March 2, 2021Kelsie Jankowski19th & 20th Century Literature New Auction Record for Frederick Douglass Autograph Set in Winter 2021 Sale of Fine Books & Autographs Read more about New Auction Record for Frederick Douglass Autograph Set in Winter 2021 Sale of Fine Books & Autographs The house closed out February 2021 with an exceptional sale of Fine Books & Autographs, which saw a 90% sell-through rate and exceeded the total high estimate, bringing in $522,632.…
Read more about Printed & Manuscript African Americana: March 2021 Auction Highlights March 1, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Printed & Manuscript African Americana: March 2021 Auction Highlights Featuring material relating to Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Phillis Wheatley, Katherine Dunham, Kool Lance, and more.
Read more about Artist Record for H.A. Volodimer in Winter 2021 Sale of Vintage Posters February 24, 2021 Vintage Posters Artist Record for H.A. Volodimer in Winter 2021 Sale of Vintage Posters Our winter 2021 offering of Vintage Posters on February 18 saw the highest recent sell-through rate of the house’s large biannual sale in the category, “This is particularly gratifying under…
Read more about Claude Monet & George William Thornley: A Printmaking Partnership February 22, 2021 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings Claude Monet & George William Thornley: A Printmaking Partnership At the end of the nineteenth century, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro rediscovered lithography as a medium both to recreate their artistic conceptions on paper and simultaneously achieve widespread distribution…
Read more about Ship’s Papers, Passports, and Privateers: Marco Tomaschett on Collectible Documents and U.S. Maritime History February 22, 2021 Autographs Ship’s Papers, Passports, and Privateers: Marco Tomaschett on Collectible Documents and U.S. Maritime History Water vessels played a critical role in shaping the early history of America. That U.S. maritime history is brief relative to some other nations is an advantage, because many artifacts…
Read more about Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road,’ Off the Rails February 22, 2021 19th & 20th Century Literature Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road,’ Off the Rails John Larson on the cinematic history of Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’ An immediate success upon its publication in 1957, Jack Kerouac’s second book, On the Road, has maintained a…
Read more about Fine Photographs: March 2021 Auction Highlights February 18, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Fine Photographs: March 2021 Auction Highlights Fine photographs by Diane Arbus, Julia Margaret Cameron, Robert Frank, Adam Fuss, Dorothea Lange, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Irving Penn, portfolios by Ansel Adams, Berenice Abbott, Eugène Atget, Paul Strand, and more.
Read more about As Seen on TV: Vintage Posters February 12, 2021 Vintage Posters As Seen on TV: Vintage Posters Missing our Poster Auction Exhibitions? An easy way to see the posters Swann has to offer, right from your couch. Jennifer De Candia, our vintage poster department administrator, takes us…
Read more about A Brief History of Guinness Posters & Alice in Guinnessland February 12, 2021 Vintage Posters A Brief History of Guinness Posters & Alice in Guinnessland James Joyce allegedly proclaimed that Guinness was “the wine of Ireland,” and a 1973 ad for the company featured a reluctant drinker and the tag line “I’ve never tried it…
Read more about 19th & 20th Century Art: March 2021 Auction Highlights February 10, 2021 Prints & Drawings 19th & 20th Century Art: March 2021 Auction Highlights Featuring prints, drawings, paintings, sculptures by Mary Cassatt, Francis Picabia, Pablo Picasso, Wifredo Lam, Fernand Léger, Martin Lewis, Henri Matisse, Diego Rivera, Egon Schiele, Paul Signac, James A.M. Whistler, and Francisco Zúñiga.
Read more about First Auction of Artists of the WPA at Swann Establishes Four Records February 9, 2021 American Art First Auction of Artists of the WPA at Swann Establishes Four Records The Artists of the WPA were on display in our February 4, 2021, auction. The multi-departmental sale was headed by Harold Porcher, the house’s director of Modern and Post-War Art,…
Read more about Fine Books & Autographs: February 2021 Auction Highlights February 3, 2021 Autographs Fine Books & Autographs: February 2021 Auction Highlights Featuring fine autographs by Frederick Douglass, Albert Einstein, James Dean, John F. Kennedy, Lord Byron, Richard Wagner, alongside literature and art books by Joseph Albers, Leonetto Cappiello, Ian Fleming, Ernest Hemingway, Ralph Ellison, and more.
Read more about ‘Saturday Evening Post’ Covers Pop in Swann Winter 2021 Illustration Art Sale February 2, 2021 Illustration Art ‘Saturday Evening Post’ Covers Pop in Swann Winter 2021 Illustration Art Sale Swann Galleries opened the winter/spring 2021 season with a robust sale of Illustration Art. The auction saw record prices for several works, as well as auction debuts from artists. Original…
Read more about Harold Porcher Explores Mexican Muralists & Their Impact on the WPA February 1, 2021 American Art Harold Porcher Explores Mexican Muralists & Their Impact on the WPA The Whitney Museum of American Art’s recent exhibition, Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945, was a comprehensive evaluation of post-revolution art in Mexico and the powerful influence it…
Read more about Illustrator Profile: Arthur Burdett Frost January 25, 2021 Illustration Art Illustrator Profile: Arthur Burdett Frost During the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, Authur Burdett Frost created thousands of illustrations for esteemed periodicals such as Harper’s Weekly, Scribner’s and Life, as well as hundreds of oils and watercolors. His drawings,…
Read more about Vintage Posters: Auction Highlights February 2021 January 25, 2021 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: Auction Highlights February 2021 At Auction February 18, 2021 Literary Posters Art Nouveau Bicycles, Automobiles & Aviation Food and Drink Skiing & Winter Sports Travel Fashion & Products Theater, Entertainment & Film Russian, War…
Read more about The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal January 20, 2021 American Art The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal On February 4, 2021, Swann will offer the auction: The Artists of the WPA. The multi-departmental sale will feature paintings, prints, photographs, posters, books and related ephemera by artists whose…
Read more about An Interview with Dick McDonough — Collector & Connoisseur of Golf Illustrations January 12, 2021 Illustration Art An Interview with Dick McDonough — Collector & Connoisseur of Golf Illustrations Swann’s January 28, 2021 auction of Illustration Art features 63 works of art (Lots 217 to 280) that are golf-themed, including original illustrations and rare printed posters and graphics from…
Read more about The Artists of the WPA: Auction Highlights February 2021 January 11, 2021 Swann The Artists of the WPA: Auction Highlights February 2021 We’re pleased to present this curated auction of WPA-era artwork, photographs, and related material. In the aftermath of the Great Depression, president Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and its related agencies represented an unprecedented investment in art and artists, setting the scene for the twentieth century’s art movements, and establishing the careers of diverse creatives, including women, Black artists, photographers, and muralists.
Read more about Harold Porcher’s Debrief on the First Modern & Post-War Art Auction At Swann January 6, 2021 Modern & Post-War Art Harold Porcher’s Debrief on the First Modern & Post-War Art Auction At Swann On December 3, 2020, we held our first Modern and Post-War Art auction. The sale was met with enthusiasm by collectors generating success for a number of works on offer.…
Read more about Illustration Art: Winter 2021 Highlights January 4, 2021 Illustration Art Illustration Art: Winter 2021 Highlights This sale brightens up January with a collection of golf illustrations formed by the avid collector and esteemed author on the subject, Dick McDonough. Many of the famous illustrators represented here were fans of the sport, including James Montgomery Flagg, Arthur B. Frost, Lealand Gustavson, John Held, Jr., and Arthur Sarnoff.
Read more about 2020: Year in Review December 23, 2020 19th & 20th Century Literature 2020: Year in Review In a year that was unlike any in our lifetimes, Swann’s specialists and staff proved to be as resilient and innovative as ever, bringing forward new and safe ways to…
Read more about Records for Charles Alston, Wadsworth Jarrell, Augusta Savage and More in December 2020 Sale of African American Art December 18, 2020 African American Art Records for Charles Alston, Wadsworth Jarrell, Augusta Savage and More in December 2020 Sale of African American Art The December 10, 2020, sale of African American Art was met with enthusiasm from collectors. The sale saw nine auction records set, as well as an auction debut from contemporary…
Read more about John Woodhouse Audubon: The California Gray Squirrel December 14, 2020 Books & Manuscripts John Woodhouse Audubon: The California Gray Squirrel The Audubon name is synonymous with art of the natural world. Most renowned for his iconic Birds of America, master naturalist John James Audubon expectantly encouraged and cultivated his two…
Read more about Swann Sets Hedda Sterne Record in Inaugural Sale of Modern & Post-War Art December 8, 2020 Modern & Post-War Art Swann Sets Hedda Sterne Record in Inaugural Sale of Modern & Post-War Art Our first sale of Modern & Post-War Art on Thursday, December 3, 2020, proved to be a major success with a sale total of $739,155 (over $200,000 above the sale’s…
Read more about Happening December 7: Artist Talk with Bisa Butler November 30, 2020 African American Art Happening December 7: Artist Talk with Bisa Butler Join us for a lively conversation between Swann Director of African American Art, Nigel Freeman, and the artist Bisa Butler, whose recent exhibitions and exceptional body of work make her one of the most exciting young artists to gain prominence in the last few years.
Read more about Beloved Children’s Book Illustrators November 30, 2020 Illustration Art Beloved Children’s Book Illustrators Original artwork from children’s literature continue to make up a large portion of our Illustration Art sales. The enduring appeal of this collecting category is in part due to the…
Read more about Harold Porcher’s Five Key Artists in the December 3 Modern & Post-War Art Sale November 25, 2020 Modern & Post-War Art Harold Porcher’s Five Key Artists in the December 3 Modern & Post-War Art Sale Our Director of Modern & Post-War Art, Harold Porcher, shares his top picks from the December 3 sale—the house’s first auction in the category. Irene Rice Pereira Irene Rice Pereira…
Read more about Helen Frankenthaler’s ‘Hermes’ Earns Record in November 2020 Contemporary Art Sale November 25, 2020 Contemporary Art Helen Frankenthaler’s ‘Hermes’ Earns Record in November 2020 Contemporary Art Sale Our Thursday, November 19, 2020, sale of Contemporary Art boasted exceptional prices for works on paper, prints, and editions. The auction delivered three records, with Abstract Expressionist artists drawing significant…
Read more about Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: December 2020 Highlights November 24, 2020 Maps & Atlases Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: December 2020 Highlights At Auction December 17, 2020 Previewing by Appointment Only Through Wednesday, December 16 Maps Atlases & Books with Maps Color Plate Books & Illustrations Prints, Drawings & Ephemera What You…
Read more about Autographs by Washington, Hamilton & Hancock Bring Top Prices in November 2020 Sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts November 23, 2020 19th & 20th Century Literature Autographs by Washington, Hamilton & Hancock Bring Top Prices in November 2020 Sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts Jane Austen Leads Fine Books & Manuscripts at Swann Our Tuesday, November 17, 2020, sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts saw great success across categories with a 90% sell-through rate…
Read more about Happening November 30: Artists That Went Against The Grain November 20, 2020 Modern & Post-War Art Happening November 30: Artists That Went Against The Grain Starting with H.C. Westermann in Chicago and winding its way through other artists that made a practice of going against the grain, Swann Director of Modern & Post-War Art Harold Porcher will be in conversation with scholar Antonia Pocock, discussing Westermann, Hedda Sterne, Robert Therrien, Allan Kaprow, and Claes Oldenburg.
Read more about New Record for a Print by Louis Lozowick in November 2020 Old Master Through Modern Sale November 17, 2020 Old Master Through Modern Prints New Record for a Print by Louis Lozowick in November 2020 Old Master Through Modern Sale Our Thursday, November 12 sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints brought in “a strong turnout of new buyers and bidding was aggressive for modern American prints and many other…
Read more about The Voice & Hand of Frederick Douglass November 12, 2020 Autographs The Voice & Hand of Frederick Douglass One’s handwriting is unique unto oneself. For some, the style can remain consistent throughout the years. For others, the features that characterize their handwriting can change depending on circumstance, and…
Read more about Chiron Press—The First of Its Kind November 12, 2020 Contemporary Art Chiron Press—The First of Its Kind In our November 2020 Contemporary Art sale, we’re honored to offer more than thirty important works from the Collection of Stephen Poleskie, founder of Chiron Press, New York’s first fine art…
Read more about Modern & Post-War Art: December 2020 Highlights November 9, 2020 Modern & Post-War Art Modern & Post-War Art: December 2020 Highlights At Auction December 3, 2020 This auction features high-quality examples by sought-after artists Sargent Johnson, Hughie Lee-Smith, Sam Middleton, John Little, Allan Kaprow, and Adolph Gottlieb. Works by Esteban Vicente,…
Read more about African American Art: December 2020 Highlights November 5, 2020 African American Art African American Art: December 2020 Highlights At Auction December 10, 2020 Previewing by Appointment Only Through Wednesday, December 9 This sale will include significant works by innovative artists, including a fine example of Gamin, an iconic…
Read more about Artist Profile: Louis Lozowick November 2, 2020 Old Master Through Modern Prints Artist Profile: Louis Lozowick Louis Lozowick is known for his geometric and abstracted lithographs of New York City, although his work also included social themes. Often compared to Charles Sheeler and the Precisionists, his stylistic influences changed over the years, but his emphasis stayed…
Read more about Monster Mash: Five Famous Monster Books to Collect October 30, 2020 19th & 20th Century Literature Monster Mash: Five Famous Monster Books to Collect October brings out the inner ghoul in all of us. Our Literature Specialist, John Larson, compiled a fantasy starter collection for those interested in fantasmagoria. The Vampyre; A Tale by…
Read more about Contemporary Art: November 2020 Highlights October 29, 2020 Contemporary Art Contemporary Art: November 2020 Highlights Featuring works by Louise Nevelson from the collection of Albert Argentieri, a friend of the artist, as well as works from the collection of Stephen Poleskie, founder of Chiron Press, New York. Other artists featured include Dorothea Rockburne, Alex Katz and Roy Lichtenstein.
Read more about Top Prices for Portfolios in October 2020 Fine Photographs Auction October 27, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Top Prices for Portfolios in October 2020 Fine Photographs Auction “Our market continues to be dynamic and varied. We saw strength in the FSA and other Depression-era photography as well as in other classical material. The bidding was also lively…
Read more about Fine Books & Manuscripts: November 2020 Highlights October 26, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Manuscripts: November 2020 Highlights Featuring Major Works by Jane Austen & Charles Dickens, Autographs & Manuscript Items from John Hancock, Igor Stravinsky & more
Read more about Touring the October 22 Sale of Fine Photographs October 21, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Touring the October 22 Sale of Fine Photographs Our Photographs & Photobooks department takes us on a virtual tour through the October 22 sale of Fine Photographs. Deborah Rogal on The Estate of Evelyne Z. Daitz Related Reading:…
Read more about Seven Artists Records for Fall 2020 Travel Posters at Swann October 20, 2020 Vintage Posters Seven Artists Records for Fall 2020 Travel Posters at Swann Auction Discoveries: Frank Lemen and Anthony Hansen “With over an over 80% sell-through rate, and with 16 of the top 17 lots selling to collectors, our Thursday, October 15, 2020,…
Read more about Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 2020 Highlights October 19, 2020 Old Master Through Modern Prints Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 2020 Highlights At Auction November 12, 2020 The fall fine prints sale will include masters of printmaking from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. Highlights include woodcuts, etchings and engravings by Albrecht…
Read more about Collecting Railway Posters October 12, 2020 Vintage Posters Collecting Railway Posters Nicholas D. Lowry Picks His Top Locomotive Travel Posters Among the earliest European travel posters were produced by the railway companies to sell tickets on their new trains crisscrossing the…
Read more about Collection Spotlight: Evelyne Daitz, Trailblazing Photography Gallerist October 9, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Collection Spotlight: Evelyne Daitz, Trailblazing Photography Gallerist Evelyne Daitz helped to set the foundation for the market and pioneered the ways in which the medium is still considered and collected today. We are honored to be offering numerous works from Daitz’s estate.
Read more about Early Printed Books: Fall 2020 Auction Highlights October 7, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Early Printed Books: Fall 2020 Auction Highlights Early Printed Books, at auction October 27, 2020, featuring sought-after early imprints, incunabula, North American early exploration texts, medical books and more.
Read more about Register for the Legendary Catskill Mountain House Brings $45k in our Fall 2020 Sale of Americana October 7, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Register for the Legendary Catskill Mountain House Brings $45k in our Fall 2020 Sale of Americana Our Thursday, September 24, 2020 sale of Printed & Manuscript Americana brought an 82% sell-through rate by lot, totaling over $600k with at least 23 institutions purchasing a total of…
Read more about The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters October 1, 2020 Auctions 101 The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters …and what we mean when we say something is “Rare.” Just when you think you have seen it all… I am always amazed when I realize how much more there…