June 2012 - Page 8 of 20 - Auction Central News

The Menil Collection in Houston. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Vandalism of Picasso painting caught on video

June 20, 2012/in Crime & Litigation/by Tom Hoepf

The Menil Collection in Houston. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

HOUSTON (AP) – Police have video recordings to help them search for a man who spray-painted Pablo Picasso’s Woman in a Red Armchair at a Houston art museum.

Officials say the vandalism happened June 13 at the Menil Collection, where the 1929 painting is one of nine Picassos. Menil spokesman Vance Muse tells the Houston Chronicle that museum security officers detected the vandalism almost immediately, when the paint was barely dry. Chief conservator Brad Epley began repair work immediately, and Muse says the painting has “an excellent prognosis.”

The vandal fled and hasn’t been arrested. However, police have security video—along with a cellphone video taken by a witness and posted on YouTube.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

AP-WF-06-19-12 0307GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The Menil Collection in Houston. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Maryland State Archives running out of storage space

June 20, 2012/in General Interest/by Tom Hoepf

The Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – The Maryland State Archives collection is among the largest in the country with nearly 400 years of history, including Colonial-era paintings, keepsakes of the state’s governors, and thousands of land, court and genealogy records.

With all that history, the Archives has run out of space.

The agency first filled its Annapolis headquarters to capacity in 2000, then leased and filled a warehouse. It leased a second warehouse and a third before brokering a deal to store some of its property at the Baltimore City Archives.

All of the facilities are now full, and state archivists have been pushing for more space since 2005.

Agency officials say that the lack of space and “substandard” conditions at the warehouses have damaged some of the older items, and that employees are trying to avoid losing their grip on history.

“I hope that as the economy turns around we’re going to be able to request some more conservation money,” said Deputy State Archivist Tim Baker. “We really need to finally own up to our responsibility to take care of these treasures and store them adequately.”

Baker said well-maintained archives serve a valuable purpose in a democracy.

“I don’t think we have as much appreciation as we should for the fact that it wasn’t that long ago that kings and military people ruled and decreed,” he said. “We decided a different course and said that we’re going to write it down and document the rights and responsibilities of people.”

The Maryland State Archives was formed in 1934, but has grown exponentially in the past 20 years because it has taken on greater numbers of documents from increasingly records-conscious county and local governments.

Unlike many other states, the Maryland State Archives stores not just state and privately owned materials, but also those from local governments. Archivists say that policy has helped preserve many records and other items that otherwise might have been thrown away or left to rot in a town hall.

State archivists rarely have shied away from accepting outside contributions.

In 1988, they took on the cash-strapped Peabody Institution’s art collection. Years later, they added a collection of local newspapers dating as far back as the 1700s from the Library of Congress.

While the mention of archives may conjure up visions of antique art and valuable relics, the majority of Maryland’s more than 340,000 cubic feet of holdings is composed of paper records.

Most are kept for a set period of time until legal disposal is permitted, but about 5 percent to 10 percent are deemed to have permanent value and are kept in the collection.

These often include court documents, property deeds, birth and marriage records and other materials that have historical worth or might be referenced in the future.

Taking care of all those documents can be tough. About half of them are stored in warehouses that archivists say are plagued by bugs, mold, bad lighting and inadequate temperature controls that make them unbearably hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.

One such warehouse in Anne Arundel County includes paintings and land records from the 1800s and items owned by William Donald Schaefer, who served a total of 32 years as mayor of Baltimore and as the state’s governor and then comptroller.

“It’s not as much about temperature as it is consistency,” said Kevin Swanson, director of the agency’s constituent and interagency services. He added that ideal conditions are about 65 degrees and 55 percent humidity.

“When you don’t have that, you’re going to have problems,” he said.

Archivists have had to stop accepting items because of the space crunch and instead encourage local governments to move toward keeping electronic records.

The policy backfired last year when heavy rains in Prince George’s County led to flooding that destroyed about 2,400 cubic feet of county records in Upper Marlboro. The State Archives would have accepted the records if it had the space, Mr. Baker said.

“I don’t really have an option,” he said. “Even if I could just magically snap my fingers and go out and rent another building, we don’t have the money to do that.”

Desperate for more space, archives officials have testified before Senate and House budget committees. They originally hoped for a new building—which Mr. Baker said could have cost as much as $25 million—but have moved to the less-expensive option of buying a used, “semidistressed” building.

The agency’s troubles are not limited to storage. State budget cuts have reduced the Archives’ finances and nearly eliminated its art conservation budget.

One of the ways archivists have cut costs is by asking the state facilities and art galleries that host much of the state’s artistic property to pay for upkeep.

Swanson said the Maryland State Archives gets 15 percent to 20 percent of its funding from the state. The rest comes from fundraising, grants and money the agency earns as a printing service for businesses.

It also charges fees for the thousands of files it retrieves for residents each year.

State funding for the Archives has been left mostly to subcommittees on the Senate Budget and Taxation and House Appropriations committees.

Lawmakers are quick to say that the archives have tremendous value, but many say the state simply doesn’t have the money at a time when it has many infrastructure needs.

“You’ve got to handle the things that you’ve got to handle now and just wait and see what happens,” said Delegate Gail H. Bates, Howard Republican, who serves on the Appropriations public safety and administration subcommittee, which hears the Archives’ testimony each year. “As much as I think that it’s important to do something with the archives, it’s not really what I would call a basic need right now.”

Delegate John F. Wood Jr., who is vice chairman of the subcommittee, said the Archives had a near-miss a couple of years ago when it was in the running to receive an Annapolis building vacated by Maryland State Police barracks. The space went to another agency.

He said lawmakers should look more closely at funding a new facility and doesn’t expect the Archives to give up its fight.

“It’s something I think that we should be looking at—and not keep putting it off and putting it off,” said Mr. Wood, St. Mary’s Democrat. “I’m sure they’re going to be back every year until they get it.”

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Information from: The Washington Times, http://www.washtimes.com

AP-WF-06-18-12 1434GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Texas firm purchases New Orleans Auction Galleries’ assets

June 19, 2012/in Auction Houses/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

Logo for New Orleans, the Crescent City. Art by APoincot, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

NEW ORLEANS (ACNI) – Fourteen months ago, New Orleans Auction Galleries (NOAG) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On June 1, 2012, assets of the Louisiana company – which had long been synonymous with the sale of antiques and fine art from gracious Southern estates – went under the hammer.

At the auction, which was conducted in the office of Attorney Stewart F. Peck of Lugenbuhl, Wheaton, Peck, Rankin & Hubbard, the assets of New Orleans Auction Galleries were purchased by Cakebread Art Antiques Collectables, Inc., a firm owned by Houston businesswoman Susan Krohn.

Previously an investor in NOAG, Krohn was one of approximately 200 creditors listed in the bankruptcy petition. But contrary to rumor, the money the bankrupt auction house owed to Krohn was not applied toward Cakebread’s purchase of the company’s assets.

In a June 6 telephone interview, Attorney Peck confirmed to Auction Central News that three pre-qualified bidders had competed for NOAG’s assets – M.S. Rau Antiques LLC, Aschaffenburg Assets LLC, and Cakebread. The purchase price was not disclosed, although there has been speculation within New Orleans’ antiques trade that it was in the vicinity of $1.3-$1.5 million.

“New Orleans Auction Galleries will emerge stronger and better as a result of this auction,” Attorney Peck said. “The new owner has big plans for the company.”

New Orleans Auction Galleries’ new president, Ashton Thomas, replaces former boss Jean Vidos and will run day-to-day operations at the gallery. Thomas confirmed to Auction Central News that the majority of NOAG’s staff of 15 are still employed by the gallery, “with no sign that there will be any changes in the immediate future.”

“Most of the information that has been out there recently has been wrong to some degree or another,” Thomas said, stressing that Cakebread purchased NOAG’s assets, not the business itself. “It is a new tax entity that does not assume the other company’s liabilities.”

Thomas said the new ownership has a long-range plan in place for NOAG. “We’re starting with a fresh coat of paint and putting our own stamp on [the business], but our first priority is improving relationships with consignors and buyers. We want to run the auction house in a way that will make them want to consign with us,” he said.

Thomas expressed excitement and optimism about the company’s future. “We’re going to bring it back bigger and better than ever. I have confidence that will happen,” he said. “We want to make our auctions entertaining and fun, and to make the gallery a destination.”

NOAG’s first auction under new ownership will be a July 21-22 sale of fine and decorative art. Consignments are currently being accepted. As in the past, Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.com.

To contact New Orleans Auction Galleries, call 504-566-1849 or 800-501-0277; e-mail info@neworleansauction.com. The gallery is located at 801 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130.

Read ACN’s previous coverage on this subject:

http://acn.liveauctioneers.com/index.php/features/auction-houses/4315-new-orleans-auction-galleries-in-recovery-plan-to-reorganize-debts

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Logo for New Orleans, the Crescent City. Art by APoincot, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Rodin Museum, renovated exterior, 2011. Photograph courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Philadelphia’s renovated Rodin Museum to reopen July 13

June 19, 2012/in Museums/by Tom Hoepf

Rodin Museum, renovated exterior, 2011. Photograph courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.

PHILADELPHIA – On July 13 Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum will reopen to the public, its collection reinstalled and reinterpreted and its buildings and gardens restored to the condition that visitors would have experienced when the museum first opened to the public in 1929.

This comprehensive renovation, accomplished over the past three years, included the restoration of the gardens designed by Jacques Gréber, the restoration of the Meudon Gate and exterior of the Rodin Museum, both designed by the great Philadelphia architect Paul Cret, and the restoration of the interior and reinstallation of the collection, which represents one of the most important holdings of Rodin’s work anywhere.

This summer, visitors will once again see several of Auguste Rodin’s greatest works, including The Burghers of Calais, in the garden, in niches on the museum’s façade, and in the arches of the Meudon Gate for the first time in many decades, as Cret initially installed them.

In the galleries of the museum, they will encounter an entirely new presentation of the collection. The reinstallation includes 90 works in a variety of materials—bronze, marble, terracotta, and plaster—that survey the genesis and development of Rodin’s monumental The Gates of Hell, a project inspired by Dante’s Inferno that consumed the artist for nearly four decades, from 1880 until his death in 1917. Visitors will be able to learn more about Rodin’s work through new interpretive tools, including a new mobile app, and new public programs such as family activities and performances. The Rodin Museum will be open to the public from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. It will be closed on Tuesdays.

“The opening of the Rodin Museum in November 1929 represented a high point in this city’s efforts to create the Benjamin Franklin Parkway as a great civic space,” said Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “As this important cultural district reaches another milestone this summer, with the opening of the new home for the Barnes Foundation just across 22nd Street, it was both fitting and necessary for us to focus attention on the Rodin Museum. This is, fundamentally, an act of stewardship, restoring one of Philadelphia’s loveliest buildings, which is notable for the purity of its design and the restrained elegance of its ornament, and reinstalling and reinterpreting one of the finest collections of Rodin to be found anywhere in the world.”

Returning the Rodin Museum to its original design has required a comprehensive cleaning that embraced the exterior stonework as well as the building’s tall windows and high dramatic skylight that extends across the vaulted main gallery and now generously bathes the space below in far more daylight. Within the refurbished galleries, the inaugural installation of the collection will be dedicated to The Gates of Hell as a tribute to the artist’s epic vision and to the passion of the museum’s founder, Philadelphia entrepreneur and collector Jules Mastbaum (1872-1926). Mastbaum paid for the first two bronze casts of Rodin’s Gates, the earliest of which has stood in the Museum’s portico since 1929. In 1880 Rodin received the commission to create The Gates of Hell. It became the defining project of Rodin’s career, occupying him the last 37 years of his life. The artist’s most famous work, the brooding The Thinker, which faces the Benjamin Franklin Parkway before the museum’s entry gate, was also conceived as part of the project and was later enlarged and cast in bronze as an independent work. Mastbaum ordered the casts of the Gates from Rodin’s estate in 1925, eight years after the artist’s death, and presented the second cast to the Musée Rodin in Paris.

The galleries will also feature other major public sculptures, including maquettes for the monument honoring the celebrated French author of La Comédie Humaine, Honoré de Balzac that became recognized as a pioneering work of modernism. Additional masterpieces on view will include Rodin’s plaster of Eternal Springtime, an evocation of human love, and the Apotheosis of Victor Hugo. A marble, The Kiss, has also been returned to its original position in the museum. A replica of Rodin’s original, it was carved for the museum in 1929 by the sculptor Henri Gréber, father of the Parkway’s designer, Jacques Gréber, with the authorization of Rodin’s estate. A popular favorite in Philadelphia until it was removed in 1967, its return to the main gallery reflects its importance as a celebrated element of the Rodin Museum’s original scheme.

Outside the museum, eight works will now be displayed in the garden, most of which have not been seen there for decades. While both The Thinker and The Gates of Hell have stood in their same locations since 1929, advances in conservation undertaken by the Philadelphia Museum of Art have permitted the return of Adam and The Shade to their original places within the arches of the Meudon Gate for the first time since 1963. The Age of Bronze and Eve have also returned to the niches they originally occupied on the museum building, overlooking the reflecting pool. To the east of the building, The Burghers of Calais once again occupies the semicircular garden where it stood until 1955, when it moved to the west entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 1967, The Burghers of Calais was moved to the interior of the Rodin Museum, becoming its centerpiece. On the building’s west side, a space vacant of sculpture for most of the museum’s history now contains a version of the monumental Three Shades, on loan from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.

“When we began to consider how to reinstall the galleries, I wanted the sculptures that were placed by Cret in key positions on the exterior of the museum and in the garden to be once again outdoors,” notes Rub. “The Burghers is too large a work to fit comfortably within the galleries, and after returning this heroic work to its commanding place in the east garden, it seemed only fair to return The Kiss to its place in the main gallery, where it could finally delight the public once again.”

The interior and exterior renovations and reinstallation of the collection will allow visitors to experience Rodin’s sculpture in a new way. “Visitors will be able to explore the most significant aspects of Rodin’s life and career, his relationship to the art of his times, and the salient features of his artistic style, all of which will help demonstrate why his work was so revolutionary and why he is considered a seminal figure in the history of modern art,” notes Joseph Rishel, senior curator of the John G. Johnson Collection and the Rodin Museum.

Public tours led by museum guides will take place daily at 1:30 p.m. A full range of public programs will be produced including activities for families with children and interactive art-creating programs.

For additional information, contact the Marketing and Communications Department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 215-684-7860. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. For general information, call 215-763-8100, or visit the museum’s website at www.philamuseum.org.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Rodin Museum, renovated exterior, 2011. Photograph courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Rodin Museum, Historic Meudon Gate and ‘The Thinker.’ Photograph courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.

‘The Shade,’ modeled 1881-86, enlarged 1901-04; cast 1923. Auguste Rodin, French, 1840-1917. Cast by the founder Alexis Rudier, Paris. Bronze, 75 1/2 x 44 1/8 x 19 3/4 inches (191.8 x 112.1 x 50.2 cm). Rodin Museum, bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, 1929. Conservation treatment, photograph courtesy Philadephia Museum of Art.

Rodin’s ‘The Burghers of Calais,’ is hoisted into place. Modeled 1884-95; cast 1919-21. Cast by the founder Alexis Rudier, Paris, 1874-1952. Bronze, 82 1/2 x 94 x 75 inches (209.6 x 238.8 x 190.5 cm). Rodin Museum, bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, 1929. Photograph courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Rodin Museum, historic interior. Photograph courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Vintage Chanel Dress Suit. Love At First Bid image.

Love At First Bid schedules fashion-related auction June 28

June 19, 2012/in Upcoming Auctions/by Tom Hoepf

Vintage Chanel Dress Suit. Love At First Bid image.

NEW YORK – Love At First Bid, New York’s newest auction house for all things fashion-related, is announcing their second sale, to be held in their new midtown state-of the art facilities. The auction, scheduled for Thursday, June 28, 11 a.m. EDT, promises to be a worthy follow-up to their premier sale last fall.

Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Annegret von Winterfeld, founder of Love At First Bid, and William Lash are excited to be offering such a wide variety of desirable items.

“There is an extremely eclectic mix, and certainly something for every taste,” said von Winterfeld. “There are luxurious crocodile and alligator handbags, precious stone and platinum jewelry and Chanel couture on the one end of the spectrum, and carefree summer-inspired pieces like the woven straw pink pig faced handbag and wide array of floriform costume jewelry on the other. Some are investment pieces while many others will prove to be affordable indulgences.”

The sale, titled “Objects of Desire,” features a wide variety of clothing, jewelry and other accessories, as well as fine art and silver. Highlights include an exceptional collection of American artist and studio jewelry featuring Sam Kramer and Paul Lobel. Costume and designer pieces include a Miriam Haskell prototype necklace, as well as examples by Coppola e Toppo, Countess Cissy Zoltowska, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiesselstein-Cord, Judith Lieber, and many other noteworthy makers. Fine diamond, pearl and colored stone jewelry set in platinum and gold will also be offered. A small but choice selection features Chanel Couture, and also includes examples by Commes des Garcon, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Azzedine Alaia and others. Exquisite vintage handbags in a variety of materials from crocodile to straw, by many well-known makers; Gucci luggage; silk scarves by Hermes, Gucci and Pierre Cardin. Hats, belts and many other stylish pieces will be included.

Fine art features a collection of graphics and other works on paper signed W. de Kooning, H. Matisse, P. Picasso, E. Schiele, Le Corbusier, A. Warhol, P. Cadmus and H. Moore. Also included are two exceptional Franz Hagenauer sculptures, along with a diverse offering of fashion illustrations by well-noted designers and illustrators including C. Berard and E. Schiaparelli.

Love At First Bid is located at 444 W. 55th St., New York, NY 10019. Once again, interested individuals will have their choice of bidding in person at the auction, via telephone, left bid or Internet through www.liveauctioneers.com. For complete information on the June 28 sale, visit www.loveatfirstbid.com or call 212 262-8001.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Vintage Chanel Dress Suit. Love At First Bid image.

Miriam Haskel necklace. Love At First Bid image.

Two-tone bracelet, 18K. Love At First Bid image.

Henri Matisse lithograph. Love At First Bid image.

Vintage piggy bag. Love At First Bid image.

Hagenauer sculptures. Love At First Bid image.

Wurlitzer Model 71 automatic phonograph jukebox. Government Auction image.

Porsche Panamera, Rolex, jewels top Govt. Auction luxury list, June 24

June 19, 2012/in Upcoming Auctions/by Catherine Saunders-Watson

Wurlitzer Model 71 automatic phonograph jukebox. Government Auction image.

TEHACHAPI, Calif. – In the world of sports cars, Porsche is a brand that has come to symbolize speed, quality and design excellence. On Sunday, June 24, Government Auction will make available for immediate liquidation a treasure trove of luxury items led by a sleek 2012 Porsche Panamera.

Fully loaded and in absolutely mint condition, the pre-owned Porsche has only 225 miles on its odometer. In addition to the sexy 3.6 liter V6, 300 hp engine, some of its extras include a Bose Surround Sound audio package, heated seats, heated steering wheel, anthracite birchwood interior package, blind spot detector, park assistant, front/rear camera and Porsche keyless entry and drive system.

A magnificent example of German engineering and design, the Panamera is estimated at $90,000-$120,000, but like most other items in the auction, it has an opening bid requirement of only $2. All lots in the sale are available for Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. (Note: winning bidder of Porsche must arrange for pickup).

The Porsche is in dignified company with an auction selection that also includes a luxe array of fine jewelry, gold coins, art and investment-grade collectibles. Bidders can take their pick of beautifully crafted Rolex and Cartier timepieces. A handsome 1973 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust stainless steel men’s watch, model #6694, Serial #3859072, features classic styling and a large face. It carries a presale estimate of $3,150-$6,300.

The perfect “go anywhere” women’s watch is the 1999 Cartier Santos stainless steel and gold watch, style #W90058C4. A link-bracelet style with secure Cartier-style clasp, the watch has a replacement value of $7,000. Government Auction is offering it with a presale estimate of $3,500-$7,000 and an opening bid of only $2.

Effortlessly elegant, a 14K white gold pendant on chain features a 3.64-carat round-cut tanzanite surrounded by 114 sparkling diamonds with a total weight of 1.40 carats. The eye-catching tanzanite center stone is purple in color and professionally evaluated as being “near flawless.” The necklace has a retail replacement value of $24,500, and its auction estimate range is $12,280-$24,559.

Putting one’s money into antique coins has become a popular hedge against inflation. A very desirable coin offered in the June 24 auction is an 1881 $5 U.S Liberty Head gold coin. Collectors call this coin the “Half Eagle”, in reference to the fact that its gold content is half that of the $10 Double Eagle. The coin was first introduced in 1839 and was minted until 1907. It contains 24.18% of an ounce of gold and is the only coin to have been minted at seven US mints.

“The Half Eagle is a must-have in any coin collector’s arsenal because of the rarity of this mintage in this condition,” said Government Auction’s chief auctioneer, Paul Sabesky.

High on the list of sought-after antiques and vintage collectibles is an antique Wurlitzer Model 71 phonograph jukebox features Art Deco styling and has a decorative mounted speaker emblazoned with the words “Strike up the Band.” An extremely rare survivor, the jukebox could make $20,000-$40,000 on auction day.

Other novelties to be auctioned include a 1952 Mills 5-cent high-top slot machine with bald eagle motif and three-reel, one-armed-bandit design, est. $4,050-$8,100; and a cast-iron candy store cash register. The register has been fully restored and features an ornate marquee embossed with the words “Amount Purchased.” It is expected to fetch $2,850-$5,700.

Government Auction’s Sunday June 24, 2012 sale of fine jewelry, gold coins, art and investment grade collectibles, highlighted by a 2012 Porsche Panamera, will commence at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time/10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Absentee, phone and Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com will be available. For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Debbie on 661-823-1543 or e-mail info@governmentauction.com.

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

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Wurlitzer Model 71 automatic phonograph jukebox. Government Auction image.

2012 Porsche Panamera, fully loaded. Government Auction image.

1898 $10 US Liberty Head Double Eagle gold coin. Government Auction image.

White gold 3-carat tanzanite and diamond necklace. Government Auction image.

Rolex men’s stainless steel watch. Government Auction image.

Cast-iron candy store cash register, restored. Government Auction image.

Cartier women’s stainless steel and gold watch. Government Auction image.

Circa-1952 Mills 5-cent high-top slot machine. Government Auction image.

14K white gold 1-carat tanzanite and diamond ring. Government Auction image.

1881 US $5 Liberty Head gold coin. Government Auction image.

Sapphire (14.47-carat) and diamond ring that sold for $47,200. Leland Little Auctions and Estate Sales Ltd. image.

Leland Little auction extends $1M streak to 6 sales

June 19, 2012/in Auction Results/by Tom Hoepf

Sapphire (14.47-carat) and diamond ring that sold for $47,200. Leland Little Auctions and Estate Sales Ltd. image.

HILLSBOROUGH, N .C. – Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd. conducted their highly anticipated Summer Estate Cataloged Auction, June 15 and 16, selling over $1.5 Million in fine art, jewelry, antiques, fine wine and other valuable objects.

This sale marks the sixth consecutive $1 million-plus auction conducted by the North Carolina-based auction company. The complete auction results for the auction can be found on-line at www.llauctions.com.

The auction gallery was pleased to host over 350 floor bidders who attended the two-day sale. Bidders unable to attend the sale left over 2,200 absentee and phone bids. In addition, over 1200 bidders watched and participated in the auction on-line through LiveAuctioneers.com from more than 50 countries around the world.

LLAES Ltd. continues to acquire and offer top-level consignments from the Southeast region, with auctioneer Leland Little saying, “Our team is grateful for such extraordinary performance as we work towards prolonged growth in the auction industry. The momentum and demand for top-level objects in all categories continue to exceed expectations.”

Fine art offerings were diverse and of top quality, including a pair of Italian old master paintings, which, driven by strong phone and on-line bidding, achieved $67,850 (results include an 18 percent buyer’s premium). A charming work by William Lathrop (New York and Pennsylvania, 1859-1938) brought $11,800, and a group of three China Trade paintings sold for a total of $100,700.

Estate jewelry lots demonstrated considerable strength, led by an important 14.47-carat sapphire and diamond ring that sold for $47,200, and a platinum and diamond ring that brought $20,650. A pair of Tiffany & Co. aquamarine and diamond earrings achieved $11,800, while an 18K Cartier Tank watch with Arabic numerals sold for $2,360.

Other lots of interest included a Sicilian coral and gilt holy water stoup from the collection of Jeff and Betsy Penn of the Chinqua Penn Plantation in Reidsville, N.C., that attracted international bidders and soared to $86,250, a Southern tiger maple Federal sideboard selling for $10,915, a Dorflinger jar mounted with a sterling silver collar that achieved $38,940, and a Chinese painting of a horse with grooms selling for $37,760.

The rare and fine wine session of the two-day sale became the highest-grossing wine auction to date with over a quarter-million dollars in sales. It was led by a bottle of 1990 Romanee-Conti, Domaine Romanee-Conti, which sold for $16,520. Three lots of 1990 La Tache, Domaine Romanee-Conti, two bottles, each sold for $7,080.

LLAES Ltd. is always seeking quality consignments, whether it be an entire estate or a significant item. To discuss selling call the gallery at 919-644-1243 or email at info@llauctions.com. For more information regarding this sale call Joe Waddell at the above phone number or send an e-mail to joe@llauctions.com.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Sapphire (14.47-carat) and diamond ring that sold for $47,200. Leland Little Auctions and Estate Sales Ltd. image.

Chinese school view of Calcutta and the ship Rob Roy that sold for $64,900. Leland Little Auctions and Estate Sales Ltd. image.

This pair of Italian old master paintings sold together for $67,850. Leland Little Auctions and Estate Sales Ltd. image.

The Sicilian coral and gilt holy water stoup soared to $86,250. Leland Little Auctions and Estate Sales Ltd. image.

The booth of Magazzino d’Arte Moderna at Art Basel 43, courtesy Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, Rome.

Il mercato dell’arte in Italia: L’arte italiana all’Art Basel 43

June 19, 2012/in Il mercato dell'arte/by Tom Hoepf

Lo stand di Magazzino d’Arte Moderna a Art Basel 43, courtesy Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, Roma.

Camminando attraverso i corridoi della 43esima edizione di Art Basel, la più importante fiera per l’arte moderna e contemporanea che si è appena conclusa a Basilea, non si poteva fare a meno di notare la presenza di arte italiana di alto livello, in vendita agli stand di molte influenti gallerie internazionali.

Importanti gallerie di arte moderna newyorkesi come Acquavella Galleries e Helly Nahmad avevano in mostra opere di Morandi, De Chirico, Fontana e Burri, gli artisti italiani più ricercati a livello internazionale. Gli specchi di Michelangelo Pistoletto erano in diversi stand tra cui quello di Luhring Augustine (New York), Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Le Moulin) e Simon Lee Gallery (Londra). Gladstone Gallery aveva opere di Alighiero Boetti, Mario e Marisa Merz, ceramiche di Lucio Fontana e sculture di Fausto Melotti. Anche l’Arte Povera era ben rappresentata. La galleria tedesca Konrad Fischer Galerie, per esempio, aveva opere di Mario Merz e Giuseppe Penone, che è attualmente in mostra anche a dOCUMENTA(13) a Kassel. “Cerchiamo di rispondere alle richieste del mercato”, ci ha detto il direttore della sede di Düsseldorf Thomas W. Rieger, “e il mercato adesso vuole l’Arte Povera.” La galleria ha venduto una scultura di grandi dimensioni di Penone. Opere di tali dimensioni quotano di solito intorno ai 350.000 euro (440.000 dollari).

Anche gli artisti italiani più giovani erano ben rappresentati. La galleria francese Emmanuel Perrotin presentava una nuova opera di Paola Pivi (1971), formata da una catena di quaranta aeroplani di plastica che pendevano dal soffitto, in vendita per 70mila euro (88mila dollari). Dal 20 giugno l’artista italiana sarà in mostra a Central Park a New York, con un’installazione promossa dal Public Art Fund, e al Rockbund Art Museum di Shanghai.

La galleria torinese Franco Noero e la galleria francese Yvon Lambert presentavano nuovi lavori della star Francesco Vezzoli: coppie di busti formati da un ritratto antico e una risposta moderna dell’artista, in vendita per 150mila e 175mila dollari l’uno.

Un’ampia presentazione dell’arte italiana attraverso varie generazioni era offerta allo stand di Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, una galleria italiana con sede a Roma. Al centro dello stand c’era un’opera di Alberto Garutti (1948) formata da due vadi pieni d’acqua. Garutti rappresenta quasi una “figura paterna” rispetto agli altri artisti in mostra a Basilea, non solo perché è più anziano, ma perché insegna all’Accademia di Brera a Milano e all’Università IUAV di Venezia. Nel suo lavoro Garutti pone lo spazio pubblico al centro dell’attenzione; l’arte viene usata per connettere le persone. Questo è anche il senso dell’opera presentata a Basilea, che è parte di un’installazione mostrata alla galleria a Roma. L’acqua contenuta nei vasi proviene da una fontana nel cortile dell’edificio della galleria, da cui si dice si abbeverasse la lupa di Romolo e Remo. Rappresenta non solo un collegamento alla storia della città e un bene primario dell’umanità, ma anche un elemento che connette gli individui e le famiglie all’interno di un edificio. Per sottolineare questo fatti l’artista ha ricostruito il sistema idraulico di tubature che attraversa gli appartamenti in disegni e in un’installazione in galleria. Il prezzo di ogni vaso è di 20mila euro (25mila dollari).

Un’altra generazione di arte italiana, più giovane di Garutti ma già affermata, era rappresentata a Basilea da Massimo Bartolini (1962) e Elisabetta Benassi (1966). La ricerca di Bartolini si concentra sul rapporto tra l’essere umano e il suo ambiente. Nella serie “Rugiada”, per esempio, Bartolini ricrea la rugiada del mattino su un dipinto monocromo attraverso gocce d’acqua mischiate al silicone spruzzate sulla superficie, combinando in questo modo la meraviglia della natura e la storia dell’arte (l’opera della serie in mostra a Basilea costava 13mila euro o 16.500 dollari).

Massimo Bartolini, come Penone, è attualmente in mostra a dOCUMENTA(13) a Kassel con l’opera “Untitled (Wave)”, nella quale ricrea il movimento di un’onda in una vasca.

La generazione più giovane era rappresentata allo stand di Magazzino da Alessandro Piangiamore (1976), Daniele Puppi (1970), e Gianluca Malgeri (1974). L’opera di Malgeri “Wunderkammer” ha attratto molte attenzioni. L’installazione, composta di rami che ricordano le corna di cervo di un trofeo di caccia, è stata ispirata dal mito di Apollo e Dafne. È un’opera che parla d’amore, ma anche del collezionismo d’arte. È stata venduta ad un acquirente internazionale per 15mila euro (19mila dollari). Anche le opere di Puppi e Piangiamore hanno avuto successo commerciale e sono state vendute il primo giorno a collezionisti internazionali: una bella soddisfazione per la giovane arte italiana, che riesce ad affermarsi grazie alla sua qualità, nonostante la mancanza di un solido sistema dell’arte in patria.

Note sull’autore:

Silvia Anna Barrilà è una giornalista italiana specializzata sul mercato dell’arte. Collabora regolarmente con Il Sole 24 ORE. Inoltre scrive di arte, design, lifestyle e società per varie riviste italiane e internazionali tra cui ICON (Mondadori) e DAMn Magazine. Vive tra Milano e Berlino.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Lo stand di Magazzino d’Arte Moderna a Art Basel 43, courtesy Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, Roma.

Art Market Italy: Italian art at Art Basel 43

June 19, 2012/in Art Market Italy/by Tom Hoepf

The booth of Magazzino d’Arte Moderna at Art Basel 43, courtesy Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, Rome.

Walking through the corridors of the 43rd edition of ArtBasel, the most important fair for modern and contemporary art that has just closed in Basel, Switzerland, one could not help not to notice the presence of high-level Italian postwar art hanging at the booths of many important international dealers.

Major New York modern art dealers like Acquavella Galleries and Helly Nahmad showed works by Morandi, De Chirico, Fontana and Burri, the most sought-after Italian artists on the international level. Mirror works by Michelangelo Pistoletto were shown among others by Luhring Augustine (New York), Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Le Moulin), and Simon Lee Gallery (London). Gladstone Gallery had works by Alighiero Boetti, Mario and Marisa Merz, ceramics by Lucio Fontana, and sculptures by Fausto Melotti. Arte Povera was all around, as well. German gallery Konrad Fischer Galerie, for example, had works by Mario Merz and Giuseppe Penone, who is currently on show at dOCUMENTA(13) in Kassel, as well. “We try to respond to the market request,” director of the gallery’s base in Düsseldorf Thomas W. Rieger tells us, “and the market now asks for Arte Povera.” The gallery sold a large sculpture by Penone. Works of such dimensions usually quote around 350,000 euros ($440,000).

Younger Italian artists were represented, as well. French gallery Emmanuel Perrotin presented a new work by Paola Pivi (1971), consisting of a chain of 40 plastic airplane models hanging from the ceiling, on sale for 70,000 euros ($88,000). From June 20 the Italian artist is on show in Central Park in New York with an installation promoted by the Public Art Fund, and at Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai.

New works by Italian star Francesco Vezzoli, showing a pair made of an antique portrait bust and a contemporary response made by him, were presented at Turin gallery Franco Noero and at French gallery Yvon Lambert. Each sculpture cost between $150,000 and $175,000.

An extensive presentation of Italian contemporary art through different generations was offered at the booth of Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, an Italian gallery based in Rome. The center of the booth was occupied by a work by Alberto Garutti, 1948, consisting of two glass jars full of water. Garutti represents almost a paternal figure to other artists shown in Basel, not only because he is older, but because he is a teacher at the Brera Academy in Milan and at the IUAV University in Venice. In his work Garutti puts the public space at the center of attention; art is used to connect people. And this is also the case of the work shown in Basel, which is part of a bigger installation made in the gallery in Rome. The water contained in the vases comes from a fountain in the courtyard of the gallery’s building, which is said to be the fountain where the she-wolf who rescued Romulus and Remus used to drink. It represents not only a link to the story of the city, and a primary need of humanity, but also an element that connects individuals and families in a building. To underline this fact the artist has reconstructed the plumbing system of tubes, which goes through the apartments in drawings and through an installation in the gallery. The price of each vase is 20,000 euros ($25,000).

Another generation of Italian art, younger than Garutti but already established, was represented in Basel by Massimo Bartolini (1962) and Elisabetta Benassi (1966). Bartolini’s research focuses on the relationship between the human being and the environment. In the series “Rugiada,” which means “dew,” Bartolini recreates the morning dew on monochrome paintings through drops of water mixed with silicon sprayed on the surface, thus combining the wonder of nature and the history of art in one (the work from the series on show in Basel was priced 13,000 euros or $16,500). Massimo Bartolini, like Penone, is currently on show at dOCUMENTA(13) in Kassel with the work Untitled (Wave), where he recreated the movement of a wave in a pond.

The younger generation was represented at the booth of Magazzino by Alessandro Piangiamore (1976), Daniele Puppi (1970), and Gianluca Malgeri (1974). Malgeri’s work Wunderkammer attracted a lot of attention. The installation, composed of branches resembling the deer’s antlers of a trophy, was inspired by the myth of Apollo and Daphne. It deals with the theme of love, but also of collecting art. It was sold for 15,000 euros ($19,000) to an international buyer. The works by Puppi and Piangiamore had a great commercial success, as well, and they were sold on the first day to international collectors: a real satisfaction for Italian young art, which succeeds in asserting itself for its quality despite the lack of a solid art system in its homeland.

About Silvia Anna Barrilà:

Silvia Anna Barrilà is an Italian fine arts journalist and regular contributor to the Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 ORE (ArtEconomy24). She also writes about art, design, lifestyle and society for a number of Italian and international magazines, including DAMn Magazine and ICON (Mondadori). She is based in Milan and Berlin.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The booth of Magazzino d’Arte Moderna at Art Basel 43, courtesy Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, Rome.

An example of aboriginal rock art, Ubirr Art Site, Kakadu National Park, Australia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Archaeologist claims he’s found oldest rock art in Australia

June 19, 2012/in Art, Design & Architecture/by Tom Hoepf

An example of aboriginal rock art, Ubirr Art Site, Kakadu National Park, Australia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – An archaeologist says he found the oldest piece of rock art in Australia and one of the oldest in the world: an Aboriginal work created 28,000 years ago in an outback cave.

The dating of one of the thousands of images in the Northern Territory rock shelter known as Nawarla Gabarnmang will be published in the next edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

University of Southern Queensland archaeologist Bryce Barker said Monday that he found the rock in June last year but only recently had it dated at New Zealand’s University of Waikato radiocarbon laboratory.

He said the rock art was made with charcoal, so radiocarbon dating could be used to determine its age. Most rock art is made with mineral paint, so its age cannot be accurately measured.

“It’s the oldest unequivocally dated rock art in Australia” and among the oldest in the world, Barker said.

The oldest known rock art is in Spain, where hand stencils and red disks made by blowing paint on to the wall in El Castillo cave are at least 40,800 years old, according to scientists using a technique known as uranium-thorium dating.

Australian National University archaeologist Sally May, who is not involved with Barker’s research, described his find as “incredibly significant.”

“I don’t think it will surprise anyone that rock art is that old in Australia because we know people have been here a lot longer than that and there’s no reason to believe they weren’t producing art,” she added.

Barker said he found evidence that the cave where he found the rock art had been occupied for 45,000 years.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

An example of aboriginal rock art, Ubirr Art Site, Kakadu National Park, Australia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.