NORTHBROOK, Ill. – High-quality collections of fine art from three Chicago estates and other private consignors have created an unprecedented buying opportunity for those participating in Universal Live’s Nov. 17, 2011 online-only auction. Internet live bidding for the 344-lot sale will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Martin Shape, owner of Universal Live, described the combined trove of art to be auctioned as “the finest selection [we] have ever presented,” adding that two of the consignment sources are estates of former art dealers. “There’s a tremendous range of styles, from a 1620 da Vinci drawing to works by Modern masters like Warhol and Calder,” Shape said.

A highly priced entry is the Leonardo da Vinci, first-state etching of standing man, circa 1651, from work conceived between 1490-1513 for the Trattato della Pittura. Measuring 4¼ x 6½ in., it is expected to realize $5,000-$6,250.

An original lithograph on Japon Imperial paper by Jacques Villon (French, 1875-1963), is artist-signed and was produced in 1953. Villon’s Cubist style is evident in the sketching of the artwork, which measures 22 x 32½ in., and is estimated at $2,790-$4,290. A second Villon print depicting the Place de la Concorde in Paris also dates to 1953, and is estimated at $2,390-$3,680. Both Villon lots are nicely framed.

Dating to 1890, an 8ft. stone lithographed original Jules Cheret (French, 1836-1932) lithograph advertises a masked ball taking place every Tuesday at a dance hall in Montmarte. The full-color image depicts a free-spirited young woman high-stepping alongside a man dressed as a clown. An important work, it is estimated at $35,000-$50,000.

Several Marc Chagall prints will be auctioned, including a 1978 original lithograph hand-signed by the artist. Titled Message Biblique, its central figure is an angel against a surreal background in shades of blue and green. It is expected to make $2,500-$3,000.

Many vibrant Picasso prints are included in the sale inventory. Among them are a hand-embellished giclee on canvas, 20 x 26in., of the famed Dora Maar portrait, est. $525-$750; and The Artist, also a numbered, hand-embellished giclee on canvas. It, too, is estimated at $525-$750.

The quintessential American artist Norman Rockwell produced the Thanksgiving family scene titled Freedom from Want. An artist-signed and numbered lithograph of the famed artwork is entered in the sale with a $12,000-$15,000 estimate.

From the popular Jazz Suite comes a limited-edition 1947 print of Henri Matisse’s Sword Swallower. Intensely hued, the framed print is from an edition of 100 and measures 15¾ x 11¾ in. It carries a presale estimate of $31,050-$38,815.

Alexander Calder is in the news with the $5 million auction price realized on Nov. 7 by the American artist’s 1972 metal mobile titled Trepied. More affordable but no less colorful are Universal Live’s offerings of Calder’s Spirals, a signed and numbered lithograph, 26 x 38 in., estimated at $5,000-$6,000; and his 1973 print titled Triangles & Spirals, estimated at $300-$460.

Many other desirable artworks will be auctioned on Nov. 17, with the list of artists including Toulouse-Lautrec, Joan Miro, Jim Dine, Red Grooms, Leroy Neiman, Max Gottlieb, Roy Fairchild and Carla Ponti. Additionally, there will be works by Robert Winslow, Georg Baselitz, Roy Fairchild and many other notable leaders of the art world.

For additional information on any lot in the Nov. 17 auction, call 847-412-1802 or e-mail sales@universallive.com. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE