Inaugurating the sale are two fresh-to-market works by Fernando Botero purchased by the current owner at Marlborough Gallery, New York, where exhibited in 1994-96. Both Painter of Still Lives (lot #1, carrying estimates of $350,000-$450,000) and Supper (lot #2, est. $200,000-$300,000) feature food as their centerpieces, executed with the painter’s signature exaggerated, polished forms developed in the 1970s. The paintings allegorize creation and consumption — mainstay themes of art history — in an enticing and humorous way typical of Botero. These are followed by four works by Marie Vorobieff (Marevna), including a portrait of the artist’s and Diego Rivera’s daughter Marika in a Rayonnist-inflected style (lot #5).
Among the highlights of the sale’s 20th century American art selection is an exemplary Ernie Barnes football scene, Ball in Play (lot #12) with a pre-sale estimate of $120,000-$180,000. Known for his exuberant depictions of Black Americans engaged in sport, dance and musical performance, Barnes, a onetime NFL player himself, once remarked: “I hate to think had I not played sports what my work would look like.” His elongated and dynamic figures also owe their appearance to the likes of El Greco and Michelangelo: Barnes is accordingly credited as the pioneer of the “Neo-Mannerist” style. One of the most compositionally complex football scenes of this magnitude to ever come to market, Ball in Play represents the apex of Barnes’ ability to capture the awe-striking power and beauty of the body in action.
Other notable pieces by African-American artists include lots #13-20 by Alvin Hollingsworth and paintings on salvaged materials by the Self-Taught “urban expressionist” Purvis Young (#21-24). Meanwhile, devotees of Postwar abstraction and conceptual art will have an opportunity to bid on works by Larry Rivers (lot #34), Joan Miro (#39-44), Bernard Requichot (#61-62), Victor Vasarely (#63-65), Sigmar Polke (#48) and Joseph Beuys (#49-54).
Collectors of American Impressionism are sure to appreciate the family gathering pictured by Theodore Butler (lot 87, est. $20,000-$30,000), Guy Wiggins’ Cafe in the Snow (#80, est. $12,000-$15,000) and Edward Henry Potthast’s coastal landscape (#81, est. $5,000-$7,000), as well as views of European cities by Colin Campbell Cooper (#97) and Paul Cornoyer (#101). For more atmospheric landscape, the yawning Canyon by Gustave Dore (lot #179, est. $6,000-$8,000) and the lush lake scene by John Atkinson Grimshaw (#194, est. $30,000-$40,000) are not to be missed.
The international scope of the auction is attested by its offering of 20th-21st century Eastern European art, impressive Russian icons from a California collection, Asian antiques and African bronzes. Next, lots #238-262 present jewelry and timepieces (#238-262) in time for the holiday season. Finally, the auction gathers a variety of decorative items from estate collections, ranging from fine silver (#267-303), glass (#304-311), porcelain (#332-362) to collectible furnishings and design, including a Cartier Art Deco lighter (#265) and an Italian bar by Tagliabue (#420).
Contact
Shapiro Auctions
212-717-7500
Follow the full story here: https://przen.com/pr/33487981