January 3, 2023Kelsie Jankowski19th & 20th Century Literature 2022: Year in Review Read more about 2022: Year in Review 2022 was a historic year for Swann in more ways than one. The house celebrated its 80th year of auctions, bringing with it the 70th anniversary of the first photography…
Read more about Prints & Drawings Specialists’ Picks: American Art — September 22, 2022 September 19, 2022 American Art Prints & Drawings Specialists’ Picks: American Art — September 22, 2022 Our prints and drawings department shares their favorite lots from the September 22, 2022 sale of American Art.
Read more about American Art: September 22, 2022 Auction Highlights August 26, 2022 American Art American Art: September 22, 2022 Auction Highlights Our annual American Art sale leads off the Fall auction season at Swann with panache and a smorgasbord of offerings, from the artists of the Hudson River school, including Thomas…
Read more about This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review August 22, 2022 19th & 20th Century Literature This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review The winter-spring auction season at Swann is a masterclass in marathon training, and the 2022 iteration proved no different with 20 auctions held between late January and the middle of August.
Read more about Making A Modern American Art: 1920 – 1930 August 22, 2022 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings Making A Modern American Art: 1920 – 1930 The 1920s were a time of prosperity in America. World War I had ended and the pessimism of the 1910s turned into optimism for modern life. American artists continued to focus on developing their artistic voices and both institutions and galleries were formed to bring their work to a broader audience.
Read more about Artist Profile: Hugh Steers August 8, 2022 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Artist Profile: Hugh Steers “I think I’m in the tradition of a certain kind of American artist (…) Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline—they all had this austere beauty to them. They found beauty…
Read more about Making A Modern American Art: 1910 – 1920 July 7, 2022 American Art Making A Modern American Art: 1910 – 1920 The 1913 Armory Show Inspired by time spent in Europe, around 1910, Arthur Dove became the first American artist to paint an abstract painting. At this time, abstract art was…
Read more about A Look at Edward Hopper’s Print Market June 27, 2022 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings A Look at Edward Hopper’s Print Market James Macry in our prints and drawings department examines two works that exemplify the market for Edward Hopper prints Edward Hopper first began printmaking in 1915, following the encouragement and…
Read more about Making A Modern American Art: 1900 – 1910 June 22, 2022 American Art Making A Modern American Art: 1900 – 1910 Edward Hopper & His Contemporaries At the turn of the twentieth century, artists began to confront the dominance of European academic influences within the American art sphere. In search of…
Read more about Swann Opens 2022 with Whirlwind Auction Celebrating the Artists of the WPA February 1, 2022 The Artists of the WPA Swann Opens 2022 with Whirlwind Auction Celebrating the Artists of the WPA The house opened 2022 with The Artists of the WPA on Thursday, January 27. The follow-up to an inaugural 2021 sale proved the staying power of this special offering with…
Read more about 2021: Year in Review December 22, 2021 Swann 2021: Year in Review As we close out another successful year at Swann we look back at our record-filled sales.
Read more about Artists of the WPA & the Dawn of a New American Identity December 20, 2021 The Artists of the WPA Artists of the WPA & the Dawn of a New American Identity The New Deal not only established a great legacy, but a greater generation of artists whose works defined the American spirit.
Read more about Consign Now for June 2022: Focus on Women November 5, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Consign Now for June 2022: Focus on Women This past summer Swann held its first auction devoted to works by women. We are pleased to annouce another edition of this sale, to be held in June 2022, once again spearheaded by Devon Eastland, our Early Printed Books Specialist, but offering a wide assortment of material
Read more about Highlights From The Virginia Zabriskie Collection August 20, 2021 American Art Highlights From The Virginia Zabriskie Collection We are honored to offer the collection of Virginia Zabriskie in a special single-owner auction that opens our 2021 fall season. Virginia Zabriskie’s personal collection was built during a pioneering career spanning more than five decades, marked by audacity and innovation in a field that was seldom encouraging to professional women.
Read more about First Sale Dedicated to the Accomplishments of Women at Swann Exceeds High Estimate July 20, 2021 19th & 20th Century Literature First Sale Dedicated to the Accomplishments of Women at Swann Exceeds High Estimate Early Printed Book, Archives, Vernacular and Fine Art Photography, Among other Material, Draws Interest Among Collectors The house’s inaugural Focus on Women sale on Thursday, July 15, 2021 brought $333,893…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Focus on Women — At Auction July 15, 2021 June 28, 2021 Printed & Manuscript Americana Upcoming Highlights: Focus on Women — At Auction July 15, 2021 What You Need to Know on Auction Day This auction will be held live and conducted remotely. There will not be bidding in the room, though we accept order bids,…
Read more about Tour the June 2021 American Art Sale: 19th Century to Modern Art June 21, 2021 American Art Tour the June 2021 American Art Sale: 19th Century to Modern Art The American Art sale on June 30, 2021 will include notable works from prominent artists working in America beginning in the mid-1800s and continuing through the contemporary era. Below we…
Read more about American Art: June 30, 2021 Auction Highlights June 11, 2021 American Art American Art: June 30, 2021 Auction Highlights Featuring works by Rockwell Kent, Emil Bisttram, Ruth Temple Anderson, John La Farge, Alice Beach Winter, and more.
Read more about Play Ball!: The Unlikely Tradition of Baseball Ephemera at Swann April 1, 2021 Swann Play Ball!: The Unlikely Tradition of Baseball Ephemera at Swann With the arrival of baseball’s Opening Day, spring is truly here. Swann does not handle baseball memorabilia in the traditional sense, leaving the encapsulated gem-mint rookie cards and game-worn jerseys to…
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 Harold Porcher Explores Mexican Muralists & Their Impact on the WPA February 1, 2021 The Artists of the WPA 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 The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal January 20, 2021 The Artists of the WPA The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal On February 4, 2021, Swann offered: The Artists of the WPA. The first iteration of the multi-departmental sale, featured paintings, prints, photographs, posters, books and related ephemera by artists whose…
Read more about 2020: Year in Review December 23, 2020 Swann 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 Fall 2020 American Art Sale Delivers 15 New Records September 22, 2020 American Art Fall 2020 American Art Sale Delivers 15 New Records Swann Galleries opened the fall 2020 season with a whirlwind sale of American Art on Thursday, September 17, 2020. “We were delighted to start the fall season at Swann with…
Read more about Historic Coastal Artist Colonies of Northeastern America September 15, 2020 American Art Historic Coastal Artist Colonies of Northeastern America Each summer, tourists, some of them artists, flocked to Northeastern coastal havens to cure urban fatigue, become closer with nature, and enjoy the slower pace for the season. We explore several prominent artist colonies via the artwork they inspired.
Read more about The Virginia Zabriskie Collection September 14, 2020 Prints & Drawings The Virginia Zabriskie Collection We are honored to offer the collection of Virginia Zabriskie in a special single-owner auction in 2021. Virginia Zabriskie’s (1927-2019) personal collection was not only manifested in her discerning taste, but during a pioneering career spanning more than five decades marked by audacity and innovation in a field that was not always encouraging to professional women.
Read more about American Art: At Auction September 17, 2020 August 17, 2020 American Art American Art: At Auction September 17, 2020 This annual American Art auction includes paintings by American artists Grandma Moses, Childe Hassam, Charles Burchfield, and more.
Read more about Records & Results: American Art June 25, 2019 American Art Records & Results: American Art Modernists Lead American Art at Swann We continued the spring 2019 season with a sale of American Art on June 13, which boasted three artist records. American Modernists…
Read more about America the Beautiful: City & Landscape Scenes of America’s Terrain June 7, 2019 American Art America the Beautiful: City & Landscape Scenes of America’s Terrain Our June 13 sale of American Art features an impressive selection of city, landscape and coastal scenes. The offering puts on display how the breadth and diversity of America’s terrain,…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: American Art May 17, 2019 American Art Upcoming Highlights: American Art At Auction June 13 Complete Catalogue Exhibition Open June 8 – June 13 The exhibition is free to attend and open to the public. We welcome special and educational groups with…
Read more about Records & Results: American Art June 18, 2018 American Art Records & Results: American Art Our auction of American Art on June 14 offered original works by bastions of the category including William Glackens and John Singer Sargent, as well as artists whose work has…
Read more about The Many Illustrious Circles of Pavel Tchelitchew June 8, 2018 American Art The Many Illustrious Circles of Pavel Tchelitchew Multi-talented artists can appear in multiple departments at Swann. Our June 14 auction of American Art will feature highlights by Pavel Tchelitchew, whose work also appears in our auctions of Illustration…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: American Art April 1, 2018 American Art A Look Inside the Catalogue: American Art At Auction June 14 This highly curated sale of American Art presents original works in a variety of media, including drawings, watercolors and sculpture. Offerings range from nineteenth-century paintings…
Read more about Mrs. Stimson Joins Her Husband at the Huntington Historical Society June 27, 2017 American Art Mrs. Stimson Joins Her Husband at the Huntington Historical Society Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lewis Stimson lived in an estate in Huntington, Long Island. In his memoir, he wrote of her, “That marriage has now lasted over fifty-four years, during…
Read more about Records & Results: American Art June 19, 2017 American Art Records & Results: American Art We closed our Spring 2017 season with a climactic sale of American Art on Thursday, June 15. The annual auction offered exclusively original or unique works by artists living or…
Read more about Winslow Homer’s Personal “Bible” June 9, 2017 American Art Winslow Homer’s Personal “Bible” On a visit to his Prout’s Neck studio, Winslow Homer’s friend and fellow artist John W. Beatty picked up a dogeared book and asked him if he found it of…
Read more about Recently Rediscovered Watercolor by John Marin June 7, 2017 American Art Recently Rediscovered Watercolor by John Marin A recently rediscovered watercolor by John Marin will be making its auction debut in our June 15 sale of American Art. The work displays two features for which the artist…
Read more about Top Lots: Winslow Homer, Preston Dickinson & James D. Smillie June 14, 2014 American Art Top Lots: Winslow Homer, Preston Dickinson & James D. Smillie The first of its kind at Swann to break $1 Million, the American Art auction on Thursday was our highest-grossing sale in this category ever, with a sale total of…
Read more about Naturalist Charles Burchfield June 11, 2014 American Art Naturalist Charles Burchfield If you’ve got summer on your mind these days–and who doesn’t?–you may be drawn to some of the bucolic images in Swann’s June 12 auction of American Art. And, among…
May 22, 2014 American Art Let It Snow: Guy C. Wiggins’s Views of New York City With Memorial Day approaching, all of us here in New York are hoping for warm weather. But, among the most charming images in our June 12, 2014 auction of American…
Read more about Sense of Play: Will Barnet’s Nude with Cats May 21, 2014 American Art Sense of Play: Will Barnet’s Nude with Cats Among the highlights of our June 12, 2014 auction of American Art—and the image that graces the catalogue cover—is Will Barnet’s Play, a watercolor and oil on paper from 1975. Barnet…
Read more about Artwork from the Collection of Artist James D. Smillie April 11, 2014 American Art Artwork from the Collection of Artist James D. Smillie In the 2014 Spring season, Swann is pleased to offer a selection of works from the collection of American painter/printmaker James D. Smillie. Smillie (1833-1909), a New York artist known…
Read more about A Fleeting Moment: Edward Hopper’s Evening Wind April 4, 2014 American Art A Fleeting Moment: Edward Hopper’s Evening Wind Edward Hopper was born in Nyack, New York, just north of New York City. After briefly studying at the Correspondence School of Illustrating, he attended the New York School of…
Read more about American Modernism: John Marin’s Brooklyn Bridge February 26, 2014 Prints & Drawings American Modernism: John Marin’s Brooklyn Bridge Swann Galleries’ March 6, 2014 auction of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings features a run of etchings by John Marin that capture the dynamism of New York City…
Read more about Mary Cassatt: Celebrated Impressionist October 24, 2013 Prints & Drawings Mary Cassatt: Celebrated Impressionist Born in Philadelphia into a well-to-do family, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) spent most of her adult life in Europe and, along with Berthe Morisot, went on to become one of the…
Read more about Notes from the Catalogue: Artist Jane Peterson May 31, 2013 American Art Notes from the Catalogue: Artist Jane Peterson Our June 13 auction of American Art features five unique works by Jane Peterson, an American artist born in Elgin, Illinois in 1876. Born into relative poverty, she showed artistic promise…
Read more about Three Artist’s Christmas Cards November 14, 2012 American Art Three Artist’s Christmas Cards The holiday season seems to have surprised everyone this year with its early arrival, but there is still time to get your Christmas cards in order. Need inspiration? Look no…
Read more about Lloyd Goodrich and Reginald Marsh November 15, 2010 American Art Lloyd Goodrich and Reginald Marsh This Thursday’s American Art sale includes several items from the collection of Lloyd Goodrich, one of the most distinguished American art historians of the 20th century and Director of the…