March 4, 2025Harold PorcherThe Artists of the WPA Mexican Muralists & Their Impact on the WPA Read more about 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 2024: Year in Review January 8, 2025 Swann 2024: Year in Review 2024 was an eventful year for Swann that brought about exciting changes, including the reorganization of our Fine Art Department, which saw Nigel Freeman step in as the head of…
Read more about Swann in Profile: Lisa Crescenzo November 13, 2024 Swann Swann in Profile: Lisa Crescenzo After 10 years with Swann and the reorganization of the house’s fine art offerings, Lisa Crescenzo is now the Managing Director of Fine Art. As she transitions into her new…
Read more about Movement on Paper: The Work of Abraham Walkowitz September 12, 2024 American Art Movement on Paper: The Work of Abraham Walkowitz “Isadora was my strongest weakness. She was like music. When she moved, it was like the sound of violins,” said Russian-American painter Abraham Walkowitz of his muse, modern dancer Isadora…
Read more about Auction Highlights: The New York Sale — September 26, 2024 September 3, 2024 American Art Auction Highlights: The New York Sale — September 26, 2024 In honor of the 400th anniversary of the founding of New York City, Swann Galleries is bringing back the New York sale.
Read more about Auction Highlights: American Art — September 19, 2024 August 7, 2024 American Art Auction Highlights: American Art — September 19, 2024 This season-opening American Art auction begins with meditative landscapes from the nineteenth century, and moves to the stormy coasts of New England.
Read more about This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2024 Auctions in Review July 15, 2024 19th & 20th Century Literature This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2024 Auctions in Review In the 2024 Winter-Spring season, Swann Galleries continued to provide high-quality auctions of unusual and rare material. Several single-owner collections were featured, including Illustration Art: Featuring Highlights from the Collection…
Read more about Reintroducing Swann’s Fine Art Department June 12, 2024 Fine Art Reintroducing Swann’s Fine Art Department Swann Galleries announced on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, the reorganization of their fine art offerings under the leadership of Nigel Freeman. This change comes with the news of the retirement…
Read more about Collectors on Collecting: Jules Feiffer on the Artists and Works from His Collection June 11, 2024 Illustration Art Collectors on Collecting: Jules Feiffer on the Artists and Works from His Collection Jules Feiffer’s career spans decades, producing a remarkable range of projects and generating numerous awards and honors. His contributions to the field of comics since his start in the late…
Read more about A Toast to Todd Weyman: Our Congratulations on His Retirement June 4, 2024 Prints & Drawings A Toast to Todd Weyman: Our Congratulations on His Retirement A Note From Swann Galleries President Nicholas D. Lowry May 24, 2024 In an industry not particularly known for big changes, Swann Galleries is about to undergo the kind of…
Read more about Records & Results: The Artists of the WPA — January 25, 2024 February 1, 2024 American Art Records & Results: The Artists of the WPA — January 25, 2024 Swann Galleries opened the winter 2024 season with the fourth iteration of The Artist of the WPA. The timed online auction closed Thursday, January 25, with an 89% sell-through rate…
Read more about Auction Highlights: An American Century: The Collection of Dr. James & Debra Pearl & Fine Photographs — February 15, 2024 January 23, 2024 Photographs & Photobooks Auction Highlights: An American Century: The Collection of Dr. James & Debra Pearl & Fine Photographs — February 15, 2024 This special auction highlights 100 lots from the Collection of Dr. James and Debra Pearl. Rich in American landscape.
Read more about Auction Highlights: The Subculture Sale — February 8, 2024 January 8, 2024 Vintage Posters Auction Highlights: The Subculture Sale — February 8, 2024 Highlights from the February 8 Subculture Sale
Read more about 2023: Year in Review December 19, 2023 Swann 2023: Year in Review Swann Galleries continued to offer exceptional auctions of quality material in 2023. The year featured several collections, including a special selection of 100 works from the Stephen White collection in…
Read more about Artist Profile: Will Barnet September 9, 2023 American Art Artist Profile: Will Barnet Swann Galleries’ September 21, 2023, American Art sale features a special section of approximately 30 works by Will Barnet from the artist’s estate. A Career That Spans Decades Barnet spent…
Read more about American Art: Featuring Works From the Estate of Will Barnet — September 21, 2023 Auction Highlights August 29, 2023 American Art American Art: Featuring Works From the Estate of Will Barnet — September 21, 2023 Auction Highlights Our annual American Art sale leads off the Fall auction season at Swann with a panorama of works in all media, including paintings, sculpture, watercolors and drawings, spanning the nineteenth-…
Read more about Records & Results: Focus on Women — June 1, 2023 June 6, 2023 Focus On Women Records & Results: Focus on Women — June 1, 2023 The house’s third iteration of Focus on Women on June 1, 2023, an auction dedicated to the contributions of women to art, life, and society, brought $361,090, a total more…
Read more about Artist Profile: Edith Schloss May 16, 2023 Modern & Post-War Art Artist Profile: Edith Schloss Our May 25, 2023 Modern & Post-War Art auction features a wide array: from the Post-Impressionist era, a work on paper by Gwen John, up to the works of abstract…
Read more about Rick Stattler’s Auction Selections for Spring 2023 March 29, 2023 Books & Manuscripts Rick Stattler’s Auction Selections for Spring 2023 Spring has just about sprung, and Swann Galleries’ resident Americana specialist, and director of the house’s books and manuscripts department, is sharing a selection of lots from the 2023 auction schedule that will put you in the spirit for the season.
Read more about Artist Profile: Joseph Cornell March 20, 2023 Prints & Drawings Artist Profile: Joseph Cornell Joseph Cornell & His Own Brand of American Surrealism Though now considered one of the few American proponents of Surrealism, Joseph Cornell was apprehensive about the affiliation, once admitting to…
Read more about 2022: Year in Review January 3, 2023 19th & 20th Century Literature 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 Focus On Women 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 Focus On Women 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 Focus On Women 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 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…