Ruffino Tamayo Mural at Sotheby’s

Ruffino Tamayo was born in 1899 in Oaxaca, Mexico and was a Zapotecan Indian. After the death of his parents in 1911, he moved to Mexico City. He studied at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas. He went on to work at the National Archeological Museum where he was first exposed to folk art. After a one man show in Mexico City in 1926, he moved to New York where he thought his art would be better received. Tamayo became a widely recognized painter and artist during his time in New York and exhibited his works at many galleries and museums. In 1955 he returned to Mexico City where he painted a huge mural titled America.

America, which measures a whopping 13 feet by 14 feet, will be sold at the Fall Latin American Artists Sale Sotheby’s Auctions. The painted mural is expected to bring in between $7 and $9 million. Originally painted by Tamayo for the Bank of Southwest Houston, this work of art has been on loan to the Dallas Museum of Art for the past fifteen years. The Sotheby’s Latin American Artist sale will take place on November 18 and 19, 2008. Besides America, other Tamayo works will be offered for sale as well as works by Carlos Cruz-Diez, Antonio Asis, Sandra Cinto and Marta Boto.

Lucien Freud Not Recession Proof Either

Yesterday it was Andy Warhol’s painting that did not reach its pre-sale estimate at an auction at Sotheby’s. Today, a rare Lucien Freud painting of Francis Bacon failed to reach its pre-sale estimate of about $14 million. The painting, which has been described as an unfinished portrait of his friend and painted around 1956, sold for about $9 million at a Christie’s Auction. Based on previous sales, the price was a bargain for a Freud painting.

In an article I wrote in my June 23, 2007 Newsletter, I described a portrait painting sold at Christie’s auction of another of Freud's friends, Bruce Bernard. It set a record auction price for a living artist. And yet another painting titled Benefits Supervisor Sleeping sold in May of this year for $33.6 million, which was at the higher end of the pre-sale estimate. Both Warhol and Freud failing to reach pre-sale estimates has many questioning whether the slump will continue as stocks take a roller coaster ride and credit is at a low even for the wealthy.

Andy Warhol Paintings Not Recession Proof

Many years ago, when I was a lot younger, I owned an Andy Warhol Coca Cola T-Shirt and boy do I wish I would have kept it around. Although probably not worth as much as one of his paintings, it is always nice to have pieces of memorabilia from your past. It wasn’t too long ago that all Warhol collectibles were going for a premium price, however in these days of economic recession prices seem to be down. This is even more evident in the art world. At a Sotheby’s Auction yesterday, many pieces of art went either unsold or brought it less money than they were expected to bring including the paintings by Andy Warhol.

A compilation of 10 silkscreen paintings of skulls, which was expected to bring in more than 12 million at auction, brought in a mere $7.5 million. This compilation of paintings was first put together by a Zurich art dealer, Thomas Ammann, in 1976 and is said to represent the “the literal multiplication of death.” Each of the 10 canvases in this compilation was painted in different and contrasting colors and were signed by Warhol, who was one of the central figures in the Pop Art movement. Last year, Christie’s, sold Green Burning Car I, by Andy Warhol for a record breaking price of $71 million.

Andy Warhol was born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928. Better known for his paintings and artwork, he was also a filmmaker, author and illustrator. In addition, he is also well known for the phrase that he coined regarding everyone’s “fifteen minutes of fame.” As with most artists, his work evolved as time went by. His works, which are as highly sought after today as they originally were, were the subjects of many scandals in the 1960’s. In the 1970’s, he toned down his celebrity and started getting more portrait commissions from the rich and famous including the Beatles’ John Lennon and Diana Ross of the Supremes.

Warhol was to evolve again in the 1980’s after some criticized his works of the 1970’s as too commercial and without substance. He started hanging around with other artists that were up and coming at the time including Jean-Michael Basquiat and David Salle. He had very successful exhibitions of his art and a resurgence in the interest of Warhol paintings again gripped art collectors. Unfortunately, his life was cut short and in 1987 after routine gall bladder surgery, Warhol had a heart attack and died. However, many would agree that Andy Warhol has overly exceeded his fifteen minutes of fame.

Scrimshaw Sells at Sotheby’s Auction

Scrimshaw is the name of the art that includes the carving of intricate and elaborate pictures on bones, whale teeth and sometimes the tusks of walruses. Mostly done by whalers, the carvings are normally then highlighted by adding pigments. It is believed that this art form had it’s heyday in the early 1800’s and survives today at the hands of a few hobbyists. The carvings are very sought after by collectors and can bring in tens of thousands of dollars. In September of 2005 we carried an article in our NOVA-Antiques Newsletter about carved whale tooth that brought in more than $270,000. This week, Sotheby’s announced the sale of another whales tooth.

This carving was done by William A. Gilpin and was actually signed. According to Sotheby’s this was important because other works belonging to this sailor could now be authenticated. Other examples of his existing works only contained the name of his ship, Ceres and the letter A. On this particular carving, one side of the whale tooth depicts the artist’s ship at sea on rolling waves of water. The other side of the tooth depicts a man in a tie holding his hat aloft and his hair blowing in the wind. The banner reads, “Free Trade and Sailor’s Rights.” Estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000, this whales tooth brought in $98,500.

Reward Offered for Stolen Art Cache

I have written about how only dumb thieves steal art in the past but it their just doesn’t seem to be a shortage of dumb crooks in this world. The fact that artwork is recognizable, identifiable or harder to sell than other things does not stop those with a low IQ and the irrational thought that they could make quick money. Now police in Los Angeles are offering a reward and looking for the person or people that were dumb enough to steal a cache of specialized artwork that included paintings by Gorky, Soutine, Chagall and Diego Rivera. Experts have said that some of the paintings are worth more than $4 million.

The owners of the stolen art cache were in another part of the house when this theft occurred and police speculate that the thieves must have worked very quickly to remove the paintings by a side door. They also believe that the thieves may have been familiar with the couple’s routine. The sophistication and the smartness of the art thieves themselves will be evident when, not if, the artwork is recovered. The artwork will be recovered either at a flea market or when someone tries to sell it in Europe ten years from now. The authorities have contacted all of the major auction houses, show promoters, art dealers and others to be on the lookout for the paintings. A $200,000 reward has been offered.

Lucien Freud Painting of Francis Bacon to Bring in Millions

Lucien Freud paintings have been bringing in record auction prices for the past couple of years. Christie’s in London is reporting that this trend will probably continue on October 19, 2008 when Freud’s portrait of Sir Francis Bacon goes on the auction block. The unfinished painting, which he painted in 1956, is expected to bring in more than $12 million. This is one of two paintings that Lucien painted of his friend Bacon, the first painting has been missing with its whereabouts unknown. Pilar Ordovas, head of contemporary art at Christie’s was recently quoted by Reuters Life! Saying, “Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon are widely considered to be the most important British artists of the 20th Century.”

Lucien Freud was born in Berlin, Germany in 1922 to Ernst and Lucie. Lucien is the grandson of renowned psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, who founded the Psychoanalytic School of Psychology. In 1933, Lucien’s family moved to England. He studied at the Central School of Art in London, East Anglican School of Painting and Drawing and Goldsmiths College at the University of London. Early in his carrier, Freud was associated with the surrealist movement but in the 1950’s turned to portraits, many of them nudes as he tried to capture a subjects history and sensuality in his brushstrokes. In May of 2008 his nude portrait of friend and model Sue Tilley titled Benefits Supervisor Sleeping sold at Christie’s for $33.6 million and set the record for a living artist.

Martin Johnson Heade – Luminism Style American Painter

A couple of weeks ago a Cape Cod, Massachusetts family found that a painting they had owned for generations was worth more than $1 million. The painting, titled “Haying on the Marsh” by Martin Johnson Heade was painted in the 1860’s. The family had no idea how much it was worth because the frame covered the artists name until they turned it over to Eldred’s Auction Gallery for appraisal. A pre-sale estimate by the gallery was determined to be about $500,000 and the family was pleasantly surprised when the painting brought in more than $1 million. Other Heade paintings have also sold for more than $1 million in previous auctions.

Martin Johnson Heade, a Luminism Style, American painter, was born in August of 1819 and is best known for seascape, still life and salt marsh landscape paintings. Although some art historians disagree, Heade is believed to have been part of the Hudson River School and many of his paintings were displayed at a major art exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1987. Heade didn’t begin exhibiting his works until 1841 after studying under Edward Hicks in Pennsylvania and traveling to Europe to practice his craft. It wasn’t until 1857 that he became interested in landscape painting and in 1859 moved to New York. Heade passed away in September of 1904.

Western Artist Charles Russell - Art Auction Brings in Millions

Charles Russell (1864-1926) was born in Missouri but found his way to Great Falls, Montana, which he adopted as his home and lived in for over 46 years. One of the greatest artists and sculptures of the American west, had humble beginnings working on a sheep ranch at the age of 16. His interest in the west, history and the outdoors along with his awareness of his environment gave him the ability to capture western landscapes, cowboys, and Indians in perfectly flowing colors, lines and exquisite detail.

Russell produced over 2000 works in his lifetime featuring his favorite subjects including paintings and sculptures. In 1926, Trails Plowed Under, a collection of his short stories were also published. Recently two of his artworks brought in more than $9 million at auction. The holdup, a painting by Charles Russell, showing a stagecoach being held up, sold for $5.2 million at the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction in Reno, Nevada. A bronze, Meat for Wild Men, depicting Native Americans on a buffalo hunt brought in more than $4.1 million.

The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, 1,100,000 acres in north central Montana were named after this artist and includes native prairies, river bottoms and badlands. In addition, a lot of his artwork is on display at the C.M. Russell Museum, “A place where the old west is still alive.” The museum is located in Great Falls, Montana.

Ancient Art Elvis Look-a-Like to be Auctioned

In October, Bonhams will auction a 2000 year old Roman bust as part of an antiquities auction. However, this is not any run of the mill bust or any run of the mill antique for that matter. This bust has an uncanny resemblance to the King of Rock and Roll himself, the late great Elvis Presley. The collection belongs to Australian collector Graham Geddes who thinks this ancient art piece resembles the man himself and so he calls it Elvis.

This ancient piece of art is actually an ornament called an acroterion which normally decorates a sarcophagi. Sarcophagi were most often designed to remain above ground, and thus were often ornately carved, decorated or elaborately constructed. Some were built to be freestanding, as a part of an elaborate tomb or series of tombs, while others were intended for placement in crypts. Some experts claim that this particular piece may be from about 400 BC and may bring in more than $50,000 at auction.

Goya & Wattaeu World Record Auction Prices

Christie’s of London reported some record breaking sales yesterday for art that had been long lost. First, three sketches by the Spanish master Francisco Goya sold for more than $8 million. The sketches had been “lost” for about 130 years. I don’t believe lost is the right word, these sketches were last auctioned off in 1877 and were sold yesterday by a private Swiss collection. The term lost probably means that they were kept in the same family for all those years. The sketches were in exceptional condition and were part of the Goya’s private albums.

Of the three sketches, the one titled Down They Come brought in the most money at about $4.5 million, which is a record for a Goya work on paper. Repentance came in second with about $1.9 million and The Constable Lampinos Stitched Inside a Dead Horse came in at about $1.5 million. Pre-sale estimates had all three bringing in a total of $2 million; imagine everyone’s surprise when just one brought in more than double that amount.

Later yesterday, a painting by French artist Jean Antoine Watteau, which had been missing of for about 200 years, sold for a record $12.4 million. The painting titled La Surprise is an oil on panel measuring about 14 inches. This painting was truly lost in the sense that the owners did not know that it was the original. They were stunned to find out that the painting they thought was a copy was the real thing.

The painting, which was done in 1718, was found by a Christie’s specialist in the corner of cottage room. as he was going through the contents of the cottage for auction estimates. The record price was three times what the experts expected to get for the painting that featured a musician with a guitar and two lovers. The last documented auction for this painting had been in 1801 and was bequeathed in 1848.

Pyrobilia – Firecracker Label Collectors

The term pyrobilia is the hobby of collecting fireworks or anything associated with fireworks. There are thousands of people who collect all things related to fireworks some just collect the labels from old firecracker labels. Firecracker labels can be very interesting and colorful as well as valuable. We have seen some vintage firecracker labels go on eBay for anywhere between $10 -$69.

The vintage firecracker paper label pictured on the left is from the 1930’s and depicts Tarzan on a tree branch with a knife and vine. This was a “registered brand of Li & Fung of Hong Kong.” It measures approximately 3” x 5.5” and sold at Hakes Americana and Collectibles Auctions of York, Pennsylvania for about $172 in 2007.

HAPPY JULY 4TH!!!

Record Auction Price for Monet Painting

A painting titled “Water Lily Pond” by the master impressionist Claude Monet sold today in London for more than $80 million. This painting was part of four that Monet painted in 1919. “Water Lily Pond” had been auctioned in 1971 and had sold form a mere $320,000. That is one heck of an appreciation in price in 37 years. Of the four paintings, this is only one of three that survive. Another is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the third was purchased at auction by a private collector in 1992.

Monet who was born in Paris, France in 1840 is the founder of French Impressionist painting. He intentionally created a water garden in Giverny, France so that he could paint as great a variety of water lilies as possible. Monet is not only considered one of the greatest impressionist painters by those of us who art, but by his fellow painters of the time as well. His fellow painters, Degas, Renoir and Cezanne, to name a few, considered him a leader and he influenced their work. Claude Monet passed away in 1926.