Swann Galleries News -

May 17, 2019|Lauren Kristin|American Art

Upcoming Highlights: American Art

At Auction June 13 Complete Catalogue Coming Soon Exhibition Open June 8 – June 13 The exhibition is free to attend and open to the public. We welcome special and educational…

May 14, 2019 | Vintage Posters

Dramatized Sales Methods: How to close a sale in 1930

The art of salesmanship has long been dissected in search of methods to effectively and efficiently hook customers and close a deal. Our upcoming Graphic Design auction on May 23…

May 10, 2019 | Contemporary Art

A Look at Roy Lichtenstein’s Early Works

Roy Lichtenstein is known for his commercial art-inspired works that provided parody through Pop Art and elevated the art of cartooning. Though all of his work maintains the semi-fantastical air…

May 9, 2019 | Old Master Through Modern Prints

Records & Results: Old Master Through Modern Prints

Zapata Sets Print Record for Diego Rivera at $45k With seven records and a standout selection of Latin American art, our sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints on Thursday, May 2 offered works by the greatest…

May 6, 2019 | African-American Fine Art

Swann in Profile: Atina Sutton

Following up on our recent sale of African-American Fine Art, we sat down with Atina Sutton to discuss all things Swann, art and what’s current. You’ve been at…

May 3, 2019 | Swann

The Pride Sale

An Exploration & Celebration of the Art, Influence & History of the LGBTQ+ Community Our first Pride Sale, being held in the same month as WorldPride and the 50th anniversary…

April 26, 2019 | 19th & 20th Century Literature

Ian Fleming First Editions: Books, Rare Books

On May 14 we are bringing a selection of 13 Ian Fleming first editions to auction. Fleming, a former intelligence officer and journalist, debuted the stylish James Bond in 1953…

April 24, 2019 | Old Master Through Modern Prints

Notes from the Catalogue: Latin American Art

Our largest offering of Latin American prints and originals to date comes across the block in our Old Master Through Modern Prints sale May 2. Compiled into a separate catalogue,…

April 23, 2019 | Photographs & Photobooks

Records & Results: Photographs & Photobooks

Martín Chambi & Images of South America Lead Classic & Contemporary Photographs at Swann Our sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs on Thursday, April 18 saw active bidding across all categories with early-twentieth-century photography, Humanist portraits and sublime images of nature…

April 19, 2019 | Printed & Manuscript Americana

Records & Results: Printed & Manuscript Americana

Mexican Imprints Bring Significant Interest in Swann Americana Sale Our Printed & Manuscript Americana sale on Thursday, April 16 was the house’s third straight sale is the category to finish over $1,000,000, bringing several significant records.…

April 17, 2019 | Maps & Atlases

Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books

At Auction June 6 Complete Catalogue Exhibition Open June 1 – June 6 The exhibition is free to attend and open to the public. We welcome special and educational groups…

April 11, 2019 | Printed & Manuscript Americana

Manuscript Diaries Tell Tales of a Growing America

A West Point graduate blazes a trail from San Antonio to El Paso. A guard in one of the country’s most notorious prisons notes the silence of the inmates. A…

April 11, 2019 | Photographs & Photobooks

Notes from the Catalogue: Dorothea Lange

Our April 18 sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs features several of Dorothea Lange‘s iconic photographs from her time documenting for the Farm Security Administration, as well as her travels…

April 9, 2019 | African-American Fine Art

Records & Results: African-American Fine Art

Artist Records for Amos, Leigh, Lovelace O’Neal, Pindell & More We saw strong results for African-American Fine Art on Thursday, April 4. Nigel Freeman, the house’s director of African-American Fine Art, noted, “I was happy to see…

April 2, 2019 | Printed & Manuscript African Americana

Records & Results: Printed & Manuscript African Americana

A Record for The Negro Travelers’ Green Book Among Printed & Manuscript African Americana at Swann Our Printed & Manuscript African Americana on Thursday, March 28 saw a sell-through rate of 90%, a record for the category. Enthusiastic bidding was seen across all…

March 29, 2019 | Illustration art

Illustration Art

At Auction June 4 Complete Catalogue Exhibition Opens May 30 – June 4 The exhibition is free to attend and open to the public. We welcome special and educational groups…

March 29, 2019 | 19th & 20th Century Literature

Upcoming Highlights: 19th & 20th Century Literature

At Auction May 14 Complete Catalogue This sale features significant material by the man behind everyone’s favorite MI6 agent, James Bond, including a first edition of Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s…

March 28, 2019 | Autographs

Records & Results: Autographs

Auction Record for Mohawk Chief & Loyalist Joseph Brant at Swann Our Autographs sale on March 21 saw significant interest in Americana, scientists and popular figures. Of the sale Marco Tomaschett, the house’s autographs Specialist, noted: “Highest…

March 26, 2019 | African-American Fine Art

Notes from the Catalogue: Howardena Pindell

Howardena Pindell is among the contemporary artists included in our April 4 sale of African-American Fine Art. Her work explores texture, color and structures often incorporating punched circles and grids,…

March 22, 2019 | African-American Fine Art

Market Debuts: Artists to Watch in our April 4 Auction

Our April 4 sale of African-American Fine Art features four market newcomers, artists whose work has never before appeared at auction. Their work comes in a variety of mediums and…

March 13, 2019 | Prints & Drawings

Upcoming Highlights:
Old Master Through Modern Prints

Featuring Latin American Art At Auction May 2 Complete Catalogue A selection of Old Master prints includes highlights from Rembrandt and Albrecht Dürer, as well as iconic engravings from the…

March 12, 2019 | Autographs

Diana, Princess of Wales

Our sale of Autographs on March 21 features an extraordinary run of material by Diana, Princess of Wales. The assortment includes a number of autograph letters signed to her friend,…

March 12, 2019 | Contemporary Art

Upcoming Highlights: Contemporary Art

At Auction May 16 Complete Catalogue David Hockney’s Red Celia, a portrait of designer Celia Birtwell, for which Hockney looked to Picasso and Matisse for inspiration, is among the highlights,…

March 11, 2019 | Books

Records & Results: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books

Illuminated Manuscripts Lead Early Printed Books at Swann Coinciding with Rare Book Week in New York City, our spring offering of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books…

March 8, 2019 | 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings

Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings

Ismar Littmann Family Collection Shines in Swann Galleries’ Prints & Drawings Sale Our sale of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings on March 5 earned $2.7M, with property from the Ismar Littmann Family Collection of German Expressionism &…

March 5, 2019 | Photographs & Photobooks

Upcoming Highlights: Classic & Contemporary Photographs

At Auction April 18 Complete Catalogue Our diverse April auction bridges classical and contemporary visual idioms with important work, including Robert Mapplethorpe’s Lisa Lyon, Dorothea Lange’s emotive Korean Child,…

March 1, 2019 | Vintage Posters

Graphic Design

At Auction May 23 Complete Catalogue Graphic Design continues to be a favorite among our poster auctions, with work by important designers like A.M. Cassandre, Charles Loupot, Ludwig Hohlwein, Jean…

March 1, 2019 | Printed & Manuscript Americana

Upcoming Highlights: Printed & Manuscript Americana

At Auction April 16 Complete Catalogue This sale includes a dramatic Texan diary by William Farrar Smith, commanding an expedition to find the best trail from San Antonio to…

February 27, 2019 | Photographs & Photobooks

Records & Results: Photographs & Photobooks

A Record for Malick Sidibé in Swann Photo SaleVernacular albums of nineteenth-century India bring $30k Our sale of Photographs: Art & Visual Culture on February 21, a curated sale celebrating photographs as physical objects, saw success across the board with contemporary, twentieth-century and…

February 26, 2019 | Books

Swann Galleries’ Guide to Rare Book Week 2019 in NYC

Rare Book Week kicks off March 5 in NYC. We gathered a selection of our favorite events happening throughout the week, as well as several not-to-be-missed exhibitions. See you there!…

February 23, 2019 | Printed & Manuscript African Americana

Upcoming Highlights: Printed & Manuscript African Americana

At Auction March 28 Complete Catalogue A highlight is volume one, issue one of the Mirror of Liberty, July 1838–the first African-American periodical–edited by David Ruggles, and believed to be…

February 14, 2019 | 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings

The Story of the Ismar Littmann Family Collection

Our March 5 sale of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings will feature Property from the Ismar Littmann Family Collection of German Expressionism and European Avant-Garde. Director of Prints…

February 13, 2019 | Vintage Posters

Records & Results: Vintage Posters

Alphonse Mucha & Art Nouveau Lead Vintage Posters at Swann Our February 7 sale of Vintage Posters saw numerous firsts and records. Nicholas D. Lowry, Swann President, noted: “Lively bidding for ski posters and Art Nouveau images set…

February 12, 2019 | Photographs & Photobooks

In Your Hands or On the Wall: an Appreciation for the Tangible Photograph

Our upcoming sale of Photographs: Art & Visual Culture celebrates photographs as objects. Daile Kaplan, the house’s Director of Photographs & Photobooks, shares her appreciation of the tangible in the…

February 11, 2019 | Prints & Drawings

Highlights from the Ismar Littmann Family Collection of German Expressionism & European Avant-Garde

A Historic Collection Few collectors in Breslau during the early 1900s had a passion for connoisseurship, collecting and the visual arts equal to Ismar Littmann, who amassed more than 6,000…

February 8, 2019 | Art Press & Illustrated Books

Records & Results: Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics

Georges Rouault’s Livres d’Artiste Lead Swann Galleries’ Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics We opened out 2019 season with Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics which boasted numerous auction records and several new buyers. …

February 8, 2019 | African-American Fine Art

Specialists in the Field: Nigel Freeman at the Wallach Art Gallery

Nigel Freeman, our African-American Fine Art director, stopped by the Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia University to view Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet and Matisse to Today. Here are Nigel’s takeaways on the exhibition: Posing Modernity is a…

February 4, 2019 | Prints & Drawings

Upcoming Highlights: 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings

Featuring Property from the Ismar Littmann Family Collection of German Expressionism & European Avant-Garde At Auction March 5 Complete Catalogue Our morning session will begin with Property from the…

January 31, 2019 | Vintage Posters

The Posters on Your Shelf: Scarce Books & Portfolios

At the end of the nineteenth century, the craze of poster collecting was at an all-time high. As a result, publishers formed subscription services in limited runs so that the…

January 21, 2019 | Photographs & Photobooks

Upcoming Highlights – Photographs: Art & Visual Culture

At Auction February 21 Complete Catalogue This auction features Robert Frank’s Yom Kippur, East River, New York, 1955, printed 1971; Robert Mapplethorpe’s Roy Cohn, 1981; André Kertész’s signed…

January 18, 2019 | Auctions 101

How to Never Miss a Drop of the Hammer

with Swann Galleries’ App Live online bidding is seamless with Swann Galleries’ App, where you can browse catalogues and bid live, with no extra fees. Another bonus? You can watch lots,…

January 17, 2019 | Art Press & Illustrated Books

Cheloniidae: Sea Turtles

The Richard Lee Callaway Collection of Alan James Robinson & the Cheloniidae Press The collection of the late Richard Lee Callaway forms the cornerstone of the fine printing and…

January 9, 2019 | Vintage Posters

Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters

At Auction February 7 Complete Catalogue Our winter sale features tantalizing, rare Art Nouveau images and a panoply of evocative Ski and Winter Resort advertisements. In addition to…

December 26, 2018 | Books

Upcoming Highlights: Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics

At Auction January 29 Complete Catalogue Taking place during Bibliography Week in New York City, this auction focuses on fine twentieth-century livres d’artiste. Among a large number of Art…

December 21, 2018 | Swann

2018: Year in Review

A year of records, debuts and rediscovered works. As we reflect on 2018, we look back at an excellent year of auctions. In April we held our highest-grossing African-American Fine Art…

December 17, 2018 | Maps & Atlases

Records & Results: Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books

Runaway Currier & Ives Print with Special Ties to Thomas W. Streeter Sets Record at Swann We closed out our fall season with a marathon sale of Maps &…

December 14, 2018 | Auctions 101

How to Consign to an Auction

Thinking about selling at auction? Allow us to be of assistance. Swann is a third-generation family business and the oldest specialty auction house in New York City, known for our…

December 10, 2018 | Illustration art

Records & Results: Illustration Art

Illustration Art Sale at Swann Sets Six Records Al Hirschfeld’s Marx Brothers Tops Auction at $26k Our auction of Illustration Art on December 6 saw a bustling auction room…

December 5, 2018 | Maps & Atlases

Across the Continent: a Currier & Ives print with ties to Thomas W. Streeter

Among the many unique and impressive rarities in our December 13 Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books sale is Across the Continent, 1868, by Currier & Ives. Significant for…

December 3, 2018 | African-American Fine Art

Upcoming Highlights: African-American Fine Art

At Auction April 4 Complete Catalogue A powerful charcoal drawing by Charles White, Caliban, 1950, is one of the top lots in the sale. Never exhibited publicly, this rediscovered…

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