Watch The Educated Eye: Curating a Collection with Meaning

How do you create a collection with meaning?

A look into the Bar Cross Ranch collection did just that. Built to inform the construction of the Bar Cross Ranch in Wyoming in 1910, the collection celebrates the influential historical art of the West, important Native American artifacts, and ranch culture.

Join us for an insightful webinar as The Fine Art Group’s and Sotheby’s experts unravel the intricate art of curation, exploring the nuanced choices and deliberate steps involved in crafting a cohesive and meaningful art collection.

BAR CROSS RANCH COLLECTION SALE HIGHLIGHTS

The Fine Art Group is pleased to announce Western Art and Design from Bar Cross Ranch, Wyoming, brought to sale through Sotheby’s and to go live on January 19th, 2023.

The Fine Art Group’s Agency department was integral to curating and acquiring this collection, designing a historical narrative in harmony with the collection’s past location on a ranch in Wyoming, an iconic location also known for being where Grateful Dead’s lyricist John Perry Barlow and founding member Bob Weir composed music for the band.

Anita Heriot, President, Americas, states, “There is nothing more rewarding as an advisor than to work with a collector hand in hand to build a collection with meaning. The Bar Cross Collection at its very core is a celebration of those Native Americans of the territory and those who depicted the West at a crucial period of transformation.”

Bidding begins on January 19th, 2024.

IMPORTANT SELECTIONS FROM THE BAR CROSS RANCH COLLECTION

THE WEST IN ART

The Bar Cross Ranch collection of fine and decorative art is centered on the art of the Plains, whether by white European artists drawn out West to capture the landscape or the image and culture of the Plains Indians or by the nomadic tribes that once lived in Wyoming, such as the Crow, Sioux, Arapaho and Blackfeet; or the material culture of the ranchers, settlers, the cowboys that developed into rough-hewn aesthetic of the lodge and dude ranch.

The collection includes work by George Catlin, Thomas Moran, Charles Marion Russell, Joseph Henry Sharp, and Rosa Bonheur. Of note is George Catlin’s monumental work, the North American Indian Portfolio. The Portfolio was the product of not only the artist’s years of work on the Plains but also of promotion and touring with his Indian Gallery to finance the project.

THE ART OF THE WEST

The Bar Cross Ranch Collection includes:

• Numerous ledger drawings.
• Beaded bags to store and transport goods.
• A bow and arrows.
• Painted hides produced by artists and craftspeople of North American tribes.

Form followed function, and design was often dictated by purpose. Paintings on hide, clothing, or tipis were not executed for art’s sake but recorded natural, political, and cultural history. While the materials and sometimes techniques adapted to changing resources, the densely layered purpose of the objects remained.

THE WESTERN AESTHETIC

A distinct domestic aesthetic emerged as settlers, homesteaders, holiday ranchers, and artists moved to the frontier. Furniture was inspired by the rustic ranch style made with materials at hand and contemporary decorative arts, such as Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts. These styles were adapted in silverware, jewelry, stained glass, and wood-carving to evoke Native American designs and the Western landscape. Forms were simple, with an emphasis on the materials and the hand of the craftsman.

The collection includes numerous examples of hand-crafted arts & crafts furniture and lamps by Roycroft and Stickley, Van Briggle pottery, and the luminous Rookwood Indian Portrait Vases based on photographs by Frank Rinehart and Alexander Gardner, amongst others. The largest single-maker grouping in the collection is that of Thomas Molesworth furniture and lighting. Molesworth, a Wyoming-based designer, is of particular interest as he was an interior designer who insisted on a holistic aesthetic throughout the home.

OUR ADVISORY SERVICES

Providing expert service and attention to detail at every step, our team of specialists guides clients through the buying process. We work solely on our client’s behalf, acting independently from galleries, auction houses, and dealers.

Whether working with a first-time buyer or an experienced collector, we support our clients across all aspects of the acquisition process.

See our Client Projects page or Advisory Case Studies to view our recent successes on our client’s behalf.

BRINGING AN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE PAINTING COLLECTION TO SALE

The Fine Art Group was pleased to assist in the sale strategy for the collection of Maryann and Al Friedman. The collection comprises works by influential 19th and 20th-century American Hudson River School artists. Highlights include a rare South American work by Frederick Edwin Church and paintings by Jasper Francis Cropsey, William Trost Richards, and Martin Johnson Heade.

The Fine Art Group takes pride in presenting this iconic collection, a profound homage to the enduring legacy of American landscape painting.

Bidding begins on January 11th, 2024.

SELECTIONS FROM THE SALE

OUR SALES AGENCY SERVICES

The Fine Art Group’s dedicated Agency team can add significant value through seamless sales management, financial reporting, and marketing optimization.

We take care of every detail of the sale process, from initial valuation all the way through to post-sale reporting and analysis, ensuring that the client communication and involvement is tailored throughout.

See our Sales Agency Case Studies to learn more about our services.

As we bid farewell to a year filled with growth, challenges, and artistic triumphs, I reflect on the remarkable journey we’ve shared. The expansion of The Fine Art Group, particularly through our collaboration with industry stalwarts Tad Smith, former CEO of Sotheby’s, and Domenico de Sole, former Chairman of Sotheby’s and Chairman of Tom Ford, has been a defining moment in our growth.

2023 has been a testament to our commitment to excellence. Despite the uncertainties that surrounded us, we embraced change and emerged stronger than ever. Our team’s dedication and hard work have been the driving force behind our success, and I extend my deepest gratitude to each and every member of The Fine Art Group family.

Our joint venture with Patti Wong and the launch of Patti Wong & Associates have proven to be an unequivocal success. Our collective expertise has not only strengthened our market presence but has also strengthened our position within the art and fine jewelry worlds.

Looking ahead, the prospects for The Fine Art Group are brighter than ever. The momentum we’ve gained this year provides a solid foundation for our future growth and expansion. Thank you for your unwavering support, dedication, and passion.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year,

Philip Hoffman

Philip Hoffman

CEO and Founder

2023 Highlights

• Philip Hoffman, Daryl Wickstrom, and Allan Schwartzman Included in the Observer’s 2023 The Business of Art Power List
  
• The Fine Art Group Facilitates the purchase of rare Columbus Letter for Client
  
• Tad Smith Joins The Fine Art Group
  
• Client White Glove Jewelry sale at Sotheby’s
  
• Philip Hoffman and Freya Stewart recognized by Spear’s Magazine as top recommended
  professionals in their fields, Art Advisory and Art Finance
  
• Patti Wong, Founder of Patti Wong & Associates, Successfully Acquires Gustav Klimt’s Dame mit Fächer (Lady With a Fan) on behalf of an anonymous Hong Kong client for a record-breaking $108.4 million 
  
• The Fine Art Group Expands Reach to Australia and New Zealand
  
• The Fine Art Group Acted on behalf of the Client who Consigned ‘The Transactions of the Royal Humane Society’ to Auction, Achieving a Staggering Total of $441,000, Surpassing the Pre-sale Estimate of $12,000 to $18,000
  
• Assisted in the Sale of TinTin Artworks by Hergé at Artcurial, Breaking the Artist’s Sales Record with a Total of £1.9 million
  
• The Financial Times Recognizes Philip Hoffman and The Fine Art Group in Top List of Art Advisors
  
• The Fine Art Group Expands into Asia with Investment in the New Advisory Firm Patti Wong & Associates

As 2023 wraps up, Chairman of The Fine Art Group, Australia & New Zealand, Roger McIlroy, spoke with the Australian Financial Review on the art market performance in 2023.

GOOD YEAR FOR AUSSIE AUCTION HOUSES

When discussing what has factored into the success of the Australian art market over the last year, McIlroy shared this: “I think the market will still concentrate quite heavily on the unique and the top end, the really top things, because there’s plenty of people around who want to buy the top things and in any cycle those things do very well.”

Click here to read the full article in the Australian Financial Review.
Full Article.

ART AS AN ASSET CLASS LEADERS

Observer’s 2023 The Business of Art Power List: Art as an Asset Class has listed Philip Hoffman, alongside Allan Schwartzman, as a leading authority on transforming art as an asset class. Patti Wong & Associate’s Daryl Wickstrom was also named by the Observer as one of the Most Influential People in the Art World Today. 

BUILDING THE FINE ART GROUP

Hoffman has a history of making smart decisions for himself and for the collectors and investors he serves. At 27, Hoffman became the youngest C-level executive Christie’s had ever appointed and stayed with the auction giant for the next 12 years, becoming its deputy CEO of Europe before leaving it all behind to launch his own firm. His clients include high-net-worth families—30+ billionaires, as he has described them—plus private equity firms, hedge fund managers and real estate developers around the globe. “Smart people would build an art collection with an advisor who understands how to make money, and they can buy art that they love and make a lot of money at the same time,” Hoffman told Observer in 2019. Fast forward to today, and he’s still 100 percent focused on building The Fine Art Group into the number one partner for those looking to transact at the highest levels of the global art and collectibles markets. “Assembling the most experienced and talented team in the industry worldwide is a key priority,” he tells Observer. “We look forward to expanding our network and bringing a number of new, very experienced colleagues on board.”

Click here to read the full article in Observer.
Click here for the full article.

We are delighted to welcome Tad Smith, former CEO of Sotheby’s, to The Fine Art Group as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Tad brings outstanding expertise and insight on a global scale, joining our growing network of the best talent in the field, which already includes Patti Wong and Allan Schwartzman.

His knowledge of the art industry, coupled with his considerable management experience, will be a tremendous benefit to our team as we continue to position The Fine Art Group as the best global partner for clients looking to transact at the highest levels of the market.  

RELATED NEWS

• The Fine Art Group expands into Asia with investment in the new advisory
  firm Patti Wong & Associates
• Bringing together the complementary skills of The Fine Art Group and Schwartzman&
• The Fine Art Group Announces Australian Collaboration

BLUE CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

While you might expect that increases in inflation and interest rates would deter art buyers, the Spring 2023 Australian auctions demonstrated that Blue Chip artworks are still commanding top prices. However, the art market appears to have entered a period of selective correction; the ball is now falling much more heavily in the buyer’s court.  

After several years of rather wild bidding during the boredom of the pandemic, second and third-rate pictures are struggling – people are buying less into just the ‘brand’ of artists, but rather cherry-picking and dissecting their work.  

New Auction Records for Australian Artists

The first auction to hit the block was Deutscher & Hackett’s strongly anticipated sale of Important Australian & International Art held in Melbourne, which saw several auction records set including that of an Australian Impressionist painting. The record was broken when their trophy lot, John Peter Russell’s Souvenir de Belle-Ile, sold for just under $4 million (including Buyer’s Premium), well over the $1.5-2 million estimate. This resounding new auction record (for the Australian artist who holds a unique place in Australian art history as a result of his close association with the European avant-garde and his acquaintance with prominent Impressionism and Post-Impressionism figures) was in part due to the work’s unique freshness to the market. The work had remained in the possession of the same family since 1897.   

Although the Russell aided the auction’s total, making up 25% of the $15.44 million (including Buyer’s Premium), there were several other leading pieces, including works from both the Joan and Peter Clemenger Collection and the Krongold Collection. The striking Sydney Nolan piece entitled Early Morning Township made $2.7 million against its $1.5-2 million estimate.  

The room witnessed further records broken when Del Kathryn Barton’s Of Pink Plantes sold for $527,727 (including Buyer’s Premium). Her previous record was held by We Will Ride, a similar-sized work that sold at Smith & Singer in November 2022 and made $466,364 (including Buyer’s Premium). While the chimeric goddess attained a new auction record, the sculptural work by Barton entitled More The Her went unsold at $70,000.  

Further, unsold lots included John Brack’s Seated Nude With Screen from the Joan and Peter Clemenger Collection, which surprisingly failed to find a buyer at $420,000, significantly under its $500,000 – $700,000 estimate.  

Although Deutscher & Hackett might blame the success of the Matilda’s on their 82% sale rate, it perhaps rather encapsulates the evolving preferences of collectors – quality over quantity.  

2023 Auction Trends Continue at Smith & Singer

The trend continued at the Smith & Singer auction held the following week (and whose sale did not clash with the Women’s World Cup soccer).  

The cover lot, a stellar work by Fred Williams, Mason’s Falls, that was estimated at a bullish $2-3 million, saw another record set. The work, one of only six large-scale paintings from this series and also fresh to the auction market, saw a number of bidders both in the room and on the telephone chase the work. It finally sold to a dealer in the room who also purchased the Streetons, Gascoigne, Gruner, a Storrier, and two Whiteley works for $2.6 million hammer, thus achieving the second highest price for a work of art at auction in 2023.  

However, the most spectacular result of the evening was the record set for the sculptural work by Joel Elenberg; in fact, it was a record set for an Australian sculpture at auction! The work was heavily fought over by two telephone bidders. The hammer finally fell at $925,000, over double its high estimate ($350,000 – $450,000). The work had previously sold at Sotheby’s Australia in 2010 for $192,000 (including Buyer’s Premium). Only 41 works have ever appeared at auction, and works by the artist continue to be extremely rare; thus, the desire to secure a work remains high.  

One cannot forget the charming Isobel Rae, Femme Bretone a Jardin Étapeles, which also set a record at $420,000 hammer for a work by the little-known allusive artist.  

The sale, however, also had its share of unsold works. The 1967 Charles Blackman, Dreaming Girl, failed to find a home at $110,000, alongside the Sidney Nolan Convict in Landscape, which passed at the same level. Further lower-value works also went unsold towards the end of the evening. The sale total was $11,837,000 ($14,527,228, including buyer’s premium), with an 85% sale rate.  

Bonhams & Beyond

Following on the success of The Fred and Elinor Wrobel Collection: A Curated Salon that came to market in April, Bonhams conducted the second part of the sale, The Fred and Elinor Wrobel Collection: The Artist’s Eye. The sale focused on landscapes, scenes of the harbor, and beach life.  

The Wrobels’ astute eye, considered approach, and continuing support of women artists were noticeable in the results of the sale. The sale started with a bang, with the View of Sydney Harbour Bridge by Portia Stranston Geach selling for $54,120 (including Buyer’s Premium). This was ten times the low estimate of $5,000-$7,000. The two most important acquisitions in the collection, Grace Cossington Smith’s Thanksgiving Service and Hilda Rix Nicholas’ Children at Mount Annan, Holbrook, did well, with the former selling for $172,200 (including Buyer’s Premium) against an estimate of $100,000 – $180,000. And the Nicholas’, which was estimated at $60,000-$90,000, was chased all the way up to $159,900, including Buyer’s Premium). Both works were closely related to important paintings, held in the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane collection, and were fresh to market.  

The Wrobels collection included works that were quintessentially part of the Australian psyche, and Sidney Nolan’s representation of Ned Kelly entitled Jerilderie encapsulated this completely. The work belonged to a small group of curtain studies created in response to his successful ‘second series’ Redfern exhibition in 1955. The work depicts Kelly, mounted on horseback, riding into Jerilderie, the location of the infamous bank heist in 1879. The small yet prized work was undoubtedly a highlight of the collection. The work was attractively estimated at $140,000-$180,000, enticing bidding all the way up to  $239,850 (including Buyer’s Premium) 

The sale was extremely well covered regarding the number of bidders, with only one work withdrawn and a 90% sale rate by lot.  

The success of their single-owner sale did not, however, carry on into their sale of Important Australia Art, perhaps with auction fatigue hitting the room. The sale had a sell-through rate of 61% by lot, with a number of lots failing to find buyers, including the Howard Arkley that had been estimated at $100,000-$150,000. There were still several highlights to the sale, including works from the collection of the late Dr. & Mrs. Jackson. The sale commenced with the sale of the Still Life by Godfrey Miller, sold for $11,685 (including Buyer’s Premium) against an estimate of $2,500 – $3,500. The desire for Miller continued with Mountains selling for $29,520, again over double its low estimate.  

Works by female artists continued to perform strongly, with the large abstract work by Aida Tomescu fetching $35,670 (including Buyer’s Premium) against an estimate of $18,000 – $25,000. And the stunning depictions of Coneflowers and Pears by Margaret Olley that once came from Philip Bacon, making double its low estimate ($60,000-$80,000) selling for $123,000).   

Market Uncertainty has Advantages

Amid the sea of change, a window of opportunity may have emerged. Various economic factors may result in an increased focus on asset acquisition, particularly in the art world; however, savvy buyers may just be able to discover attractive price adjustments. Are we seeing a pause in the overheated sellers’ market? Time will tell.  

As advisors to a vast number of collectors who are looking to invest in fine arts and acquire art as an asset, we feel that continuing to collect during periods of uncertainty presents definite advantages.  

RELATED CONTENT

• The Fine Art Group Announces Australian Collaboration with Roger McIlroy Art Advisory
• Patti Wong: Asia’s Tastemaker

GLOBAL ART SERVICES POWERHOUSE

TFG has maintained an unrivaled track record across the art world for over two decades. TFG helps clients navigate all aspects of the art market, from providing assistance with collection strategies, acquisitions, appraisals, and selling works of art to art financing. This new collaboration with Roger McIlroy adds to the definition of TFG as an art industry innovator now available to meet new market demands in the Pacific region.

Download the full press release here.

Written by Isabel Della Salle, Art Advisory Fellow

Must-See End-of-Year Art Exhibitions of 2023

With 2023 coming to a close, The Fine Art Group’s team of art advisors put together a list of art exhibitions that merit your attention and are worth a visit before ringing in the new year. Ranging from Manet’s Olympia showing in the United States for the first time to brand new Kehinde Wiley work in Paris, there’s an exhibit for everyone, everywhere. 

New York: MoMA

ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN

September 10, 2023 – January 13, 2024

In an exhibition complete with over 200 works, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, artist’s books, and film, MoMA explores Ruscha’s contributions to Post-War American Art. This exhibition highlights Ruscha’s inspiration from the drive between his hometown of Oklahoma City to Los Angeles along the infamous US Route 66 that informed many of the scenes he’s most known for.

New York: Whitney Museum of American Art

Ruth Asawa Through Line

September 16, 2023 – January 15, 2024  

Though renowned for her abstract looped wire sculptures, drawing was essential to Ruth Asawa’s artistic practice and served as her center of gravity. Asawa continued this practice since she was young, having attended weekly calligraphy lessons as a child. In 1942, when her family was forced to leave their home in Southern California as part of the US government’s World War II isolation policies toward Japanese Americans, the teenage Asawa found salvation in the artists who taught and supported each other in the incarceration camps. In the years after that, Asawa maintained the belief that art has the power to make the world a better place. This exhibition highlights the important role that drawing played in Asawa’s personal life and its impact on the development of her sculptures. 

New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cecily Brown: Death and the Maid

April 4, 2023 – December 3, 2023  

This exhibition, opened earlier this year, marks the first full-fledged museum survey of Brown’s work in New York since she made the city her home in the 1990s. Cecily Brown: Death and the Maid assembles a select group of some fifty paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, and monotypes from across her career to explore the intertwined themes of still life, memento mori, mirroring, and vanitas—symbolic depictions of human vanity or life’s brevity—that have propelled her dynamic and impactful practice for decades.

New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Manet/Degas

September 24, 2023 – January 7, 2024  

Manet/Degas, set to open in late September, will examine the dialogue between two of the most prolific and canonically important artists who helped shape modernist painting. Through 160 paintings and works on paper, the Metropolitan Museum of Art invites viewers to explore the relationship between Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas, who were at once friends and rivals. The works exhibited will include loans from the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie  and will include Olympia, coming to the US for the first time, and works like Degas’ Family Portrait (The Bellelli Family). 

New Haven: Yale University Art Gallery

Mickalene Thomas: Portrait of an Unlikely Space

September 8, 2023 – January 7, 2024 

Co-organized by Mickalene Thomas, this exhibition features a selection of early American portraits of Black women, men, and children—from miniatures and daguerreotypes to silhouettes on paper and engravings in books—hanging on walls, standing within cases, and resting atop furniture. Alongside these small-scale objects, a group of artworks by Thomas and other contemporary artists in a wide array of media are situated within her signature homelike environment, which is adorned with period-specific textile patterns and other decorative elements. These contemporary works are placed in dialogue with the early American works in order to generate conversations about labor, home, and community in the past and present. 

Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago

Remedios Varo: Science Fictions

July 29, 2023 – November 27, 2023  

This Art Institute of Chicago exhibition is the first dedicated to the artist in the United States since 2000. It brings together more than 20 paintings Varo created in Mexico from 1955 until her death in 1963, along with additional materials from the artist’s archive—large-scale cartoons for paintings, notebooks, sketches, detailed studies, ephemera, and personal possessions. The exhibition’s subtitle, Science Fictions, alludes to the tensions and possibilities Varo brought together in her work as she searched to visualize hidden orders and unseen truths.  

Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction

September 17, 2023 – January 21, 2024  

Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction foregrounds a robust if not over-looked strand in art history’s modernist narratives by tracing how, when, and why abstract art intersected with woven textiles (and such pre-loom technologies as basketry, knotting, and netting) over the past century. With over 150 works by an international and transhistorical roster of artists, this exhibition reveals how shifting relations among abstract art, fashion, design, and craft shaped recurrent aesthetic, cultural, and socio-political forces, as they, in turn, were impacted by modernist art forms.  

London: Tate Britain

Sarah Lucas: Happy Gas

September 28, 2023 – January 14, 2024  

This exhibition brings together more than 75 works across four decades of Sarah Lucas’ career as a leading British contemporary artist. A highlight of the exhibition will be a large gallery of recent sculptures made between 2019 and 2023, including ten new works being displayed for the first time.  These recent works show how Lucas has continued to rethink the themes that have defined her career, including the objectification of the female form and the anthropomorphic potential of everyday objects, while consistently bringing fresh perspectives to her practice.  

London: Royal Academy of Art

Marina Abramović

September 23, 2023 – January 1, 2024  

This major exhibition presents key moments from Abramović’s career through sculpture, video, installation, and performance. Works such as The Artist is Present  will be strikingly re-staged through archive footage while others will be reperformed by the next generation of performance artists trained in the Marina Abramović method. 

Paris: Musée du Quai Branly

Kehinde Wiley: Maze of Power

September 26, 2023 – January 14, 2024  

This September, Kehinde Wiley unveils an exclusive series of portraits of African heads of state. Fascinated with representations of power and prestige within portraiture, Wiley has spent the last ten years meeting these leaders and combining the elements of royal and military portraiture in 17th – 18th and 19th-century Europe with each leader’s individual qualities to create a composition that illustrates each leader’s singular view of what it means to be a contemporary African leader. The portraits reflect the distinctive cultural elements of each state, revealing an individual’s identity through the dual prism of the artist and his model. These monumental paintings lay bare the contours of ego, the diversity of possibilities regarding taste and discernment, and the various communication strategies involved in building a personal and public image. 

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TFG INTERN PROGRAM

The Summer 2023 interns at The Fine Art Group were tasked with selecting their dream auction items from recent and upcoming sales, unrestricted by financial constraints. Their intriguing selections provide insight into their passions and enriching experiences at The Fine Art Group.

Jocelyn Hawkins, Art Advisory Fellow – New York, NY

Sotheby’s Institute of Art, 2024; VCUarts, 2019 
MA, Art Business ; BA, Art History

ALEX KATZ (AMERICAN, B. 1927)

Eleuthera (1999)
Screenprint in colors on Rives paper
Signed in pencil and numbered ‘PP 1/5’ (a printer’s proof, aside from the edition of 75), co-published by the artist and Brand X Projects, Inc., New York, printed by Brand X Editions, Inc., New York, the full sheet. 
48 x 26 3/4 in. 

Bonhams
Prints & Multiples Summer Splash
4-14 August 2023
Lot 7
ACHIEVED: $25,600 inc. premium

An exceptional Katz print recently came to sale at Bonhams. Eleuthera depicts two very Katz-esque female figures in swim costumes with bold-colored caps. Behind them, the ocean is rendered in a simple plane of turquoise blue but still captures a glimmer of sunlight dancing on its surface. Some rays even catch the profile of his subjects’ faces, adorning them in the same flash that makes the water so beautiful. In his classic style, Katz depicts a magical moment. While this print appears very flat, he has captured the space’s and figures’ three-dimensionality. 

Eleuthera refers to a small island in the Bahamas, only two miles wide. In this tightly framed composition, Katz transports viewers to that compact yet blissful environment. What makes this work even more special to me is its edition. This specific print is number “PP 1/5,” meaning it is the first of five Printer’s Proofs. In a previous sale, Christie’s noted that ten Artist’s Proofs were made, making the Printer’s Proofs even rarer. While I believe other collectors would focus on the paintings of Alex Katz more than his works on paper, I believe that purchasing a screen print of this uniqueness is a great way to build a Katz collection beyond one medium.

The last sale of an edition of Eleuthera achieved a hammer price of $11,000 at Christie’s, whereas the sale of the first Printer’s Proof reached $20,000 at Bonhams. These sales were less than a year apart with the Christie’s sale having been held in October of 2022 and the Bonhams sale having taken place just this past week in August of 2023. 2023 has been a mixed year for Katz screenprints, with some achieving beyond their estimate and some failing to even reach it. It is interesting to compare the different types of Katz prints that intrigue buyers.

Jiayi (Joyce) Liao, Arts Management Intern – Philadelphia, PA

Yale University, Class of 2025
Double Major in History of Art & Economics

HUANG YONGYU (CHINESE, 1924-2023)

Lotus (1996)
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and color on paper
Inscribed and signed, with three seals of the artist
Dated August 18, 1996
28 1/2 x 55 3/8 in.

Christie’s, Hong Kong
Summer Reverie: Chinese Paintings Online
15-29 August 2023
Lot 69
ESTIMATE: HKD 300,000 – 400,000

The artwork I chose was painted by Huang Yongyu, a self-taught contemporary Chinese artist known for his woodblock prints, ink-wash paintings, and stamp designs. Born in 1924 in Fenghuang, China, Huang never attended a regular school but studied literature and art independently. He often depicted wildlife, foliage, or human figures and sought to express childlike innocence. His works are in the collections of major institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Huang scheduled a centennial exhibition in 2024 but passed away on June 13, 2023.

I chose this painting because of its iconic subject, rare occasion, and reliable provenance. The lotus is one of Huang’s favorite subjects. This work represents his signature style of combining the painterly qualities of Abstract Expressionism with the Chinese tradition of “xieyi (painting ideas).” The composition draws viewers into a vast expanse of a harmonic fusion of ink, color, and water.

Despite its popular subject, this work has a unique context. According to the inscription, the piece – titled “bai nian hao he (may the blessed union last for one hundred years),” a common marriage blessing in Chinese – was painted as a gift to celebrate the 50th marriage anniversary of Chengxing and Madam Mu Zhen. ThelLotus is a symbol of marriage since “he (lotus)” is a homophone for “he (union).” The two lotus flowers positioned side by side in this painting probably represent the couple. The present owner of this work acquired it from the original recipients, which confirms its authenticity.

This will be the third time Christie’s presented “Summer Reverie: Chinese Paintings Online.” Huang’s works performed well in the previous two auctions, as exemplified by Lotus (1998) in 2022, which sold for HKD 1,386,000 (USD $176,598), 454% above its mid-estimate. Further, the artist’s recent death could make this sale a favorable time for acquisitions, as research shows that the value of works tends to drop in the year of the artist’s death and increase again afterward.

Comparable works in past auctions suggest the high potential value of this painting. Among 2,182 works by Huang Yongyu sold at auctions since 1988, 49 have similar subject matter, size, and medium as the one currently offered, with a record price of HKD 2,200,000 (USD 283,800) realized by Colorful Lotus (2002) at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2015. In 2023, two comparable works sold at China Guardian Auctions in Beijing outperformed expectations: Lotus (2004), sold in March, realized RMB 460,000 (USD 66,810), 360% over its mid-estimate; Lotus in Morning (2000), sold on June 14, a day after the artist’s death, realized RMB 862,500 (USD 120,666), over 50 times of its conservative estimate.

Kaylin Jury, Marketing Intern – Lititz, PA

Washington and Lee University, Class of 2024 
Art History and Spanish Major | Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies Minor 

BELKIS AYÓN (Cuban, 1967-1999)

Sikán (1991)
Collograph
35 x 27 1/2 in.

Christie’s, New York
Latin American Art
28 September 2023
ESTIMATE: $40,000-$60,000

Belkis Ayón (Cuban, 1967-1999), a Cuban printmaker, is best known for her black-and-white depictions of Abakuá, an all-male, Afro-Cuban secret society. Ayón was enthralled with the group’s only female figure, Princess Sikán, who quickly became a central figure in the artist’s work. A 2019 Frieze article described these two women, artist and muse, as each other’s “alter ego[s].” 

The deep textures, stark contrasts, and piercing, almond-shaped eyes seen in this depiction of Sikán are staples of Ayón’s style. The texture and depth Ayón achieves come from her use of collagraphy, a printmaking technique where ink is transferred using a collaged printing plate. One can see the joints between the individual prints in her 1991 Sikán, demonstrating the uniqueness of the artist’s technique. Combined with the work’s crowned design, these details make the piece a nontraditional and exceptional work from the Latin American sale. 

As an influential female Cuban artist, Ayón has only recently begun to receive the attention I feel she deserves. Although high-achieving before she died in 1999, Ayon took flight in 2016 with the Fowler Museum’s exhibition of her first solo show. Since then, Sikán has been displayed in the Reina Sofia and El Museo del Barrio, demonstrating that it is a true museum-quality piece. Many other examples of Ayón’s work are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and, the Wilfredo Lam Center of Contemporary Art. I am excited to see this unique piece of Ayón’s work brought to public attention.

Similar pieces that sold above their high estimates in March 2023, like Untitled (Silkan with Goat) and ¿Arrepentida? (Repentant?), were placed in auctions focused on contemporary art. With Sikán coming to auction in a Latin American sale targeting collectors interested in Cuban art, I am interested to watch its performance.  

Ran Peng, Art Marketing Intern – Pittsburgh, PA

Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University, Class of 2024 
Master of Arts Management 

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (AMERICAN, 1923-1997)

Mirror #6 (1972)
Lithograph and screenprint in colors on Special Arjomari paper
40 3/8 by 29 3/4 in.

Sotheby’s, London
Contemporary Discoveries
17 August 2023
Lot 26
ESTIMATE: GBP 8,000 – 12,000
ACHIEVED: GBP 12,700

As someone deeply interested in conceptual and Post-War and Contemporary art, I picked the lithograph and screenprint Mirror #6 by Roy Lichtenstein, in which he explored abstraction and discussed the concept of the “mirror” with his symbolic style. I really like the vibrant blocks of color and the conceptual discussion between the mirror’s formality and functionality.

Mirror #6 presents an oval shape in shades of dark red, black, and yellow with jagged lines and dots, creating a gradual transition from dense to light areas. The colors and dot clusters reveal the glass mirror’s edges while presenting its reflective nature. The oval mirror is placed at the center of the print and presented frontally without any reflected object. In this way, Lichtenstein separates the form and concept of the mirror from its functionality. With blocks of vibrant colors and dense dot clusters, Lichtenstein represents the reflection of light on the uneven surface of the mirror. This style helps viewers explore the conceptual difference between the mirror’s reflection and the mirror itself.

Throughout art history, mirrors have been used to convey the hidden complexities and dualities of the surface-level or outward presentation of self. In classic mythology, for example, mirrors served as a form of moralistic commentary on vanity. Lichtenstein’s work, however, challenges these traditional metaphors by shifting the focus from the reflected objects to the mirror itself. In this way, the artist poses a conceptual question to the viewer regarding the aesthetic comparison of an iconized object and its formal/physical features.

Lichtenstein revised his investigation of abstract aesthetics in his later career. Nevertheless, I believe the Mirror series is a solid showcase of his conceptual exploration, which he later continued in his Reflection and Interior series.

Various examples of similar Lichtenstein works have come to market in the last two years. For example, I found that a different edition of the same print, Mirror #6, and a print in the same series, Mirror #7, sold in the $10,000-$15,000 range. Since both previous pieces came to market in New York, I will be interested to see if London collectors take a similar interest in Lichtenstein’s Mirrors.

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