Swann Galleries News -

March 22, 2019|Kelsie Jankowski|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

At Auction May 2 Complete Catalogue Coming Soon A selection of Old Master prints includes highlights from Rembrandt and Albrecht Dürer, as well as iconic engravings from the latter’s visionary…

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 Coming Soon David Hockney’s Red Celia, a portrait of designer Celia Birtwell, for which Hockney looked to Picasso and Matisse for inspiration, is among…

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

Upcoming Highlights: Graphic Design

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

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 28, 2019 | Swann

Upcoming Highlights: The Pride Sale

Swann Galleries’ first Pride Auction, an exploration and celebration of the art, influence, history and experience of the LGBTQ+ community, being held in the same month as WorldPride and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, is shaping up to be a landmark event.

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…

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…

December 2, 2018 | Autographs

Upcoming Highlights: Autographs

At Auction March 21 Complete Catalogue This spring auction brings an assortment of hard-to-find items from world leaders, writers, musicians, scientists and other notable figures. Presidential autographs include a…

November 27, 2018 | Illustration art

Rockwell Kent & The League of American Writers

“To All Fascists:” One of the most remarkable pieces in our December 6 Illustration Art auction is a calligraphed broadside with a statement signed by members of The League of…

November 20, 2018 | Books

Upcoming Highlights: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books

At Auction March 7 Complete Catalogue Early manuscripts, incunabula, and post-incunabula lead the sale. These include a richly illuminated manuscript prayer book in Latin and French from the second…

November 15, 2018 | 19th & 20th Century Literature

Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature

Signed & Inscribed Oscar Wilde Play Leads Literature Auction SciFi Works Continue to Prove to be Popular in Swann Literature Sales Book collectors from far and wide partook in…

November 12, 2018 | Autographs

Records & Results: Autographs

Letters from a Young Kurt Vonnegut Top Autographs Auction Collectors Drawn to Autographs of Innovators Our auction of Autographs on Thursday, November 8 saw major interest in notable authors…

November 9, 2018 | Auctions 101

Optimize Your Swann Client Account

A Swann Client Account enables you to Track Lots, create Keyword Alerts and place order bids. Use this guide to get the most out of these features. Don’t have a…

November 5, 2018 | Old Master Through Modern Prints

Records & Results: Old Master Through Modern Prints

Picasso Tops Old Master Through Modern Prints Auction at Swann Scarce Rembrandt Etching Draws Major Interest Our sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints opened with lively bidding in…

November 5, 2018 | 19th & 20th Century Literature

“The Transcendental Club”

“The Transcendental Club,” as it would come to be known, was founded in Massachusetts, in September of 1836, by prominent New England intellectuals. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the primary practitioner of the…

November 2, 2018 | Contemporary Art

Louise Bourgeois: An Artist’s Portfolio

He Disappeared Into Complete Silence A highlight in our November 15 Contemporary Art sale is one of 19 known complete copies of Louise Bourgeois’ He Disappeared Into Complete Silence, 1947.…

October 29, 2018 | Vintage Posters

Records & Results: Rare & Important Travel Posters

Swann Travel Posters Auction Sets 8 Records Philip Zec reaches $17.5K Poster lovers from far and wide came to Swann on Thursday, October 25, sale of Rare & Important Travel…

October 26, 2018 | Autographs

“Love – PFC. Kurt Vonnegut, Infantry”

The highlight among literary autographs in our November 8 Autographs sale was a group of letters from Kurt Vonnegut, an American writer best known for his science-fiction infused anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five, to…

October 25, 2018 | Illustration art

A Look Inside the Catalogue: Illustration Art

At Auction December 6 Complete Catalogue From Children’s Literature An original color drawing by H.A. Rey showing Curious George, from the first appearance of the children’s icon, leads…

October 22, 2018 | Photographs & Photobooks

Records & Results: Photographs & Photobooks

Brâncusi Breaks $100k at Photographs Auction Records for DeCarava & Sidibé Swann Auction Galleries’ Thursday, October 18 sale of Photographs & Photobooks, which boasted historical and contemporary fine art…

October 22, 2018 | Old Master Through Modern Prints

On Picasso: Printmaker

Swann Galleries’ November 1 sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints contains nearly 500 lots, including an impressive selection of works by Pablo Picasso. Among these, two prints stand out: Le…

October 19, 2018 | Books

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

Jean de Mandeville Reaches $100K in Early Printed Books Auction Philippine Imprint sets record Our auction of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books garnered eager interest from bibliophiles, exceeding the…

October 18, 2018 | Contemporary Art

A Look Inside the Catalogue: Contemporary Art

At Auction November 15 Complete Catalogue Original Works This sale is notable for its strong selection of original works on paper, including an abstract gouache by Sonia Delaunay, as…

October 17, 2018 | Vintage Posters

Set Sail on the Open Seas with a Fleet of Ocean Liner Posters

Featured in our October 25 Rare & Important Travel Posters sale are works promoting ocean liners from the golden age of travel. Cunard Line It was…

October 10, 2018 | Autographs

A Look Inside the Catalogue: Autographs

At Auction November 8 Complete Catalogue Artists, Authors & Musicians Some artists have adorned their everyday communications with illustrations or artworks, and the sale includes two interesting examples: a…

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