, but perfectly formed paintings epitomize Zao Wou-Ki’s work of the late 1960s–his mastery of texture and surface, the subtle color variations, the gestural strokes of the brush fluttering across the canvas, the blending of Western modernism with an Eastern sensibility. They are the essence of Zao’s desire to paint ‘the invisible’–landscapes of the mind that take the viewer, as if in a dream, on an aesthetic journey through the elements to a hinted-at celestial realm.

The second half of the 1960s had proven to be a difficult time for Zao, as his second wife Chan May-Kan struggled with fits of deep depression and delicate health. During this time, painting became his refuge, "the only place of peace where [he] held onto hope like in the middle of a storm one grips onto a small boat inundated by water from all sides."

In the previous decade, Zao had rejected the use of calligraphy and ink, as an attempt to avoid being categorized as a ‘Chinese’ artist, when his ambitions and influences were far more international. However, at the time he painted these exquisite works, perhaps

because of the turmoil in his personal life, Zao returned to a calligraphic idiom, albeit in oil, seemingly finding comfort in a traditional method and practice.

The paintings encapsulate Zao Wou-Ki’s synthesis of Western Abstract Expressionism and classical Eastern traditions of visual poetry, a vision that placed him in a unique position within the history of modern art and which heralded a new dawn for Chinese painting.

OPPOSITE, FROM TOP, TO BE OFFERED APRIL 25, LYON & TURNBULL, LONDON Zao Wou-Ki (1921-2013)

25.1.67, 1967 Oil on canvas.

£150,000-£250,000 ($187,500-$312,500) + fees

Zao Wou-Ki (1921-2013) 1.3.67, 1967

Oil on canvas.

£150,000-£250,000 ($187,500-$312,500) + fees

Modern Made: Modern, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Design, Craft and Studio Ceramics Lyon & Turnbull, London, Mall Galleries Simon Hucker // simon.hucker@lyonandturnbull.com

ARTS AND CULTURE

THE BARNES FOUNDATION ONLINE ART HISTORY CLASSES

BARNESFOUNDATION.ORG/CLASSES

At the Barnes, we believe that art is a powerful agent for learning, personal growth, and social progress. We’ve been teaching people from all walks of life to think critically and see the world differently through art inside our galleries for 100 years. Now, with our innovative, user-friendly technology, we’re able to bring our unique teaching method to all corners of the world in a singularly immersive experience. When you take an online class with one of our expert instructors, you’ll not only increase your understanding of art, you’ll also build a sense of community with fellow art lovers and deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories you may not know.

PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS ARTISTS AS CULTIVATORS

THROUGH JULY 7, 2024 | PAFA.ORG

Building upon two previous PAFA exhibitions, The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement (2015) and Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America (2023), this exhibition presents 120 drawings, paintings, prints, sculpture, and digital installations, selected from PAFA’s permanent collection, that reveal how American artists have cultivated discourse, care, critique, and change by way of engagement with nature.

ILLUSTRATED: Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) , Niagara (detail) , 1869 Oil on paper laid down on canvas, Joseph E. Temple Fund, 2015.18

AUCTIONS & APPRAISALS SINCE 1805