DOUSMAN, Wis. – A Wisconsin auction house is creating a stir with its Sept. 13 online-only auction featuring works by several artists trained at the prestigious Layton School of the Arts. Bailey’s Honor will host the auction of mid-century modern art containing hundreds of pieces of high-quality modern design, including furniture, lighting, beautiful decorative art, leaded windows and much more.
The list of Layton School artists represented in the sale is an impressive one that includes Karl Priebe, Lois Ehlert, Elvina Thomas, John Lorence, Dean Meaker and others. The Layton School of Art was a progressive tertiary-level institution of learning established in 1920. Its name came from its location, in the basement of the Layton Art Gallery. At the time of its closure in 1974 due to insolvency, it was rated one of the top five art schools in the United States.
A variety of media can be seen in the Layton School selection: oil, watercolor, mixed media, silkscreen, and block prints.
Shown at the top of this page, a 1955 watercolor portrait by Karl Priebe (b. Milwaukee 1914-1976) is dated Jan. 22, 1955 and measures 14½ x 16½ inches (framed). One of the better-known Layton School alumni, Preibe exhibited his art both in the United States and Japan.
Additionally, the auction features a fine lineup of regional art by such painters as George Raab, Robert Van Neuman, Martha Nessler Hayden, Uyvari and more.
A beautiful 1967 Salvador Dali lithograph titled The Vine, is artist-signed and numbered 186/200. In the Dali Print Book, it is titled Passiflora Laurigera. Shown below, its framed size is 29 x 43 inches.
This iconic Herman Miller Dax chair shown below was designed by Charles and Ray Eames. Made or red-orange fiberglass, it retains an ink mark and paper label with patent numbers and the name “Herman Miller Furniture Company – Zeeland, Michigan.”
A 1959 Pablo Picasso lithograph titled Bullfight II is numbered 166/500 in pencil. This black and white work measures 18 x 22 inches (sight).
This circa-1953 sculpture of an African head is from the famed Werkstatte Hagenauer Wien, a family business in Vienna that produced superior handcrafted decorative objects. It stands 10 inches high and is embellished with attractive brass hoop necklaces.
For additional information on any item in the auction, contact Bailey’s Honor Auction & Estate Services by calling 262-569-8687 or emailing carol@baileyshonor.com. Visit the company’s website at www.baileyshonor.com.
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