October 19, 2020Swann CommunicationsPrints & Drawings Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 2020 Highlights Read more about Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 2020 Highlights At Auction November 12, 2020 The fall fine prints sale will include masters of printmaking from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. Highlights include woodcuts, etchings and engravings by Albrecht…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Railway Posters October 12, 2020 Vintage Posters Collector’s Guide: Railway Posters Nicholas D. Lowry Picks His Top Locomotive Travel Posters Among the earliest European travel posters were produced by the railway companies to sell tickets on their new trains crisscrossing the…
Read more about Collection Spotlight: Evelyne Daitz, Trailblazing Photography Gallerist October 9, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Collection Spotlight: Evelyne Daitz, Trailblazing Photography Gallerist Evelyne Daitz helped to set the foundation for the market and pioneered the ways in which the medium is still considered and collected today. We are honored to be offering numerous works from Daitz’s estate.
Read more about Early Printed Books: Fall 2020 Auction Highlights October 7, 2020 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: Fall 2020 Auction Highlights Early Printed Books, at auction October 27, 2020, featuring sought-after early imprints, incunabula, North American early exploration texts, medical books and more.
Read more about Register for the Legendary Catskill Mountain House Brings $45k in our Fall 2020 Sale of Americana October 7, 2020 Printed & Manuscript Americana Register for the Legendary Catskill Mountain House Brings $45k in our Fall 2020 Sale of Americana Our Thursday, September 24, 2020 sale of Printed & Manuscript Americana brought an 82% sell-through rate by lot, totaling over $600k with at least 23 institutions purchasing a total of…
Read more about The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters October 1, 2020 Vintage Posters The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters …and what we mean when we say something is “Rare.” Just when you think you have seen it all… I am always amazed when I realize how much more there…
Read more about Happening October 5: Reading and Q&A With ‘Dark Archives’ Author Megan Rosenbloom September 24, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Happening October 5: Reading and Q&A With ‘Dark Archives’ Author Megan Rosenbloom Join Us October 5, 2020 at 7PM ET for a fascinating, terrifying look at the rarest books―bound in human skin―and the stories of their creation.
Read more about Fall 2020 Edition of “The Trumpet” September 23, 2020 Swann Fall 2020 Edition of “The Trumpet” Against all apparent odds, the last six turbulent months have shown promising developments within the auction world. Sales are robust and interest is brisk Swann President & Principal Auctioneer Nicholas…
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 Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 2020 Highlights September 17, 2020 Old Master Through Modern Prints Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 2020 Highlights At Auction November 12, 2020 The fall fine prints sale will include masters of printmaking from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. Highlights include woodcuts, etchings and engravings by Albrecht…
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 First Feature Film Shot in Alaska: The Chechahcos September 15, 2020 Printed & Manuscript Americana The First Feature Film Shot in Alaska: The Chechahcos You may never have wondered about the birth of the Alaskan film industry. The first Hollywood film studio was launched in 1911, and from there the industry spread up and down the Pacific coast. Just 13 years later, The Chechahcos became the first feature film shot in Alaska. A melodrama set during the Klondike Gold Rush, no Alaskan or Wild West cliché was spared in its production. If you like glaciers, saloons, and damsels in distress, this is the film for you.
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 Artist Profile: Faith Ringgold September 14, 2020 African American Art Artist Profile: Faith Ringgold A consummate artist, Faith Ringgold has developed a practice that consists of painting, mixed media sculpting, performing, and quilting. Born October 8, 1930, in Harlem, New York, Ringgold’s mother was…
Read more about Illustration Art: Collecting the Stage September 10, 2020 Illustration Art Illustration Art: Collecting the Stage “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is…
Read more about Fall 2020 Preview: Fine Photographs September 9, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks Fall 2020 Preview: Fine Photographs Highlights for both the new collector and the seasoned auction aficionado include photographs by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Alma Lavenson and Dorothea Lange.
Read more about Fall 2020 Preview: Rare & Important Travel Posters September 8, 2020 Vintage Posters Fall 2020 Preview: Rare & Important Travel Posters In an era in which armchair traveling has become the new normal, it has never been more engaging to stay at home and travel the world virtually through the glorious designs of historical travel posters.
Read more about Early Printed Books: Old Tombstones September 4, 2020 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: Old Tombstones What Goes Around Comes Around Devon Eastland shares the joys of handling early printed books and how sometimes unexpected pieces of history can crop up. As a business with a…
Read more about Looking Ahead to Fall 2020 September 4, 2020 Swann Looking Ahead to Fall 2020 Since the middle of March it has been hard to look ahead. Outside of the universal mantra of “I can’t wait for everything to return to normal,” far too little thought has been given to what’s next. Now, at the summer’s end, it’s time to take a deep breath, and with guarded optimism dare to look ahead at what lies in store for us this fall. Or whatever season it is.
Read more about Modern & Post-War Art: Consign Now for December 2020 September 2, 2020 Modern & Post-War Art Modern & Post-War Art: Consign Now for December 2020 We’re pleased to be growing our offerings this category, with Harold Porcher leading our new sales of Modern & Post-War Art. Building on our strong history of handling material by diverse modern and post-war artists, now is the time to consign to our debut sale. Consign today for our inaugural December 2020 auction.
Read more about Printed & Manuscript Americana: At Auction September 24, 2020 August 25, 2020 Printed & Manuscript Americana Printed & Manuscript Americana: At Auction September 24, 2020 Covering a period of about five centuries and two continents, our auctions of Printed & Manuscript Americana are exceptionally varied in content and subjects covered, from colonialism and the Westward expansion of the United States, to Presidential material and first-hand accounts by ordinary persons of important historical moments.
Read more about August 2020 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Sale Brings $1M August 23, 2020 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History August 2020 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Sale Brings $1M Swann Sets New Auction Record for Tom of Finland The second iteration of Swann Galleries’ LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History sale on Thursday, August 13, 2020, was a resounding…
Read more about The Sutro Baths: Relics of San Francisco’s Famous Attraction August 18, 2020 Vintage Posters The Sutro Baths: Relics of San Francisco’s Famous Attraction Swann’s August 27, 2020 Vintage Poster auction includes a selection of historical trolley cards, broadsides and original bathing suits from the famous Sutro Baths overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These items…
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 Artist Profile: Antonio Lopez August 12, 2020 Illustration Art Artist Profile: Antonio Lopez Antonio Lopez, the bold and blazingly talented fashion illustrator, designer, and stylist of the 1960s-80s was a true iconoclast. He broke racial and sexual barriers decades before it was considered…
Read more about Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations Leads July 30, 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Sale at $125k August 10, 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations Leads July 30, 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Sale at $125k Our sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts on Thursday, July 30, 2020 boasted high prices across categories with early printed books leading the sale, two records being recorded for literature, and autograph material from world leaders garnering attention.
Read more about David Wojnarowicz: A Heightened State of Activism August 7, 2020 Contemporary Art David Wojnarowicz: A Heightened State of Activism David Wojnarowicz was a multifaceted artist known for works that put the AIDS epidemic at the forefront of New York contemporary art, such as his iconic images from the documentary…
Read more about Artists Reclaiming the Queer Black Male Form August 7, 2020 African American Art Artists Reclaiming the Queer Black Male Form Richmond Barthé, Beauford Delaney, Kehinde Wiley, Freddie Styles, and Glenn Ligon produced artworks that are in sole ownership of the manifestation of their physical entities. They chose these modes of representation that best suit them, without the gaze of the heteropatriarchy and white cis-gendered gay men.
Read more about Vintage Posters: At Auction August 27, 2020 August 4, 2020 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: At Auction August 27, 2020 During a summer of containment and people staying close to their personal bubbles, this auction’s assortment of beach and summer resort posters (see below) seems especially poignant, as for many…
Read more about Autographs & History Part II: George Bernard Shaw & Enrico Caruso July 24, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Autographs & History Part II: George Bernard Shaw & Enrico Caruso In a two-part series Marco Tomaschett, our autographs specialist, takes us through a few autographs by prominent people in history in our July 30 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts.
Read more about Autographs & History Part I: U.S. Presidents July 24, 2020 Autographs Autographs & History Part I: U.S. Presidents In a two-part series Marco Tomaschett, our autographs specialist, takes us through a few autographs by prominent people in history in our July 30 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts.
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History July 22, 2020 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Upcoming Highlights: LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Our second annual auction dedicated to the art, material culture, and history of the LGBTQ+ community features items by and from major figures and trailblazers; Richmond Barthé, JEB, Paul Cadmus, Antonio Lopez, Harvey Milk, Freddie Styles, Toyen, Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman, David Wojnarowicz and more.
Read more about As Seen in Books: A Glossary for Items Found in the Pages of Early Printed Books July 21, 2020 Books & Manuscripts As Seen in Books: A Glossary for Items Found in the Pages of Early Printed Books Any experienced cataloger, scholar, collector, or reader of early printing is accustomed to discovering an array of random objects within the pages of books. Even though some of these tidbits may have fallen out of ancient beards, today we celebrate and study them and put them into categories. Devon Eastland, senior specialist for early printed books, provides a handy glossary for these curious items found within various books.
Read more about N.C. Wyeth’s ‘The Black Arrow’ at Auction July 16 July 10, 2020 Illustration Art N.C. Wyeth’s ‘The Black Arrow’ at Auction July 16 Our July 16, 2020 sale of Illustration Art features an iconic work by N.C. Wyeth—one of the most popular illustrators of all time—with impeccable provenance. The Black Arrow, A Tale…
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 Fine Books & Manuscripts: Auction Highlights for July 30, 2020 July 9, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Manuscripts: Auction Highlights for July 30, 2020 Find here a plethora of autographs, fine art books, modern first editions, incunabula, manuscripts and more, at auction July 30, 2020.
Read more about Al Hirschfeld Caricatures & Theater Portraits July 8, 2020 Illustration Art Al Hirschfeld Caricatures & Theater Portraits “The importance and legacy of Al Hirschfeld’s theater portraits lie in that Hirschfeld gave us nearly a century’s eyewitness record of a very elusive art form,” notes specialist, Christine von…
Read more about Records & Results: June 2020 Fine Art Sales July 7, 2020 Swann Records & Results: June 2020 Fine Art Sales A Full Month of Fine Art Sales at Swann Delivers Record Prices Swann offered four sales of Fine Art this June, each one proving audiences are undeterred by the remote…
Read more about Pen, Pencil & a Bottle of Ink: Al Hirschfeld Seen Through Six Drawings July 6, 2020 Illustration Art Pen, Pencil & a Bottle of Ink: Al Hirschfeld Seen Through Six Drawings Swann Director of Illustration Art, Christine von der Linn, joined special guest David Leopold, author of the best-selling The Hirschfeld Century and the Creative Director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation,…
Read more about Pictorial Maps in our July 9 Sale of Maps & Atlases July 1, 2020 Maps & Atlases Pictorial Maps in our July 9 Sale of Maps & Atlases Our July 9 sale of Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books features a strong selection of pictorial maps, including a rare example of a chart of Greenwich…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Declaration of Independence June 30, 2020 Printed & Manuscript Americana Collector’s Guide: Declaration of Independence Probably the most common question we get in the Americana department is “I found an original copy of the Declaration of Independence—is it worth anything?” The short answer: it’s worth somewhere…
Read more about A Toast to Daile Kaplan, Swann’s Doyenne Emerita June 26, 2020 Photographs & Photobooks A Toast to Daile Kaplan, Swann’s Doyenne Emerita At the end of this month Daile will be stepping away from her role as Vice President and head of Swann’s Photographs & Photobooks Department.
Read more about Abstract Art: 1940s Through Now June 24, 2020 Contemporary Art Abstract Art: 1940s Through Now Abstract forms have in many ways always been part of artistic composition, and the early twentieth century saw a push towards works rendered solely through colors and forms following centuries of a general yearning…
Read more about Illustration Art: Upcoming Highlights At Auction July 16, 2020 June 23, 2020 Illustration Art Illustration Art: Upcoming Highlights At Auction July 16, 2020 This wide-ranging sale is led by an iconic work by N.C. Wyeth, and followed by illustrations by Hilary Knight, Leslie Ragan, Howard Pyle, Edward Gorey, Erté, and others.
Read more about The Studio Assistant: Louise Nevelson & Teddy Haseltine June 15, 2020 Prints & Drawings The Studio Assistant: Louise Nevelson & Teddy Haseltine Our June 25 sale of Contemporary Art features a run of prints by Louise Nevelson. Behind great artists are studio assistants equally devoted to their craft. For Nevelson one of…
Read more about Interview: On the Guerrilla Girls June 15, 2020 Vintage Posters Interview: On the Guerrilla Girls Donna Kaz is a writer, director, choreographer and activist, who has led the theatre troupe, “Guerrilla Girls on Tour” for the past two decades. A Guerrilla Girl herself, who has written a memoir entitled UN/MASKED, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl On Tour, Lauren Goldberg, our vintage poster specialist, asked Donna to unmask yet again and share some insight into her own experiences with the movement.
Read more about An Introduction to the Transcendental Painting Group June 12, 2020 Modern & Post-War Art An Introduction to the Transcendental Painting Group Modernism’s Arrival in the United States Modernism arrived in the United States in two waves. The first of these occurred in the dawn of the twentieth century, influenced by the…
Read more about New Record for Richmond Barthé in June 4, 2020 Sale of African-American Fine Art June 11, 2020 African American Art New Record for Richmond Barthé in June 4, 2020 Sale of African-American Fine Art Our sale of African-American Fine Art on June 4, 2020 was met with much fanfare, despite an online-only format due to social distancing guidelines in New York City. The sale…
Read more about Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: At Auction July 9, 2020 June 11, 2020 Maps & Atlases Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: At Auction July 9, 2020 An exquisite selection of antiquarian maps and atlases, globes, color plate books, works by John James Audubon, Currier & Ives, and more.
Read more about Photomontage & Photography in Vintage Posters June 9, 2020 Vintage Posters Photomontage & Photography in Vintage Posters The June 18, 202 Graphic Design auction featured an array of rare and influential examples of photography in posters. While the popularization of photography and the tradition of printing posters…