September 27, 2022Deborah RogalPhotographs & Photobooks Fine Photographs: October 20, 2022 Auction Highlights Read more about Fine Photographs: October 20, 2022 Auction Highlights A range of exciting photographs includes a vintage 1936 example of Dorothea Lange’s iconic Migrant Mother from the personal collection of the legendary Romana Javitz, who developed the New York…
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 Beefcake Photography August 16, 2022 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Beefcake Photography Beefcake imagery was appropriated by the gay community for its own benefits to become a visual testimony of same-sex desire during the pre-Stonewall era.
Read more about JEB & Shelby Sharie Cohen on Photographing the Lesbian Community August 12, 2022 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History JEB & Shelby Sharie Cohen on Photographing the Lesbian Community the market established with the LGBTQ+ sales. Both photographers speak here in their own words, discussing their approach as well as the transformations they have witnessed as artists.
Read more about Photographers Who Galvanized Landscape Photography… April 5, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks Photographers Who Galvanized Landscape Photography… …And some who are still experimenting and expanding the genre.
Read more about Fine Photographs: April 14, 2022 Auction Highlights March 14, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks Fine Photographs: April 14, 2022 Auction Highlights Edward S. Curtis — The North American Indian The April 14 auction will be headlined by the seminal Portfolio I from Edward S. Curtis’ The North American Indian, featuring many of his…
Read more about Records & Results: 70 Years of Photographs at Swann February 14, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks Records & Results: 70 Years of Photographs at Swann On February 10, 2022, we held Fine Photographs: Celebrating 70 Years of Photographs at Swann, not only did the sale mark the 70th anniversary of photography auctions at the house…
Read more about Danny Lyon’s Civil Rights Photography February 7, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks Danny Lyon’s Civil Rights Photography Related Reading: Do you have photographs by Danny Lyon we should take a look at? Learn about how to consign to an auction, and send us a note about your item.
Read more about Deborah Rogal’s Specialist Picks: 5 Photographs from the 70th Anniversary Sale February 7, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks Deborah Rogal’s Specialist Picks: 5 Photographs from the 70th Anniversary Sale Armed with seven decades of photography history at her disposal, and nearly 20 years in the field, Swann photographs and photobooks director, Deborah Rogal, shares five of her favorite images…
Read more about Fine Photographs: Celebrating 70 Years of Photographs at Swann January 4, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks Fine Photographs: Celebrating 70 Years of Photographs at Swann Over 70 years ago, Swann held the first auction dedicated to photography in the United States. This 1952 photography auction was astonishingly early for a sale devoted to a medium…
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 Spotlight on Stephen Shore’s Color Photography October 11, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Spotlight on Stephen Shore’s Color Photography Stephen Shore’s extensive career has been defined by a quest to discover everyday America through its vernacular architecture and landscape. Ambitious, Shore rose to prominence at a young age. At…
Read more about Virginia Zabriskie Collection Opens the Fall 2021 Season at Swann September 23, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Virginia Zabriskie Collection Opens the Fall 2021 Season at Swann We opened our fall 2021 season with the single-owner sale of The Virginia Zabriskie Collection on Tuesday, September 21. The success of the auction was the result of a multi-department…
Read more about Dada & Surrealism from the Virginia Zabriskie Collection September 8, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Dada & Surrealism from the Virginia Zabriskie Collection During her time as a gallerist, Virginia Zabriskie was keyed into the zeitgeist of the era. She embraced the Dada Manifesto and Surrealist ideals, presenting several exhibitions that explored these…
Read more about Webinar August 16: A Conversation with the Memphis Brooks Museum August 10, 2021 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Webinar August 16: A Conversation with the Memphis Brooks Museum Monday, August 16 at 6PM ET Swann President Nicholas D. Lowry will be in conversation with Memphis Brooks Museum curator Dr. Rosamund Garrett and photographer Mark Seliger. They will discuss…
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 May & June 2021 Fine Art Sales Roundup for Swann Galleries June 24, 2021 Swann May & June 2021 Fine Art Sales Roundup for Swann Galleries Modern & Post-War Art, Fine Photographs & Contemporary Art Auctions of Modern & Post-War Art, Fine Photographs and Contemporary Art at Swann Galleries in late May and early June 2021…
Read more about American Street Photography of the 1940s–50s May 14, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks American Street Photography of the 1940s–50s The roaming photographer, camera slung around her neck or gripped in a hand, walking city streets, sitting in a café, invisible, but watching, capturing, finding enduring, candid, illustrative moments, is…
Read more about Photographs & Photobooks: May 2021 Auction Highlights May 5, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Photographs & Photobooks: May 2021 Auction Highlights Exploring the thematic and visual diversity of the photographic medium, this auction covers twentieth-century masters as well as contemporary practitioners and items from the visual vernacular: albums, archives, and individual objects.
Read more about Self-Portrait Photography April 13, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Self-Portrait Photography A Little Self(ie) Love Whether you love them or hate them, selfies have become a large part of self-representation in contemporary culture. Though the term selfie tends to refer specifically…
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 Dorothea Lange, Ed van der Elsken, Peter Hujar & More Shine in March 2021 Sale of Fine Photographs March 15, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Dorothea Lange, Ed van der Elsken, Peter Hujar & More Shine in March 2021 Sale of Fine Photographs Our March 11, 2021 sale of Fine Photographs saw strong results across the auction with humanist works and portraits drawing interest from collectors. “We were pleased to see strength across…
Read more about Artist Profile: Peter Hujar March 8, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Artist Profile: Peter Hujar Peter Hujar was a leading figure in the vibrant downtown New York art scene of the 1970s and 80s. He chronicled the unfolding of public LGBTQ+ life from the time…
Read more about 5 Portrait Photographers To Inspire Your Collection March 4, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks 5 Portrait Photographers To Inspire Your Collection Photography is a particularly compelling medium for making portraits. The possibility to render oneself or another in this representational medium is relentlessly appealing, and in any given sale, we see…
Read more about Dorothea Lange & Photography as a Tool for Social Change March 2, 2021 Photographs & Photobooks Dorothea Lange & Photography as a Tool for Social Change Dorothea Lange‘s iconic photographs from her time documenting for the Farm Security Administration, as well as her international travels, resonate through the decades since. Here we provide insight to the…
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 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 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 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 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 Swann in Profile: Deborah Rogal July 10, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Swann in Profile: Deborah Rogal After 15 years with Swann, Deborah Rogal is stepping into the role of Director of our Photographs & Photobooks department. As she transitions into her new position we asked a few questions about her time with the house: how things have changed over the years, the photography market, and what’s to come.
Read more about The Making of a Portrait: Michael Halsband’s Photograph of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat June 5, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks The Making of a Portrait: Michael Halsband’s Photograph of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat Michael Halsband is known for his striking portraits of celebrities, from rock stars to artists, as well as his commercial work for major publications such as Vogue, GQ, and Esquire.…
Read more about Collecting Photographs by African-American Women June 1, 2020 African American Art Collecting Photographs by African-American Women Swann Auction Galleries’s June 4, 2020 sale of African American Fine Art features five lots from contemporary women photographers who use the lens to document, critique and challenge their societies and their institutions. Here Corey Serrant takes us through the artists and their work.
Read more about Mexican Photography: Graciela Iturbide, Flor Garduño & the Influence of Manuel Álvarez Bravo May 19, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Mexican Photography: Graciela Iturbide, Flor Garduño & the Influence of Manuel Álvarez Bravo The Whitney Museum of American Art’s exhibition Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art posits Mexico’s valuable artistic legacy. José Clemente Orozo, Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, towering artistic…
Read more about A New Muse: Robert Mapplethorpe and Lisa Lyon April 16, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks A New Muse: Robert Mapplethorpe and Lisa Lyon Robert Mapplethorpe met Lisa Lyon, the first World Women’s BodyBuilding Champion, at a party in SoHo in 1979 where her black rubber outfit caught Mapplethorpe’s eye.
Read more about Beyond Migrant Mother: Five FSA Photographers to Know April 1, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Beyond Migrant Mother: Five FSA Photographers to Know While Dorothea Lange—and her portrait of Florence Thompson, Migrant Mother—has become one of the most well-known photographers to come out of the Great Depression and the Farm Security Administration’s photography…
Read more about Collecting Photos 101: What Is a Photograph Edition? March 25, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Collecting Photos 101: What Is a Photograph Edition? With photography’s inherent ability to be duplicated, edition size can be a major focus and concern for collectors. While many contemporary photographers clearly edition their works, it has not always…
Read more about Artist Profile: Edward Weston March 4, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Artist Profile: Edward Weston Edward Weston was a self-taught photographer who migrated to California from the midwest and began his career there as a commercial portrait photographer in Glendale. His early style was characterized by a soft-focus approach that emulated painting and was associated with a school of photography known as Pictorialism. Weston was also a member of Group f/64—a community of artist-photographers who developed a photographic vocabulary and visual style described as California Modernism. Here Daile Kaplan discusses how to identify prints by Edward and his sons Brett and Cole.
Read more about Edward Steichen’s ‘White Lotus’ Brings Record for the Image in Winter 2020 Sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs February 27, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Edward Steichen’s ‘White Lotus’ Brings Record for the Image in Winter 2020 Sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs It was a Who’s Who among American photographers in Classic & Contemporary Photographs on Tuesday, February 25. The auction brought $1M and saw competitive bidding in the room and on the Swann Galleries App.
Read more about California Modernism: Photography from Group f/64 February 20, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks California Modernism: Photography from Group f/64 The perpetual sunshine and endless summer enjoyed by California natives has traditionally been linked to the glamor and film industries. But in the 1920s and thirties, a community of artist-photographers known as Group f/64 developed a photographic vocabulary and visual style that might best be described as California Modernism.
Read more about Artist Profile: Edward Steichen’s Foray into Color Photography February 13, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Artist Profile: Edward Steichen’s Foray into Color Photography Our winter-spring 2020 sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs on February 25 is set to offer a rare color image by Edward Steichen. Here Daile Kaplan, the house’s director of photographs and photobooks, presents Steichen’s love for horticulture and the photographer’s employment of color images.
Read more about 2010-19: The Decade in Review January 13, 2020 Swann 2010-19: The Decade in Review The 2010s brought Swann a number of notable moments including memorable sales, the establishment of two new departments, and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of our first sale. Here we take a look at some of favorite highlights from the last ten years.
Read more about Classic & Contemporary Photographs: Winter-Spring 2020 January 10, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Classic & Contemporary Photographs: Winter-Spring 2020 Photographs by outstanding American artists headline this auction: Berenice Abbott, Dawoud Bey, Margaret Bourke-White, Harry Callahan, Edward Steichen and Minor White.
Read more about Edward S. Curtis & Irving Penn Shine in Fall 2019 Classic & Contemporary Photographs October 22, 2019 Photographs & Photobooks Edward S. Curtis & Irving Penn Shine in Fall 2019 Classic & Contemporary Photographs Swann’s Thursday, October 17 sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs featured a broad range of photographic material including works by Edward S. Curtis, Irving Penn, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange and W. Eugene Smith.
Read more about The Making of an Image: Irving Penn’s Cuzco Children October 2, 2019 Photographs & Photobooks The Making of an Image: Irving Penn’s Cuzco Children Our October 17 sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs features an impressive selection of portraiture from the last two centuries. The most significant is Irving Penn’s 1960, printed 1978, platinum-palladium print, Cuzco Children. Here Daile Kaplan, the house’s Vice President and Director of Photographs & Photobooks, touches on Penn’s practice and the making of the image.
Read more about Collecting Works by African-American Photographers October 1, 2019 African American Art Collecting Works by African-American Photographers A superb selection of images by African-American photographers is set to come across the block in our Fall 2019 sale of African-American Fine Art. Here we take a look at the offering that includes artists from the Harlem Renaissance through today.