Goya’s ‘Mourning Portrait of the Duchess of Alba’ (1797), alternately known as ‘The Black Duchess.’ Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
BOSTON (AP) – Workers at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts are busy installing more than 160 works by Spanish artist Francisco Goya for an exhibit scheduled to open next month.
White-gloved workers on Thursday installed one of the exhibit’s more striking pieces, The Duchess of Alba, painted in 1797. It will eventually be joined by a painting of her husband in what’s believed to be the first time the two portraits have been displayed side by side.
The exhibit titled “Goya: Order and Disorder” has works on loan from private collectors as well as museums around the world, including the Prado and the Louvre.
It’s the largest Goya exhibition in North America in a quarter century.
The exhibit opens to MFA members on Oct. 7 and to the general public on Oct. 12.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-09-25-14 1430GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Goya’s ‘Mourning Portrait of the Duchess of Alba’ (1797), alternately known as ‘The Black Duchess.’ Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The James K. Polk State Office Building was completed in 1981. Each floor of the 24-story building hangs from a central steel core. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – About 500 people were evacuated on Wednesday from a state office building in downtown Nashville where vibrations were reported.
Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Jeremy Heidt said the employees left the James K. Polk building as a precautionary measure.
Tennessee Department of General Services spokeswoman Kelly Smith told The Associated Press in an email that professional engineers examined the area of concern and determined that there were “no structural concerns.” She said workers would return on Thursday.
The building is uniquely built in that the floors and glass walls of the tower are suspended from a central concrete core.
“In heavily loaded structural steel facilities like the Polk Building, movement and vibrations occasionally occur,” Smith wrote. “We are putting monitoring devices in place.”
The building houses the bulk of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s headquarters, as well as other state institutions, such as the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and Tennessee State Museum.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-09-25-14 0029GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The James K. Polk State Office Building was completed in 1981. Each floor of the 24-story building hangs from a central steel core. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The Church History Museum in Salt Lake City is the principal museum operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – The Mormon Church History museum is closing for one year for a total renovation of the 30-year-old building.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says the Utah museum will close on Oct. 6, following the biannual general conference. It is scheduled to reopen in the fall of 2015 with a new floor plan and exhibits.
Among the items that will be put in storage are the plaster death masks made of the faces of church founder Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith after they were killed in 1844.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that exhibit director Kurt Graham said the renovated museum will focus more on Jesus Christ and make it clearer that the faith is a Christian church.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-09-24-14 2329GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Church History Museum in Salt Lake City is the principal museum operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Rare color photo of the trial at Nuremberg showing the defendants guarded by American Military Police. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – The old trunk was locked when it was found by auction house workers clearing a long-vacant home that was about to be listed for sale.
The collection crew’s members couldn’t find the key, so they broke the lock. Inside were yellowed papers and blankets. Personal stuff, they figured.
Only back at the warehouse of Anchorage-based Alaska Auction Co. did they discover carbon copies of transcripts from the Nuremberg war-crimes trials. They also found a staff directory for the multinational tribunal that prosecuted scores of Nazi masterminds in those infamous trials, a translated letter to Nazi faithful that signs off with “Heil Hitler” and personal credentials and correspondence belonging to a lowly postwar stenographer who squirreled the mementos away for decades.
The late Maxine C. Carr’s small collection is the featured lot in an auction of World War II relics scheduled to take place on Saturday.
“It was chilling, very chilling going through that paperwork. Very unsettling,” said Christine Hill, who has owned the auction house with her husband, Duane, for 30 years.
The Carr collection is being auctioned as one lot, with no minimum bidding set. Several other private collections of mementos from that era also are being auctioned and include Nazi armbands, German and Russian medals, and a tiny Hitler propaganda booklet. There also are plenty of Alaska artifacts, such as ivory carvings, old photographs, even black bear and coyote head mounts.
Little is known about Carr’s time in Alaska, although a state fishing license was issued to her in 1951, when she was 29 years old. While in Alaska, she eventually used her married name, Maxine Sud, according state records. Carr died at least a decade ago, but it’s not clear exactly when she passed away.
Her 91-year-old widower, Chand Sud, lives in an Anchorage assisted living facility. Through the auction house, he declined to comment to The Associated Press.
Hill said the widower was surprised to learn about the documents, although he knew of her Nuremberg past.
An old undated news article found among his wife’s possessions says Maxine Carr worked for 32 months on the International Military Tribunal staff in Nuremberg.
In November 1945, the landmark Nuremberg trials began. Twelve of the 23 defendants, including Hitler aide Hermann Goering, were sentenced to death.
Almost seven decades after the war, many institutions, including the Harvard Law School Library, have extensive collections of Nuremberg trial documentation, said Ed Moloy, curator of modern manuscripts at the Harvard library. While the Carr collection is interesting, it’s likely not particularly unique, he said.
But it might appeal to a private collector who wants such documents that are not already housed in a repository such as the Harvard library, which has 600 linear feet of Nuremberg documents.
“It’s very possible that people like Miss Carr, who was part of this pool of civilians working to support the trials, ended up with extra copies or something and saved them for souvenirs,” Moloy said. “That’s what I would assume this collection is.”
Last year, other Nuremberg documents surfaced in Israel at a flea market in Tel Aviv. That 500-page trove eventually ended up at auction, too, where they sold for a price tag in the $10,000 range.
Mobil Pegasus neon porcelain ‘cookie cutter’ sign, est. $5,000-$7,500. Morphy Auctions imageDENVER, Pa. – Petroleum and the Keystone State have had a long and storied partnership. It was in 1859, in the northwestern Pennsylvania town of Titusville, that the first commercial oil well was drilled. Pennsylvania is still producing oil, and Morphy Auctions continues to produce diverse, well-attended auctions dedicated to petroliana. The next such specialty sale will take place on Sunday, October 12, the day after Morphy’s conducts its first-ever Classic Car Auction. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
The October 12 lineup features more than 500 lots whose contents cross the broad spectrum of advertising and product containers related to gasoline, oil, tires, and automotive parts and accessories. A special added attraction is a selection of antique and vintage bicycles.
Among the top items to be offered is Lot 78, a double-sided, round porcelain sign promoting Royaline Hi-Test Gasoline and Pennsylvania Motor Oils. Measuring 30 inches in diameter, it is described by Morphy’s petroliana expert Dan Matthews as “one of the best [he has] seen.” Rated 9+, it is expected to make $8,000-$14,000. Lot 60, a circa-1914 to 1915 paper poster advertising K-W Road Smoothers with early auto graphics, is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.
One of the most identifiable symbols of the entire petroliana realm, a Mobil Pegasus neon porcelain “cookie cutter” sign measures 108 inches at its widest point and is rated a 9 out of 10. It is entered as Lot 50, with a $5,000-$7,500 estimate.
A double-sided porcelain curb sign on an upright cast-iron stand, Lot 75 advertises Oilzum Motor Oils and Lubricants. Its orange and black motif features the familiar Oilzum man in goggles and motoring hat, with the Oilzum tagline: “If motors could speak, we wouldn’t need to advertise.” The sign is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.
Other signs to note include Lot 91, a neon porcelain rolled-edge example for Chevrolet Super Service, $6,000-$8,000; Lot 102, a French Delahaye porcelain sign in the shape of a radiator, $1,500-$3,500; and Lot 159, a colorful tin sign that announces “We Install the Boyce MotoMeter Free,” $3,000-$5,000. Also of tin, Lot 177, an Eveready Mazda Automobile Lamps sign with graphics of early automobiles driving at night, is estimated at 2,000-$3,000. Lot 128, a colorful, spoke-wheel-shaped automotive store display advertising Berry Brothers Color Varnishes could reach $2,500-$4,000 at auction.
Every petroliana collection should contain at least one great gas pump. An excellent choice in terms of bang for the buck would be the two-for-one Tokheim Model #36B computing gas pump, restored and ready to display. Designed to dispense both Esso and Esso Extra from its side-by-side pumps, Lot 57 is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.
Forty-seven antique and vintage bicycles will be offered, the oldest being Lot 8, a circa-1860s steel-wheel “bonecrusher” with steel wheels and wooden rims and spokes. A restored example, it is estimated at $2,000-$3,000. Many of the bicycles are from the 1950s/’60s, a period of production that is especially popular with collectors. Among the manufacturers represented are Schwinn, Columbia, Western Flyer, Winchester, Shelby and J.C. Higgins. Although a 1995 reproduction, Lot 47 is among the top-estimated bicycles, as it is from a limited edition of 5,000 bikes replicating Schwinn’s 1949 Black Phantom. Known as the Centennial Black Phantom, in reference to the 100th anniversary of Schwinn, it could attract a winning bid of $1,500-$2,500.
The auction will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern time. For additional information on any item in the sale or to reserve a phone line for bidding on auction day, call Morphy’s petroliana specialist Dan Matthews at 217-259-7059 or the gallery at 717-335-3435; email matthews@morphyauctions.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at LiveAuctioneers.com.
Mobil Pegasus neon porcelain ‘cookie cutter’ sign, est. $5,000-$7,500. Morphy Auctions imageSchwinn Centennial Black Phantom bicycle, est. $1,500-$2,500. Morphy Auctions imageTokheim Model #36B double-computing gas pump, est. $4,000-$6,000. Morphy Auctions imageK-W Road Smoothers paper advertising poster with early car graphics, circa 1914-1915, est. $8,000-$12,000. Morphy Auctions imageCloseup of top of Oilzum Motor Oil double-sided porcelain curb sign on stand, est. $15,000-$25,000. Morphy Auctions imageRoyaline Hi-Test Gasoline & Pennsylvania Motor Oils double-sided porcelain sign, est. $8,000-$14,000. Morphy Auctions imageChevrolet Super Service rolled-edge neon porcelain sign, est. $6,000-$8,000. Morphy Auctions imageDelahaye (French) porcelain automobile sign in shape of radiator, est. $2,500-$3,500. Morphy Auctions imageWooden three-dimensional automotive store display advertising Berry Brothers Color Varnishes, est. $2,500-$4,000. Morphy Auctions image
Graham Child with some of his vintage garden tools. Photo Garden Artefacts. LONDON – Let me make it clear at the outset: I am no gardener. I hate gardening with a passion. Green-thumbed friends, on the other hand, tell me they’re spending their evenings going through seed catalogs, picking out the flowers and vegetables they plan to sow for next season. I’ll buy mine from the greengrocer down the street, thanks.
That’s not to say I’m immune to the delights of gardening though. I’ve spent the last few nights reading up about gardening antiques and I may have stumbled on yet another new way to invest for my retirement. The joy of it is, one man’s dibber is another man’s collecting cornucopia.
The man to thank for my conversion is Graham Child, formerly the head of Sotheby’s furniture department and the author of World Mirrors 1650-1900, a book that remains a standard work on the subject, so he knows a bit about antiques.
Instead of retiring to grow prize marrows, though, Graham has launched a second career as the purveyor of period aids to planting and prettifying the patches around our homes. His business, Garden Artefacts, is based in Cobham, Surrey, but he travels thousands of miles a year sourcing beautiful, rare garden objects, as well as the unusual, the decorative and the downright quirky.
The burgeoning collector’s market for vintage garden antiques, like my garden (a somewhat neglected area), is apparently down to the upsurge of interest in garden history and design. How strong the market has become will be tested when Graham exhibits at the Autumn Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair in Battersea Park at the end of the month
He explained that until the 16th century, gardening tools tended to be simple, basic and heavy, having evolved from agricultural implements used for hundreds of years. As the centuries progressed, they became more customized and specific.
Paintings and prints from the mid-17th century illustrate the emergence of a wide range of tools such as hedging and pruning shears, cultivating forks and trowels. The Industrial Revolution resulted in the mass-production of tools that were lighter, finer and far more durable. Many are still around today.
Most vintage and antique garden tools are still capable of being used, notably dibbers in various designs. First recorded in Roman times, the pointed implements for making holes in the ground so that seeds, seedlings or small bulbs can be planted have remained mostly unchanged ever since.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, prior to farm mechanisation, long-handled dibbers were used to plant crops in the fields. One man would walk ahead making holes, while a second would plant seeds in each hole and fill it in using a hoe, another ancient and versatile agricultural tool which predates the plow.
There’s a specific and often weird and wonderful tool for almost every job imaginable. For example, daisy grubbers and the invaluable pigtail weeder, shaped like a corkscrew with a long handle, are still perfect for dealing with the most obstinate of weeds.
In addition to interesting sculpture and decorative objects, things to look out for include antique wrought iron, such as gates, fencing, trellises, benches and chairs; zinc-top tables; old stone troughs and urns; terra-cotta pots and planters; chimney pots, weather vanes and vintage signs.
If your passion – or wallet – extends to larger objects, seek out cast-iron village pumps and Victorian water carts, cast-iron seats, and fountains. Some can be used equally effectively in interiors, while original paintings and prints with a garden theme make a fascinating collection or perfect presents for the passionate gardener.
The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5. It is held three times a year in Battersea Park, across the River Thames from Sloane Square and Knightsbridge. Around 140 exhibitors offer a fashionable and wide-ranging selection of English and European antiques and works of art, 20th century design, furnishing, accessories and lighting. Established over 25 years, it has an international reputation.
Ironically, another ex-Sotheby’s Sussex specialist, Alistair Morris, is the author of Antiques from the Garden, published appropriately by Garden Art Press. Thumbing through its 142 colour and over 500 black and white illustrations leaves you spoiled for choice.
Take watering cans, for example. While most of us have moved on to the plastic variety, pause for a moment to admire the 17th century thumb-operated earthenware version with a perforated base.
In the 18th century, brass and copper versions took over from pot examples and in the early 19th century, tinplate cans were in use. Arguable the best was patented by John Haws of Clapton in 1886, the patent for which reads: “This new invention forms a watering pot that is much easier to carry and tip, and at the same time being much cleaner, and more adapted for use than any other put before the public.” The company continues to make them to the original design to this day.
Charming Victorian handlights, or hand glasses as they were called in the 19th century, shaped like little houses with removable lids are at home today both inside and out in the garden, as are cloches or bell glasses; forcing and blanching pots for rhubarb and sea-kale and – best of all – glass cucumber straighteners and grape storage bottles.
Cucumber straighteners look like elongated glass bottles, the neck of which, when in use, was tied by string to the vine for support. The young fruit (yes, it’s a fruit which grows on vines) was enclosed in the bottle and thus had no choice but grow straight inside it.
Grape bottles, meanwhile, look a little like early baby bottles. The most common is the Copped Hall patent bottle, made by Wood & Son. In use, a section of vine that included a bunch of grapes was placed in the neck of the bottle, which was then filled with water and charcoal. The result was perfectly purified grapes.
And don’t forget the garden gnome. Much derided today, 19th century terra-cotta examples can be worth hundreds of pounds. They even have their own museum, based in West Putford, North Devon.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Graham Child with some of his vintage garden tools. Photo Garden Artefacts.The display at Artefacts. Photo Garden Artefacts.A rare patent digging fork. Step on the pedal and the thing digs for you – almost. Photo Garden Artefacts.An unusual boot scrapper shaped like a sausage dog. Photo Garden Artefacts.Dib, dib dibbers – now they’re collectors’ items. Photo Garden Artefacts.Some of the hand tools in Child’s collection. Photo Garden Artefacts.A tortoise lidded box – only the shell is real. The rest of the animal is cast brass. Photo Garden Artefacts.Some of the spades, forks and hoes in Graham’s collection. Photo Garden Artefacts.Two watering cans made to John Haws’ patent design. Photo Garden Artefacts.Ready for garden action: a selection of rollers and hanging on the wall, a group of garden lines. A handlight sits in the wooden wheelbarrow on the left. Photo: Alistair Morris.A South German or Austrian terra-cotta garden gnome, circa 1910. Photo: Alastair Morris.A selection of French and English watering cans including one small enough to be child-firendly, circa 1920. Photo Alastair Morris.
Clars set a new world for American sculptor and designer Silas Seandel (b. 1937) with this large patinated in metal abstract tree trunk table which achieved $26,000. Clars image. OAKLAND, Calif. – On Sept. 13, 14 and 15, Clars Auction Gallery completed their 2013/2014 fiscal year with a fine art, decoratives and jewelry auction earning just over $2.1 million, the fourth strongest sale in Clars’ history.
LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
Overall, this fiscal year realized sales of almost $21 million, an amazing 57 percent increase over the previous fiscal year, which had been the strongest in the company’s history. This also represents the biggest year-over-year increase the company has ever had.
After the auction, Redge Martin, president of Clars, said, “Sales for this auction were strong across all categories – fine art, furniture, decoratives, jewelry and Asian art. Over 45,000 viewed the online catalog and people from over 60 countries signed up to bid online. In the gallery, over 4,000 people attended in person over the course of the three days. I, and my staff, attribute the big gains to expanded name recognition from an increasingly larger Internet presence. We have an outstanding group of specialists who know how to secure top property and aggressively market it worldwide. The numbers for our 2013/2014 fiscal year clearly indicate their track record for success for the firm and our consignors.”
Decorative Arts and Furnishings
Clars announced that a new world record was set for American sculptor and designer Silas Seandel (b. 1937). Seandel is regarded as one of the finest contemporary American sculptors and New York’s premier metal furniture designer. He is also renowned for his design of the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Offered at Clars were three tables (cocktail and occasional, circa 1980). Each table was executed in patinated metal in abstract tree trunk form and had script signature. The largest of the tables, the cocktail table, was estimated at $5,000 to $7,000. Extremely aggressive bidding quickly escalated the final selling price to over $26,000, a new record for Silas Seandel. The following two occasional tables also performed over high estimate going for $9,000 and $5,400. In all, the Seandel lots achieved an impressive $40,400.
The furniture and decorative arts offered continued throughout the sale to perform with impressive strength. The category’s highest selling lot was a Tiffany Studios, New York, “Venetian” desk lamp, circa 1910, that fetched $56,500. The second highest selling lot for the department was a pair of French urns in the Neo-Classical taste, attributed to Henry Dasson, Paris, 19th century, which earned $32,000.
A highlight of the Lalique offerings was the Deux Figurines clock, which realized $14,300. An antique palace size Faraghan Sarouk carpet circa 1880, 14 feet x 25 feet 3 inches, sold for just under $18,000. Pianos are an auction staple, especially a Steinway and Sons, New York, Model M Grand Piano, circa 1923, which realized $9,500.
Outstanding timepieces accented the sale with a Dutch cloisonné mantel clock, by A.D. Overstrijd, Rotterdam selling for $18,000 and a Chinese Export inlaid double fuse bracket clock earning $16,500. The market also showed appreciation for a Moorcroft for Shreve, San Francisco, sterling silver overlaid tea service, 1912, that sold for $10,700. A gold quartz presentation walking stick, 1874, achieved $9,000 and a Hawaiian koa wood poi bowl (calabash), 18th century, sold for $6,000.
The mid-century section offered a Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller model 670 and 671 lounge chair and ottoman, circa 1969, which sold for $6,000, as well as a Charles and Ray Eames ESU 200 storage unit for Herman Miller, circa 1950, which brought $5,500. From Frank Lloyd Wright (American 1867-1959) a low table/bench, attributed to the Usonia commission, brought $6,000.
Fine Art
Postwar, modern and contemporary works led the field with a painting by Leonor Fini (French, 1908-1996) titled Dialogue Impossible achieving an impressive $56,500 followed by a charming ink, pencil and colored pencil on paper by Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997) titled Study for Still Life with Dossier (1976) coming in at $43,600. Numerous telephone bidders from all over the country contributed to an outstanding outcome for Daisies (1949) by Pacific Northwest artist, Morris Graves (American, 1910-2001). This delicate work on paper went well beyond its estimate of $12,000 to $16,000 to settle at $26,000. Not far behind was a rare, gouache and ink from 1968, Untitled (from the War Series: Bombs and Helicopters), by New York artist, Nancy Spero (American, 1926-2009), which also soared past its estimate of $12,000 to $16,000 to land at $21,400.
Modern and contemporary prints continued the upward price climb with an astounding performance from a woodcut print by Wayne Thiebaud (American, b. 1920) titled Pie Cut (1964), which started with an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000 but ended at an incredible $19,000 Next to outperform was a lithograph in colors by Ed Ruscha (American, b. 1937) titled Lisp (1970) achieving $11,300 – well within the $8,000 to $12,000 estimate.
Winter snow scenes were in demand as well with two exceptional examples leading the way. One magnificent painting by Robert Daughters (American, b. 1929) titled Winter Lane nearly doubled its estimate at $8,000-12,000 fetching $20,200. A classic oil on canvas by Charles Wysocki (American, 1928-2002) titled Uncle Jack’s Tree Farm also performed well at $11,900.
Always a favorite, as well as an outperformer at Clars, was an exemplary oil on canvas by California artist John Marshall Gamble (American, 1863-1957) titled Poppies, Santa Barbara. Estimated at $15,000-20,000, this lush painting of bright orange wildflower fields set against the majestic purple mountain vista of Santa Barbara climbed to $20,200.
The outright winner in European art was a beautifully executed painting titled A Walk Into Town by 19th century Dutch master Bernardus Johannes Blommers (1845-1914) – one of the most collected artists of the Hague school of painters. The exceptional provenance of this work combined with the balanced composition made this a must have for global collectors of this genre. With that being said, the conservative estimate of $5,000 to $7,000 was briefly noted, but soon just a faint memory, as it tripled to $20,200 due to anxious phone bidders from around the world competing for this gem.
Asian Art
Chinese haunghuali, once again, achieved top prices for this category. A Chinese haunghuali altar table and a hardwood folding chair, each sold for $17,800. A pair of Chinese Republic period pink sgraffito ground planters sold well at $7,700. Of particular note, the selection of seven Himalayan thangka together brought $39,900.
Jewelry
The jewelry offered resulted in prominent performance at this sale. Taking top spot in this category was a stunning fine jadite, diamond and white gold ring, which sold for $22,700. Taking second place was a gentlemen’s Rolex GMT stainless steel wristwatch, Ref. 6542, circa 1956, that came in close to high estimate at $14,300 and finally, a fine black crystal opal, Paraiba blue tourmaline and diamond ring sold for within estimate at $12,000.
For more information about this sale, email info@clars.com or call 510-428-0100.
Clars set a new world for American sculptor and designer Silas Seandel (b. 1937) with this large patinated in metal abstract tree trunk table which achieved $26,000. Clars image.This Tiffany Studios ‘Venetian’ desk lamp, circa 1910, fetched $56,500. Clars image.The second highest selling lot for the decorative arts category was this pair of French urns in the Neo-Classical taste, attributed to Henry Dasson, Paris, 19th century, which earned $32,000. Clars image.‘Dialogue Impossible’ by Leonor Fini (French, 1908-1996) achieved an impressive $56,500. Clars image.‘Daisies (1949)’ by Morris Graves (American, 1910-2001) sold for $26,000. Clars image.This woodcut print by Wayne Thiebaud (American, b. 1920) titled ‘Pie Cut (1964)’ achieved $19,000, soaring past its high estimate of $5,000. Clars image.The winner in European art was this painting titled ‘A Walk Into Town’ by Bernardus Johannes Blommers (Dutch, 1845-1914). It sold for $20,200. Clars image.This Chinese haunghuali altar table tied for top lot in Asian art selling for $17,800. Clars image.This stunning jadite, diamond and white gold ring sold for $22,700. Clars image.
‘Cigar Lady No. 4, San Marino 1995’ – 20 X 24 inch silver gelatin print, framed, signed. $5,000. New York Series 2014. Image courtesy of The Lilac Gallery.
New YORK – International art photographer Andre Plessel will present his debut New York City exhibit “Andre Plessel: Visions” at the Lilac Gallery at 144 Fifth Ave. in Manhattan’s Flatiron District opening on Friday, Oct. 17, and running through Thursday, Nov. 6.
Plessel’s exhibit will feature his signature dramatic, erotic art photographs in black and white, along with a series of his unique new color processed photographs, which garnered a huge amount of attention at his recent “Processed Photographs” exhibit at the Monika Mohr Gallery in Hamburg, Germany.
As Lilac Gallery co-owner Cindy Shaoul explains, “Lilac Gallery is honored to have Andre Plessel presenting his art with us for the very first time in New York City. As an artist, he not only captures the true beauty in women, but breaths beauty into each and every one of his subjects. His outstanding vision and deep sense of connection with his subjects is what creates these exquisite pieces of art.”
His “processed photographs” feature Plessel’s own unique process of adding color to the black and white images by hand, which are then exposed by a developer liquid applied with a brush, thus creating a dramatic new aesthetic look. Each of these photographs is uniquely “one-of-kind” making them even more desirable.
All shows feature his signature black and white silver gelatin photographs that are hand-printed and signed, along with his color-processed black and white prints, also signed. For over 22 years now, Plessel has been driven by his ultimate passion, that of black and white photography. His artwork creates dramatic, romantic and delicate images with great attention to his own style of lighting. It has been said that his artistic photographs convey and play upon sensual tension, as opposed to blatant sexuality.
For many years Plessel has lived simultaneously in Munich, Germany and Miami, Fla., while also traveling the world. Over the years, he has worked extensively in London, Milan, Paris, Barcelona, New York, Los Angeles and Miami. As many art world insiders know, Plessel’s work has often been compared to that of his longtime friend and collaborator Helmut Newton, with whom he traveled and worked with in Europe and the U.S.
New York City’s Lilac Gallery, along with showcasing some of America’s finest artists, looks to distinguish a reputation as “the new frontier gallery” assimilating Leo Castelli’s approach to the discovery of new art styles and art forms. Working with a roster of both established and up and coming artists, Lilac Gallery is taking its place among top art connoisseurs, collectors, artists and dealers in New York City’s ever-growing art market.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
‘Cigar Lady No. 4, San Marino 1995’ – 20 X 24 inch silver gelatin print, framed, signed. $5,000. New York Series 2014. Image courtesy of The Lilac Gallery.‘La Famiglia, Naples 1995’ – 20 X 24 inch silver gelatin print, framed, signed. $5,000. New York Series 2014. Image courtesy of The Lilac Gallery.‘Stranded Alone No. 1, Lanzarotte 2006’ – 20 X 24 inch silver gelatin print, framed, signed. $5,000. New York Series 2014. Image courtesy of The Lilac Gallery.Protected Women, Naples 1995 – 20 X 24 inch silver gelatin print, framed, signed. $5,000. New York Series 2014. Image courtesy of The Lilac Gallery.
The Old State House in Boston, with the lion statue at the upper left. Image by Ingfbruno. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license. BOSTON (AP) – What appears to be a window to Boston’s past has turned up in a rather unusual place: The head of a lion’s statue on the building that once served as the seat of Massachusetts government.
The Bostonian Society, which operates a museum at the Old State House, said Tuesday it had confirmed the presence of what had long been rumored to be a time capsule from 1901 tucked away inside the copper statue. The statue was recently taken down from the roof as part of a restoration effort.
A fiber optic camera was used to locate the time capsule – in actuality a copper box – in the head of the lion, according to Heather Leet, the society’s director of development. The next steps, she said, will include an attempt to carefully open the statue without damaging it, followed by the removal of the box and examination of its contents.
The group first learned of the potential existence of the time capsule several years ago from a woman who was a descendent of the original sculptor.
“She had a letter from him and a list of things in the time capsule,” said Leet.
The society did some further research and uncovered a 1901 article about the time capsule in The Boston Globe, she said.
Newspaper clippings and photographs from the period, along with letters from politicians and other prominent Bostonians of the era, are among the items expected to be found in the box, which could be opened as early as next week.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing what those letters say,” said Leet, adding that they could contain messages written to future generations.
The Old State House, among Boston’s most popular tourist attractions, has a storied history. It was one of the city’s most important civic buildings in Colonial times and later became a focal point of the American Revolution.
The Boston Massacre took place just outside the building in 1770. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read to Bostonians from the balcony. After the war of independence, the building served as the first seat of Massachusetts government until construction of the current Statehouse in the late 18th century.
The first lion statue, along with that of a unicorn, was placed on the building in 1713 as symbols to mark the unification of England and Scotland, Leet said. The statues were destroyed amid the subsequent patriotic fervor, but were replaced more than a century later by the society as part of an effort to preserve the building and restore its historical look.
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AP-WF-09-23-14 2213GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Old State House in Boston, with the lion statue at the upper left. Image by Ingfbruno. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.
The Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph that inspired the Seward Johnson’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’ sculpture. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Westlicht Photographica Auctions. CAEN, France (AP) – A sculpture honoring a photograph of a kiss in Times Square that captured New York’s celebration as World War II ended has gone up in Normandy for a one-year visit.
Cranes and construction crews in the French city of Caen on Tuesday hoisted and locked together pieces of Unconditional Surrender, a 25-foot cast-bronze sculpture in color of a sailor and a nurse in a lip-locked embrace.
The sculpture by Seward Johnson is based on a U.S. Navy photographer’s black-and-white snapshot taken Aug. 15, 1945, according to the Sculpture Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit that owns the work. It also resembles a famous photo taken by Life magazine’s Alfred Eisenstaedt on that day.
The sculpture is to spend a year outside the Caen Memorial, a museum focusing on World War II.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-09-23-14 1930GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph that inspired the Seward Johnson’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’ sculpture. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Westlicht Photographica Auctions.
