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July 13, 2017|Swann Communications|Swann

Specialists in the Field: Summer Reading List

Specialists in the Field is an informal summer segment of the blog in which we speak to specialists at Swann about their extracurricular activities. Unsurprisingly, their interests are generally aligned…

June 30, 2017 | Contemporary Art

Specialists in the Field: The New Museum

Specialists at Swann keep up with the cultural heartbeat by frequenting museum exhibitions. Over the summer, we’ll be sharing some of their experiences, beginning with Diana Flatto and Jessica Feldman…

May 5, 2017 | Contemporary Art

Postwar Innovations in Printmaking

These examples come from our May 11 auction of Contemporary Art. From the initial proliferation of engraving in the fifteenth century to the explosion of lithography in the late 1800s,…

February 23, 2017 | Prints & Drawings

Portfolios by Chagall and Vuillard at Swann Galleries

This guest post was written by a Prints & Drawings Senior Specialist. Two of the top lots in our March 2 sale of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings…

November 2, 2016 | Contemporary Art

A Louise Bourgeois Rediscovery

Lot 33: Louise Bourgeois, Escalier de 63, lithograph, 1939. Estimate $3,000 to $5,000. It’s not often that an unrecorded print turns out to be the real thing, but in Swann…

October 31, 2016 | Prints & Drawings

Spotlight on Highlights: Chiaroscuro Woodcuts

Some of the most intriguing examples in November 3’s Old Master Through Modern Prints auction are sixteenth-century chiaroscuro woodcuts. We asked our Prints & Drawings department to explain the term: …

J. Mortimer Lichtenauer, diary of an American art student in Paris, 125 manuscript pages, Paris, 13 October 1897 to 23 April 1898.

June 20, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript African Americana

J. Mortimer Lichtenauer: The Diary of an American Art Student in Paris

Every now and then we have an item come in that seems tailor-made for a Swann auction. In Tuesday’s sale of Printed & Manuscript Americana we offer the diary kept by J. Mortimer Lichtenauer,…

June 13, 2016 | Art Press & Illustrated Books

Boydell’s Shakespeare: A Meeting of Art & Literature

Visual art and literature often share a symbiotic relationship, and tomorrow’s auction of The Esther Salinas Collection of Fine Illustrated & Plate Books features two excellent examples of creative pursuits coming…

Arthur Szyk, Le Livre d'Esther, limited edition, with 19 color plates, custom bound by Kerstin Tini Miura, Paris 1925

June 10, 2016 | Art Press & Illustrated Books

The Esther Salinas Collection: A Touching Tribute

When it comes to private collections hitting the auction block, individual lots are fascinating but it can also be incredibly rewarding to consider the scope of a collection…

Guy C. Wiggins, Winter Along Central Park, oil on canvas, 1930s.

June 8, 2016 | American Art

Guy C. Wiggins: An Impression of Winter in New York

It will be warm and sunny here in New York for our American Art auction tomorrow, but some of the top lots of the sale feature the Big Apple draped…

Sanford Robinson Gifford, Study of the Parthenon, oil on canvas, 1869.

June 2, 2016 | American Art

Notes from the Catalogue: Two Studies by American Artists

For collectors, a study can be a prized acquisition because it is both a work of art and a source of insight into an artist’s process. Our upcoming auction of…

James Gillray, The Plumb-pudding in danger, hand-colored etching, London, 1805.

May 25, 2016 | Maps & Atlases

Politics & Satire: The Etchings of James Gillray

With the presidential primary election in full swing, we’re all up to our eyeballs in satirical columns and cartoons. In the spirit of the season, we thought we’d look at…

Lot 32: Isaak de Graaf, a fine manuscript map of the Java Sea, ink and watercolor on vellum, Amsterdam, 1743.

May 21, 2016 | Maps & Atlases

A Rare Manuscript Map from the Dutch East India Company

With an almost two hundred year history, the Dutch East India Company (known in Dutch as Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC), was the dominate force in European trade and navigation of Asia…

May 12, 2016 | 19th & 20th Century Literature

A Storied Book with a Fine Association: Henry Roth’s “Call It Sleep”

In the world of book collecting association copies are highly sought after, and our upcoming auction of 19th & 20th Century Literature has some fine examples. One particularly interesting association…

Roy Lichtenstein, Sunrise, color silk panel, 1965.

May 11, 2016 | Contemporary Art

Notes From the Catalogue: Roy Lichtenstein’s “Sunrise”

Pop art master Roy Lichtenstein is known for creating works in a number of mediums, including paintings, prints and sculpture. Our upcoming auction of Contemporary Art features multiple works by Lichtenstein,…

Jan Tschichold, Der Berufsphotograph, 1938.

May 9, 2016 | Vintage Posters

Photomontage in Graphic Design

Our Vintage Posters department has expanded and renamed their annual Modernist Posters sale. Now called Graphic Design, this auction features posters and ephemera that highlight the shifting trends in imagery and typography…

Anne Frank, Het Achterhuis, true first edition of the diary of Anne Frank

May 4, 2016 | 19th & 20th Century Literature

Two Items Related to Anne Frank Come to Auction at Swann in May

Through her poignant writing and tragic story, Anne Frank has become a source of inspiration for millions. Two of our upcoming auctions feature items related to Frank, including Anne and Margot’s…

April 29, 2016 | 19th & 20th Century Literature

Books Every Book Collector Should Read

Our upcoming Autographs auction features an uncommon Oscar Wilde manuscript consisting of five and a half pages of his notes for a review in which he pans a book on…

Pierre Bonnard, Rue, le Soir, sous la Pluie

April 26, 2016 | Prints & Drawings

A Collector’s Vision: Les Nabis, the Belle Époque & Artist Interaction Seen Through A Private Collection

While most auctions here at Swann are assembled with artworks and items from a host of different consignors, we also regularly handle entire private collections, such as A Collector’s Vision: Works…

Camille Pissarro, Paysanne assise, les Pieds dans l'Eau

April 22, 2016 | Old Master Through Modern Prints

Prints About Town: Three Exhibitions and an Auction

If you can’t get enough of the material coming up in our two-part auction of Old Master through Modern Prints, featuring A Collector’s Vision: Works on Paper from the Belle Époque…

April 13, 2016 | Photographs & Photobooks

Notes from the Catalogue: Vernacular Photographs of New York

Our upcoming auction Images & Objects: Photographs & Photobooks features a compelling section of vernacular photographs; among them are some fascinating images of New York from bygone eras. …

April 11, 2016 | Early Printed Books

Into the Aether: An Early Medical Book on Pain Relief

The medical section of our Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books auctions always provides an interesting peek into the progression of human understanding of the body, its ailments and…

April 8, 2016 | Early Printed Books

All the Rare Books You Could Want

It’s a big weekend for rare books in New York. The ABAA’s New York Antiquarian Book Fair opened yesterday, and the preview for our upcoming Early Printed, Medical, Scientific &…

April 4, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript African Americana

Remembering Inge Hardison

After the close of our Printed & Manuscript African Americana auction last week, we were saddened to learn about the passing of artist Inge Hardison. A multitalented artist, writer and…

March 30, 2016 | African-American Fine Art

African-American Artists & Parisian Académies

Paris has long been a desired destination and a haven for expatriate and American artists, with prominent schools like the famed École de Beaux-Arts encouraging practitioners from around the world…

Loïs Mailou Jones, Homage to Martin Luther King , African-American Fine Art

March 25, 2016 | African-American Fine Art

Steeped in History: “Homage to Martin Luther King” by Loïs Mailou Jones

While the bright colors, stunning imagery and historical importance of a painting are the things we tend to focus on when viewing a work of art, here at Swann we know…

March 22, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript African Americana

Countdown to Eternity: A Photographer’s Look At Dr. King’s Final Year

New York City-born photographer Benedict Fernandez is know for his documentary photography, which has depicted everything from protest movements to cultural explorations in Puerto Rico, Russia and Japan. Perhaps one…

Timbuktu, Qur'an, Printed & Manuscript African Americana

March 14, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript African Americana

Reflections on 20 Years of Printed & Manuscript African Americana

The following is an excerpt from the introduction written by Swann Galleries’ Printed & Manuscript African Americana Specialist Wyatt Houston Day for his 2016 catalogue–the 20th annual African Americana sale at Swann. The…

E. Simms Campbell, A Night-Club Map of Harlem, Illustration

March 10, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript African Americana

A Tour Through Harlem With E. Simms Campbell and Cab Calloway

It takes more than artistic skill to capture not only the look of a place, but the feel of it. It takes an intimate knowledge, a love, and that’s exactly what…

March 9, 2016 | Illustration art

Records & Results: Illustration Art

The success of our January 28 auction of Illustration Art displayed a clear rise in interest in this collecting category, prompting our specialists to expand the department and add a second…

February 26, 2016 | Contemporary Art

Contemporary Art at Swann: Heavy Hitters and Rising Stars

When you think about Contemporary Art, a few big names and images immediately come to mind: the iconic pop art of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, the graffiti art of…

Cover of the Catalogue for America's first Photographs Auction

February 24, 2016 | Photographs & Photobooks

The Evolution of Photo Catalogues at Swann

A lot has changed over the course of our 75-year history here at Swann, from adding new departments to expanding our exhibition space. One small but crucial metamorphosis has been…

Winslow Homer, "Fly Fishing, Saranac Lake," etching

February 22, 2016 | 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings

Specialist Selections: American Prints

The catalogue for our upcoming March 8 auction of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings features an extensive selection of American works on paper. Over the past two decades, Swann has…

February 18, 2016 | Photographs & Photobooks

A Storied Photograph: Ansel Adams’ “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico”

Our upcoming auction Art & Storytelling: Photographs & Photobooks taps into the dual nature of the photographic medium as a vehicle for both fine art and narrative. The top lot of the…

February 17, 2016 | Photographs & Photobooks

Material & Process: Elaine O’Neil Shares the History of Her Cyanotype Quilt

The following post was written by the artist, Elaine O’Neil, whose cyanotype quilt “Rather See Than Be One,” is featured in our upcoming auction, Art & Storytelling: Photographs & Photobooks. The…

February 17, 2016 | 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings

Prints with Paws: Cats in 19th-Century French Art

Before Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub took the internet by storm, another group of cats rose to fame in the French art world. Based on their prints, nineteenth century artists…

February 16, 2016 | African-American Fine Art

Nigel Freeman Sees Beauford Delaney in Paris

On February 18 Nigel Freeman will be speaking in a roundtable discussion on multiculturalism at Columbia Global Center’s Paris location. The occasion? A fantastic exhibition of paintings by American-born artist…

February 10, 2016 | Vintage Posters

Drama on Paper: Early American Theatrical Posters

Posters were designed to grab attention with a combination bright colors, bold typography and iconic imagery, but when it comes to posters advertising early American theater productions, the more dramatic…

February 10, 2016 | Photographs & Photobooks

Wilson A. Bentley: Photographing the Fleeting Snowflake

The media has long painted a picture of the obsessed sculptor or painter, but the idea that photographers may share this intense personal and passionate focus is less familiar to…

February 9, 2016 | Photographs & Photobooks

Wilson A. Bentley: Photographing the Fleeting Snowflake

The media has long painted a picture of the obsessed sculptor or painter, but the idea that photographers may share this intense personal and passionate focus is less familiar to…

February 3, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript Americana

The Arctic Collection of Ray Edinger

Our upcoming Printed & Manuscript Americana auction features materials from The Arctic Collection of Ray Edinger. Mr. Edinger wrote the piece below, outlining his collection from its inception. Lot…

February 2, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript Americana

A Tale of Captivity and Daring Escape: Jeanette DeCamp Sweet and the Dakota War of 1862

In August of 1862 Jeanette DeCamp Sweet, a young mother who had settled in Minnesota the year before with her husband, was taken prisoner during the Dakota War, also known…

February 1, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript Americana

Art & Intrigue: A Work By Revolutionary War Spy John André

Everyone loves a good spy thriller, and in the case of British Army officer Major John André, it seems everyone loved a spy. Our upcoming auction of Printed & Manuscript…

January 29, 2016 | Printed & Manuscript Americana

Art & Intrigue: A Work By Revolutionary War Spy John André

Everyone loves a good spy thriller, and in the case of British Army officer Major John André, it seems everyone loved a spy. Our upcoming auction of Printed & Manuscript…

January 26, 2016 | Illustration art

A Look at Original Cover Art From The New Yorker

Whether they are humorous or heartfelt, simple or striking, the cover image chosen for each issue of The New Yorker bears the heavy burden; the cover must not only grab…

January 25, 2016 | Vintage Posters

Specialist Selections: Nicholas Lowry’s Favorite American Ski Posters

As a skier (in all fairness I was an avid skier in my youth and now fondly recall those carefree winter excursions, as I sit behind my desk with my…

January 19, 2016 | African-American Fine Art

Records & Results: African-American Fine Art

The December 15 sale of African-American Fine Art ended the 2015 season here at Swann with record-smashing success. Lot 49: Norman Lewis, Untitled, oil on canvas, circa 1958. Sold December…

January 12, 2016 | Illustration art

Man-Cave-iana: You’ll Know It When You See It

Our annual sale of Illustration Art is about to get underway, and with it we see the return of one of our favorite pet genres, “Man-Cave-iana.” Unsure of exactly what…

January 8, 2016 | Illustration art

Notes from the Catalogue: Howard Chandler Christy’s “I Am An American!”

Our fourth annual auction of Illustration Art features the auction debut of Howard Chandler Christy’s large and masterly drawing for the poster I Am an American!, created for the 1941…

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