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Richard Hambleton’s untitled ink on paper image is reminiscent of his Shadow Man concept. This work, which measures 87 1/2 inches by 48 1/4 inches, has a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.

Fuller’s Dec. 5 Fine Art sale adds sparkle to holiday shopping

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
Richard Hambleton’s untitled ink on paper image is reminiscent of his Shadow Man concept. This work, which measures 87 1/2 inches by 48 1/4 inches, has a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.
Richard Hambleton’s untitled ink on paper image is reminiscent of his Shadow Man concept. This work, which measures 87 1/2 inches by 48 1/4 inches, has a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.

PHILADELPHIA – Fuller’s Fine Art Auctions will launch the holiday shopping season Dec. 5 with an electrifying sale of more than 200 lots of fine art, jewelry, handbags, coins and collectibles. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Two large works by graffiti artist Richard Hambleton (American b. 1954) exemplify his early 1980s public art concept of “Shadow Man.” An untitled ink on paper, float mounted to foam core, depicts a silhouetted human form with sparks showering from one of its raised hands. Measuring 87 1/2 inches by 48 1/4 inches, this work is has a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. It is signed on the lower right “R. Hambleton.”

“It’s a dramatic image,” said Marie Woodward of Muller’s Fine Art Auctions. “Hambleton is known for his Shadow Man series and has been associated with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat as a street artist.

The second Hambleton, acrylic and ink on paper, depicts the silhouette of a man against a red background. It is 87 inches by 48 inches and has a $1,200-$1,800 estimate.

A poignant scene by renowned sporting artist Arthur B. Frost Sr. (American, 1851-1928) of a hunting dog sitting near his fallen master was an illustration in the 1904 book Soldier of the Valley by Nelson Lloyd. Titled Sat Little Colonel Wailing, the gouache on paper mounted on board is 13 by 16 inches. It is signed on the lower right “A.B. Frost.” The estimate is $1,000-$1,500, but Woodward said it should go higher.

Fullers’ selection of fine art is underscored by works from Neo-Expressionist Malcolm Morley. The artist is represented with two works on paper, New York Crumbled Post-Card and Study for Camels and Goats, with estimates from $4,000-$6,000 and $5,000-$7,000 respectively.

Highlights from the prints section of the sale include works by artists Albert Hirschfeld, Marc Chagall and Donald Judd. A selection of nine whimsical prints by Hirschfeld depicting celebrities such as Judy Garland, Greta Garbo and Gregory Peck are estimated at $300-$500 to $500-$700. Fuller’s has estimated Chagall’s 1922 Hochzeit, from Mein Leben, to sell for $3,000-$4,000.

A portion of this sale is a continuation of the Betty Gordon Estate. An avid collector and a patroness of the arts, Gordon was equally known for her glamorous sense of style in both fashion and life. A dazzling emerald and diamond ring by Cartier and a GIA-certified Fancy to Fancy Intense yellow diamond ring headline her collection. The square step-cut emerald and diamond ring in a platinum setting “has a lot of pop to it,” said Woodward. It is estimated at $5,000-$6,000. The yellow diamond is approximately 1.37 carats and is flanked with six single-cut round diamonds. Also in a platinum setting, this ring has a $3,500-$4,500 estimate.

Jeweled handbags by Judith Leiber, Chanel bags in leather, satin and velvet, and accessories by Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton are estimated from $50 to $700. Proceeds from the sale of Gordon’s estate will support the Devereux Foundation, whose mission it is to nurture human potential of children and adults with emotional, developmental, educational and cognitive disabilities.

Fullers’ sale will open with a charming collection of Christmas-inspired folk art: Belsnickles, feather trees, Lester Breininger ceramics and Barbara Strawser paintings are among the fine assortment.

Important ceramic objects include two plates by Pablo Picasso, including a 1953 Picador estimated at $1,800-$2,400. From the Light Gatherer series, a wheel-thrown glazed porcelain vessel made by Philadelphia artist Rudolph Staffel and exhibited by Helen Drutt Gallery at Temple Gallery in 1989 is estimated to sell for $2,000-$4,000.

Twenty lots of rare coins and paper currency to be sold. A 1908 Indian Head $2.50 U.S. gold coin, PCGS graded MS64 ($1,000-$1,500) and the 1911-D Saint-Gaudens $20 U.S. gold coin, PCGS graded MS62 ($1,000-$1,500) are standouts.

The sale will close with Gordon’s diverse collection of contemporary art and antique books, many autographed by the artist or author.

A preview reception will be held Thursday, Dec. 3, 5-8 p.m. Previews will also be conducted Saturday, Nov. 28, noon-6 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4, noon-6 p.m.

Principal Auctioneer is Jeffrey P. Fuller, president of Jeffrey Fuller Fine Art Ltd., and an Accredited Senior Appraiser of the American Society of Appraisers since 1984.

For details phone 215-991-0100.

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

Click here to view Fuller’s LLC’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Nine prints of famous entertainers by Albert Hirschfeld (American, 1903-2003) are incuded in Fuller’s auction. This etching and aquatint of Judy Garland, 18 inches by 14 inches, has a $300-$500 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd. /></a> <a href=

Donald Judd (American, b. 1928) created this untitled aquatint, 1974-1979. It is 40 1/4 inches by 29 3/4 inches and numbered and signed along the lower margin ‘44/175 Judd.’ The unframed print has a $2,000-$2,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.
Donald Judd (American, b. 1928) created this untitled aquatint, 1974-1979. It is 40 1/4 inches by 29 3/4 inches and numbered and signed along the lower margin ‘44/175 Judd.’ The unframed print has a $2,000-$2,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.

Brassaï, pseudonym Guyula Halasz, photographed many of his artist friends in Paris, including Salvador Dali This silver gelatin emulsion print, 11-3/4 x 8-1/4 inches, is numbered and signed along lower margin ‘11/30 Brassai.’ It has a $2,500-$3,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.
Brassaï, pseudonym Guyula Halasz, photographed many of his artist friends in Paris, including Salvador Dali This silver gelatin emulsion print, 11-3/4 x 8-1/4 inches, is numbered and signed along lower margin ‘11/30 Brassai.’ It has a $2,500-$3,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.

The largest emerald in this Cartier ring is approximately 1 carat. Set in platinum, it has a $5,000-$6,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.
The largest emerald in this Cartier ring is approximately 1 carat. Set in platinum, it has a $5,000-$6,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Fuller Fine Art Ltd.