September 12, 2024Bella SavignanoAmerican Art Movement on Paper: The Work of Abraham Walkowitz Read more about 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 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 Auction Highlights: Old Master Through Modern Prints — November 2, 2023 October 11, 2023 Old Master Through Modern Prints Auction Highlights: Old Master Through Modern Prints — November 2, 2023 Old Master Prints The November 2, 2023, auction begins with a selection of classic prints by old master artists from Albrecht Dürer to Rembrandt van Rijn and Giovanni B. Piranesi…
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 Art from the Collection of Norman Dolph May 30, 2023 Contemporary Art Art from the Collection of Norman Dolph The date was mid-April 1966 and Norman Dolph sat at the soundboard at the ramshackle Scepter Studios on West 54th Street in Manhattan, recording songs by a quartet that included musicians Lou Reed,…
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 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 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 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 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 Harold Porcher’s Specialist Picks: Works to Watch in the December 2, 2021 Modern & Post-War Art Auction November 23, 2021 Modern & Post-War Art Harold Porcher’s Specialist Picks: Works to Watch in the December 2, 2021 Modern & Post-War Art Auction We tasked our Modern & Post-War Art Director, Harold Porcher, to share the top lots to watch in the upcoming auction on December 2. Fine Sculpture Abstract Works Abstract Works
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 2019 Spring Season in Review July 1, 2019 Swann 2019 Spring Season in Review A season of firsts. The 2019 spring auction season at Swann Galleries delivered an impressive range of sales, rife with auction premiers and record prices. We started our season off…
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 How to Consign to an Auction December 14, 2018 Auctions 101 How to Consign to an Auction Thinking about selling at auction? Allow us to be of assistance. Swann is a third-generation family business and the oldest specialty auction house in New York City, known for our…
Read more about 2017-18 Year in Review June 25, 2018 Swann 2017-18 Year in Review The 2017-18 auction season at Swann Galleries was replete with record prices and rediscovered paintings, offering works created as early as the fifteenth century and as recently as last year.…
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…
Read more about The Many Illustrious Circles of Pavel Tchelitchew June 8, 2018 American Art The Many Illustrious Circles of Pavel Tchelitchew Multi-talented artists can appear in multiple departments at Swann. Our June 14 auction of American Art will feature highlights by Pavel Tchelitchew, whose work also appears in our auctions of Illustration…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: American Art April 1, 2018 American Art A Look Inside the Catalogue: American Art At Auction June 14 This highly curated sale of American Art presents original works in a variety of media, including drawings, watercolors and sculpture. Offerings range from nineteenth-century paintings…
Read more about 2017: Year in Review December 28, 2017 Swann 2017: Year in Review In our diamond anniversary year, we offered a star-studded roster of 30 auctions, setting nearly 100 records and introducing countless items to the market, including a previously unknown photograph of Harriet…
Read more about Isle Adam: Timeless & Inspiring July 19, 2017 Vintage Posters Isle Adam: Timeless & Inspiring Shrewd perusers of our sales may notice a familiar eave lurking in the catalogue for our upcoming auction of Vintage Posters: the iconic orange roof of the beach house at…
Read more about Mrs. Stimson Joins Her Husband at the Huntington Historical Society June 27, 2017 American Art Mrs. Stimson Joins Her Husband at the Huntington Historical Society Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lewis Stimson lived in an estate in Huntington, Long Island. In his memoir, he wrote of her, “That marriage has now lasted over fifty-four years, during…
Read more about Records & Results: American Art June 19, 2017 American Art Records & Results: American Art We closed our Spring 2017 season with a climactic sale of American Art on Thursday, June 15. The annual auction offered exclusively original or unique works by artists living or…
Read more about Records & Results: Spring 2017 June 16, 2017 Swann Records & Results: Spring 2017 The spring 2017 season at Swann Galleries marked the 75th anniversary of our first auction. On March 27, 1942, Benjamin Swann held an auction dedicated to rare and antiquarian books.…
Read more about Winslow Homer’s Personal “Bible” June 9, 2017 American Art Winslow Homer’s Personal “Bible” On a visit to his Prout’s Neck studio, Winslow Homer’s friend and fellow artist John W. Beatty picked up a dogeared book and asked him if he found it of…
Read more about Recently Rediscovered Watercolor by John Marin June 7, 2017 American Art Recently Rediscovered Watercolor by John Marin A recently rediscovered watercolor by John Marin will be making its auction debut in our June 15 sale of American Art. The work displays two features for which the artist…
Read more about Postwar Innovations in Printmaking May 5, 2017 Contemporary Art Postwar Innovations in Printmaking These examples come from our May 11 auction of Contemporary Art. From the initial proliferation of engraving in the fifteenth century to the explosion of lithography in the late 1800s,…
Read more about Top Lots: Winslow Homer, Preston Dickinson & James D. Smillie June 14, 2014 American Art Top Lots: Winslow Homer, Preston Dickinson & James D. Smillie The first of its kind at Swann to break $1 Million, the American Art auction on Thursday was our highest-grossing sale in this category ever, with a sale total of…
Read more about Barkley L. Hendricks in Conversation with Nigel Freeman at Swann June 13, 2014 African American Art Barkley L. Hendricks in Conversation with Nigel Freeman at Swann Last week Swann Galleries had the pleasure of hosting an artist talk with Barkley L. Hendricks, whose “unique work resides at the nexus of American realism and post-modernism, a space…
Read more about Records & Results: African-American Fine Art June 12, 2014 African American Art Records & Results: African-American Fine Art An auction focused on the politically charged and artistically fertile period of the 1960s and 70s, Swann Galleries’ African-American Fine Art auction titled The Shape of Things to Come on…
Read more about Naturalist Charles Burchfield June 11, 2014 American Art Naturalist Charles Burchfield If you’ve got summer on your mind these days–and who doesn’t?–you may be drawn to some of the bucolic images in Swann’s June 12 auction of American Art. And, among…
May 22, 2014 American Art Let It Snow: Guy C. Wiggins’s Views of New York City With Memorial Day approaching, all of us here in New York are hoping for warm weather. But, among the most charming images in our June 12, 2014 auction of American…
Read more about Sense of Play: Will Barnet’s Nude with Cats May 21, 2014 American Art Sense of Play: Will Barnet’s Nude with Cats Among the highlights of our June 12, 2014 auction of American Art—and the image that graces the catalogue cover—is Will Barnet’s Play, a watercolor and oil on paper from 1975. Barnet…