The ‘Fasciculus Temporum’ manuscript is bound in 17th century paneled calf with gilt tooling. PBA Galleries image.
SAN FRANCISCO – On June 21, PBA Galleries will offer one of the rarest and most significant pieces it has ever brought to auction, a manuscript on vellum in “Grand Format” of the Fasciculus Temporum by the 15th century monk and historian Werner Rolewink, produced circa 1471. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The auction will begin at 11 a.m. PDT.
The Fasciculus is a history of the world with dual parallel timelines dating both from creation and the birth of Christ. It was the first history of the world to be printed, by Arnold ther Hoernen, in Cologne in 1474, and was immensely popular, going through 30 editions before 1500, and has the claim to be the best-selling 15th century book by a contemporary author. Indeed, the Fasciculus was apparently the second publication of any living author, seeming to be predated only by Robertus Valturius’ De re militari (1472). This is one of only 13 known manuscript copies of the work and the only known copy in private hands, and also one of only seven known manuscripts that predate the printed book.
The manuscript comprises 30 vellum leaves, in Latin, handwritten in brown and red ink, with numerous roundels in red. There are three miniature paintings in colors (of Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus in the manger; Christ nailed to the cross; and a resurrected Christ, a nimbus of tooled gold leaf surrounding his head, holding a gold leaf orb that is also delicately tooled), and a large, elaborate initial in red and blue leading off the text, with several smaller initials in red or blue.
Of further note is the large size of the present manuscript, done in “Grand Format,” dwarfing the printed version. The leaves are 43.5 centimeters (17 1/4 inches tall), much larger than the 29 centimeters (11 1/2 inches) of the 1474 printed version. This allows fuller utilization of the elaborate roundel format, with an elegance and beauty not available in the printed version. This grand format is a characteristic of the prepublication manuscripts only. Post-1474 manuscripts typically followed the smaller format of the printed book. The printed version did have a series of small woodcut illustrations, markedly different from the three beautifully executed miniature paintings in this manuscript. The manuscript is elegantly bound in 17th century paneled calf with gilt tooling. It is estimated to sell for between $100,000 and $150,000.
For more information contact Shannon Kennedy by email: Shannon@pbagalleries.com or phone 415-989-2665. PBA Galleries’ website is www.pbagalleries.com.
Work of Charles Lotton, a self-taught glass artist who began his career in the early 1970s. Museum of American Glass image.
WESTON, W.V. – To mark the 50th anniversary of the studio/contemporary glass movement in the United States, the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia is hosting an exhibition, “The Lotton Legacy, Three Generations of American Glass.” The Lotton Art Glass Studio is considered one of the top studios in the world and Lotton’s glass has been called the Tiffany of tomorrow. The exhibit runs July 1 to Aug. 18.
The Museum of American Glass is proud to be one of 165 museums and other organizations across the country planning exhibits and lectures. These events celebrate the 50-year milestone recognizing the many important artists who have become involved in the movement in the years since 1962 when Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino first experimented with making glass outside of the factory setting in Toledo, Ohio, workshops.
The Lottons are a remarkable family headed by patriarch Charles Lotton, a self-taught glass artist who began his career in the early 1970s. He has been joined in his Crete, Ill., studio by his son Daniel and grandson Timothy as well as by nonfamily glass artist Scott Bayless. Another son, David, and his sons Jeremiah and Joshua, share a studio in Lowell, Ind. Charles’ youngest son, John, and nephew, Jerry Heer, have retired from glassmaking. How remarkable it is that these eight men of one family have created such beautiful objects and each with their own unique style.
The Museum of American Glass in West Virginia is open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, noon to 4 p.m. EDT. The balance of the year the museum is open daily noon to 4 p.m. and closed on Wednesday and Sunday. Admission is free. It is easily accessible off I-79 exit 99. The museum is at 230 Main Ave.
Begun in 1992, the museum relocated to its present location in 2007 and occupies 12,000 square feet with over 12,000 pieces of glass on permanent display. The museum is home to the National Marble Museum and the American Flint Glass Workers Union Archives. The museum holds an annual marble festival and numerous special exhibits throughout the year. More information can be found at http://magwv.com/. Questions about programs or the museum can be directed to 304-269-5006.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Work of Charles Lotton, a self-taught glass artist who began his career in the early 1970s. Museum of American Glass image.Work of David Lotton from his studio in Lowell, Ind. Museum of American Glass image.John Lotton paperweight weighing over 50 pounds. Museum of American Glass image.
An excellent example of the “Jazz” punch bowl, made 1929 by Viktor Schreckengost at the Cowan Pottery in Cleveland, will be sold next weekend at Rago Arts in Lambertville, N.J. – estimate $40,000-$60,000. Courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center
The “Jazz” bowl created by Viktor Schreckengost (1906-2008) is an acknowledged icon of American Art Deco, summing up in a single object the spirit of an exciting era. Although this object may now be the best known of his works, the prolific artist enjoyed a long career as an industrial designer and influenced future generations through 50 years of teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
Born into a family of ceramic workers in 1906, Schreckengost began his long association with Cleveland when he moved to the city to study art in 1929. An artistic turning point came when he saw the work of Michael Powolny in an exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art and earned a scholarship to study with the European artist at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna.
Some of his earliest designs, including the “Jazz” bowl, were made for the Cowan Pottery in Rocky River, a town on Lake Erie east of Cleveland. The pottery had opened in 1884 but closed in December 1931 as a result of Depression economics. Schreckengost went on to found the department of Industrial Design at the Cleveland Institute of Art and remained on the faculty until his death.
In a 2008 obituary, the Cleveland Plain Dealer paid tribute to his diversity: “Schreckengost’s output as a designer was immense. His products included pedal cars, printing presses, stoves, refrigerators, collators, machine tools, riding lawn mowers, lawn furniture, tractors, dinnerware, toys, streetlights, broadcast equipment, gearshift consoles, flashlights, theater costumes, stage sets, artificial limbs, typesetting machines, coffins, calendars, chairs, electric fans, lenses, logos, ball gowns and baby walkers.”
Yet he remains best known for the porcelain he produced at the Cowan Pottery when he was in his twenties. Under “Ceramics” in the classic reference American Art Deco, author Alastair Duncan’s writes, “ Schreckengost’s own recollection serves best to trace the events leading to the creation of his ‘Jazz Bowl,’ a period masterpiece which captured the dazzling mood of the early 1930s in a montage of skyscrapers, musical notes, cocktail glasses, gas lamps, and champagne bubbles.”
Duncan goes on to quote the artist’s memories recorded in a 1983 Plain Dealer interview: “They had a customer – ‘a lady in Albany’ is all they said – who wanted a punch bowl ‘New Yorkish’ in effect. New Yorkish! Now, that really piqued my interest and I imagined what the city meant to me. I always felt New York was most exciting at night when it had a funny blue light over everything and great jazz bands were playing everywhere, Ozzie Nelson, Cab Calloway.”
The Cowan Pottery customer turned out to be Eleanor Roosevelt whose husband had just been re-elected Governor of New York prior to his 1932 run for President. Among the cocktail glasses and tall buildings, the pattern features a number of signs including a circular medallion with the word “Jazz,” which has given the pottery line its name. The future First Lady liked the resulting design so much that she ordered several more.
The total number of these large punch bowls (H. 11 ½’, D. 16”) produced is unknown; many have been lost or destroyed. Designs were incised by hand, highlighted in black slip, and covered with an overall Egyptian blue-green glaze that varies slightly in hue. A slightly shorter bowl with flared rim decorated with the same design was also made. An equally lively “Jazz” dance design is found on a series of wall plaques.
David Rago, president of the Rago Arts and Auction Center, is enthusiastic about the upcoming sale: “I can talk to you about the Jazz bowl for three days, if you want. It’s one of the most significant pieces of American pottery in the first half of the 20th century. There are different ways of looking at it. On the one hand, the bowl stands on its own as a work of art by a master. But it also says a great deal about what happened to American ceramics when the Art Pottery movement died and the Studio Pottery movement kicked in.”
Rago continues, “They’re all a little different because they are done by hand. You put them side-by-side, you’ll see slight variations – which is great. What makes this one special is that it may be the last one in private hands.” Other examples have entered permanent collections at museums, including the Jazz punch bowl sold in Rago in October 2010 for $158,600. Another sold at Sotheby’s in 2004 for over a quarter million dollars.
Price variations are often due to condition; Rago notes that the bowl shape is easily damaged. For the example coming to auction, he says, “The condition is almost perfect. It’s super clean, very crisp, and new to the market. If a museum – or a private collector -wants an iconic example of American Art Deco pottery, this may be the last chance to acquire it.“ View the bowl and complete catalogue at www.ragoarts.com.
Collectors who do not have six-figures to spare should note that other Schreckengost ceramic designs sell at very reasonable prices. He created a variety of patterns for dinnerware and modeled lines of figurines depicting circus performers and sports figures. See what is available in the Schiffer’s Viktor Schreckengost Designs in Dinnerware by Jo Cunningham.
The best reference for an overview of the designer’s diverse output is Viktor Schreckengost: American Da Vinci by Henry Adams. In 2006, the designer – at the age of 100 – was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush. The Cleveland Museum of Art contains an important collection of his work including an example of the “Jazz” bowl.
An excellent example of the “Jazz” punch bowl, made 1929 by Viktor Schreckengost at the Cowan Pottery in Cleveland, will be sold next weekend at Rago Arts in Lambertville, N.J. – estimate $40,000-$60,000. Courtesy Rago Arts and Auction CenterMotifs circling the large bowl evoke the pleasures of nightlife in New York. The sgraffito design was highlighted in black slip and then covered in a transparent Egyptian blue glaze. Courtesy Rago Arts and Auction CenterOn the designer’s “Jazz” plate or plaque, an animated couple hit the nightclub dance floor. This example brought $17,500 in February; another version sold April 2008 for $66,000. Courtesy Rago Arts and Auction CenterThis pedal car in the form of an airplane was part of a series Schreckengost designed in the 1950s for bicycle manufacture Murray Ohio. The delightful toy came up five years ago at Rago’s where it sold for $3,360. Courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center
Movie poster, ‘Flesh’ by Andy Warhol. Outer Cape Auctions image. PROVINCETOWN, Mass. – On Sunday, June 17, Outer Cape Auctions will host their first Celebrity Memorabilia Auction to coincide with the Provincetown International Film Festival. The opening preview party begins on June 13 and will run the length of the festival, ending with a live telecasted auction through LiveAuctioneers.com.
“I have wanted to host such an auction ever since the first film festival. Several elements needed to come together and fortunately this year, they did. I think it will be very exciting to add this extra dimension to the festival” said Terry Catalano, owner and auctioneer.
This event takes place at the Provincetown Inn, 1 Commercial St., beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.
The auction will feature memorabilia related to movie stars, television stars, stage performers, authors and politicians. There are over 200 lots that include old movie posters, press photos, publicity photos, illustrations, programs, signatures, candid photos and collectible items like toys, dolls and magazines. Celebrities cover the range from Gertrude Stein to John F. Kennedy to Marilyn Monroe to Elizabeth Montgomery to Andy Warhol to Josephine Baker.
One of the most scandalous lots being offered is an untouched photograph of Marilyn Monroe by Milton Greene taken in 1957. The 8 x 10 photograph exposes the human side to one of the most famous sex symbols of the 21rst century.
“When celebrities are in public, whether on screen or on the street, you can bet that every flaw is covered with make up and the likes. To see the bruises on her upper arms, the bags under her eyes, and the exhaustion in her eyes is like peeking into her very private life,” said Catalano. “This is a once in a life time opportunity for the Marilyn Monroe fan.”
There are 14 lots about Marilyn Monroe in this auction including set photos, press photos, iconic photos by famous photographers like Greene and George Barris. The estimates range from $650-$900 for the untouched Greene photograph to $100-$200 for a color photograph of her next to a pillar.
Other big movie stars included in this auction are Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Marlene Deitrich, Rudolph Valentino, Dustin Farnum, Gloria Swanson, Katherine Hepburn, Tyrone Power, David O. Selznick, Jessica Tandy, Rock Hudson, Laurence Olivier, Mae West, Wallis Simpson and Geraldine Page. There is even a signed contract and color photograph of Edith Head dated 1951.
Andy Warhol is represented in several lots in this auction including three movie posters; Flesh, Trash and Querelle, all produced in the 1960s. Flesh is an oversize poster measuring 52 by 35 inches and is framed beautifully. Trash and Querelle measure 40 by 26 and 39 by 27 and are also nicely framed. Estimates for these rare and collectible posters are $600-$800, $250-$500 and $250-$500 respectively and are all in very good condition. Another unique item is an oversized coloring book measuring 19 1/2 by 14 1/4 inches titled Andy Warhol, A Coloring Book, Drawings by Andy Warhol. This item is in pristine condition and includes the untouched coloring book, an exterior envelope and a cover letter inside announcing a contest for saving the rain forest. The estimate for this rare and unique find is a conservative $200-$400. Lastly, a program from the Coe-Kerr Gallery, New York City, announced the joint exhibition of Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth. Dated 1976, the program is hand-signed by both artists and also includes the newspaper article about the show dated June 6, 1976. The estimate is $300-$500.
Movie posters being offered include a stunning 1934 French poster on linen titled Jeunesse by artist Venabert, the famous French artists from World War II. The pristine poster measures 62 x 46 1/2 inches and is in the style B used the theatres at the time. The estimate is $1,500-$2,500. Other posters include Winter Carnival, The Jungle Princess, Thresholds of Space, Apocalypse Now (Rotopress Roma, 1979), Rose of the World (Warner Brothers), Creature with the Atom Brain and others.
For collectors of illustrations, there are several lots of illustration story boards by Larry Reynolds (Sgt. McGee and others), many with the Collier’s stamp or label and date of print. Grouped in sets of three for the most part, these storyboards will jar a few memories. Each lot is estimated at $50-$100 and one of a kind items. Other illustrations include animation production cells used in cartoons. Friz Freleng, illustrator of the Pink Panther is represented with a signed and authenticated animation cell. Other cartoon characters include Popeye, Brutus, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Tom and Jerry, Josie and the Pussycats, two characters from The Flintstones and four animation cells from the cartoon series The Smurfs. Estimates range from $500-$700 for the Pink Panther to $250-$500 for all the other remaining cartoon cells.
Since celebrities includes such an array of possibilities, this auction includes press photos and autographs with photos of politicians like of John F. Kennedy (three lots), Eleanor Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Robert Kennedy and Harry S. Truman. Stage performers represented include Angela Lansbury, a rare bottle of champagne from Allan Carr’s private party at his home in Beverly Hills celebrating the launch and success of La Cage Aux Folles (1983), three lots about Josephine Baker, a program and signed photograph by Zinka Milanov and the Metropolitan Opera La Forza del Destino dated Dec. 10, 1952, a signed program by Marian Anderson dated 1948 (Taft Auditorium) and more.
Some other unique offerings include a rare candid photo dated June, 1947, of Frank Sinatra, a rare photograph of shirtless Marky Mark, aka Mark Wahlberg, by Herb Ritts for the famous Calvin Klein underwear ad in the 1990s, two exhibition posters of Pablo Picasso including a 1970 Pace Gallery poster and two posters as one lot exhibiting Picasso’s linocuts (1958-1963). The second of the two posters is two-sided and has six linocuts on one side and six different linocuts on the other. Jayne Mansfield is represented with three lots; Playboy Playmate, No. 513, Sweet Jayne dated 1960 and a Jayne Mansfield calendar by KLM products. Other notable names include Amelia Earhart, George Bernard Shaw, Dinah Shore and Norman Mailer.
As much as the public will be allowed to attend and bid live, the emphasis will be the Internet bidders, said Catalano. Phone lines will be available and absentee bids will be accepted for persons not being able to bid through the Internet or attend the event.
“I really want this telecast to be more entertaining and educational for all viewers. The in-house expert, Flint Butera really knows his stuff, “said Catalano, “and I plan to pick his brain throughout the auction for little known tidbits of gossip about each of the celebrities represented.”
This auction will be an annual event to coincide with the film festival in Provincetown.
Outer Cape Auctions has been hosting art auctions since 1999 with the focus of the Provincetown schools of art since 1899. The next art auction is scheduled for July 21.
The current auction can be viewed online now at www.outercapeauctions.com and all additional terms and conditions are available online.
TIMONIUM, Md. – In response to requests from retailers and serious collectors, Gemstone Publishing will again publish an oversize, spiral-bound, limited-edition version of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. This will mark the first time in four years this edition has been available. Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #42 will feature Valiant Entertainment’s pre-eminent hero, X-O Manowar, on an all-new cover by artist Lewis LaRosa.
The hefty spiral-bound reference features only pricing and related data from The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide; no ads feature articles or other material. Prized by dealers and experienced collectors, this version of the industry “Bible” has been noted for its usefulness in daily work situations.
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide has been the definitive guide for collectors and dealers alike since 1970 and features historic annotation, as well. It is scheduled to go on sale in late August 2012 with a cover price of $45.
“Bringing a project ‘back by popular demand’ is a marketing cliché, but when true, it’s one that publishers are happy to embrace. We have consistently received requests to revive The Big, Big Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide over the last four years. Most recently at the Diamond Comic Distributors Retailer Summit prior to C2E2, in literally every group of retailers we heard from, numerous dealers asked when we were going publish it again. As it turns out, the answer is now,” said Steve Geppi, president of Gemstone Publishing.
Reintroduced with a sold-out first issue by New York Times bestselling author Robert Venditti and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord this May, Valiant Entertainment’s X-O Manowar is at the forefront of the iconic comic publisher’s summer 2012 relaunch. A critical and commercial smash upon its May 2 debut, X-O Manowar #1 and the larger “Summer of Valiant” initiative has garnered the reborn Valiant extensive industry coverage and fan support. The sold-out success of X-O Manowar #1 will be followed by a second printing of the series’ 40-page first issue and another all-new take on a Valiant legend with Harbinger #1, which was released just this week. Bloodshot will follow in July and Archer & Armstrong will begin publication in August.
“After all the great press and fan reaction Valiant Entertainment has generated for their revival, it seemed like a natural fit to feature one of their most popular characters on the cover of Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #42 for its comeback,” Geppi said.
“Partnering with Gemstone for this new edition of the guide is a confirmation that Valiant is back in a big, big way,” added Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce. “Valiant couldn’t be happier to help add the distinguishing touch to the return of a product as beloved by fans and retailers as Overstreet Price Guide.”
The standard editions of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #42 will be offered in both hardcover and softcover versions, featuring The Avengers by Joe Jusko and Catwoman by Adam Hughes, beginning Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at comic shops nationwide and then at bookstores. A fundraiser hardcover edition limited to 500 copies featuring Batman and Grendel by Matt Wagner with colorist Ryan Brown will go on sale at Comic-Con International: San Diego as well. Offered exclusively by The Hero Initiative, it will also go on sale through a small number of Hero’s affiliates on Wednesday, July 11.
DENVER – Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will conduct an auction and tag sale of inventory from Eron Johnson Antiques Ltd. on June 23-24. This unprecedented auction and tag sale will include over 1,000 lots of antique furniture and decorative art belonging to one of the preeminent dealers in the West.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for the auction.
The inventory features 17th, 18th,19th and 20th century English, Continental and American furniture and decorative arts, European and American paintings and prints, Asian works of art, architectural antiques including American and European garden statuary and fountains, marble, limestone and carved wood fireplace surrounds, wrought iron, interior and exterior lighting, doors and much more.
Eron Johnson Antiques is known among the collector and design community worldwide. The esteemed antiques purveyor opened his 20,000-square-foot showroom in 1995. In 2008, the firm opened a second 30,000-square-foot warehouse to house the extensive selection of architectural salvage purchased by Johnson from all over the globe. After over 30 years in the antiques business, Johnson has decided to refocus and streamline his inventory.
“I have enjoyed buying and selling fine furnishings and decorative arts for most of my life and I have watched many trends in design and collecting come and go. Over the next few months, we will be recreating the Eron Johnson name, incorporating “Centuries of Design.” We will continue to deal in antiques and decorative arts spanning the 17th to 19th centuries, while expanding and diversifying our inventory to include everything from fantastic relics of antiquity to high-end, iconic mid-century modern furnishings and contemporary art. I am looking forward to working with Leslie Hindman Auctioneers and beginning this transformation towards a more design-focused look,” said Johnson, owner of Eron Johnson Antiques Ltd.
“We are honored Eron Johnson contacted our firm with this exciting sale opportunity,” said Leslie Hindman, president and CEO of the auction house.
Highlights among the more than 1,000 lots in the auction include a Biedermeier-style inlaid birch settee, circa 1820; an Italian Empire-style marble-top inlaid fruitwood commode, circa 1790; a Dutch marquetry mahogany center table, circa 1850; an Adams-style giltwood oval mirror, circa 1890; and a Swedish Mora-style painted tall-case clock, circa 1840.
Also being featured are a Contemporary gilt mounted rock crystal horn on stand; a19th century French sterling silver figural pepper mill depicting cherubs; a Tiffany & Co. sterling silver jersey cream jug, circa 1920; George III sterling silver sugar tongs by Hester Bateman, circa 1790; a Chinese Qing Jiangxi province baluster vase, circa 1880; a Sévres-style porcelain five-light chandelier, circa 1900; a monumental marble sculpture by Henri Crenier, a Baccarat Napoleon III crystal 24-light chandelier, circa 1876; and a 19th century Meissen porcelain desk set.
Among the architectural highlights in the auction are a French Rouge Royale marble fireplace surround, circa 1870 and an American carved marble figure of Eve by Thomas Ball dated 1867.
The auction and tag sale will be conducted onsite at Johnson’s warehouse, 389 S. Lipan St., in Denver. The exhibition will be open to the public Wednesday and Thursday, June 20 and 21, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday, June 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The auction schedule is as follows: Session I Saturday, June 23, beginning at 11 a.m. and Session II Sunday, June 24, beginning at noon.
The tag sale will feature a large collection of Eron Johnson Architectural Antiques’ inventory including significant American and European garden statuary and fountains, marble, limestone and carved wood fireplace surrounds, decorative wrought iron transoms, window guards, entryways and gates, stone and carved wood columns and balustrades, numerous carved wooden doors, some with leaded or stained glass, Asian architectural elements and garden statuary, exterior lighting, American and European rooms of paneling and much more. All architectural items will be tagged significantly reduced from their original retail values. The items in the tag sale will be listed with a “buy it now” price on the Leslie Hindman website as soon as the catalog becomes available online and throughout the auction exhibition and sale.
For information about the sale visit the Leslie Hindman Auctioneers website at www.lesliehindman.com.
Circa-1900 tinted postcard of Folies Bergere dancer in costume, photo by Walery (French, 1863-1935).
PARIS (AFP) – From French can-can dresses to plumed headdresses, an auction of extravagant costumes by the long-time owner of the Folies Bergere cabaret beat expectations at the weekend.
Nicknamed the “empress of the night”, Helene Martini ran the Folies Bergere — Paris’s biggest music hall, founded in 1869 — from 1974 until last year, when it was acquired by the Lagardere group.
Over three decades the showgirl-turned-cabaret manager salvaged some 6,000 stage costumes, keeping them in an outbuilding of her 19th-century chateau southeast of Paris and in a storeroom in the Pigalle red-light district, where she still lives most of the time.
In all, a treasure trove of about 1,000 items was put on sale, raking in a total of 413,212 euros ($516,762) over the weekend, beating expectations.
Lots had been given deliberately low estimates for the two-day sale held by Bailly-Pommery & Voutier in the former stock exchange building in central Paris, so that anyone could take home a Folies Bergere souvenir.
But in the end barely 20 lots went for less than 100 euros, with many hopeful buyers leaving empty-handed.
A stage curtain decorated with red sequins sold for 23,125 euros to rival cabaret Moulin Rouge, which plans to conserve the item as part of French music hall heritage.
Silkscreen prints by Russian-born fashion designer Erte (1892-1990), who worked at the Folies Bergere in the 1930s, also proved popular, while a series of 26 lithographs of alphabets went for 25,000 euros to a personality in the
fashion industry who wanted to remain anonymous.
The current manager of Folies Bergere, Jean-Marc Dumontet, also bought pieces linked to the history of the celebrated music hall such as models, drawings and documents.
Headdresses were among the most popular items, with several French and foreign cabarets snapping them up.
Some 75 lots which remain unsold will be presented at a second, larger sale that will take place on Wednesday in the east of Paris, this time aimed at theater companies and trade buyers.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Circa-1900 tinted postcard of Folies Bergere dancer in costume, photo by Walery (French, 1863-1935).Facade of Folies Bergere, 2011 image by HRNet, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) portrait of The Emperor Napoleon at his study at the Tuileries, 1812. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
PARIS (AFP) – A rare letter in English written by Napoleon Bonaparte — and replete with errors — fetched 325,000 euros ($406,445) at an auction Sunday in Paris.
The one-page letter, dated March 9, 1816, penned by Napoleon during his post-Waterloo exile on the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, was one of just three known in the world, said auction house Osenat.
Addressed to the Count of Las Cases, Napoleon’s companion in exile, the letter was acquired by the private Museum of Letters and Manuscripts in Paris and originally estimated to fetch just 60,000 to 80,000 euros.
In his “Memorial of Saint Helena”, Las Cases wrote about how Napoleon began in March 1816 to correspond with him in English in order to practice the language of his jailers that he had began learning a few weeks earlier.
The Count also wrote in particular about the auctioned letter, saying: “The emperor did not sleep that night — during his insomnia, he decided to write me a new letter in English.
“He sent it sealed to me, I corrected his errors, and replied to him, in English also, by mail.
“He understood the letter, and that convinced him of his progress and proved to him that he could, completely, correspond in his new language.”
Despite Las Cases encouraging words, Napoleon’s writing required some guesswork.
For instance, in one passage, he wrote: “He shall land above seven day a ship from Europe that we shall give account from anything who this shall have been even to day of first january thousand eight hundred sixteen.”
Napoleon was referring to a ship from Europe that would dock in seven days, bringing news on what has happened since January 1, 1816.
After his defeat to the British at the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was imprisoned and then exiled to Saint Helena where he died in 1821 age 51.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) portrait of The Emperor Napoleon at his study at the Tuileries, 1812. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967), ‘Hotel Room,’ 1931, oil on canvas. Image courtesy Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid.
MADRID – On Tuesday, Madrid’s Thyssen Museum will open an exhibition of works by Edward Hopper, one of the largest retrospectives of works by the iconic US artist ever to be shown in Europe.
The “Hopper” show features 73 paintings, drawings, prints and watercolors by the 20th-century realist dubbed the painter of American loneliness and isolation.
“It is very unlikely that an exhibition like this can be repeated in Europe in the next decade, if ever,” Tomas Llorens, one of the two curators, told a news conference at the Thyssen.
The exhibition will run until Sept. 16 in Madrid before moving on to Paris where it will be displayed at the Grand Palais between Oct. 10 and Jan. 28.
“It is a very complicated project because Hopper’s output was scarce, he was a very slow painter. For an American museum, loaning a Hopper painting is an extremely difficult decision.”
Most of the works depict scenes of people on their own, or isolated.
One of the paintings in the exhibition, a 1932 oil on canvas called “Room in New York,” features a man reading a newspaper while at other end of the room a woman looks absently at a piano. Another, titled “Hotel Room,” depicts a woman sitting on a bed reading a pamphlet, her luggage parked on the floor beside her.
The exhibition is divided in two parts. The first covers the years of his training with works by Hopper from between 1920 and 1924 shown alongside paintings by other artists including France’s Edgar Degas and Albert Marquet.
The second part focuses on his mature works.
“What we are proposing is a European re-reading of Hopper’s works,” said Didier Ottinger, the associate director of the Centre Pompidou in Paris who is the other curatorn.
The exhibition will feature more works by Hopper when it moves to Paris because the Grand Palais has more space available, he added.
Hopper died in his studio in New York City in 1967 at the age of 84.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967), ‘Hotel Room,’ 1931, oil on canvas. Image courtesy Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid.
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) – A retired policeman and a house painter have been arrested in northern Greece on suspicion of antiquities smuggling after an ancient gold wreath and armband were found in their car, police said Friday.
The suspects were stopped by highway police near the village of Asprovalta, some 25 miles east of Thessaloniki late Thursday. Officers, who were working on a tip that the house painter might be trafficking in antiquities, found the fourth century B.C. artifacts in a shoebox under the passenger seat.
The wreath was a rare and valuable find, said Nikos Dimitriadis, head of the Thessaloniki police antiquities theft section.
“It is a product of an illegal excavation from a Macedonian grave, according to archaeologists (who examined it),” he said.
Antiquities in Greece are all state property by law. But smuggling is a major problem in the country, where relics of a rich ancient past often lie just inches beneath the surface.
Looting deprives archaeologists of valuable contextual information that would emerge from a proper excavation. Without such clues, finds—however impressive—are little more than pretty artifacts with a high commercial value.
The wreath, weighing in at nearly 2.2 pounds, is decorated with gold oak leaves and acorns. The gold armband is in the form of two knotted snakes studded with red semi-precious stones.
Police said the 41-year-old house painter had been trying to sell the finds for several hundred thousand euros. They said he claimed to have received them from an acquaintance in his hometown of Komotini, nearly 190 miles east of Thessaloniki.
The precise location where the wreath and armband were found was not immediately clear.
Several golden wreaths have been found in Macedonia and Thrace, with the most impressive coming from royal tombs in Vergina, west of Thessaloniki, that have been linked with the family of the fourth century B.C. warrior king Alexander the Great.
An archaeologist who saw pictures of the wreath said it was a much plainer version than those from Vergina, and would likely have been buried with a rich Macedonian.
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