AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- JULY 6TH: WALLS ARE WHAT MAKE A ROOM II: PRINTS AT COWAN'S AUCTIONS
by Kelly Keating on 07/04/15
Welcome back to
Auction Finds of the Week!
This week I will be looking at prints and works on paper to adorn your walls from the online only auction to be held by Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati, Ohio on
10 July 2015. As in my previous post
Walls Are What Make A Room I will suggesting interesting and affordable items that can decorate the blank walls of your spaces.
This week's first find, lot 12, is an etching entitled September Sunset, Venice, 1925 by James McBey (British, 1883-1959), 8.75" x 17.75", with a pre-sale estimate of $200-400. The depicted scene is appealingly schematic, yet one can still make out buildings, churches and gondolas in the foreground. The sun represented by just using the print paper surrounded by the black lines of the etching creates a wonderful sense of light and warmth, truly conveying the setting of the sun. This etching would be wonderful as part of a wall grouping and could work well in a more modern setting with its abstract nature.
This week's second discovery, lot 24, is an aquatint entitled A Span of Old Battersea Bridge, late 19th/early 20th century, by Sir Frank Short (British, 1857-1945), 7.25" x 11.5", with a pre-sale estimate of $100-150. Like the McBey etching the Short aquatint has a degree of abstraction though more geometric in nature than the gestural quality of the view of Venice. The aquatint presents the viewer with a small section of the bridge. The detail becomes the whole. Through the opening between the bridge supports, there is a boat with figures on The Thames. This work has great detail and a quiet mood, perfect for a bedroom.
Another etching, lot 42, entitled The West of Ireland, 20th century, 5.25" x 6" by Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (British, 1890-1978) with a pre-sale estimate of $200-400 is this week's next find. In the work 2 teenage girls occupy the foreground with the countryside of Ireland behind them. They stare directly and confidently at the viewer and look as if they have just been involved in some mischief. There is something creepy and unsettling about this work that is appealing.
The next treasure this week is an etching, lot 61, entitled Piazza San Marco by Frank Duveneck (American, 1848-1919), early 20th century, 13.25" x 10.75" with a pre-sale estimate of $800-1200. Duveneck captures the spirit of the piazza even including some children feeding some pigeons amidst the architectural backdrop of the church. A nice historical piece that would work well in a wall grouping.
The final find this week is another etching, lot 67, entitled Eighth Street in the Rain by Edward Timothy Hurley (American, 1869-1950), 1937, 11.75" x 9.5", with a pre-sale estimate of $200-400. Hurley really captures a wet day in New York as people hurry across the soaked street with their umbrellas against an dark, urban architectural backdrop of a rainy sky. This etching is another work that would look great in a large wall grouping.
Walls are what make a room. Give your walls a lot of texture and visual interest by finding original artwork at your price point that you find captivating, not just decorative and hang the pieces in thoughtful and planned out groupings that catch the eye. Hang different sizes pieces with different frames in an asymmetrical Salon style. Or unite different pieces in different media using the same sleek, unobtrusive frame and hang the grouping in a symmetrical and geometric fashion. Either direction will yield a pleasing result for the eye. Go for bold displays of color or chose works that are only black and white. There are a myriad of choices with which to adorn your walls. Walls are what make a room. Just don't leave them blank!
I hope you have enjoyed this Auction Finds of Week. I can help you find a particular work or works to embellish your wall, please contact me at [email protected] and visit my website to see the services I offer at www.theantiqueflaneur.com. Or if you are looking for any kind of antique or vintage piece from the 1750's to the 1950's and beyond, I can assist you. I have multiple sources across the country and in Europe to find you that unique piece.
I am now able to offer insurance appraisals for the decorative arts especially silver and ceramics. Please contact me if you need an appraisal of items to schedule them on your insurance. If you need an estate or donation appraisal for tax purposes, I can bring in another appraiser who will work with me to complete that for you. I am in New York City, but have worked with clients in New Jersey and Connecticut as well. In addition, if you are interested in selling a piece(s), I can provide you with a Professional Opinion of Value on the object(s) to guide you in your selling (and I can sell it for you too) or perhaps you are just curious about the value of your antique or vintage item.
Until next time,
Kelly T Keating
