Auction News Network

Rare Complete Audubon Octavo Offered

Most original octavo editions of Audubon’s famous Birds of North America were broken up as individual pictures were extracted and sold separately. The Waverly Auction house of Virginia is selling a rare first edition of the 500 illustrations completely intact on March 1, at Falls Church. The octavo, notably smaller and more portable than first double elephant folio, has a high estimate of $60,000.

Liz Taylor Frenzy Continues

An inscribed Andy Warhol lithograph of Elizabeth Taylor soared to $662,500, leaving its $30,000-$50,000 estimate far behind, as the bidding frenzy continued at Christie’s in New York. Yesterday’s sales focused on a second offering of jewelry, which added $21.3m to the $115.9m achieved at the preceding night’s auction of jewels, and on haute couture, which achieved a total of $2.6m. The top selling gown was a Christian Dior evening dress of silver encrusted brocade, which sold for $362,500.

Will Bourgeois Spider Spin $6m?

There’s a huge spider on the sidewalk outside of Christie’s. It’s made of bronze, stands 21-feet tall, and might sell for around $6m when it comes up next week at the Contemporary Art auction in New York. It’s one of Louise Bourgeois’s iconic masterpieces. She said the design was inspired by her mother, a tapestry weaver, whom she adored. Ms. Bourgeois also adored spiders, and crafted several gigantic ones.

Playboy Pin-Up Art Gets Re$pect

The lady in the Vargas painting asks the gentleman for his opinion on her hat. The answer is not shared, but the work is one 85 sexy comic illustrations, paintings and cartoons once in Playboy and now to be auctioned by Heritage. Some of the pieces are expected to go in the $30,00 to $50,000+ range. Surprisingly, the magazine became one of the top venues for the best illustrators and cartoonists of the second half of the 20^th century.

Audubon Bargain: Quadruped Lithographs

Many are familiar with Audubon’s paintings of North American birds, few are also aware he did 155 illustrations of North America’s 4-legged mammals, “The Quadrupeds.” A complete collection of 155 of the hand colored lithographs will be auctioned by Bonham’s on Oct.18^th in New York. The high estimate is $55,000, only a fraction of what the bird paintings sell for.

Noted Thoroughbred Breeder’s Collection

The late Edward P. (Ned) Evans was a racehorse breeder of some renown. His 3,000 acre Spring Hill Farm is the largest breeding farm in Virginia, and it was also home to his collection of 19^th and 20^th century paintings as well as English and American furniture, silver, ceramics and decorative works of art. Sotheby’s will sell that collection on September 29^th in New York, where the highlight is expected to be a rare mahogany Chippendale games table circa 1770, estimated at $60,000-90,000.

John Koch Arrives With His Painting, “The Party”

John Koch was a painter who had a small, ardent, wealthy following for his extraordinarily detailed pictures of creative society in the Central Park West salons of Manhattan. He died in 1978. Critics generally dismissed him, but his time may be coming with the sale of his largest painting called “The Party” at Gray’s Auctioneers next week in New York. Bidding starts at $150,000.

Allan Stone Collection At Sotheby’s

Lawyer turned art dealer Allan Stone (1932-2006) was as well known for his passionate collecting as his gallery. He was drawn to a vast range of material, from primative, folk, and “junk” art, to Bugatti automobiles and the works of Wayne Thibaud and Willem de Kooning. When Sotheby’s sold the bulk of Stone’s collection last spring in a two-part sale, it realized $54.8m. On September 23 in New York, the auction house will offer the third and last part. Wayne Thibaud’s “Standing Man,” estimated at $1.2-1.8m, is likely to be the event’s top seller.

Tony Curtis Estate Heads To Block

Tony Curtis acted in over 100 films, but he’ll always be best known for his hot streak in the late 1950’s and early 60’s, when he established his chops in both drama (“Sweet Smell of Success” and “The Defiant Ones”) and comedy (the classic “Some Like It Hot”). Along the way Curtis, who died last September, was also a serious painter. On September 17 Beverly Hills-based Julien’s will sell his art collection and memorabilia, including the iconic yachtman’s jacket he wore in his kissing scene with Marilyn Monroe in “Some Like It Hot.” It’s estimated at $10,000-$15,000.

Charlie Chaplin’s Protege Featured At Bonhams

When Granville Redmond (1872-1935) returned from studying in Paris, he settled in Los Angeles, where he became pals with Charlie Chaplin. The actor became fascinated with the deaf painters’s fluent signing, which influenced Chaplin’s own silent screen work. Chaplin gave Redmond a studio on his lot and cast him in a variety of silent acting roles, including the sculptor in “City Lights.” Redmond’s “Marsh under Golden Skies” will be a highlight at Bonhams California and Western Paintings & Sculpture sale on August 9, when it’s expected to sell for $200,000-$300,000.

Carl Akeley’s “Wounded Comrad”

As a specialist in mounting African wildlife, Carl E. Akeley (1864-1926) had his full share of colorful adventures, including a safari with Teddy Roosevelt. During two collecting safaris for Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, he was mauled by a leopard (which he strangled) and pinned by an enraged bull elephant.  He survived to create the famed Hall of Mammals at New York’s Museum of Natural History. Earlier, however, he distinguished himself as a sculptor, and one of his works,”The Wounded Comrad,”  is among the highlights at Bonhams Sporting Gun Sale on July 27 in London, where it’s estimated at $65,000-$98,000.

Sky High Price For Basement Art

It’s everyone’s fantasy: a couple of old paintings hanging by the ping pong table in the family’s basement turn out to be the kind of masterpieces that sold last week for $800,000.  The outdoor scenes were done by Jasper F. Cropsey, a painter from the Hudson River School. The top lot, a winter hunting scene at Niagara Falls, went for $552,000.

$30m Expected For Andy’s Photo Booth Portrait

The first “photo booth” self portrait that led to Andy Warhol becoming the High Priest of Pop Art, will become the center of attention at Christie’s Contemporary Art auction on May 11 in New York.  They’re hoping for $20m-$30m.

Christie’s Will Sell Jeffrey Archer’s Art

Jeffrey Archer has been a man of many parts: best-selling author, member of British Parliament, lifetime peer, convicted felon. And art collector. Now that he’s turned 70, Archer said he’s winnowing his collection, from which Christie’s London will offer 150 works, expected to bring in some $8 million.

Wyeth, Avery, Eakins At Christie’s

Works by Jamie Wyeth, Milton Avery, and Thomas Eakins are among the star attractions at Christie’s Fine American Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture sale on March 3 in New York. Wyeth’s whimsical depiction of his Labrador, “Study of Kleberg,” is the cover lot, estimated at $40-$60,000.

Update: Wyeth’s “Study of Kleberg” sold for $218,000, almost four times the high estimate.