African American Art

Founded by Nigel Freeman in 2006, the African American Art department handles a range of material spanning the late nineteenth century to the Harlem Renaissance, as well as modern and contemporary art. Sales consistently break auction records for well-known artists and establish records for artists with no previous auction history.

Swann holds the record for Abstract Expressionist master Norman Lewis, selling the oil painting Untitled (pictured here) for $965,000 in December 2015. We also lead the market in works by John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron Douglas, Sam Gilliam, Barkley Hendricks, Hughie Lee-Smith, Faith Ringgold, Charles White and Hale Woodruff.

Important collections handled by the department include The Art Collection of Dr. Maya Angelou, The Golden State Mutual Life African-American Art Collection and The Richard A. Long Collection.

Swann remains the only major auction house with a team dedicated to African-American Fine Art. After more than a decade, our sales are followed closely by top collectors and curators across a broad spectrum.