NEW YORK — Swann Galleries‘ African American Art sale scheduled for Thursday, April 4 includes a standout selection of house favorites, including Hughie Lee-Smith and Jacob Lawrence, and features a special evening session to benefit the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. The catalog is now available for review and bidding at LiveAuctioneers.
The sale is led by a significant mid-career work by Hughie Lee-Smith (1915-1999), Ball Player, a 1970 painting that epitomizes the artist’s evocative depictions of African American youth in desolate urban settings. Ball Player has been widely exhibited and was in the personal collection of the artist before being acquired by the current owners. It carries an estimate of $150,000-$250,000.
Kermit Oliver’s Hay Rolls, a 1983 acrylic on board estimated at $100,000-$150,000, is a key mid-career work by this important Texas artist.
The house is excited to bring to auction for the first time since 2008 a complete set of Jacob Lawrence’s masterwork in printmaking, The Legend of John Brown. With this 1977 portfolio, Lawrence translated his series of John Brown paintings into 22 stunning color screen prints. The portfolio comes to auction with an estimate of $100,000-$150,000.
Abstract art is represented by an example of the earliest such works by Norman Lewis with Tenement, an oil on board from 1947 that has an estimate of $120,000-$180,000.
