CHICAGO – A collection of works previously owned by artist, collector, critic and educator Florence Arquin doubled its estimate during Hindman’s tremendously successful Figuratively Speaking auction on February 10. The auction demonstrated the firm’s continuing force in offering works by woman Surrealist artists, with paintings by Gertrude Abercrombie and Julia Thecla highlighting a sale marked by zealous bidding and record-setting results. Overall, the auction realized more than $1.4 million, more than double its expected estimate.
“It was a joy to handle such a one-of-a-kind collection, one that was not only full of trailblazing artists but was also incredibly personal,” said Hindman Vice President and Senior Specialist of Fine Art Joe Stanfield. “We are very pleased with how bidders responded to this brilliant roster of artist names spanning everyone from Chicago artists such as Florence Arquin herself to European artists living in Mexico such as Wolfgang Paalen and Alice Rahon.”
From the Carol Williams collection, works once owned by Florence Arquin saw remarkable results, underscored by a 95% sell-through rate and the majority of lots selling for above their high estimates. Works by Wolfgang Paalen, Alice Rahon and Carlos Merida, friends of Arquin’s, achieved outstanding prices. Top lots of the collection included Paalen’s vibrant painting Untitled from 1943, which more than doubled its estimate to sell for $163,800. Two additional untitled Paalen paintings from 1947 and 1943 also saw significant attention, realizing $47,250 against an estimate of $10,000-$15,000 and $20,160 against an estimate of $6,000-$8,000, respectively.
Florence Arquin, ‘Still Life with Fruit,’ $4,725. Courtesy Hindman
Works by women artists from the Arquin collection were highly sought-after. Examples included Alice Rahon, Paalen’s wife and another friend of Arquin, whose untitled painting from 1946 and Le Chat from 1943 both sold for $13,860. A highly personal collection with works by Arquin herself, the sale also included a new auction record for the artist with her Still Life with Fruit, doubling its estimate to realize $4,725. A portrait of Arquin by Kathleen Blackshear soared past its estimate to sell for $9,450, close to a record price.
Spirited bidding for women artists continued throughout the entire sale, with paintings by Gertrude Abercrombie selling for among the highest prices ever achieved at Hindman.
Hindman continued to show its skill in offering works by the late Chicago Surrealist artist Gertrude Abercrombie after setting a new world auction record for the artist in December. Abercrombie’s 1963 Untitled (Stallion & Shed) realized $352,800, the fifth-highest price ever achieved for the artist at auction. The combination of an austere landscape and iconic Abercrombie motifs grouped in a unique way – a simple architectural structure and a horse, as well as a cat – form a truly unique Surrealist masterpiece. Four additional Abercrombies also achieved striking results, with the five works totaling more than $780,000.
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