July 21, 2021Swann CommunicationsLGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Upcoming Highlights: LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History—At Auction August 19, 2021 Read more about Upcoming Highlights: LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History—At Auction August 19, 2021 This year Swann Galleries holds a third annual auction dedicated to the art, material culture, and history of the LGBTQ+ community, bringing to market both familiar artists as well as…
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: Vintage Posters—At Auction August 5, 2021 July 13, 2021 Vintage Posters Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters—At Auction August 5, 2021 Featured Reading: On Buying a Vintage Poster: What You Need to Know What You Need to Know on Auction Day This auction will be held live and conducted remotely. There…
Read more about Devon Eastland on Caroline Schimmel & the Challenges of Creating Diverse Collections Driven by Women July 9, 2021 Focus On Women Devon Eastland on Caroline Schimmel & the Challenges of Creating Diverse Collections Driven by Women Ahead of Swann’s first auction dedicated to the accomplishments of women on July 15, senior specialist and curator of the sale, Devon Eastland, sat down with author, historian and collector…
Read more about Swann Summer Reading List 2021 July 9, 2021 Swann Swann Summer Reading List 2021 Summer reading recommendations from our team of specialists and support staff, as well as some resources for supporting independent booksellers.
Read more about Part II: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story July 2, 2021 Autographs Part II: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story Marco Tomaschett, Swann autographs specialist, explores the events and personalities surrounding For Love of the King, and the evidence that suggests that the story was not written by Oscar Wilde, but…
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 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 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 Let’s Get Physical: Telltale Marks and Restoration Tips for Illustration Art Collectors June 21, 2021 Illustration Art Let’s Get Physical: Telltale Marks and Restoration Tips for Illustration Art Collectors Whether a seasoned collector or a newbie to the world of original illustrations, you may have several questions about why things look as they do, which of them to fix, and which…
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 Collectors on Collecting: The Feminist Collection of Harriet Lyons June 7, 2021 Contemporary Art Collectors on Collecting: The Feminist Collection of Harriet Lyons Harriet Lyons was a founding editor of Ms. Magazine, a journalist, and an art collector. In 1971, she wrote a cover story for the Village Voice about women’s sexuality in art at…
Read more about Part I: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story June 5, 2021 Autographs Part I: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story I The Unlikely Value of a Forgery The authenticity of an autograph is a critical aspect of its value. A letter signed by an authorized secretary or signing machine in…
Read more about Important Autographs to Watch in the June 2021 Sale June 4, 2021 Autographs Important Autographs to Watch in the June 2021 Sale The autographs portion of the June 17, 2021 auction includes uncommonly inspiring items in nearly every major category of collecting. Below Marco Tomaschett shares a selection of highlights. Americana Among…
Read more about Illustration Art: June 24, 2021 Auction Highlights June 2, 2021 Illustration Art Illustration Art: June 24, 2021 Auction Highlights Further Reading: Examining Edward Gorey’s Market Early Women Cartoonists of The New Yorker What You Need to Know on Auction Day This auction will be held live and conducted remotely.…
Read more about “None Found… Yet.” Rare Items from our June 2021 Auction of Maps & Atlases May 28, 2021 Maps & Atlases “None Found… Yet.” Rare Items from our June 2021 Auction of Maps & Atlases When we’re cataloging and come across a certain item that seems unusual and not readily found in auction database records, dealer catalog listings, or sometimes even standard reference books, it’s…
Read more about Fine Books & Autographs: June 17, 2021 Auction Highlights May 25, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Autographs: June 17, 2021 Auction Highlights Autographs Literature & Art Books 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,…
Read more about Contemporary Art: June 10, 2021 Auction Highlights May 20, 2021 Contemporary Art Contemporary Art: June 10, 2021 Auction Highlights 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 Synchromism: Modern Art Conceived by American Artists May 14, 2021 Modern & Post-War Art Synchromism: Modern Art Conceived by American Artists When Paul Cezanne left Paris and the Impressionist movement to explore his independent concepts of capturing time and space on the two-dimensional picture plane through light, color, and form, he…
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 Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: June 2021 Auction Highlights May 12, 2021 Maps & Atlases Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: June 2021 Auction Highlights Featuring historical prints such as those issued by Currier & Ives, and plates by John James Audubon, as well as a robust selection of antique maps and atlases.
Read more about Rembrandt & Picasso Lead May 2021 Sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints May 11, 2021 Uncategorized Rembrandt & Picasso Lead May 2021 Sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints Our May 6, 2021 sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints delivered $1.8 million in sales and saw seven print records set. “There was robust and consistent interest in Old…
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 Examining Edward Gorey’s Market May 3, 2021 Illustration Art Examining Edward Gorey’s Market Edward Gorey is having a moment. Gorey has had many of these over the years—he was the quintessential multifaceted artist/illustrator/author who remains many things to many people: a master of…
Read more about LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History—At Auction August 19, 2021 May 1, 2021 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History—At Auction August 19, 2021 This year Swann Galleries holds a third annual auction dedicated to the art, material culture, and history of the LGBTQ+ community, bringing to market both familiar artists as well as…
Read more about Consign Now for July 2021: Focus on Women April 30, 2021 Focus On Women Consign Now for July 2021: Focus on Women As collectors and institutions turn their focus to the important contributions of women, Swann is pleased to feature their work at auction. We are seeking consignments that highlight the stories of all those in the community who identify as women in the fields of activism, art and design, community, education, entertainment, health and wellness, science and innovation, sport, and work. The auction will feature first editions, handwritten manuscript material, archives, and works on paper by historically significant poets, novelists, scientists, journalists, photographers, playwrights, performers and beyond.
Read more about Poster Designers: On Brand April 30, 2021 Vintage Posters Poster Designers: On Brand In the twenty-first century, when one thinks of contemporary posters and graphic design, the term “branding” may come to mind. Our daily lives are inundated with examples of branding—company logos, slogans & imagery—on TV, through social media, and of course, on posters. While the focus on digital branding is relatively new in the scope of art history, the idea of designers creating a brand identity for professional clients goes back over 100 years.
Read more about Master Printmakers: Picasso Working With the Crommelyncks April 30, 2021 Old Master Through Modern Prints Master Printmakers: Picasso Working With the Crommelyncks The following collection of scarce, early proofs by Pablo Picasso, as well as a maquette for an original ceramic, was painstakingly built by a California connoisseur and is now appearing at auction…
Read more about Modern & Post-War Art: May 2021 Auction Highlights April 27, 2021 Modern & Post-War Art Modern & Post-War Art: May 2021 Auction Highlights Featuring works by Elaine de Kooning, John Little, John Wesley, and Robert Motherwell, as well as works by members of the American Abstract Artists group, Museum of Non-Objective Painting, American Surrealism, The Irascibles, The Club, and in the movements of Color Field, Pop, Minimalism, Cubism and Synchronism, among others.
Read more about 13 Auction Records in Spring 2021 Sale of African American Art April 26, 2021 African American Art 13 Auction Records in Spring 2021 Sale of African American Art Auction Brings $3.9 Million – Second-Highest Grossing Sale in Department Thirteen-Year History Our spring offering of African American Art on April 22, 2021 was the second highest-grossing sale in the…
Read more about Selections from Letterform Archive April 21, 2021 Vintage Posters Selections from Letterform Archive At Auction May 12, 2021 This special offering of deaccessioned duplicates from the rich collection of Letterform Archive will bring to auction graphics, books, posters and examples of typography that…
Read more about Graphic Design: Auction Highlights May 2021 April 20, 2021 Vintage Posters Graphic Design: Auction Highlights May 2021 At Auction May 13, 2021 This auction is being held in tandem with Selections from Letterform Archive, at auction May 12. European Secession & Art Nouveau Lots 201 to 218…
Read more about Artists Working in Mixed-Media & Assemblage April 19, 2021 African American Art Artists Working in Mixed-Media & Assemblage Howardena Pindell, Betye Saar, Vanessa German, Bisa Butler, and Dindga McCannon are assemblage artists that apply found items and fabrics that previously held different uses or significance.
Read more about Bohemian Brothers: Beauford and Joseph Delaney April 19, 2021 African American Art Bohemian Brothers: Beauford and Joseph Delaney The Delaney brothers became well-known painters in the downtown New York art scene in the 1930s and 40s—while each followed their own distinct artistic path. Sibling artists both finding success in the New York art world is a scarce but not unheard of occurrence, yet there are very few African American visual artist siblings known today, and no other pair quite like Beauford and Joseph Delaney.
Read more about Two Day Auction Event: Selections From Letterform Archive & Graphic Design April 15, 2021 Vintage Posters Two Day Auction Event: Selections From Letterform Archive & Graphic Design A two day auction event featuring Selections From Letterform Archive on May 12, and Graphic Design on May 13.
Read more about Old Master Through Modern Prints: May 2021 Auction Highlights April 14, 2021 Prints & Drawings Old Master Through Modern Prints: May 2021 Auction Highlights With engravings, woodcuts, etchings, drypoints and more by both well-known and lesser-known esteemed master printmakers whose images have stood the test of time, from old centuries to the modern decades.
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 Selections From a Noteworthy Collection of American Historical Prints April 6, 2021 Printed & Manuscript Americana Selections From a Noteworthy Collection of American Historical Prints Our April 15, 2021 auction of Printed & Manuscript Americana opens with a noteworthy collection of historical prints which spins a narrative of America stretching from the arrival of Columbus to the…
Read more about Lies in Publishing: Collecting False Imprints April 5, 2021 Early Printed Books Lies in Publishing: Collecting False Imprints Bibliographers, cataloguers, and scholars rely upon the veracity of a book’s imprint—that is, the publication information provided by the printer on the title page, and includes the following: city of…
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 African American Art: April 2021 Auction Highlights March 30, 2021 African American Art African American Art: April 2021 Auction Highlights At Auction April 22, 2021 Early 20th Century & Harlem Renaissance Featuring the works of Henry Ossawa Tanner, Grafton Tyler Brown, Aaron Douglas, Norman Lewis, Charles White, sculptures by Richmond…
Read more about Spring 2021 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana Brings $1M March 29, 2021 Printed & Manuscript African Americana Spring 2021 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana Brings $1M Our March 25, 2021 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana brought interest from collectors and institutions alike, as well as buyers both new and familiar from across the globe.…
Read more about Printed & Manuscript Americana: April 2021 Auction Highlights March 23, 2021 Printed & Manuscript Americana Printed & Manuscript Americana: April 2021 Auction Highlights A rich offering that features a noteworthy collection of American historical prints, as well as sections of Judaica, and ephemera relating to colonization, the Civil War and Revolutionary eras, early Mexican imprints and manuscript cookbooks, as well as items covering Peru, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere.
Read more about Listen to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaking to the SCLC Board in 1968 March 19, 2021 Printed & Manuscript African Americana Listen to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaking to the SCLC Board in 1968 Any piece of oratory by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a part of the nation’s heritage, but the speech offered in our March 25, 2021 sale of Printed &…
Read more about Early Black-Owned Business Ephemera March 19, 2021 Printed & Manuscript African Americana Early Black-Owned Business Ephemera “Surely you are not going to shut the door in my face!” Since the establishment of the Printed & Manuscript African Americana sale in 1996, Swann has offered a selection…
Read more about Early Women Cartoonists of The New Yorker March 18, 2021 Illustration Art Early Women Cartoonists of The New Yorker The New Yorker debuted in 1925 amid the country’s post-World War I economic boom and on the heels of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to…
Read more about Early Printed Books: April 2021 Highlights March 16, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Early Printed Books: April 2021 Highlights Featuring illuminated manuscripts, including an ornate Book of Hours, Use in Utrecht, and a robust section of important early scientific texts by Nicolaus Copernicus, Euclid, and Johann Zahn. Medical volumes include a first edition of Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, among others.
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…