December 2009 - Page 11 of 13 - Auction Central News

Porfirio Salinas often painted rural Texas landscapes dotted with bluebonnets. This signed oil on canvas measures 12 inches by 16 inches. It has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

Dallas Auction Gallery sale Dec. 9 has Famille Rose and bluebonnets

December 4, 2009/in Upcoming Auctions/by Tom Hoepf

Porfirio Salinas often painted rural Texas landscapes dotted with bluebonnets. This signed oil on canvas measures 12 inches by 16 inches. It has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

DALLAS – A large selection of Chinese antiques including porcelains, bronzes, jade, ivory and cloisonné will be among the 370 lots offered by Dallas Auction Gallery on Dec. 9 beginning at 5 p.m. Central. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

One of the highlights of the Chinese Export is a Qing Jiaqing Imperial Famille Rose porcelain bowl. Painted with flowers and characters reading “longevity” on a yellow background, the 5 3/4-inch-diameter bowl has a $5,000-$8,000 estimate.

A signed Porfirio Salinas (1910-1973) oil painting on canvas depicting a Texas bluebonnet landscape is expected to sell for $6,000-$8,000. Born in Bastrop, Texas, Salinas was a self-taught landscape artist whose many Texan fans included President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Also estimated at $6,000-$8,000 is a large oil painting by William Henry Crome (English, 1806-1873). It depicts a river landscape with a castle in the background.

Other artists represented in the auction are Reveau Bassett, George Bickerstaff, William Slaughter, Duane Alt, Laszlo Neogrady, Constantine Kluge, Edouard Pail, Antoine Blanchard, Kyra Markham, Rolla Taylor, William Frederick Jarvis, George Turner and Rudolf Jelinek.

The auction will also present more than 90 pieces of authenticated Pre-Columbian pottery from the estate of a U.S. diplomat stationed in Central America for many years.

A furniture highlight is a four-piece Renaissance Revival bedroom suite by Mitchell and Rammelsburg of Cincinnati. It consists of a mahogany veneered high-back bed, mirror-back marble-top dressing table, marble-top washstand and marble-top bedside cabinet, all with applied carvings. The lot carries a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

A collection of edged weapons includes a circa 1848-1855 Manson Bowie knife with scabbard. With an 8-inch Sheffield steel blade the knife carries a $4,500-$6,000 estimate. It is one of three Bowie knives in the sale.

Previews will be held Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Dallas Auction Gallery, 2235 Monitor St.

For details phone 866-653-3900.

View a fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Dallas Auction Gallery’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

The characters on this small Chinese Qing Jiaqing Imperial Famille Rose porcelain bowl translate to ‘longevity.’ It has a $5,000-$8,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery.

These full-size Osler-style throne chairs are made of molded and cut glass. They date to the 20th century and have a $6,000-$8,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery.

Francois Deniere (French 1774-1866) was noted for his high quality bronze work. This signed pair of gilt bronze candelabra stands 23 1/2 inches high. The estimate is $5,000-$7,000. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery.

This pair of Meissen porcelain potpourri has already attracted multiple Internet bids. They stand 12 1/2 inches high and have a $1,500-$2,00 estimate. Image courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery.

Image courtesy Russ Cochran Comic Art Auction.

Auctioneer reports theft of valuable comic art page

December 4, 2009/in Crime & Litigation/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

Image courtesy Russ Cochran Comic Art Auction.

WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Russ Cochran of Russ Cochran’s Comic Art Auction has reported the theft of a rare 1908 Winsor McCay Little Nemo In Slumberland page from a well-known fine arts restoration firm in New York City.

Cochran said the theft, allegedly by a collector from New York whom he dubbed “Black Jack,” occurred when the collector misrepresented himself as the owner of the piece, which he is not.

“Black Jack then ‘sold’ the Nemo to a gallery in France,” Cochran said. “He received payment, but the gallery has not received the art. Since this collector has already done this to one person, he might very well try to do it to others, so I’m reaching out to inform not only my regular customer base but every collector and dealer I can contact to warn them.”

Cochran cautions that if this particular Nemo comic art page is offered for purchase, it is a stolen article. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the comic page can contact Cochran at russ@russcochran.com.

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Murano glass forms the eyes in this Angelo Brotto Malizia wall light by Esperia, Italy, 1974. The fixture, which is 31 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches deep by 31 1/2 inches high, is also made of aluminum and stainless steel. It has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Wright.

Wright’s Dec. 8 Important Design auction a high-powered affair

December 4, 2009/in Upcoming Auctions/by Tom Hoepf

Murano glass forms the eyes in this Angelo Brotto Malizia wall light by Esperia, Italy, 1974. The fixture, which is 31 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches deep by 31 1/2 inches high, is also made of aluminum and stainless steel. It has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Wright.

CHICAGO – Wright’s biannual Important Design auction not only includes significant modern design, but it also highlights historical antecedents of modernism and contemporary design. Special features of the auction, which will be conducted Dec. 8, include the sale of a Douglas BTD Destroyer wind tunnel model airplane, a Tatra T87 automobile and an Aston Martin DB6 sports car. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet Live bidding. The sale will start at noon Central.

The Tatra T87 emerged in 1937 as the first true streamlined production automobile. Its pioneering design was developed by Austrian-born Hans Ledwinka (1878-1967) and engineers at the Czech Tatra company. The completely restored 1940 Tatra sedan offered by Wright has an estimate of $150,000-$200,000.

A successor to Aston Martin’s DB 5, driven in the movies by James Bond, the 1967 DB6 coupe in Wright’s sale has been completely restored. The British sports car goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 148 mph. It has a $100,000-$125,000 estimate.

The Douglas BTD Destroyer was a Navy torpedo bomber during World War II. The wind tunnel model is constructed of cast and riveted aluminum and enameled steel. It is 104 inches wide by 87 deep and 53 inches high. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

Additionally, the sale will feature 81 Mylar prints documenting the construction of the World Trade Center North Tower divided into 25 lots.

For the first time, Wright will offer the work of mid-century Mexican Modernists such as Pepe Mendoza, Arturo Pani and Pedro Friedeberg alongside Scandinavian masterworks and notable French and Italian designs.

Two Carlo Mollino Acotto lounge chairs will be offered in successive lots by Wright. The circa 1952 armchairs are of stained walnut, brass and velvet. Each has a $70,000-$90,000 estimate.

From France via a Beverly Hills, Calif., private collection is circa 1930 Bruno Weil desk by Thonet. Saint-Gobain glass was used as the top of desk, which is 59 inches wide by 27 1/4 inches deep and 28 3/4 inches high. It has a $30,000-$40,000 estimate.

Wright, in collaboration with Dan Ripley of Indianapolis, will present a collection dedicated to glass masterworks of the 20th and 21st century on Dec. 10 beginning at 10 a.m. Central. The auction will feature over 150 lots including an important Artistica Barovier Mosaico vase, a Fulvio Bianconi Con Fiori vessel and a glass sculpture by Jean Arp. There will be a special focus on works by Dino Martens including masterworks such as major Rosalinda and Oriente pieces. The auction will conclude with 146 lots of contemporary art. The start of that session will be noon Central.

Wright is located at 1440 W. Hubbard St. in Chicago.

For details phone 312-563-0020.

View a fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Wright’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Ettore Sottsass’ Malabar cabinet for Memphis, 1982, is 100 inches wide by 19 3/4 inches deep by 84 inches high, estimate $9,000-$12,000. Image courtesy of Wright.

This is one of two Carlo Mollino Acotto lounge chairs that will be sold in the Wright Important Design auction. The Italian classic from the early 1950s will sell with a certificate of expertise from Fulvio Ferrari. Image courtesy of Wright.

The Tatra T87 sedan’s trademark tail fin emphasized its striking streamlined form. It is powered by an air-cooled V-8 engine. Image courtesy of Wright.

Entrepreneur and designer Ercole Barovier produced this Venetian art glass Mosaico vase circa 1924-1925. It is 10 3/4 inches high by 8 inches in diameter. The estimate is $50,000-$70,000. Image courtesy of Wright.

Draper Historic Park after the Draper Days Children's Parade. A magician is performing from the Gazebo, and the Wasatch mountains are in the background. Stitch of two photos taken by Scott Catron on July 15, 2008. Photo courtesy of author; accessed through Wikimedia Commons.

EBay’s sold on Utah, adds 457 jobs

December 4, 2009/in Technology/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

Draper Historic Park after the Draper Days Children’s Parade. A magician is performing from the Gazebo, and the Wasatch mountains are in the background. Stitch of two photos taken by Scott Catron on July 15, 2008. Photo courtesy of author; accessed through Wikimedia Commons.

DRAPER, Utah (AP) – Internet auctioneer eBay Inc. will add more than 450 jobs to its global operations center in Draper.

The San Jose, Calif.-based company says it will hire more people in operations and customer support and at big data center it plans to build there for $334 million.

In return, Gov. Gary Herbert’s economic-development board agreed to more than $30 million in tax incentives for eBay.

The company will have to earn those credits by adding the jobs.

It already employs around 1,000 people in Utah. Now eBay is making a bigger commitment to the state. The company has been operating in Utah for 10 years.

Draper City Mayor Darrell H. Smith says he’s thrilled by Wednesday’s announcement.

Herbert’s chief economic developer, Spencer Eccles, says eBay is bringing quality jobs to Utah.

AP-WS-12-03-09 0745EST

A copy photograph of the portrait of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) painted posthumously by Oscar Halling in the late 1860s.

Update: Copy of first Poe book sells for $662K in NYC

December 4, 2009/in Antiques/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

A copy photograph of the portrait of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) painted posthumously by Oscar Halling in the late 1860s.

NEW YORK — A rare copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s first book has sold for $662,500 at a New York auction.

The copy of Tamerlane and Other Poems had been estimated to sell for between $500,000 and $700,000 at Christie’s today.

The 40-page collection of poems was published in 1827. Poe wrote the book shortly after moving to Boston to launch his literary career.

Poe’s name wasn’t even on the book, which was credited to “a Bostonian.”

Only 12 copies are known to exist.

Other items yet to be auctioned in the books and manuscript sale include a typewriter Cormac McCarthy used to write all his novels, and a George Washington letter in which he argues for ratification of the newly drafted Constitution.

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On the Net: www.christies.com

Read the previously published article about the book, written by Mark Pratt of The Associated Press:

BOSTON (AP) – When a teenage Edgar Allan Poe moved to Boston to find work in 1827, he was eager to launch his literary career, re-establish his roots in the city of his birth and distance himself from his foster father in Richmond, Virginia.

The result was his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, virtually unnoticed when published but now one of the world’s rarest and most sought-after texts.

Experts at Christie’s auction house say it could sell for a record price for American literature.

“This is known as the black tulip of U.S. literature,” said Francis Wahlgren, head of books and manuscripts at Christie’s in New York, which expects to get from $500,000 to $700,000 for the book in an auction taking place today. To the best of Wahlgren’s recollection, the record is $250,000 for a copy of Tamerlane sold at auction nearly two decades ago.

No more than 40 or 50 copies of Tamerlane were printed, and only 12 remain. Poe’s name doesn’t even grace the cover of the 40-page book, which is credited to “a Bostonian.”

The book being auctioned is stained and frayed and has V-shaped notches on the outer and lower margins.

“It’s kind of a beat-up copy,” said William Self, the former television executive who’s selling it.

Still, “This is a rare opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Wahlgren said.

Poe, now canonized as an early master of horror and mystery, was 18 and a complete unknown when the book was printed. He wanted to do anything he could to repudiate his foster father, John Allan, a wealthy Richmond merchant, Poe scholar James Hutchisson said.

The pair had a mercurial relationship, said Hutchisson, an English professor at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.

“He never felt he was loved by Allan,” Hutchisson said. “He never got any affection from him.”

It has been suggested that by not putting his name on the book, Poe was trying to hide from Allan, but Hutchisson says it’s more likely the teen just wanted to connect to his heritage.

Although Poe is most associated with Baltimore, where he died at age 40 under mysterious circumstances, he spent more time in Richmond, with stints in Boston, Philadelphia and New York.

“By saying the book was written by a Bostonian, he was identifying with his biological mother, Eliza Poe, who was from Boston,” Hutchisson said. “He had no reason to hide from Allan.”

The book is a collection of poems, but the 403-line Tamerlane is the highlight.

The poem, about an Eastern ruler on his death bed who, despite a lifetime of military conquests, expresses regret for losing the love of his life, embodies many themes that run throughout Poe’s literary career, including death and the loss of love.

Tamerlane and Other Poems is included in the 300-book collection being sold by Self, the former president of Twentieth Century Fox Television, who lives in Los Angeles. Christie’s also is selling Self’s rarities from Mark Twain, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and others. But Tamerlane is the centerpiece of the collection.

“It’s a wonderful book,” Self said, admitting that he’s never read the original, just a facsimile. “If you’re going to collect Poe, the ultimate goal is Tamerlane.”

Self said he’s selling now because he’s 88 and his partner in collecting, his wife, Peggy, died three years ago. He said he doesn’t want to burden his children with caring for the collection.

“These books have given me so much pleasure, now it’s time for them to give someone else pleasure,” he said.

San Francisco-based antiquarian book dealer John Windle said the book is likely to be sold to a private buyer because it would be difficult for a university or museum to explain such an expensive purchase while it’s cutting staff, raising fees and shrinking endowments because of the soft economy.

Windle said he knows a few collectors he thinks will be interested, but he’s not divulging any names.

“If I had the money,” he said, “I’d buy it.”

AP-CS-12-03-09 0808EST

Cour Caree (Square Courtyard) of Museum of Louvre, at dusk. Photo taken April 2, 2009 by Benh LIEU SONG. Used by permission of the author. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Louvre, Versailles closed by French museum strike

December 3, 2009/in Museums/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

Cour Caree (Square Courtyard) of Museum of Louvre, at dusk. Photo taken April 2, 2009 by Benh LIEU SONG. Used by permission of the author. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

PARIS — The Louvre Museum and the royal palace at Versailles were closed today because of a French museum workers’ strike that appears to be gathering steam.

Frustrated tourists gathered outside the landmark pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre, blocked off by workers protesting government plans not to replace half of retiring public servants, which will affect the country’s national museums.

The strike began at the Pompidou Center for modern art last month and workers at other national museums joined in Wednesday.

Union leaders met with Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand on Wednesday afternoon but won no concessions, and unions said the strike gained momentum Thursday.

The Louvre and Versailles remained partially open Wednesday but closed to the public Thursday for lack of enough staff, said an official with the French national museum authority. The Pompidou Center and the Musee d’Orsay, with its renowned collection of Impressionist paintings, were also closed. The official was not authorized to be named according to the agency’s policy.

The Versailles chateau, which normally gets thousands of visitors daily, didn’t have enough staff to open its doors. The extensive gardens beneath the chateau west of Paris remained open.

Workers at France’s premier library, Francois Mitterrand National Library in southeast Paris, voted to join the strike Friday.

It was unclear how many workers were on strike across France.

The culture minister said France could not make an exception for museum workers in a government-wide cost-cutting measure affecting all public servants, and that museums had many ways to reorganize to deal with shrinking staff numbers.

“The reform must be applied,” he said on France-2 television Thursday. “If we start to make exceptions, we will never get out of this,” he said, referring to the budget constraints that prompted the reform.

Frederic Sorbier of the CGT union, standing in front of the Louvre, said, “We are pressing on with the strike because we did not obtain what we wanted. Because when our managers and the ministers have to face demands, they deny responsibility saying ‘I can’t do anything, I have no leeway for maneuver, I must defer to the president, the president must defer to Europe, and Europe to globalization.’ So there’s no solution.”

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Associated Press writer Julien Proult in Paris contributed to this report.

Filed Dec. 3, 2009

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British artist William Clarke Wontner’s ‘Portrait of a Beauty’ is dated 1918. The oil on canvas measures 25 inches by 21 inches and carries a $40,000-$60,000 estimate. Image courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.

Jackson’s Dec. 8-9 auction festooned with international treasures

December 3, 2009/in Upcoming Auctions/by Tom Hoepf

British artist William Clarke Wontner’s ‘Portrait of a Beauty’ is dated 1918. The oil on canvas measures 25 inches by 21 inches and carries a $40,000-$60,000 estimate. Image courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Jackson’s International Auctioneers will conduct a spectacular 800-lot auction on Dec. 8 and 9. The lineup features important European and American fine art together with important Russian works, art glass, Orientalia, furniture and decorative arts. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

The sale starts with an excellent offering of European paintings beginning with lot no. 1, a portrait of a beautiful woman by British artist William Clarke Wontner (1857-1930). The work is executed against a faux painted marble field, something Wontner was known for, which gives the painting an almost otherworldly quality.

Another highlight is a very large (43 inches by 52 inches) canvas by German/French artist Henri Guillaume Schlesinger (1814-1893) depicting a young woman in silk dress riding in an open carriage with her suitor, estimate $18,000-$22,000.

The first session of paintings is followed by the over 150 lots of Russian works including silver, enamel, bronzes, paintings, porcelain and icons – for which Jackson’s are known the world over. The first lots of Russian to be offered include a variety of lovely silver-gilt and enamel objects such as a variety of kovshi, beakers, salt chairs, spoons, cups and other objects d’art and by a multitude of well-known makers such as Saltykov, Khlebnikov, Agafonov and Klingert.

For collectors of the ever-popular Russian cigarette case, this sale promises to be a buyers’ delight as it features the lifetime collection of the late Saul Parsow. A third-generation Russian/American, Parsow was a widely known clothier in Omaha, Neb. He was also a passionate collector of Russian objects, especially cigarette cases, of which over 60 will be offered on this auction. The cases represent every category including numerous in cloisonné and shaded enamel, as well as an excellent offering of scenic or genre cases displaying various well-known scenes from Russian folklore. One of the nicest examples to be sold is a solid 14-karat gold case with ribbed panels and cabochon gemstone thumb piece by goldsmith Feodor Afanassiev.

More than three dozen Russian icons will be offered featuring a diverse offering including a hauntingly beautiful circa 1600 icon of the Smolensk Mother of God and a circa 1600 Vladimir Mother of God with silver basma embellishments. A number of exquisite late 19th-century examples from the Mstera and Palekh School will also be sold, as well as numerous examples with repousse and engraved silver riza.

The balance of other Russian items follows icons and includes gold and diamond jewelry, and a diamond studded Pavel Burhe gold Imperial presentation watch. The sale also features a small collection of Russian porcelain Easter eggs including three Imperial porcelain eggs. All of which were acquired by the owner when he was stationed in Moscow as the assistant U.S. Naval attaché 1958-1961.

Old Master paintings and European works follow featuring a 16th-century South Netherlandish school oil on panel depicting the Agony in the Garden, estimated at $1,500-$2,000.

Perhaps the highlight of the first session is the extensive and important offering of modern prints from a Laughlin, Nev., collection featuring 10 signed works by Picasso, seven by Chagall’s, three by Miro, two by Renoir and about a dozen by Dali. The collection includes such important works as Picasso’s Tete de Femme, 1962, a color linocut measuring 25 inches by 20 inches and carrying an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.

The second session kicks off with American art featuring a fresh to the market snow scene by Ernest Lawson (1873-1939). The 18- by 24-inch oil on canvas has been in the same family for more than seven decades. The estimate is $30,000-$50,000. The Lawson is followed by a gorgeous oil on canvas classical genre scene by Francis Coates Jones (1857-1932) estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Next, a classic Marvin Cone (1891-1964) still life consigned from the family of the original owner is estimated at $20,000-$25,000. More fresh to the market American works include a pair of large paintings by Olaf Wieghorst (1899-1988) estimated at $12,000-$18,000 and $8,000-$12,000.

Day two will continue with a fine offering of American and European art glass featuring a large and impressive stained glass window attributed to L.C. Tiffany and other Tiffany Favrile glass works including a nice leaded pomegranate table lamp and a Cypriot lamp.

A good offering of high quality European porcelain follows beginning with an outstanding 16-inch hand-painted KPM plaque, the first of more than a dozen hand-painted KPM plaques in the sale. Other porcelain works of note include Royal Vienna palace urns, Sevres porcelain, Meissen figural groupings plus a spectacular rare Zsolnay art pottery floor vase sculpted by Lajos Mack.

A short session of high quality silver includes an early American coin silver water jug, circa 1825, by William Mannerback, and a fine George III silver presentation tray by W. Burwash and R. Silbey, London, 1806.

An exceptional variety of period French, English, and Early American furnishings will be offered, including an exceptional Louis XVI-style mahogany and ormolu mounted curved glass vitrine after a model by Adam Weisweiller.

The sale will conclude with a flurry of fine Orientalia. A final highlight is a large painting of Three Woman by Jamini Roy (Indian, 1887-1982), which has an $8,000-$12,000 estimate.

For details phone 800-665-6743.

View a fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Jackson’s Auction’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Numbered 36/50, this 1962 Picasso linocut measures about 25 1/4 inches by 20 3/4 inches. It has a conservative estimate of $40,000-$60,000. Image courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.

Saints, prophets and important Christian feast are depicted on this Russian portable iconostasis, which dates to the early 19th century. Consisting of 11 hinged panels, the stand is 21 3/4 inches high by 53 1/2 inches long and has a $10,000-$12,000 estimate. Image courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.

Designed and modeled by Lajos Mack, this Zsolnay art pottery ‘Allegory of the Flood’ floor vase has $5,000-$8,000 estimate. It stands 25 inches high. Image courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.

A collection of Russian cigarette cases includes this silver example with a hinged lid repoussed with a woodsman being attacked by a bear. Having the maker’s mark of Ivan Krutikov, Moscow, it dates to 1908-1917. It has a $600-$800 estimate. Image courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.

Popayan, 17th–18th centuries, Crown of the Andes, ca. 1600–1700 gold, cast, repousse, and chased, with emeralds; height: 13 1/2 in. (34.5 cm) diameter: 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm). Private collection

Indy Museum of Art’s Sacred Spain exhibition breaks new ground

December 3, 2009/in Museums/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

Popayan, 17th–18th centuries, Crown of the Andes, ca. 1600–1700 gold, cast, repousse, and chased, with emeralds; height: 13 1/2 in. (34.5 cm) diameter: 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm). Private collection

INDIANAPOLIS (AP and ACNI) – The first exhibition to examine the religious visual culture of 17th-century Spain and Latin America, Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World, is currently on view at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The exhibition, which contains 71 pieces from 45 lenders in Spain, Mexico, Peru and other nations, has been drawing visitors from around the world.

The artworks displayed in the Allen Whitehill Clowes Gallery of the museum’s Wood Pavilion bring to life the challenges faced by visual artists such as El Greco, Francisco Zurbarán, Alonso Cano, Francisco Ribalta, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Juan de Valdes Leal, Juan Correa, Cristobal Villalpando and others, who were charged with the creative task of making religious imagery that was useful, truthful and moving.

The exhibition features paintings, polychrome sculpture, metalwork and books, many of which have never before been seen in the United States, that not only illustrate religious iconography and allegory, but also bring to light the significant role of the artist in 17th-century Spain.

Among the treasures in the special exhibition is a painting by El Greco of the veil of Veronica, which Christ used to wipe his face.

It also includes a life-size sculpture of the crucified Christ that has never been displayed outside the Spanish town where it has been part of Good Friday processions since 1652.

The exhibition is free of charge and runs through Jan. 3, but it won’t travel beyond Indianapolis. Many pieces must return home to convents and parishes in time for Lenten observances.

For additional information, visit the Indiana Museum of Art online at: www.imamuseum.org/exhibitions/sacred-spain/

AP-CS-12-02-09 1144EST

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Juan Correa (Mexican, circa 1646–1716), The Woman of the Apocalypse, ca. 1689, oil on canvas, 92 1/4 x 48 7/8 in. (234 x 124 cm). Acervo del Museo Nacional del Virreinato, Tepotzotlán / INAH

Pedro Roldan (Spanish, 1624–1699), Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos, ca. 1665, polychromed wood, silver; 19 5/8 x 11 3/4 x 12 1/4 in. (50 x 30 x 31 cm). Monastery of Santa Clara, Clarisas Franciscanas, Montilla (Córdoba).

Juan Correa (Mexican, circa 1646–1716), St. Luke Painting Our Lady of the Snows, ca. 1680–90, oil on canvas over wood, 79 1/2 x 44 1/8 in. (202 x 112 cm). Acervo de la Pinacoteca anexa al Templo de San Felipe Neri, La Profesa, Mexico City.

Bartolome Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1618–1682), Fray Julian of Alcala’s Vision of the Ascension of the Soul of King Phillip II of Spain, 1645–46, oil on canvas, 66 7/8 x 73 5/8 in. (170 x 187 cm). Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass., 1968.19.

Two looted Italian artifacts being returned to Italy from NYC

December 3, 2009/in Crime & Litigation/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

NEW YORK (AP) – Two looted antiquities are being repatriated to Italy from New York City.

An Italian government representative was taking possession of them at a ceremony on Wednesday. The artifacts are a Pompeii wall panel fresco and a Corinthian vase for mixing water and wine.

They were recovered by immigration and customs officials in June. Both items had been scheduled for auction in New York before it was discovered they’d been looted.

Immigration officials said the vase may have been illegally introduced into the art market by Giacomo Medici in 1985. The art dealer was convicted in Rome in 2004 of conspiracy to traffic in antiquities.

The fresco was reported stolen in Italy in 1997.

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On the Net:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: www.ice.gov

AP-CS-12-02-09 1138EST

Georg Jensen sterling silver footed centerpiece bowl with grape cluster handles

Diverse offering of fine and decorative art, furniture at Clars, Dec. 5-6

December 3, 2009/in Upcoming Auctions/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

Georg Jensen sterling silver footed centerpiece bowl with grape cluster handles

OAKLAND, Calif. – Clars Auction Gallery will offer a strong and diverse selection of fine and decorative art, furniture and jewelry in its Dec. 5-6, 2009 sale. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Topping the fine art section is a striking painting by 19th century British artist Margaret Sarah Carpenter. Titled Portrait of a Young Beauty (lot 2186), the artwork depicts a young woman in a romantic costume, her face bathed in an ethereal light. The painting is ready for its closeup and carries a pre-auction estimate of $6,000-8,000.

Another standout of the art sale is La Mer (Homage a Claude Debussy), an oil painting by 20th century Californian artist John M. Saccaro. Offered at $8,000-12,000, the circa-1960 abstract painting (lot 2186) will round out an art sale that also features original print works by Richard Diebenkorn, Rufino Tamayo and Pablo Picasso.

December’s auction will also feature impressive examples in the furniture and decorative arts categories. A finely carved German 19th-century Renaissance Revival center table (lot 2301) will be offered with a pre-auction estimate of $3,000-5,000, as will a Georg Jensen sterling silver footed centerpiece bowl with grape cluster handles (lot 2522).

Clars will also offer a fine array of antique and Oriental rugs, including a circa-1900 Persian Kashan rug with taupe ground (lot 2174), estimated at $1,500-2,500.

Jewelry for sale this weekend includes a stunning diamond ballerina ring in platinum, set with a 1.12-carat oval diamond and baguette-cut diamond accents (lot 3007), estimated at $6,000-8,000. A second diamond and platinum ring, set with a 1.51 carat diamond and diamond accents (lot 3000), is estimated at $5,000-7,000.

Clars’ auction event also features several special collections, notably a collection of paper currency including a 1934 Hawaiian Brown Seal $5 bill and an extensive selection of Roseville pottery.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call 888-339-7600. Visit the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet through www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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