September 19, 2022Rick StattlerPrinted & Manuscript Americana Auctions 101: Provenance Research Read more about Auctions 101: Provenance Research Stattler explains the detective work that sometimes goes into researching an item’s history and provenance Auction houses keep one foot in the past, and one foot in the future. We are…
Read more about Printed & Manuscript Americana: September 29, 2022 Auction Highlights September 6, 2022 Printed & Manuscript Americana Printed & Manuscript Americana: September 29, 2022 Auction Highlights The highlight of our September Americana auction will be a large archive of family papers of Gideon Welles, who served as secretary of the Navy through the Civil War. Included…
Read more about African American Art: October 6, 2022 Auction Highlights August 30, 2022 African American Art African American Art: October 6, 2022 Auction Highlights Our October 6th African American Art auction features an outstanding group of abstract paintings led by the excellent 1967 Untitled (Abstraction in Orange) by Norman Lewis—the large canvas comes from…
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 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 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 Artist Profile: Roger Broders July 27, 2022 Vintage Posters Artist Profile: Roger Broders The legacy of Roger Broders’ poster design has made his name synonymous with French Art Deco travel posters. His artistic career, as a whole, spans from the early twentieth century,…
Read more about Swann Summer Reading List 2022 July 14, 2022 Swann Swann Summer Reading List 2022 Summer is well underway which means our auction schedule has slowed and our specialists and staff have a bit more downtime to catch up on their favorite books. Enjoy this…
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 Vintage Posters: August 4, 2022 Auction Highlights June 29, 2022 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: August 4, 2022 Auction Highlights In keeping with our August tradition, this sale will feature a plethora of World War I and II posters, sought-after classics and never-before-seen Vintage Posters at auction. Among the most…
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 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History: August 18, 2022 Auction Highlights June 23, 2022 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History: August 18, 2022 Auction Highlights This August, Swann is proud to host its fourth annual, LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History sale. The success of our first three auctions stands as part of the art…
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 John Larson’s Specialist Picks: 5 Books to Watch in the June 16 Auction June 14, 2022 19th & 20th Century Literature John Larson’s Specialist Picks: 5 Books to Watch in the June 16 Auction John Larson, Swann’s nineteenth and twentieth century literature specialist, shares five lots that are sure to draw interest in the June 16 sale of Fine Books & Autographs. First Edition…
Read more about Collecting the Stage: Stephen Sondheim June 7, 2022 Illustration Art Collecting the Stage: Stephen Sondheim In our 80 years as a company, Swann has always been an auction house dedicated to niche markets with specialists who are experts in their respective fields, but often our…
Read more about Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: June 23, 2022 Auction Highlights June 1, 2022 Maps & Atlases Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: June 23, 2022 Auction Highlights In our upcoming Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books summer sale, bidders can explore a strong selection of scarce New York City related maps and graphics, several maps of an…
Read more about Black Abstract Artists: Exploring Innovative Techniques May 31, 2022 African American Art Black Abstract Artists: Exploring Innovative Techniques Abstract Artists From Alma Thomas to Jack Whitten Here we explore Black artists who have expanded abstract techniques that showcase unique aesthetics while examining current events, visually composing perceptive senses…
Read more about Letters from Us: Epistolary Novels by Women May 31, 2022 Focus On Women Letters from Us: Epistolary Novels by Women In this year’s Focus on Women sale, we are pleased to offer several interesting epistolary novels written by women.
Read more about Fine Books & Autographs: June 16, 2022 Auction Highlights May 24, 2022 Art Press & Illustrated Books Fine Books & Autographs: June 16, 2022 Auction Highlights Fine Autographs Sure to arouse curiosity, the summer Fine Books & Autographs sale shines a light into some of the most sparkling gemstones of history. Bidders can explore significant material…
Read more about Edward Hopper & His Contemporaries: Making a Modern American Art — June 30, 2022 Auction Highlights May 20, 2022 Prints & Drawings Edward Hopper & His Contemporaries: Making a Modern American Art — June 30, 2022 Auction Highlights Tracing the development of modern American art during the early 20th century, this curated and thematic sale will center on a private collection of Edward Hopper drawings created at the…
Read more about Illustration Art: June 9, 2022 Auction Highlights May 17, 2022 Illustration Art Illustration Art: June 9, 2022 Auction Highlights The Spring Illustration sale features a rich selection of children’s picture book art from the late Emily and Sam Bush. Also included are theater set and costume design, advertising art,…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Vintage Car Posters May 16, 2022 Graphic Design Collector’s Guide: Vintage Car Posters There has been exciting and novel automobile advertising for as long as there have been cars. From the earliest days of automotive history in the late nineteenth century through the…
Read more about Introducing Latinx Art: Carlos Osorio, Nitza Tufiño & More May 16, 2022 Modern & Post-War Art Introducing Latinx Art: Carlos Osorio, Nitza Tufiño & More This season Swann is introducing Latinx Art as a featured category in our May 26 Modern & Post-War Art auction.
Read more about Focus On Women: June 2, 2022 Auction Highlights May 6, 2022 Focus On Women Focus On Women: June 2, 2022 Auction Highlights Swann’s second annual Focus on Women sale, as its name suggests, is an opportunity to emphasize women’s experiences and contributions to literature, science, art, politics, and thought. With published and…
Read more about Early Printed Books: Part I of the Ken Rapoport Collection May 3, 2022 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: Part I of the Ken Rapoport Collection The May 5, 2022 sale of Early Printed Books features the first part of the complete library of bibliophile Ken Rapoport. Below are some of the highlights from the selection.…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: West Coast Artists May 3, 2022 Contemporary Art Collector’s Guide: West Coast Artists canons of dominant New York and international art markets. What they found among the area’s expansive ocean, relaxed culture, and the dramatic southern California sky, was a booming environment that would become the West Coast arts scene, one that espoused experimentation and collaboration among all else.
Read more about Modern & Post-War Art: May 26, 2022 Auction Highlights April 29, 2022 Modern & Post-War Art Modern & Post-War Art: May 26, 2022 Auction Highlights This season’s Modern & Post-War Art auction is set to present a broad scope of artistic movements, featuring Selections From the Gary Snyder Collection. The collection forms the cornerstone of…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Celebrated Artists & Their Early Works, Old Master & Modern Prints April 18, 2022 Old Master Through Modern Prints Collector’s Guide: Celebrated Artists & Their Early Works, Old Master & Modern Prints An artist’s early career is often filled with many hardships and struggles — this was true for the Old Masters of the 16th century and the Modern stalwarts breaking ground…
Read more about Graphic Design: May 19, 2022 Auction Highlights April 14, 2022 Graphic Design Graphic Design: May 19, 2022 Auction Highlights This admired sale is coming together in a powerful way. This auction is led by one of A.M. Cassandre’s most memorable and scarce images, LMS / Best Way, 1928 — it…
Read more about Contemporary Art: May 12, 2022 Auction Highlights April 14, 2022 Contemporary Art Contemporary Art: May 12, 2022 Auction Highlights Featuring Art from the Collection of the late Francis V. O’Connor, Co-editor of the Jackson Pollock Catalogue Raisonné Our spring auction of Contemporary Art features significant works ranging from the mid-twentieth…
Read more about A Newly-Discovered Drawing by Rembrandt Makes its Debut in Old Master through Modern Prints Auction April 13, 2022 Old Master Through Modern Prints A Newly-Discovered Drawing by Rembrandt Makes its Debut in Old Master through Modern Prints Auction Nestled among the outstanding selection of fine Rembrandt etchings in the Old Master through Modern Prints auction this season, is a gem-like drawing, newly-discovered and recently attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn himself, made as he began his storied artistic career in Amsterdam.
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 Records & Results: Spring 2022 Auction of African American Art April 5, 2022 African American Art Records & Results: Spring 2022 Auction of African American Art The spring 2022 offering of African American Art closed out the March auctions at Swann with an exceptional marathon sale bringing $3.6M and seeing an 89% sell-through rate with 214 of the 241 lots on offer finding buyers.
Read more about Collectors on Collecting: A Conversation with Bernard I. Lumpkin of “Young, Gifted and Black” April 4, 2022 African American Art Collectors on Collecting: A Conversation with Bernard I. Lumpkin of “Young, Gifted and Black” On Monday, March 28, ahead of our spring 2022 sale of African American Art, department director Nigel Freeman sat down with collector Bernard I. Lumpkin for a conversation on the growing legacy of his family collection.
Read more about View from the Podium: 80 Years & Counting April 4, 2022 Swann View from the Podium: 80 Years & Counting Swann Galleries celebrates its 80th anniversary with a note from president Nicholas D. Lowry.
Read more about Rick Stattler’s Specialist Picks: Two Unique Items from the April 7, 2022, Americana Auction April 1, 2022 Printed & Manuscript Americana Rick Stattler’s Specialist Picks: Two Unique Items from the April 7, 2022, Americana Auction The material that passes through Swann on a daily basis ranges in value and interest, sometimes we see an item crop up at auction consistently—a popular print, a highly sought…
Read more about Early Printed Books: May 5, 2022 Auction Highlights March 30, 2022 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: May 5, 2022 Auction Highlights The Collection of Ken Rapoport This spring’s Early Printed Book sale will feature the first part of the complete library of noted bibliophile and collector Ken Rapoport, who over a…
Read more about Artist Profile: Hughie Lee-Smith March 23, 2022 African American Art Artist Profile: Hughie Lee-Smith “I cannot begin to project the meaning of my work in specific terms, for [my] paintings, at their best, are multi-faceted visual complexes whose many aspects are pregnant with as…
Read more about Old Master Through Modern Prints: April 28, 2022 Auction Highlights March 21, 2022 Old Master Through Modern Prints Old Master Through Modern Prints: April 28, 2022 Auction Highlights The spring auction of Old Master Through Modern Prints features iconic images from the late-fifteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. Top lots include Pablo Picasso’s chef d’oeuvre etching and drypoint Le Repas…
Read more about Artist Profile: Elizabeth Catlett March 16, 2022 African American Art Artist Profile: Elizabeth Catlett I Am a Black Woman: Elizabeth Catlett & Representation in Art Elizabeth Catlett’s landmark contributions to twentieth-century art begin in the 1940s with a new representation of African American women.…
Read more about At Auction March 24 — Selections from the Collection of Jack Greenberg March 15, 2022 Printed & Manuscript African Americana At Auction March 24 — Selections from the Collection of Jack Greenberg Offerings from the Collection of Civil Rights Attorney Jack Greenberg in our March 24 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana Our March 24 Printed and Manuscript African Americana auction…
Read more about Happening March 28 — Collectors on Collecting: A Conversation with Bernard I. Lumpkin of “Young, Gifted and Black” March 14, 2022 Events Happening March 28 — Collectors on Collecting: A Conversation with Bernard I. Lumpkin of “Young, Gifted and Black” Join Us Monday, March 28, 2022 at 7:00PM ET Join Swann Director of African American Art Nigel Freeman, for a discussion on the growing legacy of The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection…
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 Artist Profile: Édouard Vuillard March 3, 2022 Uncategorized Artist Profile: Édouard Vuillard We are pleased to offer some outstanding works on paper by Édouard Vuillard in our March 10, 2022 auction. These color pastel drawings were influenced by Vuillard’s Impressionist forebears as…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Printed & Manuscript Americana April 7, 2022 March 3, 2022 Printed & Manuscript Americana Upcoming Highlights: Printed & Manuscript Americana April 7, 2022 This auction will have an emphasis on local highlights from different states and territories: an original Texas Ranger’s diary from the days of the Republic of Texas, blueprints from New…
Read more about African American Art: March 31, 2022 Auction Highlights February 28, 2022 African American Art African American Art: March 31, 2022 Auction Highlights Our spring auction of African American Art features many scarce and significant postwar and contemporary artworks. The sale’s top lot is a large 1948 painting by Norman Lewis—Lewis’s striking organic…
Read more about Printed Manuscript & African Americana: March 24, 2022 Auction Highlights February 23, 2022 Printed & Manuscript African Americana Printed Manuscript & African Americana: March 24, 2022 Auction Highlights Our March 24 Printed Manuscript & African Americana sale will feature important material, from slavery through the civil rights era, as well as noteworthy literature and music, including iconic cornerstone…