From Swann Galleries, New York
Swann Galleries’ auction of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings on March 13 offered a selection of original works by some of the greatest artists of the last 200 years. Works by Martin Lewis and Diego Rivera achieved new auction records, and many of the top lots were won by collectors.
Leading the sale was an important early etching by Edward Hopper. “House by a River,” was one of the artist’s first forays into the themes of modern isolation that would define his oeuvre. The house depicted still stands in Nyack, NY, just a short walk from the artist’s birthplace. It was purchased by a collector for $100,000.
Pablo Picasso was well represented in the sale by a fine selection of prints and ceramics. These were led by the masterful lithograph “La Colombe,” at $67,500. Another lithograph, “Téte de jeune femme,” (1947), reached a record $50,000. A partially glazed terre de faïence pitcher titled “Flower Women,” (1948), was purchased by a collector for $27,000.
Works by Diego Rivera led a robust section of Latin American art, featuring each of his three most important lithographs. The 1932 “El sueño (La Noche de los Pobres)” sold for a record $40,000. “Zapata,” (1932), and “Frutos de la Escuela,” (1932), also performed well ($32,500 and $27,500, respectively). A charming ink and wash painting of a Niña sentada doubled its high estimate to sell for $30,000 to a collector.
The next auction of prints and drawings at Swann Galleries will be “Old Master Through Modern Prints” on May 8, 2018. The house is currently accepting quality consignments for autumn auctions.
Sign up to receive Fine Art Today, the weekly e-newsletter from
Fine Art Connoisseur magazine.
