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.
NewsSee all news
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2020: Year in ReviewDecember 23, 2020
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Records for Charles Alston, Wadsworth Jarrell, Augusta Savage and More in December 2020 Sale of African American ArtDecember 18, 2020
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Happening December 7: Artist Talk with Bisa ButlerNovember 30, 2020
Specialists


Department ScheduleSee Past Auctions

Feb 412:00PM ET
The Artists of the WPA

