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Paul Herman Wagner

Rare Paul Hermann Wagner painting featured in Gray’s auction May 31

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
Paul Herman Wagner
Paul Herman Wagner (German, 1852-1937), oil on canvas, 35in x 27in. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. Gray’s Auctioneers image

 

CLEVELAND – Paul Herman Wagner (1852-1937), a German figure and landscape painter, is best known for his poignant portraits of children. His works seldom come up at auction, but Gray’s Auctioneers will offer a beautiful painting of his titled Siblings at their sale on Wednesday, May 31. Absentee and Internet bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

This oil on canvas (above) by Wagner showcases the cherubic features of two sisters playfully enjoying each other’s company. The upper right of the portrait is signed “Paul Wagner Munchen.”

There are several other paintings of interest in the auction including lot 54, an oil on canvas by Marian T. MacIntosh titled Morning on the Killary; lot 55, an oil on canvas by Carl Kahler depicting a beautiful young woman sitting on a garden bench with Borzoi Russian wolfhound; and lot 58, a watercolor on laid paper by Jan Brandes titled Jinesche Begraafplats in Batvia (Chinese Pavilion in Batvia).

Light up any room with a striking pair of Italian table lamps in lot 179. These tall lamps feature crowned female heads in white porcelain on black bases.

 

Paul Herman Wagner
Pair of Italian porcelain table lamps, 20th century, 53in high. Estimate: $400-$600. Gray’s Auctioneers image

 

Accompanying the lamps is a variety of decorative furniture. Lot 178 is a vintage Ficks & Reed Co. rattan five-piece upholstered sectional sofa, along with a circular table and a trio of triangular nesting tables.

 

Paul Herman Wagner
Ficks & Reed Co. rattan sectional sofa, along with a circular table and a trio of triangular nesting tables. Estimate: $1,500-$2,500. Gray’s Auctioneers image

 

The serene totems of Gary Spinosa (below) fill lots 1 through 16. This rare collection of mixed media ceramic figures are sculpted using human and animal forms and have been described as having sacred, ceremonial qualities. Spinosa created these works taking inspiration from religious rituals of ancient and diverse cultures, and an intuitive response to the natural world.

 

Paul Herman Wagner
Gary Spinosa (b. 1947) three untitled ceramic works. Estimate: $300-$500. Gray’s Auctioneers image

 

Rounding out this eclectic auction is a collection of stamps, philatelic covers and USPS postage. Some of the more notable stamps are a three-margin copy Great Britain Penny Black stamp, lot 261, a full set of Federal Duck Stamps in lot 227,  a set of extra fine, never hinged Graf Zeppelin airmail stamps are lot 249, and lot 240 is a horizontal set of 1-cent Benjamin Franklin stamps that are well centered and never hinged.

 

Paul Herman Wagner
Great Britain Penny Black Stamp, Scott No. 1. Estimate: $150-$250. Gray’s Auctioneers image

 

For details contact Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers at 216-226-3300.

 

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